On Wednesday night, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas and his Democratic challenger, United Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton, held their last scheduled debate before the Nov. 3 election 3. The debate aired on FOX4 in Kansas City, and John Holt moderated 3. The race is close. An early October New York Times/Siena poll had the two tied at 45% each, with 6% undecided 3.
Health care and food assistance came up again and again. Fact-checkers at PolitiFact and The Kansas City Star reviewed what both men said 12. Set next to Marshall's own words from last year, the record shows a gap between what he promised and what has happened since.
Then: 'Strengthen and preserve Medicaid'
On June 11, 2025, while the Senate was working on the budget bill Republicans called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Marshall's office put out a press release titled "Senator Marshall: We Will Strengthen and Preserve Medicaid" 4. In it, he said the bill would "cut $1.7 trillion in spending" 4. Medicaid is the joint federal-state health program for low-income people, and it pays for much of America's nursing home care.
We need to strengthen and preserve Medicaid for those who need it the most.
In the same release he made a promise aimed at older Americans 4.
We’re certainly not going to touch seniors, we’re not going to touch people with disabilities
The bill became law on July 4, 2025 5. The nonpartisan Kansas Health Institute estimated that it reduces federal Medicaid funding by about $930 billion over 10 years nationwide 5. The Kansas City Star reported that Marshall supported the law, which also cut $186.7 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called food stamps) over ten years 2.
Now: Enrollment is down by tens of thousands
At Wednesday's debate, Hamilton said more than 36,000 Kansans had lost health insurance, "closer to 50,000 people" once Medicaid is counted 1. PolitiFact found that, if anything, he understated it. Using figures from KFF, a nonpartisan health research group, PolitiFact reported that marketplace enrollment in Kansas fell by 36,040 while Medicaid enrollment fell by 25,736 over a similar period. Together that comes to 61,776 1.
The Star rated Hamilton's claim True. It reported that enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans fell about 20% in Kansas by early 2026 after the extra pandemic-era subsidies ran out, and that average marketplace premiums doubled 2.
When my opponent Roger Marshall, a doctor, voted to take away those health benefits from people, that's not okay.
To be fair to the record, the Medicaid decline cannot be blamed entirely on the 2025 law. According to the Kansas Health Institute, Kansas never expanded Medicaid, so the law's work requirements do not currently apply there. Its new enrollment and paperwork rules start in Kansas on Jan. 1, 2027 5. Much of the law's effect on Kansas is still on the way.
That matters for older readers. Starting Jan. 1, 2028, the law limits how much home equity a person can keep and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, setting the cap at $1 million 5. It is a narrow change, but it does touch seniors, the group Marshall said the bill would leave alone 45.
The food stamp numbers did not hold up
Marshall defended his record by going after SNAP. He said spending had grown from $80 billion a year to $150 billion a year 1. PolitiFact called that exaggerated. The program spent $101.7 billion in fiscal year 2025, and even during the pandemic years, PolitiFact found, "it never reached $150 billion" 1.
He also said "the food stamp fraud error rate's gone from like 5% to 15% in Kansas" 2. The Star found two problems with that. The error rate is not a fraud rate, and Kansas's rate peaked at 12%, not 15% 2. Hamilton answered that Marshall had "managed to cut SNAP benefits for 1,000s of children" across Kansas 2. The Star rated the SNAP exchange as needing context 2.
Marshall instead pointed to other help for children, such as free school breakfasts and lunches 2. He also took aim at the health law many Kansans just lost help with.
The Affordable Care Act wasn't so affordable after all.
Other claims checked
Marshall said Kansas had "the leading GDP in the country of over 6%" in the third quarter of last year 1. PolitiFact called that misleading. Kansas grew 4.7% that quarter and ranked 10th. California led, and the Kansas economy shrank 0.6% in the second quarter of 2026 1.
On diesel, Marshall blamed the war in Ukraine 1. Hamilton blamed the war with Iran 1. PolitiFact said each had a point. Diesel rose from $3.81 a gallon just before the Iran war began on Feb. 28 to $6.29 on Oct. 21 1. The Star said the Iran war and limits on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz were the main drivers 2.
Some of Marshall's claims held up better. The Star rated his statement that prescription drug prices are falling as true but needing context, and credited Medicare price negotiations in part 2. It also confirmed that Kansas received $221 million in the first year of the federal rural health fund, though KFF estimates the fund only partly makes up for rural Medicaid cuts 2.
One more answer stood out for anyone who depends on Social Security. Social Security payroll taxes now apply only to the first $184,500 a person earns 3. Hamilton said that needs to change. Marshall went further: "I would eliminate the cap altogether," he said 3. Voters may want to hold him to that.
The pattern is plain. In 2025, Marshall promised to preserve Medicaid and leave seniors alone. In 2026, tens of thousands of Kansans have dropped off their health coverage, and he is defending his record with food stamp numbers that fact-checkers say he overstated 124.
The Record
- Marshall's office releases 'We Will Strengthen and Preserve Medicaid,' saying seniors would not be touched 4
- The One Big Beautiful Bill Act becomes law, cutting about $930 billion in federal Medicaid funding over 10 years nationwide 5
- The Iran war begins, and diesel later climbs from $3.81 to $6.29 a gallon 1
- At the final Kansas Senate debate, fact-checkers find Marshall overstated SNAP spending and Kansas GDP growth 12
Sources
- PolitiFact, “Fact-checking Roger Marshall, Adam Hamilton on diesel prices, SNAP in Kansas U.S. Senate debate” (2026-10-21). politifact.com/article/2026/oct/21/midterms-kansas-senate-ma
- The Kansas City Star (via Yahoo News), “Fact Check: Marshall and Hamilton debate in race for Kansas seat in U.S. Senate” (2026-10-21). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/fact-check-marshall-hamilto
- KCUR / Kansas News Service, “'Control of the Senate goes through Kansas': Marshall and Hamilton clash at last debate” (2026-10-21). kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-10-21/contro
- Office of Sen. Roger Marshall, “Senator Marshall: We Will Strengthen and Preserve Medicaid” (2025-06-11). marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall
- Kansas Health Institute, “Impacts of the OBBBA on Medicaid and CHIP in Kansas” (2025-07-31). khi.org/articles/impacts-of-the-obbba-on-medicaid-and-chip-i
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