Vance Rallies and Trump Slated to Visit Kansas for Midterms

As Vice President JD Vance wrapped up a speech in Topeka on Monday, national Republicans made it clear they aren’t done blanketing the Sunflower State. President Donald Trump is slated to make his second visit to Kansas in as many weeks, bringing a high-profile national campaign push directly to Salina on Saturday morning.

The White House has steadily saturated Kansas in the final stretch before the November 3 midterm elections, drawing packed crowds across Olathe, the Wichita area, and Topeka. Administration heavyweights have cycled through the state primarily to anchor campaigns for U.S. Roger Marshall and other high-profile GOP hopefuls, including gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum previewed the visit bluntly before Vance took the stage on Monday, telling supporters, “We’re here to get these guys elected.”

Voter Turnout Diverges from 2024 Patterns

The blitz comes down to a numbers game across a shifting electorate. Kansas claims more than 2,027,500 registered voters, including nearly 902,000 registered Republicans, over 521,000 registered Democrats, and roughly 579,000 unaffiliated voters. Early voting data compiled by IKE Lab—an elections analysis service run by two Wichita State University professors—shows that overall early turnout is up by nearly 50% compared to the 2022 midterm elections. More than 245,100 Kansans have already cast ballots ahead of Election Day, a pool split among nearly 112,000 Democrats, nearly 99,000 Republicans, and about 33,100 unaffiliated voters.

Vice President JD Vance headlines midterm campaign rally in Topeka, Kansas

Yet that momentum tells a different story when stacked against the 2024 election. Total early turnout is down by roughly 30%, driven largely by a dip among Republican voters. In late October 2024, more than 170,600 Republicans had already turned out, outpacing the 120,500 Democrats who had voted at that point. Despite that relative lag, Republican leaders insist the state remains firmly entrenched. “If there’s a big blue wave, it’s going to crash into a big red wall in Kansas,” Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, who is running against Democrat Chris Mann, told the rally crowd.

Addressing Economic Realities and Tough Re-Elections

During his Monday address, Vance directly acknowledged voter anxieties over rising gas prices, laying the blame on foreign leaders in the Middle East who he argued drive costs upward whenever they “throw a tantrum.” He pressed the audience on national direction, asking, “In one week, are we going to tell the country that Kansas supports America first? Are we going to support a candidate that is fighting for our faith instead of against it? Are we going to support a candidate fighting for American sovereignty?”

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Those themes highlighted the political tightrope facing Senator Marshall, who is fighting a competitive reelection campaign for the seat he has held for a term. Marshall faces the Rev. Adam Hamilton, a Democratic Methodist pastor in the Kansas City area. Since the primary, Marshall has labored to outrun lingering scrutiny over medical debt collection practices from his career as an OB-GYN in central Kansas, time spent in Florida, and allegations concerning the misuse of public funds. Appealing to the crowd for another mandate, Marshall said, “I’m asking you to send me back for one more term. Six more years.”

Across the ticket, candidates like U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt—running for reelection in the 2nd District against veteran and veterinarian Don Coover—stressed that momentum means nothing without verified ballots. As the clock winds down to Election Day on November 3, campaigns are urging supporters to treat the race as if the top of the ticket were hanging in the balance, reminding voters that the only totals that matter are the ones logged at the finish line.