Kansas Republicans suddenly care about separation of church and state now that Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton is weighing a U.S. Senate bid.
The state GOP has a long track record of supporting the MAGA version of religious liberty that seeks privilege for conservative evangelicals. That includes watering down the strict separationist views advanced by Democrats and independents.
But now the Kansas GOP is challenging Hamilton, the well-known senior pastor of United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in suburban Kansas City — claiming the church has illegally supported his exploratory Senate campaign.
In late February, Hamilton announced he would travel the state in listening sessions with voters before determining if he will launch a Senate campaign as an independent.
Roger Marshall
If he runs, he would challenge incumbent Roger Marshall, a Republican who spread conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and who supported President Donald Trump’s false claims about election fraud in 2020. Marshall is a reliable Trump supporter in the Senate.
On Feb. 24, the Kansas GOP filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging Hamilton and the church violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by using corporate resources of the nonprofit corporation to promote Hamilton’s exploratory committee.
Among the allegations: Hamilton announced his potential candidacy via the church’s website, YouTube channel and internal email list sent to church members. What Hamilton actually did was inform his congregation of his exploration without asking for political support. The announcement focused on him explaining to his congregation why he was considering such an action.
The Kansas GOP claims this amounts to illegal in-kind corporate contributions to a federal candidate.
“The Kansas Republican Party believes strongly in the rule of law. This complaint raises serious questions about the separation between the Church of the Resurrection’s religious mission and partisan political activity,” said Rob Fillion, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party. “This is a clear and blatant violation of federal law. For more than a century, corporations, including nonprofit corporations like churches, have been strictly prohibited from making political contributions to federal candidates. Adam Hamilton and the Church of the Resurrection used church staff time, facilities, databases and communication platforms to launch his political campaign while claiming ‘firewalls’ that were immediately ignored. No one is above the law, and the FEC must investigate and enforce the rules that protect the integrity of our elections.”
Ironically, it is the Republican Party nationally that has been demanding repeal of the Johnson Amendment that prohibits churches and other nonprofits from endorsing candidates. To oppose Hamilton, the Kansas GOP is appealing to a law the national GOP wants repealed.
Further, the current Kansas GOP platform document says: “The Republican Party supports the right of all individuals and groups to express their political views freely and openly without government regulation or interference. We cherish the opportunity to engage with others and to advance our philosophy of freedom and responsibility in a free and vibrant political debate, secure in the knowledge that the logic of freedom and responsibility will always prevail in a free and educated electorate.”
Kansas voters told pollsters they would choose Hamilton for Senate over Marshall by two points
An unnamed church spokesman told the Christian Post: “It’s sad but not surprising that a politician like Roger Marshall would choose to launch false political attacks on people of faith and a leading church community in Kansas. Kansans are tired of politicians like Roger Marshall who aren’t listening and just keep making things worse in Washington.”
Recent statewide polling by Tavern Research found only 37% of Kansas voters have a favorable view of Marshall. By comparison, 85% of those polled said they didn’t know who Hamilton is or had no opinion about him.
Despite that lack of name recognition, Kansas voters told pollsters they would choose Hamilton for Senate over Marshall by two points — if Hamilton runs as an independent. If he were to run as a Democrat, Marshall has an 8-point lead.
Even an unnamed theoretical independent challenger to Marshall would win by an 8-point lead if the election were held today, pollsters found.
According to Morning Consult, in 2023, Marshall tied with the fourth-lowest approval rating for a senator in the nation alongside New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat who in 2024 became the first sitting member of Congress convicted of conspiracy to act as a foreign agent.
Although Hamilton originally said he would decide after Easter whether to run for Senate, he has not yet announced his decision.
Related article:
What to make of Adam Hamilton’s possible Senate run? | Opinion by Cynthia Astle