By Jeffery Fogg | This Is Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. — On Monday morning, my 11-year-old son stood in a Topeka parking lot answering questions about The Wizard of Oz from a man running for the United States Senate.
By Tuesday night, that man had made Kansas history.
And Hudson was there to celebrate.
Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Republican Roger Marshall, becoming the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Kansas since 1932.
Ninety-four years.
The last time Kansas elected a Democratic senator, Franklin D. Roosevelt was preparing to enter the White House, and America was struggling through the Great Depression.
Now Kansas has done it again.
And the political earthquake didn’t stop at the state line. Democrats also secured control of both the United States House of Representatives and Senate, dramatically changing the balance of power in Washington.
There will be plenty of political analysts explaining what happened, but I think voters delivered a message worth hearing.
Americans are unhappy with the direction of their government, and Republicans have been handed a serious electoral rebuke.
That doesn’t mean everyone who voted for Hamilton suddenly became a Democrat. Kansas hasn’t magically transformed into a reliably blue state.
Some Republicans undoubtedly crossed party lines. Independents wanted something different. Democrats turned out hoping to make history.
And while they may have arrived at the same decision for different reasons, Democrats now have an opportunity to earn their continued support.
Because winning an election is one thing. Governing well enough to win those voters again is something entirely different.
From a Parking Lot to Election Night
On Monday, I wrote about taking Hudson to meet Hamilton during a campaign stop near 17th and Fairlawn.
Hudson has become fascinated with politics this year, thanks in no small part to his teacher at Topeka Collegiate, Mrs. Shelsey Wasserstein, who introduced her students to CNN 10.
When Hudson learned Hamilton would be in Topeka, he wanted to meet him.
I wasn’t particularly interested in going that morning. But Hudson was. So we went.
Instead of having Hudson ask questions, Hamilton started quizzing him about The Wizard of Oz.
What was the Tin Man missing? Who was made of straw? Which character had a tail?
It was a funny, genuinely human exchange. Hamilton even suggested Hudson might become a senator someday.
Well, Tuesday night, Hudson got to see what becoming a senator actually looks like.
We attended Hamilton’s election-night celebration, where supporters gathered beneath American flags and campaign signs, watching election returns and waiting for the outcome.
Hudson was dressed for the occasion, wearing a blazer, button-down shirt, and a smile that told me he knew he was somewhere important.
He watched the excitement build, stood among the cheering crowd, and experienced a political victory that will be written into Kansas history books.
For an 11-year-old, that’s a remarkable civics lesson.
He didn’t just watch an election on television. He met the candidate, spoke with him, saw the campaign firsthand, and witnessed the celebration of a historic victory.
Showing Up Still Matters
In Monday’s article, I wrote about the importance of candidates showing up in person.
Hamilton spent his campaign traveling across Kansas, meeting voters face-to-face. And while no single campaign strategy explains an election of this magnitude, his willingness to be accessible deserves recognition.
I don’t care which way you politically lean — well, I do, but you get the point.
Our elected officials need to remember that they represent all of us.
Not just one ideology. Not just one race, religion, gender, or economic class.
All of Kansas.
I believe we’ve lost something important in American politics: the ability to stand in front of people, look them in the eye, and have an actual conversation.
It’s easier to hate someone on television than it is to be rude to someone standing in front of you.
Perhaps more face-to-face conversations would help restore some of the humanity we’ve lost.
But showing up during a campaign is only the beginning.
Hamilton now has the responsibility of representing Kansans who voted for him and those who didn’t. Democrats nationally face a similar challenge.
The voters who demanded change will expect results. And if those results don’t come, the same voters who changed the political landscape Tuesday can change it again.
The Part I’ll Remember
Years from now, Hudson probably won’t remember the vote totals or which television network called the race first.
But I suspect he’ll remember standing in that room.
He’ll remember the flags, the cheering, and the excitement of witnessing something that hadn’t happened in Kansas for nearly a century.
And perhaps he’ll remember that politics isn’t just about choosing sides or arguing with strangers online.
It’s about participating.
It’s about showing up.
It’s about understanding that the people we elect work for us, and that our responsibility as citizens doesn’t end when the polls close.
I didn’t particularly want to go meet Hamilton on Monday.
I’m glad Hudson did.
Because in just two days, my son got an education no textbook could fully provide.
He saw a campaign up close, witnessed a historic election, and learned that even in a state where something hasn’t happened for 94 years, change is possible.
Adam Hamilton made history Tuesday night.
But somewhere in that celebration, a fifth-grader from Topeka was discovering what it means to participate in democracy.
And as his father, that’s the part I’ll remember most.
After all, Kansas has always known there’s no place like home.
And this week, home made history.
