Kansas Progressive Pastor Just Jumped on the Latest Democrat Ploy About Dumping Their Leader in the US Senate

Six Senate Democratic nominees already said they will not back Chuck Schumer for leader.

Now a Kansas megachurch pastor running against Roger Marshall is joining them.

What Adam Hamilton told CBS News about Schumer's future is already making Republicans smile.

The Pastor Who Beat Ten Other Democrats Just Picked a Fight With His Own Party

Adam Hamilton leads the nation's largest United Methodist congregation, and in 2026 he won an 11 way Democratic primary to take on Republican Sen. Roger Marshall.

He told CBS News correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns he will not support Chuck Schumer as Senate majority or minority leader if he wins.

"I support term limits," Hamilton said. "I support age limits, and I just think there's a time where we need to have new and fresh leadership coming in and I think this is one of those times."

Hamilton is not a lone defector.

Illinois nominee Juliana Stratton ruled out Schumer during a January debate.

Michigan's Abdul El-Sayed has already named his preferred alternative, Sen. Chris Van Hollen.

Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan wants "a progressive champion" instead.

Maine's Troy Jackson doubts Schumer can rebuild trust with working class voters at all.

Sitting Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin has called for "significant new leadership," warning that the old model is "no longer working."

Schumer Caved to Republicans in March 2025 and His Party Still Has Not Forgiven Him

Hamilton's complaint is not abstract.

In March 2025, Schumer announced he would vote to advance a Republican government funding bill rather than let the government shut down, at the exact moment Senate Democrats finally held real leverage.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the bill "unthinkable" and pushed Senate Democrats to vote it down.

Rep. Ritchie Torres put it even more bluntly: "If we're not willing to fight the Republicans now, then we never will. We're surrendering leverage."

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the legislation "un-American," then went silent when reporters asked him to defend Schumer, answering only, "Next question."

Donald Trump posted that Schumer was "doing the right thing" and praised his "guts" for the move, which told Democratic voters everything they needed to know about who actually won that fight.

Kansas Has Not Elected a Democrat to the Senate Since the Great Depression

Kansas last sent a Democrat to the Senate in the 1930s, when George McGill held the seat.

Marshall is leaning hard on that history, branding Hamilton "too woke for Kansas" and signaling he plans to use Hamilton's own sermons against him once the general election starts.

Hamilton has raised just over 4.1 million dollars since launching his campaign in February, compared to Marshall's 6.2 million.

National Republicans are not treating Kansas as a priority race, choosing instead to spend where Senate control looks closer, in states like Texas, Maine, and Ohio.

That is exactly why Hamilton's break with Schumer matters more in this race, not less: he needs crossover votes Schumer cannot deliver him.

A Pastor Telling Democrats Their Leader Is the Problem Is Not a Talking Point

A sitting Michigan senator and a string of fresh nominees have all said some version of the same thing this year: Schumer is not the person to lead Democrats out of the hole his March 2025 cave dug for them.

When a Kansas pastor with no Senate record of his own reaches the same conclusion before he's even won the seat, that is not spin from a Republican operative.

That is a Democratic bench that no longer believes this leadership can win back the voters it lost.

Every Democrat who distances themselves from Schumer this cycle is conceding, in public, that the March 2025 collapse is not something they are willing to defend to the voters back home.

Sources:

• CBS News, "Kansas Democratic Senate Candidate Adam Hamilton Says He Would Not Support Schumer as Leader," CBS News, October 6, 2026.
• Christian Post, "Pastor Adam Hamilton to Face Sen. Roger Marshall after Kan. Dem. Primary Win," Christian Post, 2026.
• Fox News, "Big Money Propels Dem Megachurch Pastor to Victory in Longshot Kansas Senate Bid," Fox News, 2026.
• Newsweek, "Full List: Democrats Rallying against Chuck Schumer in the Senate," Newsweek, 2026.
• NY1, "Democrats Blast Schumer over Handling of GOP Funding Bill," NY1, March 15, 2025.