2026 Kansas U.S. Senatorial Debate

• Event: 2026 Kansas U.S. Senatorial Debate
• Date: September 12, 2026
• Location: Heartland Credit Union Pavilion, Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, Kansas
• Moderator: Greg Akagi (Farm Director, 580 WIBW Radio & Kansas Agriculture Network, Topeka)
• Timekeeper: Kevin King (News Director, KWCH-TV, Wichita)
• Media Panel:
• Michael Schwanke (Anchor, KWCH-TV, Wichita)
• Tim Carpenter (Senior Reporter, Kansas Reflector)
• David Bergmeier (Editor, High Plains Journal)

• Broadcast: 580 WIBW Radio and the Kansas Radio Networks

• Sponsors: Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Corn, CoBank and Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, AARP Kansas, KanEquip
• Debate Format & Rules:
• Two-minute opening statements per candidate.
• Media panel questions with 90-second initial responses, 90-second counter-responses, and 45-second rebuttals.
• Shortened final round (60-second responses, 30-second rebuttal).
• Two-minute closing statements.
• Coin tosses prior to the debate determined: (1) closing statement order (won by Sen. Roger Marshall, selecting to close last), and (2) first question order (won by Adam Hamilton, selecting to take the first question).

Transcript

Greg Akagi: I’m Greg Akagi, Farm Director for 580 WIBW and the Kansas Agriculture Network in Topeka. It is our honor and privilege to bring you the second of our two legislative debates on the first Saturday of the Kansas State Fair. Right now, the focus is on the U.S. Senatorial Debate.

Before we go further, we would like to thank our sponsors for today’s senatorial debate, and that includes the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Corn, CoBank and Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, and AARP of Kansas, and KanEquip.

Also, for those of you at Heartland Credit Union Pavilion, please take note that we will be ending early today at 2:55. Ron Diamond, one of the entertainers, was gracious enough to give up his 1:00 slot here at the pavilion. He is scheduled to come on at 3:00. So at the end of the debate, I implore all of you who are not staying to see Ron Diamond, please exit as soon as possible after the debate so Mr. Diamond has his fully allotted time.

All right. Before we came on stage, two coin flips took place. The first one was to determine which option they would choose. If the candidate won the toss, they have their choice of doing their opening statement first or do their closing statement last, and the other candidate would have the choice of the first candidate didn’t take. The flip was won by Senator Marshall, and he chose his closing statement last. The second coin flip determined the choice of the order of who will answer the first question, and that flip was won by Mr. Hamilton, so he will answer the first question. And then we will rotate in order through the questions as well.

Now, as far as the debate is concerned, we have three esteemed members of the media who will be asking questions on a rotating basis. Let me introduce our media panel. First, he is the anchor at KWCH-TV in Wichita, please welcome Michael Schwanke. Next is senior reporter at Kansas Reflector, please welcome Tim Carpenter. And finally, he is the editor of High Plains Journal, please welcome David Bergmeier.

We always have an ag journalist on the media panel, due in part because agriculture is the number one industry in the state of Kansas. All right. As far as the debate format, each candidate will have two minutes for an opening statement. After that, the media panel will direct questions to the candidates. The candidate who answers the question will have 90 seconds to respond to that question, and then the other candidate will have 90 seconds to respond as well. The candidate who answers first will then 45 seconds of rebuttal time, and this will alternate throughout the debate.

Here’s one thing I will tell you, though: if the candidate is interrupted by the crowd to the point that they have to stop, the timekeeper and moderator have the discretion to add additional time for the candidate. It is it is our call, our judgment on that. So we want to make sure, though, that uh for each side you have plenty of supporters here for attendance, but you also have voters that may be undecided right now, and they want to hear from both candidates. Of course, you can cheer for the candidate, but also understand that you may be taken away from the undecided voter in hearing from the candidates themselves.

By the way, our timekeeper today is Kevin King, news director at KWCH-TV in Wichita. He will have printed signs that say 30 seconds, 15 seconds, and stop. If the candidate goes over the time, the moderator will state the candidate is out of time, and will continue continue to do so until the candidate stops speaking. And at the end of the debate, the candidates will be allowed closing statements of two minutes. The order was determined before the start of the debate.

All right, I’ve done enough speaking, you’ve heard enough rules. What do you say we get to the debate? Now all we need are two candidates to do so. Hopefully they heard that cue. It’s one of those if you don’t hear the cue, those are— And there’s Tim. So, ladies and gentlemen, let me let me first introduce the Republican incumbent, Dr. Roger Marshall. And let me also introduce the Democratic candidate, Adam Hamilton.

All right. We do have the order, as we mentioned, that uh Senator Marshall won the toss, he decided to do his closing statement last. So we will start with Adam Hamilton with his opening statement of two minutes.

Adam Hamilton: My name is Adam Hamilton, and my family moved to Kansas in 1870. They moved to Dickinson County, and they founded a town called Hope, which I really love. Hope. And uh the Catholic church they built there in the 1870s is still standing.

My family ended up moving to the Prairie Village area, and that’s where I grew up. And uh I had a chance to marry my high school sweetheart, LaVon. We’ve been married 44 years. She’s here today. We have two children, Danielle and Rebecca, and a granddaughter who is the love of our lives. She’s here today, Stella. Stand up, Stella, so people can see who you are. All right.

Now, I’ve been a pastor for 38 years. I love my job as a pastor, and I’ve spent 38 years preaching and teaching the Scriptures and trying to help people understand: What does it mean to be a decent human being? How are we meant to live our lives, to love God and to love our neighbor?

My faith is an essential part of who I am. This morning, as in every morning for the last 40-plus years, I slipped to my slipped down to my knees when I got out of bed and said, “Here I am. Please use me. Help me to bless other people, help me to do your will, help me to know your will and to and to live it. Help me to be salt and light for our community and our world, and for the people gathered here, and for Roger Marshall as well.” And uh and that’s an essential part of who I am, and part of the reason why I’m running in this race. My granddaughter is part of the reason.

But part of the reason is, as I looked at what was happening in Washington, I thought, “This is not what I’ve been preaching for the last 38 years.” There’s an indecency in Washington, a cruelty in Washington. There are policies in Washington that are hurting people back in Kansas.

And I guess the question I would ask you today is this: Are you happy with how things are in Washington? If you are—if your answer is yes, you should vote for Roger Marshall. If it’s no, then I want you to consider want you to consider voting for me.

So when we look at what’s happening in Washington, we see a host of things: we see gasoline prices, record gasoline prices, record diesel prices, phosphate prices. We see a cruelty and inhumanity in the way we’re treating our fellow human beings. And I’m just saying, that is not who we are as Americans, that’s not who we are as Kansans. Thank you very much for being here.

Greg Akagi: All right. Senator Marshall, your two-minute opening statement.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Well, thank you, Greg, and welcome, everybody, to the Kansas State Fair! You know, just last weekend, my wife and I were chatting, and she suggested I share with this crowd why we moved to Great Bend. Now, I don’t know about you Now, I don’t know about you, now, I don’t know about you, but I think it’s good advice to take your wife’s advice.

So within a week of each other, my wife and I graduated from nursing school and medical school. Four years later, she’s an accomplished neonatal intensive care nurse. We finished our residency, we start making the typical interviews across big cities. We were offered multiple jobs. But when we came to Great Bend, America, something was different there. What they talked about were their schools, and their churches, and their high school football team, as opposed to big-city golf courses and and shopping malls. What we found out there What we found out was is that the OB-GYN was going to retire, and I’d be the only OB-GYN in the middle of 65,000 people.

Over the next 25 years, we delivered 5,000 babies and raised four children. And one of our favorite things to do was to come visit the state fair. You know, this morning, as we were walking around the state fair in the cattle pens, I thought to myself: wouldn’t it In in a state with more cattle than people In a state with more cattle than people, wouldn’t it be a crying shame if we had a senator who said we should repent for eating beef?

Look. In today’s debate, you’re going to see that my opponent is too woke, he’s too weak, he’s he’s too— Listen. My opponent is too woke, he’s too weak, and he doesn’t stand for anything. That he tries to be all things to all people.

Now, you may not agree with everything I have to say today—

Greg Akagi: Senator, you are out of time.

Sen. Roger Marshall: —but you’re going to know you’re going to know where I stand. And by the end of this debate, you’re going to know that I’m going to fight for you, your family—

Greg Akagi: Senator, you are out of time.

Sen. Roger Marshall: —and your freedoms as well. Thank you!

Greg Akagi: All right. We are going to the first question. And as determined by the coin flip, this will be asked directly to Mr. Hamilton first, and it will come from Michael Schwanke with KWCH-TV.

Michael Schwanke: Greg, thank you. Thank you to WIBW. Thank you to both candidates for being here today. I want to start with news out this week, and that’s President Trump’s promise of a $5,000 dividend to every adult.

Greg Akagi: Ladies and gentlemen.

Michael Schwanke: So this proposal would cost more than a trillion dollars. We have $40 trillion in debt right now. Do you support that proposal, and if elected, would you vote for it? Why or why not?

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: This is exactly what’s wrong in Washington, D.C. right now. Can you remember Can you remember a time when a sitting president would try to bribe Americans to vote for his party? Democrat or Republican, nobody’s done it before. This is absurd.

So when we think about bribing people with $5,000 checks if they’ll just please vote for my party—you got to pay people to vote for your party because they’re worried about your positions? So when we think about this, I want to know: How are we paying for this? We got a trillion dollars we’re going to spend on this in order to bribe people to vote for your party? That’s wrong. We got a $40 trillion debt. If you got a trillion dollars laying around, pay it on the debt, or restore Medicaid benefits, or help people who are poor. But don’t be giving people $5,000 in order to get them to vote for you. This is criminal. It should be called out. It’s part of the corruption in Washington. And I would not vote for this, absolutely not.

Greg Akagi: All right. Senator Marshall, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Right. So you all know I’m a physician. I’m going to measure twice and cut once. I’m going to measure twice and cut once. I’m going to get consultations, I’m going to bring in all the information, and then make a decision.

But look. But look, this is not the first time I’ve disagreed with President Trump, and it probably won’t be the last. You know, instead, instead I’m going to be focused on Kansas jobs. I’m going to be focused on protecting Kansas agriculture and the Kansas cattle industry. Think about this: think about this, the Kansas cattle industry means 45,000 jobs, and my opponent wants to burn the cattle industry down. That he gives entire sermons that he gives entire sermons on the Green New Deal and climate change. And if you think he wants to attack just the cattle industry, he’s going to go after our oil and gas industry as well, and make gasoline and diesel even more expensive. So my focus—

Crowd: [Chanting]

Greg Akagi: Ladies and gentlemen, can we have quiet and respect on both sides for them to answer the questions?

Sen. Roger Marshall: Look. What I’m going to give the Kansas farmers and ranchers is predictability and certainty. I’m going to give them a farm bill—a farm bill that every Democrat on the Senate just voted against. So I’m going to stay locked in on this Kansas agriculture industry. And by the way, Kansas Farm Bureau, thank you for your endorsement! Thank you, Kansas Farm Bureau!

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Adam Hamilton: Yeah, I noticed the livestock industry did not give you their endorsement. That’s interesting.

So here’s the problem. Here’s the problem is senators are elected by the people to be their champion in Washington, D.C., not hired by the White House to be their spokesperson to the people in the state. Currently, our sitting senator has a very hard time speaking up to the president, has a very difficult time saying, “Mr. President, this is corrupt. This is not okay.” I didn’t hear it after Wednesday. In fact, I think you were there for the speech. Didn’t hear it that night.

But but we have got to have somebody who’s willing to do what a senator is supposed to do, and that is speak up against power, to be a check on executive power. Roger Marshall struggles to do that.

Greg Akagi: All right. We go to the next question, and it’ll be directed to Senator Marshall, and it comes from Tim Carpenter at Kansas Reflector.

Tim Carpenter: Thank you. I imagine both of you agree that U.S. senators from Kansas are in those jobs to work for all Kansans. Tell us how, after you leave this debate stage, you plan to consistently and publicly reach out, interact, and connect with your employers after the November election, whether they voted for you or not.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have two minutes to respond.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, I appreciate the the question, Tim. I want to remind mind everybody that I’ve been lucky enough to be in all 105 counties every year. 105 counties, six years in a row. Every year Every every year, I do between 350 and 400 stops across this great state of Kansas.

In in my office, we see between 20 and 40 groups of Kansans every week in the office as well. We have emails, phone calls, all those types of things to stay in constant touch.

But I think agriculture is a great example. If you want to stay in touch, like Senator Roberts always told me, “Go sit on the tongue of the wagon with the farmer.” And he’s going to tell you that we need predictability and certainty, that we need a farm bill, that we need a farm bill.

And I think the question for my opponent is be: Will he ever stand up to Chuck Schumer? Will he stand up Will he be the only Democrat that would vote for the for the farm bill? Will he be the only person that stands up for year-round E15 and the predictability and certainty of a farm bill? Or are you going to take the $30 million that Chuck Schumer’s going to give you? Or are you going to do the fundraiser next week that Chuck Schumer has planned for you? I think that’s the real question that we should be asking here: you call yourself an independent Democrat, but will you have the guts and the ability to step up to somebody who’s going to fund your entire campaign?

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: I love the actual original question. I think it’s very important: Will you work for all people or only some of the people?

So traveling across the state, in every event that I’m at, there are Republicans coming up to me saying, “You share our values. I’ve not voted for a Democrat in the past, but I’m voting for you.” So Governor Bill Graves this week endorsed me. We have a huge cadre of people who are Republicans for Hamilton because they know that this does not represent Republican values, what’s happening in Washington, D.C.

I will work across the aisle. I’m a moderate, independent-minded Democrat, despite what— Thank you. And uh and I am going to work together. Right now, we have a a five-year farm bill that’s in year eight. He’s been on the Ag Committee the entire time that he’s been in the Senate. Has he got it across the finish line? No. Over and over and over again, there are bills that require you to work with people on the other side of the aisle. He cannot get them across the aisle because he struggles to work with people on the other side. So—

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, like like I said, my opponent doesn’t stand for anything. You you still have no idea. I asked him a very specific question: Adam, will you vote for the farm bill? Will you be the only Democrat on the Ag Committee to stand up and vote for the farm bill? Are you going to take Chuck Schumer’s $30 million, or are you going to stand in line with every other Democrat that voted against voter ID? They voted against funding for the military as as well.

Every other Democrat is is has been able to do nothing that you’re describing. And when you take $30 million from Chuck Schumer, you’re going to be at his beck and call as well. We need We need a person on the Ag Committee that actually knows the difference between heifers and steers, right? Thank you so much.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Adam Hamilton: Well, I’m still looking for the $30 million from Chuck Schumer. I don’t think I’ve gotten that yet.

Sen. Roger Marshall: It’ll be there next week! Next week!

Adam Hamilton: And uh and you know, it’s so interesting to hear you speak about this as a guy who’s got a million dollars in PAC ads running against me, started the day after I began. But you know what, I am going to work across the aisle.

And you have to ask the question: Why are the Democrats holding up the farm bill? I I am in favor of the farm bill. I would have got it done because we would have compromised and find a solution. They are fighting for children in Kansas and every state whose SNAP benefits are being taken away by you. And you’re saying they all have fraud? We’re talking about 18,000 children in Kansas who’ve lost their SNAP benefits under his leadership. That’s not okay.

Greg Akagi: Okay. The next question will be for Senator Marshall, and it will come from David Bergmeier of the High Plains Journal.

David Bergmeier: Okay, thank Thank you, Adam and and Roger, for being here. Uh, my question is one that’s that uh many people are asking about in recent days, and that is the Iran war has complicated input costs and diesel fuel expenses and hit the bottom line of many farmers and consumers and ranchers. What can you, as a senator, do to assure the short-term pain is worth the long-term gain?

Sen. Roger Marshall: Which one’s Who’s first, Greg? Yeah, I couldn’t We couldn’t hear it.

Greg Akagi: David, could you repeat your question?

David Bergmeier: Okay. The Iran war has complicated input costs and diesel fuel expenses and hit the bottom line of many farmers and consumers and ranchers. What can you, as a senator, do to ensure the short-term pain is worth the long-term gain?

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah. Dave, am I first? Am I first?

Greg Akagi: That that’s my That’s my apologies on that. Yeah, Senator Marshall, you are first.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Okay. Okay, thank Thank you, Dave, and I appreciate your your work.

Listen. I hate war. I hate war as only a soldier who lived it can, with all its brutality and futility. You know who said that first? That was President Eisenhower. And I’m here to tell you that I hate war just as much. Look. Look. Look, I served my country proudly. My brothers served, my dad served, my son is serving!

Are there any veterans in the audience? Thank you! God bless each and every one of our of our veterans. Listen, I mourn the loss of all 18 soldiers. And I want this war to be over as soon as anybody does. But the one thing I can guarantee you: the day this war is over with, diesel prices are going to go back to $3 a gallon. But But But if Democrats remain in control and Iran has nuclear weapons, it’ll be $20 a gallon!

You think You think it’s You think it’s bad that my opponent doesn’t like the cattle industry? If he had his way, he would go put a put a plastic bag over the mouths of these dairy dairy cows back here. Think what he’ll do to the oil and gas industry. His His party has destroyed the oil and gas industry and the ag and cattle industry as well.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: First of all, thank you for your service, Senator. I do appreciate your service in the war, and your family’s as well.

So Eisenhower would have never supported this war. Never supported this war. Ronald Reagan did not do this. Neither of the Bushes did this. So President Trump told us last year, after he dropped bombs on the nuclear facilities in Iran, that we had taken care to the problem. It was buried under rubble. And suddenly this year, we needed to send our an armada to Iran because we were in imminent danger of nuclear weapons being developed.

Now, uh I’m not sure many of us in Kansas believe that, but certainly we do understand the cost of this war to us: $650 million more for fuel cost in Kansas alone this year than last year. $650 million. $40 billion used in the armada and the buildup. $100 billion in America that cost taxpayers, cost all of us as individuals as a result of higher prices.

If you love $6-a-gallon diesel fuel, you can thank Roger Marshall. He supported this. He told us to tighten our belts because this was the cost of being safe in America. We were supposed to be out of this war after four weeks, maybe six weeks. We’re six months in, we still can’t figure out how to get out, and the cost of everything has gone up as a result. Talk to farmers: phosphate, double in price. This is costing all of us at the grocery store. We should not be in the war. This man supported the war. I want to get us out of the war.

Greg Akagi: Senator Senator Marshall, you have 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Right. Would all the people in the room that Iran want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, raise your hand for me? Does anybody in this room want Iran to have a nuclear weapon? Of course they don’t.

Now, I would also— Yeah. I want to point out that the average cost of gasoline has been less under President Trump than it was under Joe Biden. You can look it up. You can fact-check me as well.

This guy’s party will continue to attack the oil and gas industry. We’ve not had a refinery built since I was in high school. We’ve We’ve lost 90 refineries because of their rules and regulations. His party is the one that drives up the cost in oil and gas. So, Adam, I ask you again: Are you going to Chuck Schumer’s fundraiser for you next week for your $30 million? Will you ever be able to stand up to Chuck Schumer and fight back against him when he comes after our oil and gas industry?

Adam Hamilton: [Inaudible] Where is the 30 million?

Greg Akagi: Ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen, before I get to our next question, this is radio, so we hit the near the top of the hour. We’re going to pause quickly for 10 seconds for a station identification. You can cheer, by the way. You’re listening to the 2026 Kansas Senatorial Debate at the Kansas State Fair.

Well, okay. We’re going to do that in just a second, because our engineer was not up there as well. So we will go to the next question, and we will go to uh this one will be to Roger Marshall, and it will be done by Michael Schwanke with KWCH-TV.

Michael Schwanke: All right, thank you. Uh, I’d like to hear both of your thoughts on what you believe is the biggest problem or issue facing Kansas, and I’d like you to expand just outside of the farm bill on this answer. Where do you think Washington is failing Kansas, and what would you do as a senator to address that?

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, Michael. Well, thank you. You know, the biggest long-term challenge this nation faces is our national debt: $40 trillion in debt, we’re spending a trillion dollars a year on interest. That’s our biggest challenge that we face. And Republicans and Democrats are both very, very guilty of that situation.

But I’ve got solutions for it, and it starts with a budget. You know, the federal government has not done a budget in decades. We have a solid budget bill, but guess what? I can’t get people in Washington to to start to be invested in it. Look. Look, Americans, we need to go on a diet, and I don’t mean a seafood diet. We’re spending We’re taking in $5 trillion, we’re spending $7 trillion a year.

But at the end of the day, at the end of the day, we need a strong economy. A rising tide floats all boats. And I I don’t want to come back to the farm bill, but I’m going to keep coming back to Kansas what’s important: it’s it’s the ag economy, it’s manufacturing. That’s that’s the basis of every economy that we have. And and we’re so blessed to have those as well. We’re seeing a manufacturing renaissance across the state, it’s great to see that as well. So I think it all starts with a Congress living within its means, and then focused on on a growing a stronger economy.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: So Senator Marshall says the debt is the biggest problem. Let’s just take that one for a second: $40 trillion. You know what it was when he went to Washington? $20 trillion. It’s doubled on his watch, $20 trillion. The last year and 10 months, Washington, D.C. has increased the debt by 3.8 trillion while they held both houses of Congress and the White House. We’re going to have faster growth in the debt this time around than we did under Biden. That’s hard to imagine, that was during COVID. And our president wants to spend another trillion dollars to buy people’s votes on top of that. How can that be?

Now, he says he’s tried to do move forward legislation, but nobody seems to get on board. Part of the job of leadership is to persuade people to get on board, that might say something.

You asked me the question, and I’m going to tell you immediately the biggest issue for Kansas is the war and tariffs. So if we look at the war, it’s costing the average Kansan $100 a month more for gasoline, tariffs $150 a month more, and we’ve had 55 tariff changes in the last year and a half. Our second biggest trading partner, Canada, we trade $4 billion worth of goods with Canada, and right now we’re we’re demeaning and belittling our biggest trading partner, threatening them. And now we’re telling them they might not be able to sell airplanes here when we have 1,500 Bombardier employees in Wichita. I mean, who’s into giving rid of 1,500 jobs? And of course, our senator does finally speak up, tepidly, after a day and a nearly a day and a half.

We got to fight for jobs, we got to fight against tariffs and against the war in Iran. Let’s bring jobs back to Kansas, let’s lower the cost for everybody.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, under Joe Biden, we saw spending go from $5 to $7 trillion overnight.

I want to go back to Michael’s bigger question here. You know, there’s what not one magic bullet, but to have a strong country, it starts with secure borders. We need a strong military, we need and we need lower taxes, and that’s exactly what the Republicans have given you. We gave that we gave the largest tax cut in American history. And again, we gave you the largest tax cut in American history, $1,700 per Kansan, but every Democrat voted against those tax cuts.

Again, Adam, will you ever stand up to Chuck Schumer and vote to give Americans a tax cut? Will you ever do that? No Democrat ever votes for a tax cut. Republicans will give you tax cuts, he’s going to raise your taxes.

Greg Akagi: All right. The next question is for Mr. Hamilton, and it will come from Tim Carpenter with the Kansas Reflector.

Tim Carpenter: There’s been controversy about your residential properties to both of you. Please clarify the location of your official residence in Kansas and how long you’ve lived there. What other residential properties do you own, and please respond to criticism of your housing decisions.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: Yeah, I live in Kansas. I’m here most of the year. We built our house 25 years ago. Uh, about 15 years ago, I write books, about 15 years ago, we bought a lake place. We have postmasters, we have uh so we have all kinds of folks who live around us, people who work in construction, and we’re really grateful to have that second home.

We have two other homes, they actually belong to our daughters. They are in their 30s and could not afford to buy houses without a little help. So we borrowed money against our retirement, bought houses for them, hardly luxury houses, Senator, they’re a little a little bit more like maybe your hunting lodge in uh in in Great Bend. And they’re buying their own homes when they can. That’s part And part of the reason why we had to do that is because the average age you buy a new house today is 40 because of the decisions you’ve made in Washington, D.C. So people in their 30s are struggling to buy houses, they need their parents’ help.

That’s our luxurious life that you are pointing towards. We love Kansas, we will live here. After I’m elected Senate, I’m not going to sell my house and move to Florida as you did.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall—Senator Marshall, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah. Yeah, Tim, Tim, thanks for the question. My home is a short hour’s drive down a gravel road here. It sits on 320 acres of some of God’s finest farmland and hunting. It’s a three-bedroom, surrounded by ponds. We I think we bought that in about 1999.

Now, what I don’t understand, I just think that does anybody in the room have any grandchildren? Have any grandchildren? You know, the grandchildren are the jewels of our crown. Why why I don’t think any reasonable Kansan would hold it against somebody for wanting to go visit their grandchildren. I see no reason if they would.

Now, I’m going to need some extra time, seems like you giving the crowd off, cut off, Greg. So, you know, no different than than Kansans should begrudge Adam for help for owning four homes. You know, one of them a like lake home. They shouldn’t He’s been a very successful megachurch CEO. He’s he’s earned those.

You know, as far as our Florida home, look, you’ll be glad to know it was struck by two hurricanes and has been uninhabitable for two years. But I do think it’s important I do think that housing is very important. But I also think that this job as your U.S. senator is very important as well. I said earlier, I spent about 350, 400 visits here in this state every year. Every year, I go to D.C., I spend about 200 days voting, and I spend about 135 days back in this state as well. Our state bus tour tells for this state. This is all a social media myth made by the social media Nazis as well. Lifetime Kansan, fifth-generation Kansan. Thank you.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton.

Adam Hamilton: Yes.

Greg Akagi: You have 90—or excuse me, 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Adam Hamilton: Thank you, I won’t take that long. You know, uh the senator asked: Do we resent the fact that he wants to spend time with the grandkids? I’d say no, I want him to spend more time with his grandkids. I am hopeful to be able to bless him in retirement to be able to enjoy his grandkids more in Florida. I think that’s a great idea, and I do understand why you want to spend time with them. I want you to spend all the time you can in Florida with your grandkids.

Greg Akagi: All right. Before we get to the next question, just a reminder once again, if you are here at Heartland Credit Union Pavilion, please take note that we’re ending today early at 2:55. Ron Diamond was gracious enough to give his 1:00 slot up here at the pavilion. He is scheduled to come on at 3:00. So I implore to all of you that are not staying to see Ron Diamond, please exit as soon as possible after the debate so Mr. Diamond has his fully allotted time as well.

All right, we move on. The next question, and that will be directed to Senator Marshall, and it comes from David Bergmeier at the High Plains Journal.

David Bergmeier: All righty. Kind of felt like there’s a less filling, tastes great moment there for a minute, but anyway. Uh, Senator, uh many many Kansas agricultural manufacturers depend on imported aluminum and steel from various global suppliers, and the tariffs have added significant expenses to their bottom line. Do you think the president’s tariff policies have worked, and are you concerned about long-term ramifications to America’s global standing in agriculture?

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, Dave. Thank thank you, and maybe someone can give us a K-State update here in a second, Greg. But um, but look. Look, you know, that the these tariffs were meant to bring manufacturing jobs home and they to prove our exports, and guess what? It’s working. Let me give you an example. Let me give you an example.

Right here in Reno County, Reno County lost 1,700 manufacturing jobs over the last two decades. 1,700. I was tired of seeing manufacturing jobs leave Kansas. Now, you go to Superior Boiler here in here in Hutchinson, they’re going to add 100 jobs. As I go across the state, we went to 120 stops last month alone, everywhere we saw manufacturing was growing. And by the way, exports are are as well. But you know, tariffs are such a small, small portion of the of the picture here.

When it comes to to American I I don’t understand why people don’t care about American manufacturing jobs. Look, you can’t keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So we’re seeing that these you’ll talk about the tariffs, how they’re helping the exports. Does anybody really care that corn exports are up 50% over the last two years? That corn prices are now over $5 a bushel, wheat’s over eight, soybeans $13? Look, these tariffs are working. We are expanding our export markets because of them.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: The tariffs are a disaster for everyone across the state of Kansas, whether you realize it or not. $150 a month more for the average Kansan the goods cost than they did a year ago because of tariffs. Now, there’s a place for tariffs. There’s a place for thoughtful tariffs to be imposed. We had 55 tariff changes in the last year. We have insulted our allies, we have hurt our trading part partners.

We have jobs that were brought to central Kansas. I toured one of the great manufacturing plants in central Kansas recently, and the people who own that plant said, actually started it, uh who were describing for me the equipment they’re building, they said, “We’re so proud of this. It’s created 2,000” or the the jobs, they have 2,000 employees here. They said, “But the tariffs are killing us. One piece of equipment, $1,800 worth of tariffs put on that one piece of equipment.” They’re worried how many people they have to lay off. Bombardier, Bombardier, 1,500 jobs, they could lose those due to tariffs. Farmers are talking about the cost of tariffs.

This is not okay. This is how Washington is hurting us. And he thinks they’re okay, it’s just no big deal. Nobody in Kansas who really looks at this says this is no big deal. They’re saying this is painful. Washington is doing this to us: erratic, chaotic leadership in Washington that my that our senator seems to support.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Sen. Roger Marshall: You know, China loves this guy. China absolutely loves him! Are you Do you want to see more jobs going to China? You want more jobs going to China?

Adam, you need to travel across the state. Go to Fort Scott to to Peerless Windows. Uh, I know you’re at Kubota recently in Salina. Because of those tariffs, Japan is moving jobs to Kansas. This is so simple. Th- these tariffs are working.

And by the way, by the way, China is dumping aluminum and steel through Canada. That’s not good for America. Look, I’m always going to be an America-first senator for you all. I’m going to always be America-first, I’m going to stand up for strong jobs. Look what’s happening in Boeing and Textron in Wichita: they’re backed up for four years at least because of these tariffs as well. The tariffs are working. This is a huge difference between—

Greg Akagi: Senator, you’re out of time.

Sen. Roger Marshall: If you care about manufacturing jobs—

Greg Akagi: Senator, you’re out of time.

Sen. Roger Marshall: —if you care about agriculture exports, these tariffs are working.

Crowd: [Chanting “USA”]

Greg Akagi: The next question will be directed to Dr. Ham—or Mr. Hamilton, excuse me, and it will come from Michael Schwanke, KWCH-TV.

Michael Schwanke: All right, thank you. President Trump not on the ballot, but his policies and influence are clearly part of this election. And this question is for both of you: if elected, what’s one major issue of which you would be willing to put the interest of Kansas ahead of the priorities of the president or your national party leadership?

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: Every issue that’s better for Kansas, I’m going to stand up to the president and say, “This is not okay.” Right now, the first three things we have to deal with are tariffs, a war in Iran, and health care, and the danger of 28 rural hospitals closing on Senator Marshall’s watch. We have got to do better. This is hurting people in Kansas.

So many things. Workforce is a huge issue in Kansas, and the president’s policies, which the senator supported, there’s no daylight between them. They are very close. And and in this case, he’s hurting people across Kansas: farmers worried about losing their trade agreements with other countries, it happened the first Trump administration, it’s going to happen again. People cannot stand what’s happening across the state of Kansas. If you believe these tariffs are good for you, you’re not in a business you’re not in a business where you’re paying the price for that like most Kansas businesses are.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, I think it’s about about priorities for the most part. Can we just talk about health care for a second? Who do you want fixing health care: the doctor that’s lived it for 25 years or somebody else?

You know, I’m so proud I’m so proud of some of the work we’ve got done recently in health care. We just got $1.3 billion for Kansas hospitals. $140 million of that’s going to go to rural rural hospitals. We just got $220 million for rural hospitals as well to improve health care in rural America.

We worked hard on prescription drugs. Thanks to some legislation I wrote, you can now get hundreds of generics and biosimilars for less than $11 a month. If if you’re if you’re using insulin, you can get insulin for less than $30 a month as well. Really.

So I think I think we go back again to tax policy. What the Republicans are going to do is lower your taxes. We gave you no tax on tips, no no tax on Social Security, and no tax on overtime. You know, Adam, if you’ve ever visited these manufacturing plants, you’re going to have guys you’ll watch guys come up and hug me and say, “Thank you for the overtime deduction.” That manufacturing is growing so much, all these people are out working overtime right now.

And I still haven’t heard you: Will you What your your first vote in the Senate is going to be for Chuck Schumer to be chairman? Is that going to be your vote? Are you going to take his $30 million and ever push back against Chuck Schumer and his raising taxes, open borders, open elections?

Greg Akagi: Senator, you’re out of time.

Greg Akagi: Okay. Mr. Hamilton, 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Adam Hamilton: Thank you. Uh, so you brought us $1.3 billion back to Kansas, and you took $4 billion away. Anybody can do that math. Thank you so much for giving us the 1.3 billion after you took away 4 billion.

Sen. Roger Marshall: That’s funny, funny math! Funny math!

Adam Hamilton: So when when we look at what’s happening in when it comes to health care, I just want to know: How is it that you can run a practice as a medical doctor and have poor people struggling to pay their bills, and then go to Washington and take 51,000 people off the health insurance rolls in Medicaid and and removing subsidies? I don’t understand. That doesn’t sound like you’re fighting for poor people in Kansas. There are 2,000 verses in the Bible that speak to caring for the poor, and this is not happening under this man.

Greg Akagi: The next question The next question is directed to Senator Marshall, and it will come from Tim Carpenter of Kansas Reflector.

Tim Carpenter: I have a business management question in two parts. The New York Times published a story that detailed instances in which Dr. Marshall’s attorneys sought payment for medical services in Kansas, going so far as triggering the arrest of patients who owed small sums of money. Senator Marshall, I ask you to please explain. Secondly, Mr. Hamilton, you you can share your thoughts about reporting that you struggled with alarming personnel issues at the Kansas church you founded.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah. You know, my dad My dad, the chief of police, had several sayings, but one of them is, “Only believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.” And I’d add I would add, none of what you read in The New York Times.

Look. One out of five patients we saw at our hospital got free care. One out of five. Every year, we gave away $3 to $4 million of charity. But we also had a business. We had 300 employees. We had a mortgage payment, we had electric so we had just like every other business, we had to uh the common business practice, at the end of the day, turn some people to collections as as well. That would be true for every hospital and every doctor.

But again, emphasis, only one one out of five people we gave free care to as well. Those are common common business practices. We would go a year before we’d ever send somebody over.

Crowd: [Chanting “Shame on you”]

Greg Akagi: Ladies and gentlemen.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, I I get to finish I get to finish my answer.

Greg Akagi: Ladies and gentlemen.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah. So it’s what’s interesting to me: Why does The New York Times never publish the fact that I took everybody that walked through the door—every patient, every Medicaid patient? That other hospitals were sending me their indigent. Why? Because we would take care of them. Why did they never report all the great things that we that we were doing: that we brought a dialysis clinic, an oncology clinic, a a radiation therapy clinic to Great Bend as as well? We gave We gave compassionate care to so many patients. This is a total hit job paid for by his confidant, Chuck Schumer.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: Sure. I’d like to ask you just to show hands real quick: I’m guessing many of you have been late making your payments on medical bills. How many of you have been arrested? How many of you have been arrested or sued for being late getting your medical payments? Maybe some folks over here, a handful? Most people are not arrested for not getting their payments made. There’s a payment plan that’s worked out. I’m not going to really address this anymore, that’s his issue to deal with.

Uh, I do want to say when it comes to Church of the Resurrection, we have about 450 employees. Check the motivation and how people are feeling and the morale of our congregation, you’re going to find most of the people who are there love working there, they’ve been there for a very long time. And uh and that’s that’s all I have to say.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, again, I just want to brag on the great nurses and doctors we had in Great Bend that took great care of patients. That one out of five patients, we gave free care to. But once and then once that collection process started, I would have nothing to do with it. These were the common policies that every hospital, every doctor would do. These are standard business practices.

But you But really, this this is this is just noise. What matters are secure borders, a strong military, lower taxes, voter ID. Those are the things that matter. Why won’t The New York Times talk about those?

Greg Akagi: All right. Next question is for Mr. Hamilton, directed to Mr. Hamilton, and will be done by David Bergmeier, the High Plains Journal.

David Bergmeier: Okay, uh immigration is really a quagmire of regulations that really make it hard for not only farmers and ranchers, but also many in agribusiness, and certainly in Kansas where we have nearly 25% of the nation’s beef supply goes through packing plants. What do you think uh we we can do maybe to uh pardon me, to ensure our nation’s security, but also to help get regu- have regular have regulations that would meet the needs of of the people in this in who need who are depending on it?

Adam Hamilton: Yeah, okay. Oh, sorry.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: Yeah, I want to be crystal clear, first of all: immigration at the border under Biden was a disaster. That is how we ended up where we are today.

Second Second, what we did in response to that has been a disaster for people across the state of Kansas. So So we set quotas and we terrify people in towns across the state—people we need to work with us. I’ve talked with leaders across the livestock industry, the dairy industry, they’ve said the same thing: this is a disaster. We need year-round H-2A programs. We need to stop terrifying people.

I was in uh I was in a town not far from here, and a woman told me how her her daughter’s her granddaughter’s preschool teacher was arrested in front of her, in front of the kids. This is not okay, this is not who we are as Americans. So, yes, strong borders. Yes, we need to have clear policies related to immigration. We need immigration reform. I’m not in favor of open borders, despite what my opponent would say. I am in I am in favor of common decency. We have to be decent as human beings.

And what’s happening in Washington, D.C. is not decent, it’s not compassionate, it’s not fair. Our farmers are paying the price, restaurant owners are paying the price, across almost every industry in Kansas. We have to have immigration. We have got to have fair and equitable immigration policies. The job is not getting done by this man.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Like I said in my opening statements, he doesn’t stand for anything. Where Where are you, Adam? Where are you on this issue? You say you’re for secure borders, but what does that really mean? Would you vote to fund ICE? Will you vote to fund ICE? Will you vote to secure the borders? Are you going to push against every other Democrat who wants to do this?

Look, secure borders are paramount to this nation. Think about what open borders gave us. They didn’t just give us 10 or 20 million people that came across open borders. They gave us fentanyl poisoning, they took our jobs from us, they took our housing from us as well. Are you committed Are you committed to secure borders? I think that’s the question: Are you committed to secure borders?

And, Dave, certainly certainly I understand the challenges in our labor force, and that’s why I work so hard to improve legal immigration. We We need legal immigration, and now that the border’s secure, we can work on it. But if you put the Democrats back in control again, that border’s going to come flying open. They’re going to come back, they’re going to take your jobs, they’re going to take your homes and everything else. The Democrats—who do you trust with the border, really? Who do you trust with the border: Democrats or Republicans?

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Adam Hamilton: Yeah. So I do believe in funding ICE for the purpose they were intended. They were created after 9/11 in order to keep our country safe from terrorists who were coming in. We’ve relabeled all of the folks across Kansas who are here, maybe they came 10 or 15 years ago, no longer are we looking for dangerous people, we’re looking for anybody. That’s just not okay. We’ve got to be more humane than that.

I believe in funding ICE. I don’t want to defund ICE. But what we’ve done is we are giving more money to ICE than all of our other uh li- all of our other uh security agencies combined in America, federal security agencies combined, $70 billion. We have militarized them and politicized them, and we’re using them to harm people. So Americans like you are getting shot occasionally because of the protests. This is not okay. This is not what ICE was was started for. I do believe in ICE, I believe they need to be used for what they were intended to be used for.

Greg Akagi: All right. The next question goes to Senator Marshall, be directed to him first, and it will come from Michael Schwanke with KWCH-TV.

Michael Schwanke: I’d like to talk about Social Security and Medicare, both facing long-term financial issues. What changes, if any, are you willing to support to keep those programs solvent?

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah. Well, I want to just finish up the last question. I think it’s really—it’s interesting that Adam is now willing to fund ICE. So—so, Adam, you say—

Greg Akagi: Ladies and gentlemen.

Sen. Roger Marshall: So you say you’re willing to fund ICE. Will you stand up to Chuck Schumer, then? The very first vote you’re going to take is to make Chuck Schumer the head of the Democrat Party. But he’s doing a fundraiser for you next week. He’s going to fund your election $30 million just like he funded ours. Now—just like he like he funded Barbara Bollier’s.

Now let’s talk about Social Security and Medicare. I want to start by reminding folks which party gave you no taxes on Social Security, okay? Listen. The first thing I’m going to do is make a pledge is I will not touch anyone’s Medicare or Social Security who’s on it now or soon who or soon will be.

The second point I would make is that a rising tide floats all boats. And that’s the first way you fund Medicare and Social Security is getting people back to work. And if if you’re illegal in this country, we need to figure out you need to go the right process so you can start paying back into it as well. But the Democrats are a one-horse pony. All they know how to do is raise your taxes. Listen, we’ll see if he has any solution. He’s just going to sit here and talk about platitudes. We’ll see if he has any solution except raise your taxes.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: Yeah, first of all, I want to say tariffs are a tax, and we’re paying those taxes, and you raise those taxes on us.

Second, I want to say this is a huge and critical issue. Now, you’ve said in the past anybody who’s 57 and younger needs to prepare for a lowering of their benefits. I don’t know if you still feel that way, but there’s a number of 57-year-olds in this room. I I don’t think that’s really what you want to be saying. Maybe it is.

But I do want to say this: Republicans and Democrats are alike are guilty here. They have both kicked the can down the road. 2032 is around the corner. We have to solve some serious problems, but we’ve got to solve that with Republicans and Democrats working together—not Republicans blaming Democrats, or Democrats blaming Republicans. We got to come together, we got to come up with some solutions. This is going to be pivotal.

And I’m just going to say, when you have a senator that doesn’t work well with with with Democrats, actually even sometimes with Republicans, we’re not going to get the job done. So we’ve got to work together to solve this problem. We’re not going to we’re not going to solve it by blaming the other party.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 45 seconds to respond.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Now let’s talk about solving Medicare’s issues. You know, first of all, we need a miracle drug for Alzheimer’s. We spend a vast amount of our money treating Alzheimer’s on Medicare. Second second of all, we need America to be healthier. Look, we’re a very sick nation. 20% of our children on are on prescription drugs. 80% of our adults have a chronic illness. The reason we’re spending so much money on Medicare Medicare is because we’re sick. And I’ve worked hand-in-hand with Bobby Kennedy to help bring these Make America Healthy Again topics back as was well.

Greg Akagi: Ladies and gentlemen.

Sen. Roger Marshall: So I I just get I’m sure most Americans want us to be healthy again. They want our children to come off their prescription drugs. And I think it all starts with healthy nutrition. And that’s why it’s we bring in the ag the ag part of this as well. If you want meant to save Medicare, we need to be a healthier country.

Greg Akagi: The next question will be directed to Mr. Hamilton, and it will come from Michael Schwanke, KWCH-TV. Oh, my apologies—David Bergmeier.

David Bergmeier: Okay, no problem. Um, until until recently, the cattle industry in most of its sectors had enjoyed a good run at prices, but now ranchers have been dealing with conflicting messages from the administration over upping the amount of imported beef, um also uh, you know, some of the uh possible look into the beef packing industry with the Big Four. What maybe What is your view of what the administration’s actions are, and what message would you take to farmers and ranchers?

Adam Hamilton: Could I ask you to please repeat it? I couldn’t understand the first part of the question. I couldn’t hear it.

David Bergmeier: That’s okay, glad to. Until recently, the cattle industry, most of its sectors, had enjoyed a good run at prices, but now ranchers have been dealing with conflicting messages from the administration over over upping the amount of imported beef and also uh investigating the beef industry or beef packing industry, pardon me. What is your take on the administration’s action, and what would you what would you think needs to be done?

Adam Hamilton: Well, first of all, importing 300,000 tons of lean uh trim beef into the United States was a slap in the face of all of our cattle ranchers. It came at exactly the wrong time. It hurt their prices. It was devastating for them. They were angry and upset with the president many of them voted for. And our sitting senator tepidly responded to that. You know, you need somebody who’s going to stand up and shout, they’re going to give hell in Washington, D.C. to say this is not okay for the people in my state. Again, you were voted to be a champion for the people in your state, not a spokesperson from the White House.

So this is the kind of chaotic decision that’s made without actually carefully consulting with the people that are going to be affected by this. That has to stop. So I’m going to say this kind of this kind of behavior in the White House, these kind of decisions are hurting people in Kansas. And again, our senator tepidly responded to it, as opposed to shouting like hell that this is not okay.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, I I guess I would just ask the audience: Who do you want solving this problem? The kid?

Greg Akagi: Ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please calm down and let the senator answer.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Do you do you want the fifth-generation farm kid whose first job off the farm at age 15 was sorting heifers and steers? Or do you want the CEO of a megachurch trying to solve this problem? Listen. Listen, listen to the real issue here. The real issue is the size of the herd—the smallest herd in my life. And you have to ask, so why is the herd so small? Well, number one is the drought. And number two is government overregulations. The Democrat Party has strangled the agriculture and cattle industry. Their Endangered Species Act, Waters of the U.S. You you think He wants to measure the methane from a from a from a cow back here. How do you think he’s going to attack the all these beef cattle lots as well?

So who do you think would do the better job of taking care of that going going forward? The real issue is the size of the herd. And the last thing we want is an environmentalist. You need to put why he’s attacked beef. You need to understand he’s attacked beef, he’s said repent from beef, because he’s a climate change theorist. That’s what this is really about. He’s really about. Adam, will you would you ever stand up to your party as they attack the American farmer, rancher, and oil ask oil and gas industry when it comes to environmental uh measures?

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 45 seconds for rebuttal.

Adam Hamilton: Yeah, I actually want to say I think the senator needs to repent for not standing up for the beef industry. So, diesel fuel at six bucks a gallon, the the diminishing of the workforce and arresting the workforce and making it harder for people to work in the livestock industry, trade wars, which actually in the last Trump administration cost beef farm beef ranchers in Kansas a billion dollars in trade that went to Brazil and Argentina. This is not okay. The tariff wars are hurting our folks.

Man, you got to speak up for the people. 300,000 metric tons of beef brought in here. Your job is to speak up for the people of Kansas, including our livestock industry, who refused to endorse you this time around.

Sen. Roger Marshall: The best cattle markets in my lifetime. The very best cattle markets in my lifetime.

Greg Akagi: All right. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s move on. As we are winding down the time, this will be directed to Senator Marshall, and this will come from Michael Schwanke with KWCH-TV.

Michael Schwanke: This week, we heard a pretty stark warning from AI insiders and developers who quit their job, sounding a major alarm over its safety, going as far to say it threatens all of humanity by the decade’s end. The companies themselves have basically agreed. Where is the federal government on this, and is the federal government doing enough when it comes to regulation of this industry?

Sen. Roger Marshall: Right, Michael. Thanks thanks, Michael. And this is a an issue of our time. I liken this to when we were trying to figure out what to do with nuclear energy back in the 1950s and 1960s. It could be exactly that catastrophic. And and again, I’m the doctor. I’m out here getting consultations, I’m getting opinions. I’m measuring twice and cutting once.

I always look through any major problem through the lens of the safety and security of your family, and then next through the national security lens. Look, there’s more questions than answers out there. I think number one is we need to make sure that we engage with our military to make sure that we we stay ahead of China. I think that’s absolutely necessary. But on the other hand, we have to establish we have to establish the right guardrails around people that around the private world that are developing this as well.

I think there’s other issues behind it we need to start addressing. That would be the energy issue, and the water issue, and then the job replacement issue as well. That’s why I’m already working with community colleges and technical colleges across the state to develop a plan to help what we do with these people that are in the data data entry field as well. When it comes to the water portion of this, let me just back up here. When it comes to data centers, let me be very clear: that I support the moratorium that any county wants to do, that I support local control, and and just leave it at that. So, Michael, I think it’s a very complicated issue, and we’re trying to bring all the pieces together.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: Well, last year, when you voted for the one big, beautiful bill, you gave $30 billion in tax cuts to data centers in uh across the country. So which is it: a moratorium or tax cuts for them?

So when it comes to AI, this is true. We have got to take seriously this potential threat. AI has wonderful potential, but also some devastating potential consequences. And you’ve been in office now for six years, and I’m just wondering why are we finally just getting around to talking about this? This is a very serious issue. We got to be concerned about it, we got to create the appropriate guardrails.

But at the same time, we can’t leave this alone. Russians and China the Chinese are going to be working on this. As Americans, we have to do the same. So we got to be working on it, and at the same time we have appropriate guardrails. I think maybe this is one place where we both agree.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you have 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah, I think just the the final point I would make is whether it’s a data center or AI, what we don’t want is the federal government overregulating. That that we as Republicans believe in local control, that he who is closest to the problem understands the problem the very, very best. And the last thing we would want is big-government Democrat socialists trying to tell the rest of the country what to do when it comes to data centers. That is their modus operandi. That’s what big-government socialists do, is they try to tell us how to do everything. Whether it’s our schools, our environment, the cattle industry, or the oil and oil and gas industry, it’s always big-government socialist Democrats headed by Chuck Schumer.

Greg Akagi: Okay. Let’s go to—’cause we’re running a little short on time here—let’s go to the next question, and this will go to Mr. Hamilton, and that will be from Tim Carpenter with Kansas Reflector.

Tim Carpenter: Thank you. I want you both to articulate your views on the separation of church and state in the United States. Where do you draw the line in order to keep government independent of religious institutions?

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Adam Hamilton: I believe in the separation of church and state and believe it’s a very, very important part of who we are. People came here from Europe in order to find religious freedom, not persecution. This was really important. I believe in the First Amendment, which protects Americans’ right to practice freedom as they wish.

I’m going to Washington, D.C. not to be the chaplain to the Senate—they have one. I’m going to Washington, D.C. to fight for your rights, whether you’re an atheist, agnostic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew, Muslim, or Christian.

The Constitution is under threat right now by the present administration and people like Roger Marshall. We have We are using government resources to in to uh strengthen or encourage certain strands of Christianity. Listen, if you start using government resources for certain parts of a particular religion, I want to know which religion are you supporting, because it’s likely not going to be yours in the future. It’s a very important matter.

I’m running for the right to protect our rights in the U.S. Constitution. When I’m at Church of the Resurrection, I’m going to preach about Jesus, call people to follow him. In Washington, D.C., I’m going to bring 38 years of pastoral ministry—caring for people, listening to them, hearing them, and then fighting for them in Washington, D.C.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall—Senator Marshall, you have 90 seconds to respond.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Yeah. I’m just trying to make something jive in my head, Adam. You say that you believe in separation of church and state, but yet you solicited money from from your own people at your own church. Actively on your church website as well, on your church website as well.

Listen. This country was founded on Judeo-Christian values. And I and I’m so honored that when we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we say, “one nation under God.” And that throughout the halls of Congress, we honor God, right? So just because there’s separation of church and state doesn’t mean that church shouldn’t be part of our of of our everyday living as well.

Look. I’m not a I’m not a constitutional lawyer. I’m not here to litigate that. I want to talk things that Kansans are concerned about. They’re they’re concerned about the cost of housing, about the cost of health care, about the cost of child care. This guy’s party voted against every tax deduction we gave people. We had a huge tax deduction for child care, and his party voted against that. I I think I’m just we’re proving over and over that he’s too weak, he’s too woke, he doesn’t stand for anything. That he’s trying to be all things to all people. And that’s not what you want from a senator from Kansas. What you can count on is that I’m going to stand up and fight for you, your family, and your freedoms.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you have 45 seconds for a rebuttal.

Adam Hamilton: I won’t need that long. I’m pretty sure if Jesus were here, you would call him woke.

Greg Akagi: Okay. It is the moderator’s discretion here. We’re going to cut the time down a little bit to get one more question in. Uh, instead of two minutes, we’ll give you 90 seconds for the answer and the uh reply, and then we’ll give you 30 seconds for rebuttal. So we’re going to do that real quick here, and we’ll go to David Bergmeier with the High Plains Journal.

David Bergmeier: Okay, I I wanted to commend both of you guys for being here, and this question is something you both have been willing to talk about, and I just wanted to uh say thank you for doing that. Mental health and stress are always high-act high occupational hazards in agriculture, and they certainly are very evident in today’s environment. What is your message to the to the farm families and all Kansans who are facing these challenges?

Greg Akagi: All right. Senator Marshall, instead of 90, we’ll shorten it, you will have 60 seconds to answer the question.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Well, Dave, thank you. 988. If you’re a farmer or anybody out there struggling with mental health, you can call 988, okay? You know, this is uh We We lose more farmers every year from suicide than we do from farm accidents. And that’s why I’ve been out across the state now for years doing round tables and working with lenders. The lenders and the folks at FSA are the ones The lenders and the folks at FSA are the ones that know who are in with stress. K-State Extension does a great job with this. The resources are out there as well.

Uh, we now have 26 behavioral health centers federally funded across the state as well. They’ll actually come to your house, they’ll come to your farm. I would just ask everybody, though, to be a good neighbor. If you see one of your your fellow farmers struggling, reach out and help them. If they’re if they’re not going to church, if they’re missing the Friday night ballgame, if they’re missing coffee, reach out, tell them we know where to get help, and if it’s an emergency, call 988.

Greg Akagi: Mr. Hamilton, you will also have 60 seconds for reply.

Adam Hamilton: Sure. I’m really glad you mentioned 988. Your party was trying to defund parts of 988. Your party—and I’m not going to say your party, ’cause I love Republicans. Your decisions in Washington that you’re making with high tariffs, with uh the cost of the war in America for farmers is adding to this mental health.

I was in Ottawa recently, talked to five farmers, young guys in their 20s and 30s, cattle and crops they had, struggling, talking about how hard it was right now. These are people who voted for you last time, they voted for Trump three times, and they’re talking about how hard this is right now for them. These are people who are in mental health distress, and you’re not doing enough about it. You’re not fighting for them by ending the war, by ending the tariffs, by making sure that they have what they need, by bringing interest rates down. You have failed them, and that leads people—increased 700 farm bankruptcies this year, going back up again after been going down for years. On your watch, we have to do better than this.

Greg Akagi: Senator Marshall, you will have 30 seconds for rebuttal.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Well, actually, bankruptcies or farm bankruptcies are down right now. There are There are many bright things happening in the farm economy. The real issue, though, which we haven’t talked about, is the input prices. I’ve continued to do everything I can to bring down fertilizer prices, bringing back fertilizer production here at home.

Uh, just last week, Secretary of Agriculture started a a a another fertilizer plant in Louisiana as well. We just got the president to stop the countervailing duties on phosphate in Morocco. Those are real solutions. And at the end of the day, you still haven’t answered this question: Will you vote for the farm bill? Will you be the only Democrat that would vote for the farm bill?

Greg Akagi: All right. Ladies and gentlemen, also Ron Diamond is scheduled to appear at 3:00, so if you’re not staying for him, we ask that you leave expeditiously after we end the debate. But now we have reached the final closing statements for both, and determined by the uh coin toss beforehand, uh Mr. Hamilton, you will start with your first two-minute closing statement.

Adam Hamilton: I’ve loved traveling across the state of Kansas, it’s been awesome. So many wonderful people I met. I was in Liberal, Kansas. I was in Liberal, Kansas, and while I was there, met with a great group of people. I said, “What should I see in Liberal?” They said, “Go to the Wizard of Oz Museum.” And I’m like, “Cool, I love the Wizard of Oz. Watched it every year when I was growing up.” So I went to the Wizard of Oz Museum, and while I was there, I see uh I get to watch a certain clip from the Wizard of Oz. You’ve got Dorothy with Toto, she’s on the yellow brick road, they’re going to see the wizard, and her three trusty sidekicks. You remember: the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and who? Cowardly Lion.

And I’m standing there, it’s been 20 years since I watched it. I said, “Okay, what did the Scarecrow need? Do you remember? He needed a brain. He needed a brain. What did the Tin Man need? He needed a heart. What did the Cowardly Lion need? He needed courage.”

And I had to laugh, and I thought, “This is what’s wrong in Washington, D.C. right now.” We got a lot of people up there We got a lot of people up there who have lost their minds. They’re no longer using critical thinking skills to solve problems. They’re not thinking for themselves, they’re doing whatever their president or their party tells them to do. That’s not good for Kansas.

We have a lot of people who have lost their hearts in Washington, D.C. And that’s easy to have happen: you go to Washington, you live there for 180 days, you go to Florida for a while, you come back to Kansas, and all of your stops are photo ops in front of Cabela’s or somewhere else. You got five minutes, you don’t actually stop and listen. You have a listening session in Oakley, and you get upset, you walk out, and instead of listening to people. Then you say, “You know what, we don’t do listening sessions ’cause those people are too dangerous in Kansas.” I’m looking at you, even the Marshall fans, you don’t look dangerous to me. You got to listen. You listen to your people, and when you do, you find a heart because you see people suffering, you hear their pain. And you say, “I got to do something about that, and I can’t keep voting for things that take away 51,000 people’s health insurance in the state of Kansas, 18,000 kids who don’t get SNAP benefits anymore.”

Finally, you got to have courage. And courage is when you stand up to your president and your party and you say, “This is hurting people back home.” And you say it even if your president’s going to bully you, pick on you, primary you, and call you names. You still say, “This is not okay.”

Greg Akagi: Ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please take your seats. We have one final closing statement. Senator Marshall, you have the final two-minute closing statement.

Sen. Roger Marshall: Well, thanks, Greg. Great debate. To all my K-State buddies who chose the game, you should be happy: a 34-to-7 victory for the Wildcats! All right.

Listen. You know, there’s so much noise, we went down quite a few rabbit holes. But at the end of the day, what I want to do is give farmers and ranchers predictability and certainty. I want to make sure that we have strong borders, that we have a strong military, that we lower taxes.

I threw out the theory that at beginning of this that my that my opponent today is too woke, he’s too weak, and he doesn’t stand for anything. But really, what does he stand for? What does he stand for? Does he support Is he going to vote for Chuck Schumer or not? Would he vote for a farm bill? Would he vote for for voter ID? Would he vote to fund the military? Did you hear any of those out of him today? No. He tries to be all things to all people.

And again, what you’re going to get from me: you may not agree with me on everything, but you’re going to know exactly where I stand, that I’m going to fight to protect you, your family, and these traditional Kansas Kansas values. Thank you so much, and God bless everybody. Thank you.

Greg Akagi: All right. Some thank-yous to do as well. Thank you to our sponsors for today’s senatorial debate, and they include the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Corn, CoBank and Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, AARP Kansas, and KanEquip.

My thanks also to our timekeeper, Kevin King, KWCH-TV. Also thank you to our media panel: Michael Schwanke with KWCH-TV, Tim Carpenter with the Kansas Reflector, and David Bergmeier with the High Plains Journal. For our in-studio engineer, Nick Bowers, for our on-site engineer, Spencer DePue.

It has been our pleasure to bring you the debates, the senatorial debate here on 580 WIBW Radio and the Kansas Radio Networks as well. The most important thing for everyone is please exercise your right to vote on November 3rd. As we come up to that, it’s not too far away—less than two months away for you to exercise your right to vote. On November the 3rd, Tuesday, November the 3rd is the important day.

We’d like to thank everyone at the Kansas State Fair, General Manager Bryan Schultz, and all the staff and crew here at the Heartland Credit Union Pavilion. This has been the 2026 U.S. Senatorial Debate here on 580 WIBW and the Kansas Radio Networks.