U.S.WHAT JUST HAPPENED

A megachurch pastor is running for Senate in Kansas

Kansas's largest church leader is challenging a Republican for the Senate, pitching his congregation as welcoming to nonreligious people; Democrats now have to decide if that wins votes.

On air: Chip Darnell and Hank Ledger on BBN Newsroom
Published 10:11 AM ET, Thursday, October 15, 2026

Photo: NASA · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · U.S.

Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Hank Ledger on this story, from BBN Newsroom at 10:11 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The New York Times's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: NASA · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

Photo: Kansas — Photo: NASA · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by The New York Times: “A Megachurch Pastor is Running for Senate. Will Democrats Vote for Him?”
Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 10:11 AM ET on BBN Newsroom, by Chip Darnell and Hank Ledger.
Topics: Kansas, Senate, Democrats.
BBN covered this story before: Schumer warns GOP spending could overwhelm Democrats in Senate fight (October 14).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The New York TimesA Megachurch Pastor is Running for Senate. Will Democrats Vote for Him?

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorHere is the one-sentence version: the pastor who leads the biggest church in Kansas is running for the Senate as a Democrat, against a Republican.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorBiggest church in the whole state, Hank! That is basically the Costco of Sunday mornings, and I say that with deep respect.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorLet's start with what happened. What did the New York Times actually report this morning?
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe Times says Mr. Hamilton is seeking to unseat a Republican in Kansas, and he talks a lot about leading the state's largest church.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe paper also says he has worked to make that church appealing to people who are not religious at all.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorNot religious at all. That is a church marketing a service to people who don't want the service.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorIt's a big tent, Hank.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorHow did we get here?
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorA pastor running for office is not new, but a Democrat in Kansas with a megachurch behind him is a different picture.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe Times frames it as a question about religious voters and the Democratic Party, and whether the two fit together in a place like Kansas.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorPlain words for someone who just woke up: Democrats have to decide whether a pastor is a natural ally or an awkward fit.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd that is who this affects first: voters in Kansas, church members, and Democrats who weigh whether he can win.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWhy would nonreligious voters care?
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorBecause his pitch, per the Times, is that his church welcomes them. That could read as a bridge, and nobody has voted yet.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorSo what are the competing views? Supporters would say a trusted community leader can reach people the party often misses.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSkeptics would say faith and party politics are a tricky mix, and some voters on both sides may not love a pastor on the ballot.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorBoth fair points. I have been to a church potluck, and nobody agrees on the casserole either.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorCasserole, then ballot. I love a Kansas Tuesday.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWhat should viewers watch for next?
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorWhether Democrats embrace him, and how he talks to people who rarely go to church. It's not clear yet how that plays.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorAlso whether the Republican incumbent answers, and how the race is covered by outlets on both sides.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo the one-sentence version again: a Kansas megachurch pastor wants the Senate, and Democrats must decide if they will follow him.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWhich means the hardest part is not the sermon. It is getting a congregation to show up on a Tuesday.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorFair, Hank. Even the free donuts can't fix that.

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