Kansas Senate Race Focuses on Pastor's Past Sermons on Race
Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton's 2020 calls for repentance over White privilege have become a point of contention in his challenge to Republican Sen. Roger Marshall.
Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton, a prominent megachurch pastor in Kansas, is facing scrutiny over past sermons in which he discussed White privilege and called for repentance in the wake of George Floyd's death.
During the summer of 2020, amid widespread protests against racial injustice, Hamilton, then a pastor at the Church of the Resurrection, delivered a sermon titled "Jesus, Protests and Repentance." In it, he spoke about his own blind spots and the benefits he received by virtue of being "educated, White and male." He urged his congregation to recognize such privileges, stating, "we don't like to hear that, especially White folks don't like to hear that. But there are benefits that come along with that."
Hamilton is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in a race that has become increasingly competitive. Cook Political Report has rated the contest a toss-up, with national Republicans reportedly increasing their investment in the race due to voter concerns over economic issues.
Marshall's campaign has sought to portray Hamilton as a "woke" pastor with left-leaning ideals. An advertisement run by the Main Street Fund, an outside group, reportedly spliced portions of Hamilton's sermons and criticized him as "way too woke for Kansas."
In the same 2020 sermon, Hamilton addressed the Black Lives Matter movement, asserting that "all lives matter" and acknowledging that "every African American man that I know is worried about what might happen when a police pull him over." He contrasted this with his own experience, stating, "I wasn't taught that, because I don't have to be afraid of that." He concluded by emphasizing the need for self-reflection and repentance.
Marshall, who was running for his first Senate term in 2020, also commented on Floyd's death and called for reforms. His campaign has highlighted Hamilton's past statements as they seek to secure his re-election.
A spokesperson for Hamilton's campaign criticized Marshall's approach, stating that Marshall "wants to talk about anything other than his history of suing and jailing mothers and protecting predators by voting against releasing the Epstein Files." The spokesperson added, "Once again, he’s attacking Adam for something Roger said himself. Roger’s own pastor called Adam ‘middle of the road.’ Kansans are tired of high gas and grocery prices and ready for a senator who won’t divide us by race, religion, income, or ability to pay a medical bill at 18% interest."