The map is expanding! We have a new poll for the Senate race in Kansas out that finds Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton within one point of Republican incumbent Roger Marshall, 46-45.

One of the really good things Democrats are doing across the country this year is running a lot of candidates from backgrounds that you wouldn’t necessarily expect for a Democrat. That’s the case with Reverend Hamilton- he’s the minister of the biggest Methodist church in the country.

Beyond having a strong candidate Kansas is looking like a real possibility because Donald Trump’s standing has plummeted there. Even though he won by 16 points two years ago his approval numbers are only break even now, with 48% approving and 48% disapproving of him.

Republicans have almost a 20 point registration advantage in Kansas so for Democrats to compete there they have to win independents by a massive margin and get a decent amount of crossover GOP support. Reverend Hamilton is doing both of those things- he’s up 57-26 with independents and he’s winning over 14% of Republicans.

Kansas hasn’t elected a Democratic Senator since 1932 so this is still going to be a tough nut to crack. But Democrats did flip the Governor’s office in the first Trump midterm. And even if Reverend Hamilton falls short it speaks well to the overall picture that we’re even talking about Kansas!