Majority-Latino Kansas counties backed Democrat Hamilton after September ICE raids

Three majority-Latino counties in southwest Kansas helped Democrat Adam Hamilton win a U.S. Senate seat in the Nov. 3 midterm election. Hamilton, a pastor, defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall. He won Ford, Finney and Seward counties, along with eight other counties ¹.

Politico reported that Hamilton narrowly won the three counties, which Donald Trump had carried by more than 30 points in 2024 ³. Reuters said the counties, once solidly Republican, turned blue in the Senate race ². Official data is still pending, and results in three statewide Kansas races are under audit ¹.

On tapeAssociated Press · Nov 13

▶1:43

Who lives there

Latino voters make up 49% of registered voters in Ford County, 48% in Finney County and 60% in Seward County, according to Ike Lab data cited by the Kansas Reflector ¹. Ike Lab is a research group at Wichita State University ². Registered Democrats are only 23% to 24% of voters in each county ¹.

The area's large Latino population is partly tied to meatpacking jobs. Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal are the cities with the biggest Latino communities ¹. A New York Times analysis cited by the Reflector estimated that 75% of Latino voters in Kansas backed Hamilton ¹.

From Channel GOPAdam Hamilton flips Kansas Senate seat141 plays · captioned, with the source named

The raids

In September, federal immigration agents carried out raids in Ford, Finney and Seward counties that detained more than 100 people, according to state officials ². The raids slowed meatpacking plants and delayed shipments of thousands of cattle, livestock associations said. Beef prices were already at record highs ².

A week after the raids, the three counties had among the five biggest increases in voter registration in Kansas, Ike Lab found ². Children stopped showing up at school and plants delayed start times, the Reflector reported. Democrats condemned the raids and visited Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal, while Republicans doubled down on enforcement ¹.

On tapeThe New York Times · Nov 10

▶4:18

Even a Republican saw the link. State Sen. Bill Clifford, who represents Finney County, credited the immigration activity for the change ³.

Recent ICE activity in southwest Kansas turned around the electorate out here

Hamilton gave his own explanation of his win:

I think I got elected because Kansans were saying we're tired of the bullies. We're tired of the chaos.

A wider pattern

Kansas was not alone. Reuters found that across 64 majority-Latino counties with Senate races, Republicans lost 14 points from their 2024 share ². Politico reported that heavily Latino counties swung toward Democrats more than any other type of place ³.

Economic worries also mattered. In exit polling by SSRS, a survey firm, 45% of Hispanic voters named the economy as their top issue ².

What happens next

Democrats now have to hold these voters, and some Latino leaders are warning them not to take that support for granted. Beatriz Lopez of Voto Latino said Democrats should "invest in us, invest in the Latino vote" ². That matters because these counties voted for Trump two years ago, and they could move again.

The Record

1. Sep 1, 2026Immigration raids in Ford, Finney and Seward counties, Kansas, detained more than 100 people, according to state officials. The exact September date is not given in the sources. ²
2. Nov 3, 2026Democrat Adam Hamilton won the Senate race over Sen. Roger Marshall and carried the three majority-Latino counties. ¹³
3. Nov 5, 2026Reuters reported that Republicans lost 14 points from their 2024 share across 64 majority-Latino counties with Senate races. ²

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<h2>Majority-Latino Kansas counties backed Democrat Hamilton after September ICE raids</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/majority-latino-kansas-counties-backed-democrat-hamilton-after-september-ice-raids">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 13, 2026.</em></p> <p>Three majority-Latino counties in southwest Kansas helped Democrat Adam Hamilton win a U.S. Senate seat in the Nov. 3 midterm election. Hamilton, a pastor, defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall. He won Ford, Finney and Seward counties, along with eight other counties .</p> <p>Politico reported that Hamilton narrowly won the three counties, which Donald Trump had carried by more than 30 points in 2024 . Reuters said the counties, once solidly Republican, turned blue in the Senate race . Official data is still pending, and results in three statewide Kansas races are under audit .</p> <h2>Who lives there</h2> <p>Latino voters make up 49% of registered voters in Ford County, 48% in Finney County and 60% in Seward County, according to Ike Lab data cited by the Kansas Reflector . Ike Lab is a research group at Wichita State University . Registered Democrats are only 23% to 24% of voters in each county .</p> <p>The area&#39;s large Latino population is partly tied to meatpacking jobs. Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal are the cities with the biggest Latino communities . A New York Times analysis cited by the Reflector estimated that 75% of Latino voters in Kansas backed Hamilton .</p> <h2>The raids</h2> <p>In September, federal immigration agents carried out raids in Ford, Finney and Seward counties that detained more than 100 people, according to state officials . The raids slowed meatpacking plants and delayed shipments of thousands of cattle, livestock associations said. Beef prices were already at record highs .</p> <p>A week after the raids, the three counties had among the five biggest increases in voter registration in Kansas, Ike Lab found . Children stopped showing up at school and plants delayed start times, the Reflector reported. Democrats condemned the raids and visited Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal, while Republicans doubled down on enforcement .</p> <p>Even a Republican saw the link. State Sen. Bill Clifford, who represents Finney County, credited the immigration activity for the change .</p> <blockquote><p>Recent ICE activity in southwest Kansas turned around the electorate out here</p><p>&mdash; Bill Clifford, state senator, Republican-Kansas</p></blockquote> <p>Hamilton gave his own explanation of his win:</p> <blockquote><p>I think I got elected because Kansans were saying we&#39;re tired of the bullies. We&#39;re tired of the chaos.</p><p>&mdash; Adam Hamilton, U.S. Senate-elect, Democrat-Kansas</p></blockquote> <h2>A wider pattern</h2> <p>Kansas was not alone. Reuters found that across 64 majority-Latino counties with Senate races, Republicans lost 14 points from their 2024 share . Politico reported that heavily Latino counties swung toward Democrats more than any other type of place .</p> <p>Economic worries also mattered. In exit polling by SSRS, a survey firm, 45% of Hispanic voters named the economy as their top issue .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Democrats now have to hold these voters, and some Latino leaders are warning them not to take that support for granted. Beatriz Lopez of Voto Latino said Democrats should &quot;invest in us, invest in the Latino vote&quot; . That matters because these counties voted for Trump two years ago, and they could move again.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/majority-latino-kansas-counties-backed-democrat-hamilton-after-september-ice-raids">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/majority-latino-kansas-counties-backed-democrat-hamilton-after-september-ice-raids.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Kansas Reflector (via News Radio KMAN), “3 Kansas counties that helped Hamilton win US Senate seat have majority Latino populations” (2026-11-05). 1350kman.com/2026/11/3-kansas-counties-that-helped-hamilton-
2. Reuters, “Latinos, motivated by immigration and economic woes, drive Democratic gains in Republican strongholds” (2026-11-05). wabx.net/2026/11/05/latinos-motivated-by-immigration-and-eco
3. Politico (via Yahoo News), “'This is an earthquake': Latino voters rush back to Democrats” (2026-11-04). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/earthquake-latino-voters-ru

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