By Richard Shank
The Hutchinson Tribune
HUTCHINSON—“I am running to leave a better life for my granddaughter,” Democratic senatorial candidate Adam Hamilton told an audience of around 500 people Thursday evening during his speech at Hutchinson’s Historic Fox Theatre.
Hamilton arrived in Hutchinson late Thursday afternoon following campaign stops in Salina and Lindsborg as his barnstorming tour continues across the state, 25 days in advance of the Nov. 3 general election.
Hamilton was accompanied on the tour by his wife, LaVon, whom he married 44 years ago when he was 17 and she was 18.
One audience member dubbed the rally a bipartisan gathering as Democrats, Republicans and independents sat side by side for the nearly hourlong presentation by Hamilton.
Betty Taylor, a Democratic activist for five decades, was joined on stage in introducing Hamilton by Dave Dillon, retired CEO of Kroger, who grew up in Hutchinson and told the audience he is a registered Republican.
“I am so thrilled to see so many Republicans in the audience,” Taylor said.
“Many of you share my frustration with what is happening,” Dillon said. “I have endorsed Adam, and he is willing to reach across the aisle to solve problems.”
“Two former Republican governors have endorsed Adam, and he has earned our vote,” Dillon continued.
Hamilton, a Johnson County minister, began his remarks saying, “I am not running to be the Senate chaplain.”
“Things are broken in Washington,” Hamilton continued. “I want to go to Washington to fight for you to be a champion for Republicans, Democrats and independents.”
“We need thoughtful Republicans and Democrats working together,” Hamilton continued.
Hamilton spoke out against what he called the “gutting” of the National Institute of Health.
“Kansas needs a senator who has the backbone to speak up,” Hamilton said. “If the president is of the same party and there are issues that aren’t right, then the senator needs to say something,” Hamilton said.
An issue needing immediate attention, according to Hamilton, is the nation’s cost of living.
“Kansans have an increased cost each month of $100 due to the war in Iran,” Hamilton said. “And Americans have spent $700 million more on fuel this year.”
“We have had 56 tariff changes this year,” Hamilton continued. “We are paying $150 more in taxes per month as a result of tariffs.”
Hamilton told of a recent Sunday afternoon when he went door to door campaigning in Wichita and met a single mother with a son with autism. She told Hamilton that she’s forced to work harder than ever to make ends meet.
“There are thousands of people like her,” Hamilton said. “Many are forced to make a decision on whether or not to keep their homes or health insurance.”
“As a result of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ 63,000 Kansans lost their health insurance, and Roger Marshall voted for it,” Hamilton said. “Now, 28 rural hospitals in Kansas are at risk of closing.”
The bottom line in the equation, according to Hamilton, is to find a way to bring people together.
“The two parties act like two teams in the National Football League,” Hamilton said. “Then, they try to crush each other.”
In summary, Hamilton said the four major issues facing America are healthcare, immigration, the national debt and Social Security.
In a short question-and-answer session, Hamilton said no one should force construction of a data center on any community, and noted that all Americans should have access to basic healthcare.
Responding to a question on the Second Amendment to the Constitution, Hamilton said he will oppose any efforts to remove citizens’ right to bear arms.
He seemed optimistic about his race, three weeks and four days in advance of the Nov. 3 general election.
“We have a great chance to win the race,” Hamilton said after stating the Republican Party has infused an additional $14 million into the campaign coffers of his opponent.
And in a final jab at his opponent, Hamilton reiterated an earlier statement by saying, “If you (Marshall) are a member of the president’s party, ask questions.”
“We need senators who speak up even if they lose their job,” Hamilton continued.
Hamilton said his family arrived in America in 1870 and settled near Hope and Elmo in Dickinson County. He told how his grandfather built a church in Hope, which remains to this day.
In 1990, Hamilton and three others founded Church of Resurrection in Leawood, and the church of worship has grown to 24,000 members, the largest Methodist Church congregation in the United States.
Reporters from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal circulated through the crowd following the speech in search of quotes from audience members.
Following an early morning tour of Strataca, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson, Hamilton was back on the road for Friday campaign appearances in Garden City and Ellsworth.