Trump Cancels Salina Rally

Kansas Senate Race Sets Ad Spending Record

Republicans Narrow Democrats’ Advance Voting Lead

Kelly Says Data Center Debate May Ease After Election

Topeka Crime Spree Leaves 17 Victims

Trump Cancels Salina Rally

SALINA, Kan. — President Donald Trump canceled his Saturday, Oct. 31, rally at Salina Regional Airport for Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, the Kansas Republican Party confirmed Thursday, Oct. 29. The Salina Airport Authority cited scheduling conflicts, and the Kansas GOP said all of Trump’s Saturday campaign stops nationwide were canceled. The White House said Trump would instead hold more than 20 telephone campaign rallies before Election Day, including an unscheduled event for Kansas Republicans. Trump said he did not need to visit because Marshall was “doing very well,” while Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton said Trump had “given up” on Marshall and Kansas GOP Executive Director Rob Fillion said the change did not reflect Trump’s assessment of Kansas. The visit would have been Trump’s second Kansas campaign appearance for Marshall this month, following an Oct. 19 rally in Park City, near Wichita. The cancellation removes a planned presidential appearance days before the Nov. 3 election in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932.

KSN · WIBW · KCUR · KCTV5 · KAKE · States Newsroom

Kansas Senate Race Sets Ad Spending Record

TOPEKA, Kan. — Advertising aired or reserved through Election Day in Republican Sen. Roger Marshall’s race against Democrat Adam Hamilton has reached about $84.5 million, making it Kansas’ most expensive election, according to AdImpact figures reported Oct. 29 by the Kansas Reflector. The total exceeds the $49.1 million record set when Marshall defeated Democrat Barbara Bollier in 2020 and represents an increase of more than 3,300% over advertising in Kansas’ 2022 Senate general election. Outside groups account for most advertising, including $13.1 million from the Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund and $10.3 million from Democratic-aligned WinSenate, according to AdImpact. Hamilton’s campaign has spent $15 million on ads, more than twice Marshall’s $6.3 million, while an Associated Press tally a week earlier put overall spending at about $71 million and counted more than 40 outside groups. Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, and Inside Elections has moved it from Tilt Republican to toss-up. The spending underscores the contest’s potential importance to Senate control and the role of organizations beyond the candidates in shaping the advertising Kansans see before Nov. 3.

Kansas Reflector · Lawrence Times · KAKE · AdImpact · Axios · AP · FOX4 · HPPR · Inside Elections

Republicans Narrow Democrats’ Advance Voting Lead

TOPEKA, Kan. — Republicans narrowed Democrats’ lead among Kansas advance voters from roughly 9,400 ballots Wednesday, Oct. 28, to about 3,300 Thursday, Oct. 29, according to Kansas secretary of state data. Of 328,522 ballots cast, registered Democrats accounted for 43.3% and Republicans 42.3%, while unaffiliated voters, who represent 28% of registered voters, accounted for 14.5% of advance ballots. Republicans greatly outnumber Democrats in Kansas. Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty said the early Democratic advantage reflected enthusiasm and Republicans typically gain ground as a midterm approaches, while low participation among unaffiliated voters has both parties concentrating on their bases ahead of Tuesday’s election. These figures identify voters’ party registrations, not their candidate choices, so registered Republicans could have voted for Democratic candidates. They also do not reveal how unaffiliated voters split their support between Republican and Democratic candidates.

Citizen Journal · Kansas Secretary of State

Kelly Says Data Center Debate May Ease After Election

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly called the data center debate largely political Thursday, Oct. 29, during a discussion of property taxes, artificial intelligence and data centers with Kansas Public Radio’s Jim McLean at the University of Kansas’ 50th annual Kansas Economic Policy Conference. Kelly acknowledged public concerns but suggested the debate could ease after the Nov. 3 election, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. She signed a 2025 law providing qualifying data centers investing at least $250 million with a 20-year state sales tax exemption, a policy dividing candidates for governor and prompting local efforts to restrict the facilities. Kelly also discussed property taxes, which account for more than 30% of combined state and local tax revenue, the largest share, according to the Kansas Legislative Research Department; lawmakers deadlocked over competing Republican relief plans in 2026. Asked for advice to her successor amid a polarized political climate, she said, “Be kind.” Kelly, a term-limited Democrat, leaves office in January 2027, and voters will choose between Republican Ty Masterson and Democrat Cindy Holscher on Nov. 3 in a race Cook Political Report moved from Lean Republican to toss-up on Oct. 27.

Lawrence Journal-World · KU News · Kansas Reflector · Husch Blackwell · Cook Political Report

Topeka Crime Spree Leaves 17 Victims

TOPEKA, Kan. — A crime spree spanning five locations in central Topeka left 17 victims in about 90 minutes Wednesday, Oct. 28, according to police. The first reported stabbing occurred shortly before 12:10 p.m. in the 1600 block of Southwest Fillmore Street, followed by another just before 1 p.m. in the 600 block of Southwest Third Street and an incident at Ward-Meade Park. Early reports counted four injured, including a 16-year-old boy and a 39-year-old woman with life-threatening stab wounds and two others expected to survive; most of the additional victims identified as police connected the scenes were not physically injured. Adam James Schwegman, 47, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Jail on allegations including aggravated battery, aggravated burglary and rape; WIBW reported Thursday afternoon that he was held on three $1 million bonds totaling $3 million. A Thursday afternoon report said court records did not yet show formal charges, leaving prosecutors’ charging decisions to establish the allegations brought in court. Booking allegations are not formal charges, Schwegman is presumed innocent, and police said there was no known continuing threat to the public.

WIBW · KSNT · Yahoo News · Kansas Public Radio

Sources

1. KSN / WIBW / KCUR / KCTV5 / KAKE / States Newsroom
2. Kansas Reflector / Lawrence Times / KAKE / AdImpact / Axios / AP via KPRC / FOX4 / HPPR / Inside Elections
3. Citizen Journal / Kansas Secretary of State
4. Lawrence Journal-World / KU News / Kansas Reflector / Husch Blackwell / Cook Political Report
5. WIBW / WIBW / WIBW / WIBW / KSNT / Yahoo News / Kansas Public Radio

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