Election day 2026 delivered some surprising news when Kansas elected a Democratic senator for the first time since 1932. Voters chose to oust incumbent Rodger Marshall in favor of liberal Adam Hamilton for many reasons, including the Iran War and gas prices, but exit polls showed the most compelling reason was voters’ remembrance that Kansas was not a slave state.

            This shift comes in light of incumbent senator Marshall’s education reform, which stressed “teaching kids to be proud of the history of our great state.” One emphasis of this curriculum was the pivotal role Kansas played in the escalation of pre-Civil War tensions, where blood was shed over whether Kansas should be a slave state or free state.

When voters were asked about their choice, one woman said, “I’ve been learning about how people died for us to be a free state, and I just think that, like, traditional values are better, and so if the people in the 1800s thought we should be liberal then I agree.” Another man echoed a similar sentiment, telling Flipside, “Those people back then had the right idea about where people in this country belong!” he said. “Women belong in the home, Gay people belong in a mental hospital, and Black people belong in the electorate right next to all their white brothers.”

Many voters mentioned that they were descendants of soldiers who fought in the Civil War, and cited a confusion over the party switch as the reason for flipping their vote. “I’ve always wanted to honor my great-granddaddy who fought for a free Kansas, and I thought that meant voting for a Republican like Lincoln. But after learning more about our history, it seems like today’s parties aren’t the same. I think there might have been a party switch somewhere. Maybe sometime since last election.”

            Hamilton will take office January 3rd, 2027.