Adam Hamilton

Adam Hamilton describes himself as a fifth-generation Kansan and grew up in Prairie Village. He graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa and then from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In 1990, at age 25 and at his denomination's request, he and his wife LaVon started a church in the Kansas City area with four people in borrowed space; it became the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, which the Associated Press describes as the largest United Methodist congregation in the country, with about 22,000 members across nine campuses. He has been its pastor for 36 years and has written dozens of books. He had never run for public office before 2026 and considered running as an independent before registering as a Democrat. He announced his U.S. Senate campaign on April 30, 2026, won the August 4 Democratic primary from a field of 11 candidates, and faces incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Libertarian David C. Graham on November 3.