Hamilton Seeks U.S. Senate Seat

Candidate for the U.S. Senate Adam Hamilton recently traveled to Wellington to share his vision for expanding Medicaid, restoring health insurance coverage and lowering prescription drug costs for Kansans.

A central focus of his campaign is protecting rural hospitals while reducing the cost of health care. During his visit, Hamilton noted he was aware that Wellington's hospital closed in 2020.

"Health insurance premiums are soaring. Too many Kansas families are being priced out of the health care coverage they need," said Hamilton. "Families shouldn't have to worry about how they will be able to afford their medicine or their next visit to the doctor's office."

Hamilton said his plan includes restoring Affordable Care Act tax credits to lower health insurance costs, opposing Medicaid cuts that he believes threaten rural hospitals and allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices while extending those savings to the private market.

Hamilton believes his background has prepared him to understand the challenges many Kansas families face. He has spent more than 30 years as pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, which he founded at age 25. During his tenure, the church grew to more than 24,000 members, 400 employees and nine locations, becoming the largest United Methodist congregation in the United States.

"Over the last year and a half I've watched as cuts are being made that hurt people in Kansas," Hamilton said. "Major cuts to programs like SNAP and Medicaid. Cuts that have impacted our rural hospitals. Since January, over 30,000 Kansans have dropped off health insurance exchanges, risking losing everything because they can't afford health insurance anymore."

Hamilton said he believes Congress should serve as a constitutional check on executive power. During an 18-city listening tour across Kansas, he said he heard concerns from farmers, ranchers, teachers, grandparents and others who felt government policies were making life more difficult.

"When you change tariff policy over 50 times in a year, small business owners and farmers can't figure out where prices are going to be next week or even two weeks from now," Hamilton said. "Tariffs and wars overseas are driving up the price of gas, groceries and everyday essentials across Kansas."

Hamilton said those conversations helped convince him to enter the race. During his first campaign finance reporting period, from April 30 through June 30, his campaign reported raising a record-setting $3.66 million from 16,336 individual donors, the largest campaign launch quarter in Kansas U.S. Senate history.

"The Resurrection congregation is estimated to be about 35% Republican, 35% Democrat and 30% Independent," Hamilton said. "We leave room for people to disagree, but ultimately find a way to come together."

Although Kansas ranks among the nation's more religious states, an estimated 28% of adults — roughly 630,000 people — identify as religiously unaffiliated. Asked how his background as a pastor would influence his service to Kansans of all faiths and those with no religious affiliation, Hamilton emphasized the importance of the separation of church and state.

"I believe in the separation of church and state," he said. "I think it's important for the state and really important for the church. People came to America seeking freedom of religion. What they did not want was for the state to establish a church."

Hamilton said his years in ministry have shaped how he approaches public service.

"If I get elected to go to Washington, D.C., my job is to uphold the Constitution and fight for the people of Kansas. What my experience does bring is 38 years of listening to people who are hurting, caring for people, being with people when they lose their loved ones, understanding the issues of the human condition and trying to address them."