OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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The U.S. Senate election for Kansas has become one of the most watched races in the country.
Not only is it a key race for control of the U.S. Senate, but the Democratic challenger for the seat has garnered signific attention.
Adam Hamilton rallied supporters Monday night in Overland Park in the final hours of his campaign to defeat Republican incumbent Roger Marshall.
From the Johnson County pastor's church members to people from across the state, hundreds of Hamilton's supporters packed a Chicken N Pickle in a final effort to get supporters to the polls.
"It's probably one of the most instrumental elections," Renee Walters said.
Hamilton's rally came on the heels of President Donald Trump's Sunday campaign stop in Salina, Kansas, to rally voters to support
Marshall.
"I had to come here to make sure that Roger got elected," President Trump said at Sunday's rally. "I had to do it."
JD Vance also urged voters to re-elect Marshall at a September rally in Olathe and another in October in Topeka.
President Trump made his first stop in Kansas to pump up Marshall supporters on Oct. 19 near Wichita earlier this month.
A voter poll from The New York Times shows Hamilton ahead of Marshall in the race.
"No matter what happens tomorrow, I already feel like we already won," Hamilton said at Monday night's rally.
But President Trump is still optimistic Republicans will keep control of the U.S. Senate.
"On November 3, we're going to win," President Trump said at Sunday's rally. "Let's make the next two years bigger and better and stronger than ever before."
Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in over 90 years.
"I'm a lifelong Republican, but I'll vote for the person who has the character, integrity," Greg Musil said. "Go back to Washington and lead from the middle so we can govern."
That's been Hamilton's main campaign focus, leading from the middle and bridging the political party gap.
"Chiefs and Broncos can bash each other, but Democrats and Republicans have to stop playing that way," Hamilton said at Monday's rally. "We have to work together."
It's resonated with both longtime voters and those making their first trip to the polls.
"There's a lot of frustrations with where our politics stand right now," Nicholas Black said. "We can't get anything done with our current congress and it's really refreshing for people in my generation to see someone who's willing to work across the aisle."
According to KSN News in Wichita, Marshall made a stop in El Dorado on Monday, along with Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. They held a roundtable with Kansans involved in the livestock and beef industries.
The event was closed to the media and was not called a campaign event.
KSN asked Marshall before the discussion about how the event fit with his closing message to voters. KSN was told the roundtable was unrelated to the campaign.
The KSHB 41 News team will be covering multiple races on Election Day, including the race for the U.S. Senate seat between Marshall and Hamilton.
You can find more information here.
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