2020 United States Senate election in Kansas

The 2020 United States Senate election in Kansas was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Kansas, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

On January 4, 2019, incumbent Republican Senator Pat Roberts announced he would not run for a fifth term. Candidates had until June 1, 2020 to file to run for the open seat or to drop out if they already filed. The U.S. Senate primaries were held on August 4, 2020.

Republican U.S. Representative Roger Marshall was considered a narrow favorite based on polling, but he won by around 11 points, a larger margin than most experts predicted. However, this was the first Senate election since 1978 where a Democrat won Shawnee County, the first Senate election since 1974 where a Democrat won Riley County, and the first Senate election ever in Kansas's history where a Democrat won Johnson County; all three counties were also flipped by Democrat Joe Biden in the concurrent presidential election.

Nominee

 * Roger Marshall, incumbent U.S. representative for Kansas's 1st congressional district

Eliminated in primary

 * Lance Berland
 * John L. Berman, engineer
 * Derek Ellis, quality assurance technician
 * Bob Hamilton, businessman
 * Kris Kobach, former secretary of state of Kansas and Republican nominee for Governor of Kansas in 2018
 * Dave Lindstrom, board chairman for the Kansas Turnpike Authority, former Kansas City Chiefs player, Republican nominee for lieutenant governor of Kansas in 2002
 * Brian Matlock, economics graduate student
 * John Miller
 * Steve Roberts, member of the Kansas Board of Education
 * Gabriel Mark Robles

Withdrawn

 * Jake LaTurner, Kansas State Treasurer (running for U.S. House in District 2)
 * Bryan Pruitt, conservative commentator
 * Susan Wagle, President of the Kansas Senate

Declined

 * Alan Cobb, president of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce
 * Jeff Colyer, former governor of Kansas and lieutenant governor of Kansas   (endorsed Roger Marshall)
 * Ron Estes, incumbent U.S. representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district and former Kansas State Treasurer (running for reelection)
 * Wink Hartman, oilman and restaurant owner, nominee for lieutenant governor of Kansas in 2018
 * Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
 * Mike Pompeo, United States Secretary of State, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and former U.S. representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district
 * Pat Roberts, incumbent U.S. senator (endorsed Roger Marshall)
 * Matt Schlapp, incumbent chairman of the American Conservative Union and former director of the Office of Political Affairs
 * Derek Schmidt, Kansas Attorney General
 * Scott Schwab, Kansas Secretary of State

Primary debate
In a live-streamed debate on May 22, 2020, in a ballroom devoid of spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all five major candidates praised president Donald Trump. Kobach took on his opponents who all agreed that he could not win the general election against presumptive Democratic nominee, Bollier. Marshall said, "We cannot afford to send a failed candidate back this fall who will lose to Barbara Bollier and hand the Senate majority over to Chuck Schumer." "Instead, we need to send a tried and trusted friend of President Trump." Referring to Marshall, Kobach replied, "Do you want a go-along-to-get-along kind of senator, a gutless wonder who never takes a stand, or, do you want someone who poses a threat?" Hamilton said voters didn't have to choose between Kobach, who couldn't win, and a moderate Marshall, in whose behest the state party leaders had urged Senator Wagle and Lindstrom, to drop out of the race. Objecting to the party pressure, Lindstrom characterized his opponents as "shortsighted, self-serving ... career politicians who are divisive, controversial," and, "have a record of losing elections." Wagle touted her own candidacy, saying, "It's very, very important that we send a leader to the U.S. Senate who is articulate, who is persuasive, who other people respect. ... I'm the one who's already debated Barbara Bollier. ... I win on the Senate floor. I've beat (sic) her numerous times ... the conservative voice that can beat that liberal voice in the U.S. Senate," she said. In response to a claim that he would not prioritize the issue of agriculture, Marshall said, "Fake news and another lie by Kris Kobach."

Polling

 * with only Kris Kobach and Roger Marshall


 * with only Bob Hamilton, Kris Kobach and Roger Marshall


 * with Mike Pompeo and Susan Wagle


 * with only Kris Kobach and Mike Pompeo

Results
[[File:Kansas Republican Senate primary, 2020.svg|thumb|250px|Primary results by county {{legend|#e27f7f|Marshall}}

{{legend|#ffc8cd|30–40%}}

{{legend|#ffb2b2|40–50%}}

{{legend|#e27f7f|50–60%}}

{{legend|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend|#ff9955|Kobach}}

{{legend|#ffcca9|30–40%}}

{{legend|#ffb380|40–50%}} {{legend|#5fd3bc|Hamilton}}

{{legend|#afe9dd|30–40%}}

{{legend|#87decd|40–50%}}

{{legend|#5fd3bc|50–60%}} ]]

Nominee

 * Barbara Bollier, physician and state senator

Eliminated in primary

 * Robert Tillman, Kansas National Guard veteran and perennial candidate

Withdrawn

 * Elliot Adams, database developer
 * Nancy Boyda, former U.S. representative from Kansas's 2nd congressional district (endorsed Bollier)
 * Corbie Crow, certified public accountant
 * Barry Grissom, former United States Attorney for the District of Kansas (endorsed Bollier)
 * Usha Reddi, mayor of Manhattan
 * Adam Smith

Declined

 * Paul Davis, former minority leader of the Kansas House of Representatives, nominee for governor in 2014 and KS-02 in 2018
 * Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary of Health and Human Services, former governor of Kansas, and former Kansas Insurance Commissioner
 * Sarah Smarsh, author
 * Josh Svaty, former Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, former state representative, and candidate for Governor of Kansas in 2018
 * Brent Welder, candidate for Kansas's 3rd congressional district in 2018

Results
[[File:Kansas Democratic Senate primary, 2020.svg|thumb|250px|Primary results by county {{legend|#7996e2ff|Bollier}}

{{legend|#6674deff|60–70%}}

{{legend|#584cdeff|70–80%}}

{{legend|#1e1dbeff|80–90%}}

{{legend|#0d056c|90–100%}} {{legend|#aade87|Tillman}}

{{legend|#aade87|50–60%}} ]]

Nominee

 * Jason Buckley, U.S. Navy veteran

Withdrawn

 * Paul Tuten

Polling

 * Graphical summary


 * Bob Hamilton vs. Barbara Bollier


 * Kris Kobach vs. Barbara Bollier


 * Kris Kobach vs. Barry Grissom


 * Generic Republican vs. Generic Democrat

Results
On the night of the election, Roger Marshall was announced as the winner of the Senate race.

Counties that flipped from Independent to Democratic

 * Douglas (largest city: Lawrence)
 * Shawnee (largest city: Topeka)
 * Wyandotte (largest city: Kansas City)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Johnson (largest city: Overland Park)
 * Riley (largest city: Manhattan)