Adam Hamilton, a 61-year-old United Methodist pastor who founded the Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area, is running as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Kansas. The campaign represents an unusual situation, as Hamilton seeks to balance his role as senior pastor of a 25,000-member congregation with his political ambitions in a heavily Republican state. If elected, Hamilton has stated he plans to continue serving as senior pastor, preaching between 12 to 18 times per year, though he is currently on unpaid leave from his pastoral duties.
Hamilton built his church from a small group meeting in a funeral home chapel in 1990 into a multi-site congregation serving the Kansas City area. He describes himself as a centrist focused on bringing people together and notes that his congregation is nearly evenly divided among Democrats, Republicans, and independents. He has gained national recognition through writing more than 30 books on Christian theology. According to the article, only a handful of ordained ministers have served in the Senate over the past 100 years, and only one current senator, Democrat Raphael Warnock of Georgia, continues to serve as an active pastor.
Hamilton’s candidacy has drawn criticism from multiple directions. Conservative opponents have challenged his theological positions, particularly a 2022 sermon in which he argued that non-Christians could receive salvation after death. Republican Senator Ted Cruz stated that Hamilton had rejected central Christian tenets, while Senator Roger Marshall, the incumbent Republican, has characterized Hamilton as “too woke for Kansas.” Marshall has also emphasized his own background as a farm family member and obstetrician, contrasting himself with Hamilton as someone more aligned with rural Kansas values.
Some Democratic voters have expressed wariness about mixing religion and government, though Hamilton has emphasized that he would not use a Senate position to promote Christianity. Republican groups have run advertisements attacking Hamilton on various issues, including claims about his positions on climate change and his church’s community programs. Despite the challenges, some voters have indicated openness to Hamilton’s candidacy, with some citing his focus on bringing people together. Democrats have not won a Kansas Senate race since 1932, though the state has regularly elected Democratic governors and maintains moderate voters.
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