By Charlotte O’Hara former JoCo Commissioner and former Ks. Representative 27th District
913-304-4148
“Why deep-red Kansas has become an unexpected Senate battleground” is the headline in a recent CNBC (always a questionable source) article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/06/kansas-election-senate-marshall-hamilton.html
However, this should not have been an unexpected battleground race. Seeing Roger at several events while campaigning across Kansas running for governor, I warned him that Adam Hamilton was a real threat. If Marshall’s campaign had been paying attention to the voters in Kansas, this would not have been a surprise.
I was on the ground; I saw what was coming. The sorry truth is that Marshall was unaware of Hamilton’s ability to wow a crowd with his smooth and convincing public speaking gifts and so, Marshall was slaughtered by Hamilton at the State Fair debate.
The arrogance, arrogance, arrogance of not taking Hamilton seriously was on full display at the Kansas State Fair…hopefully, the WOKE, Leawood Flim-Flam Preacher Man has been thoroughly outed and Roger will remain our senator.
But the systemic deeply rooted problem? The Republican Brand has lost its value from years of playing UniParty with the Democrats. Grassroot conservatives no longer believe the Republican lip service to free markets, pro-life and small government because our party has turned its back on these basic conservative principles.
Free Markets: The Republican Party (uniting with the Democrat Party) is the epicenter of tax handouts for the wealthy - the Chiefs (cost up to $7 billion), Fiserve ($154 million). Republicans support local governments as they continue to hand out Tax Increment Finance Districts (TIFs) like candy. Two of the latest are Lockton’s project at State Line and College ($152 million) and Black and Veatch at College and Lamar with nearly $300 million through a TIF, sales tax exemption (EDRB) and sales tax authority (CID – Community Improvement District).
Pro-life: Though promised a vote in the 2026 Legislative Session on the Resolution for the Kansas Equal Rights Amendment protecting life from conception, the amendment was bounced around to multiple committees to ensure that it would never have a hearing, much less a floor vote.
Small Government: All you have to do is look at your tax bills. Our state and local governments continue to balloon in size with no change in course on the horizon.
The Kansas pro-life community no longer believes that the Republican Party has the vision, courage or stamina to rid our state of the scourge of abortion.
While our schools have fallen apart under years and decades of Republican majorities in both the house and senate, local school districts have been allowed to mercilessly tax We the People more and more and more, year after year after year to the point of now taxing many out of their homes.
The gig is up and paraphrasing Obama’s pastor, Jerimiah Wright, ‘Kansas chickens are coming home to roost’. Our party has failed under Koch Industries/State Chamber leadership and control.
If the Kanas Republican Party is to be truly conservative the monied interests of the Koch Industries/State Chamber cabal must be kicked to the curb. New party leadership is a must, a strong foundational Republican Platform is a must, written not just on paper but on every heart of every person who stands for election as a Republican. Party discipline is a must. ANY Republican who votes contrary to the Party Platform (if it indeed is a free market, pro-life and small government document) must be publicly outed and if it happens twice, must lose the endorsement of the Republican Party.
Can the Kansas Republican Brand be saved? Only with new strong conservative leadership.
God Bless and Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!!
Charlotte
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