Takeaways from the Kansas US Senate debate: Roger Marshall vs. Adam Hamilton

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas U.S. Senate debate between incumbent Roger Marshall (R) and opponent Adam Hamilton (D) has ended, leaving voters with a clearer picture of each candidate’s viewpoints and plans for office.

Both Marshall and Hamilton took to the podium at the FOX4 studio to answer individual and joint questions regarding healthcare, wartime policies, housing and more.

Throughout the hour, there were numerous notable moments and responses from each candidate. Here are four takeaways from Wednesday night’s Kansas U.S. Senate debate:

1. Candidates respond to attack ad accusations

The opening question of the debate addressed widely circulated attack ads each candidate has shared throughout their campaigns.

Hamilton, who is a pastor at a church in Johnson County, was asked to address the controversies surrounding a former church camp staff member who was allowed to return to work after being accused of pedophilia.

He was also asked why the church’s policy wasn’t to contact authorities immediately after the accusations were made in 2005.

Hamilton said the church’s policy changed after the staff member was accused; however, he added that the police department’s investigation was inconclusive. When asked if he signed off on the staff member returning to work at the church, Hamilton said, “I did not sign off on him going back.”

Marshall was also asked to address controversies regarding his former practice as a doctor. These controversies were not just brought to light in Hamilton’s campaign ads but also on a national scale with a recent report from the New York Times (NYT).

According to the NYT review of court records, Marshall’s practice sued 700+ patients and charged an annual 18% interest rate for unpaid bills despite claims that he provided free care. Additionally, several people were arrested as a result of these lawsuits after missing their court dates.

In Wednesday night’s debate, Marshall was asked if he takes any responsibility for those unpaid debts. He responded by saying all of the accusations “couldn’t be further from the truth.”

He said his office did everything possible to take care of people and try to make sure they wouldn’t go to collections. He then called it a “mischaracterization” of the care he gave to his patients, and that he, in fact, did provide many of his patients free care.

Marshall later added that if his patients had simply communicated properly with his office, they wouldn’t have been sent to collections in the first place.

2. Candidates respond to rising fuel costs

With inflation and growing global conflicts, Americans often find themselves worrying about the cost of living.

In Wednesday night’s debate, Marshall and Hamilton were asked to address rising gas prices in Kansas and how they would handle the issue if elected.

Hamilton was specifically asked how he plans to replace the state’s lost revenue if he were to suspend federal gas and diesel taxes until the Iran War ends.

He said he supports the end of the war and that his plan to suspend federal gas and diesel taxes is simply a short-term solution that will save farmers 30 cents per gallon.

Additionally, Hamilton went on to say that if he were to be elected, he would propose a bill in January to possibly force President Donald Trump to bring the war to a conclusion very quickly.

“Kansans need that, and Americans need that,” he said, before claiming Marshall failed to support the end of the war.

Marshall responded to Hamilton, stating he “hates war” and also wants it to be over as soon as possible, but said the U.S. cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. He then said Democrats like Hamilton want to fight war with weakness and that Americans cannot let that happen.

After responding to Hamilton’s accusation, Marshall was asked to address the original question about fuel costs, as well as a comment he made back in April regarding national security and the economy.

Specifically, the question centered on whether he still believed keeping Iran from nuclear weapons was “even more important than your pocketbook” and if he supported a temporary federal fuel-tax holiday.

Marshall said a moratorium would be a short-term solution to the problem before blaming Ukraine for being the driving source of rising diesel fuel costs.

He then said that the U.S. is only relying on diesel imports because of Green New Deal policies backed by Democrats and that the costs of fuel will go down once the war is over.

3. Candidates talk SNAP funding

During Wednesday night’s debate, the candidates were asked about a hot topic in Kansas: SNAP.

FOX4’s John Holt asked: Is it time to separate SNAP from the Farm Bill?

“I wish we could, but we don’t have the votes to do it because Senate Democrats are focused on food stamps,” Sen. Marshall said. “Then the Republicans, we’re sitting there fighting for the farmer — and every Senate Democrat is voting against those right now.”

He said the only way to get a Farm Bill passed is to bring both groups together.

Hamilton said he does not support separating SNAP from the Farm Bill.

“It’s important that we keep those two things together because it was formed to support both poor children, urban or rural, and our farmers,” Hamilton said before accusing Marshall of cutting SNAP benefits for thousands of children.

“Apparently, our sitting senator is not ashamed of letting kids go hungry,” Hamilton said.

“I don’t want any kid to go to bed hungry,” Marshall said in response.

“Once upon a time, when people were coming off food stamps, it was meant to be a good thing. It meant they found a job,” Marshall added.

He said 80-90% of Kansans support a work requirement.

“We don’t have very stringent requirements,” he said. “We’re just asking people that are healthy, of working age, that don’t have children under the age of 14, to try to get a job — and just 20 hours a week.”

Marshall said the SNAP fraud rate has increased from 5% to 15%. He said kids get free breakfasts and reduced lunches at school.

4. Candidates discuss rising healthcare costs, healthcare desert in Kansas

Kansas healthcare rates are rising, and a key factor is the federal tax credits that expired. Kansas rates for premiums are rising on average by more than 17%.

Nationwide, enrollment in the Affordable Care Act dropped by nearly 5 million from 2025 to 2026 — including more than 36,000 Kansans, who cited higher premiums.

According to the KFF Peterson tracker, Kansas rates for premiums are rising by more than 17% on average — a key factor being the expired tax credits.

Hamilton supports extending the tax credits. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that would add $350 billion to the federal deficit over 10 years.

He was then asked how he would make up for that lost revenue.

In response, Hamilton said he would use the money that Trump is offering voters — $5,000 each — if they vote for Marshall.

“Or I would take it from the trillion dollars the president was going to spend to bribe Americans to vote for Roger Marshall and others,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said people need to be able to afford healthcare insurance. He said he supports universal access to healthcare.

“I want universal access to a basic level of healthcare. I don’t believe Medicare for all is going to be the thing that’s going to get that done,” he said.

“We have to solve health insurance. We’ve got to be able to make sure people can afford to buy health insurance.”

He said Marshall, a doctor, voted in favor of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” that cut the tax credits.

“We’ve got to do better than that,” Hamilton said.

Holt then asked Marshall: What would you propose to provide access to healthcare? How would you pay for it?

“I’m already doing it,” Marshall said.

He said he’s worked with Bernie Sanders to expand access to healthcare, bring in $220 million for the rural health transformation fund, and to help Kansas hospitals.

Marshall said the real problem is the Affordable Care Act wasn’t so affordable, and that the Democrats have been bought by big insurance companies. He went on to say he has brought millions to Kansas and helped the state’s healthcare infrastructure significantly.

He talked about his transparency bill that would require healthcare providers to show you prices upfront.

For more details about the debate and other key questions the candidates were asked, click here to view the live blog.