AGAINST THE INCUMBENT MIKE SHARP.
>> WE CONTINUE OUR LIVE COVERAGE TONIGHT.
LET'S FOCUS ON THAT BIG GOP SENATE RACE IN THE STATE OF KANSAS.
>> KMBC'S EMILY IS LIVE RIGHT OUTSIDE GREAT BEND.
EMILY, WE MENTIONED THE PRESIDENT HAS CONGRATULATED MARSHALL ON HIS WIN.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, LAURA.
HE HAS, WE'LL ACTUALLY LET YOU LISTEN TO THAT IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES BUT I WANTED TO SAY IT'S BEEN JUST OVER AN HOUR NOW SINCE DR. ROGER MARSHALL DID COME OUT AND DECLARE VICTORY TO LOUD
CHEERS AND CELEBRATING.
THE MOOD HAS BEEN ONE OF ELATION REALLY ALL NIGHT HERE, BECAUSE HE PRETTY MUCH HAD THE LEAD SINCE THE VOTES STARTED ROLLING IN AND THAT LEAD JUST KEPT WIDENING AND WIDENING, SO
ULTIMATELY THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION THAT THE RACE WAS CALLED.
I'LL STEP OUT OF THE WAY HERE.
HE ACTUALLY IS STILL HERE TAKING PICTURES, POSING WITH HIS WIFE AND WITH SUPPORTERS.
SOME OF HIS CAMPAIGN STAFF, WHEN HE SPOKE TO THE CROWD HE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN THE SENATE IN NOVEMBER.
HE INVITED EVERYONE TO JOIN THEIR TEAM SAYING THERE WAS SO MUCH AT STAKE THIS FALL THE PARTY NEEDS TO BE UNITED TO CLAIM VICTORY.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> TO BEAT THE DEMOCRATS WE HAVE TO BE ONE TEAM HERE, ANDLE FIND THAT WE HAVE WAY MORE IN COMMON THAN WHAT DIVIDES US.
I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN THIS IRON SHARPENING IRON.
BOY, I TELL YOU WHAT, AFTER THIS PRIMARY OUR SWORDS ARE SHARP AND OUR SHIELDS ARE THICK.
>> AND YOU MENTIONED, LAURA, THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP DID CALL DR. ROGER MARSHALL TODAY AND OUR CAMERAS WERE ROLLING AS THAT CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE.
TAKE A LISTEN.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I WANT TO CONGRATULATE EVERYBODY, AND ROGER, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE RACE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO WIN ON NOVEMBER 3, WE HAVE TO WIN A COUPLE OF THEM ON
NOVEMBER 3 COME TO THINK, BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY, IT'S A BIG NIGHT.
[CHEERS] >> YOU COULD HEAR IT WAS CERTAINLY AN EXCITING MOMENT FOR DR. MARSHALL AND HIS CAMPAIGN.
HIS SUPPORTERS HERE, TO HEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP PLEDGING HIS FULL SUPPORT IN NOVEMBER.
DR. MARSHALL SAID HE'LL BE UP BEFORE DAWN TOMORROW AS HE TYPICALLY IS.
HE SAID HE'S READY TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND START THIS CAMPAIGN FOR THE ELECTION THAT'S NOW JUST THREE MONTHS AWAY.
REPORTING LIVE IN BARTON COUNTY, KANSAS, EMILY, KMBC 9 NEWS.
>> LET'S GO TO KMBC 9 NEWS'S MATT ADAMS IN LEAVENWORTH WITH THE KRIS KOBACH CAMPAIGN LESS THAN AN HOUR AFTER HE GAVE HIS CONCESSION SPEECH.
>> KRIS DID MENTION EARLIER BEFORE, WE SPOKE TO HIM BEFORE THE RESULTS STARTED COMING IN AND TALKED ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS GOING TO BE TO UNITE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TOGETHER AFTER
A VERY AGGRESSIVE AND TENACIOUS PRIMARY BATTLE AND THAT WAS THE FIRST THING HE SAID IN HIS CONCESSION SPEECH, THAT HE TALKED TO ROGER MARSHALL AND SAID HE PLEDGED HIM HIS FULL
SUPPORT AND ALSO SAID TO ALL OF HIS SUPPORTERS IN THIS ROOM HERE IN LEAVENWOTH, THAT THEY NEEDED TO GET BEHIND ROGER MARSHALL AS THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR THIS OPEN U.S. SENATE SEAT BEING
VACATED BY PAT ROBERTS.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT THE U.S. SENATE, A MAJORITY COULD INDEED RUN THROUGH KANSAS, WHICH IS WHY KOBACH IS TRYING TO GET ALL OF HIS SUPPORTERS BEHIND ROGER MARSHALL IN A FACE-OFF
AGAINST DEMOCRATIC CAN BOLLIER ON NOVEMBER 3.
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF OUTSIDE SPENDING, MILLIONS POURING IN, TRYING TO CONTAINED KOBACH HAS TOO CONSERVATIVE AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT KOBACH BELIEVES DID PLAY A BIG ROLE IN HIM
LOSING THIS ELECTION TONIGHT BUT HE DID TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE DURING HIS CONCESSION SPEECH, JUST HOW HARD AND HOW DIFFICULT AND HOW AGGRESSIVE THIS CAMPAIGN WAS.
>> I JUST WANT TO PAINT THE PICTURE FOR WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST.
THERE IS NO QUESTION, NO ELECTION IS EASY.
BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY -- HAS BEEN THE TOUGHEST PRIMARY ELECTION OF MY CAREER.
INDEED, I WOULD SAY THE TOUGHEST MANY PEOPLE HAVE SEEN IN KANSAS.
>> KOBACH SAID TONIGHT IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER OR NOT HE'LL RUN IN THE FUTURE FOR A SEAT.
HE, OF COURSE, LOST THE 2018 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION TO LAURA KELLY, NOW LOSING THE 2020 GOP PRIMARY TO ROGER MARSHALL.
LIVE IN LEAVENWORTH, KMBC 9 NEWS.
>> LET'S STAY IN THIS RACE.
JOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS PLUMBER BOB HAMILTON MADE A NAME FOR - HIMSELF ON TV IN BUSINESS FOR YEARS AND CERTAINLY ADDED TO THAT ON TV IN THIS PARTICULAR CAMPAIGN.
THERE IS LEN JENNINGS AT THE BOB -- FINAL NUMBERS AREN'T IN.
HE ONLY GOT 19% OF THE VOTE TONIGHT.
>> THAT WAS HIS OWN MONEY THAT HE WAS PUTTING INTO THIS CAMPAIGN.
OF COURSE, THE PLUMBER TURNED POLITICIAN, SORT OF A WILD CARD IN THE RACE IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY.
BOB HAMILTON LOSING TO ROGER MARSHALL IN THE PRIMARY FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FOR THE U.S.
SENATE.
YOU COULD SEE SOME OF HIS SUPPORTERS, STILL HANGING OUT.
MOST OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS ARE HERE HANGING OUT EVEN MORE THAN HALF AN HOUR AFTER THE NEWS CAME DOWN.
HE GAVE A CONCESSION SPEECH EARLIER TODAY SURROUNDED BY HIS FAMILY.
HE WAS VERY EMOTIONAL BUT HE ALSO WANTED TO CON XWR -- CONGRATULATE THE VICTOR.
>> HE NEEDS TO KEEP THE SEAT RED.
CONGRATULATIONS.
I DID TRY TO CALL YOU, BUT I THINK YOU WERE PROBABLY PARTYING AND I PROBABLY WOULD BE, TOO.
>> WE WANTED TO ASK HIM ABOUT HIS POLITICAL FUTURE OR IF THERE IS ONE FOR BOB HAMILTON BUT HE DID NOT WANT TO TALK TO THE MEDIA AFTER HIS CONCESSION SPEECH SO THAT'S UNKNOWN FOR
NOW.
LEN JENNINGS FOR KMBC 9 NEWS.
>> LET'S CHECK IN WITH OUR POLITICAL REPORTER MICHAEL MAHONEY FOR ANALYSIS.
WHAT AN INTERESTING EVENING AND EARLY.
>> SURPRISINGLY EARLY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE INCLUDING ME DID NOT THINK IT WOULD HAPPEN THIS WAY, ESPECIALLY THE SENATE RACE, WHERE THEY THOUGHT THE TURNOUT WOULD BE SUBSTANTIAL, BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY MAIL-IN
BALLOTS OR ACTUALLY ADVANCED BALLOTS REQUESTED BY MAIL, THEY THOUGHT THIS WOULD STRING OUT.
IT DID NOT HAPPEN THIS WAY.
THE MARSHALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIVELY WON IN JOHNSON COUNTY AND THAT WAS A PLACE WHERE THEY WERE CONCEDING THAT THEY MIGHT FINISH AS LOW AS FOURTH.
JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO SO THAT WAS A MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE.
WE DON'T HAVE RETURNS IN YET FROM SEDGEWICK WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BATTLEGROUND.
WRAPPING UP A DOUBLE DIGIT VICTORY.
ONE CAMPAIGN POLL HAD MARSHALL UP 33-30 OVER KOBACH COMING DOWN AND WITH ALL THE THIRD PARTY MONEY BEING EXPENDED, THERE WAS ALSO AN INDICATOR THAT THE OUTSIDE GROUPS THOUGHT THIS RACE
WAS UP FOR GRABS AS WELL.
KRIS KOBACH CALLED THAT OUTSIDE MONEY A WITHERING ATTACK AGAINST HIM DURING THE CAMPAIG HE COULDN'T OVERCOME.
DEMOCRATS COMING IN GOING AFTER ROGER MARSHALL AS WELL.
IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR HIM AND A HILL TOO STEEP FOR HIM TO CLIMB.
BACK TO YOU FOLKS.
>> WE'RE ALSO WATCHING NUMBERS TONIGHT FROM THE KANSAS GOP PRIMARY IN THE SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WHERE THE INCUMBENT STEVE WATKINS LOST TONIGHT HAVING FACED VOTE FRAUD
CHARGES.
A BIG WIN FOR THE STATE TREASURER JAKE LATURNER.
>> LET'S GO TO BIANCA, WHO HAS JUST SPOKEN OR IS JOINING HIM LIVE.
BIANCA?
BIANCA: WE'RE HERE WITH JAKE LATURNER LIVE.
FROM EARLY ON WE SAW YOU HAD THE LEAD.
WHAT DO YOU SEE THE MESSAGE IS FROM VOTERS BASED ON HOW THEY VOTED?
>> WE THINK VOTERS WANT A CONSISTENT REPRESENTATIVE, SOMEONE THAT'S GOING TO REPRESENT OUR VALUES WELL AND SOMEONE THAT CAN KEEP THE SEAT IN REPUBLICAN HANDS AND WE FEEL
GOOD ABOUT THE ABILITY TO BRING THIS PARTY TOGETHER, AND TO GO INTO THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS VERY STRONGLY.
>> IT WAS A TENSE ELECTION WITH THE INCUMBENT FACING A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES.
AS EARLY AS THIS MORNING, HE WAS CONTINUING TO CRITICIZE YOUR VOTING RECORD AND DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AS -- HOW DID HE PUT IT -- A LIFE OF SERVICE VERSUS SELF-SERVICE.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO A COMMENT LIKE THAT?
>> AS YOUR VIEWERS KNOW POLITICS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET CLOSE TO ELECTIONS, ELECTIONS CAN GET KIND OF CRAZY.
I RECEIVED A CALL FROM CONGRESSMAN WATKINS A FEW MINUTES AGO, VERY GRACIOUS, WILLING TO HELP BRING THIS PARTY TOGETHER TO SUPPORT US IN NOVEMBER, AND SO I TAKE HIM AT
HIS WORD.
WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT, AND GIVE VOTERS A VERY CLEAR CHOICE IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
>> MOVING FORWARD, SEEING THAT MICHELLE -- IS THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, WHAT ARE YOU FOCUSING ON FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION?
>> I REPRESENT COMMON SENSE KANSAS VALUES, AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK HARD FOR EVERY SINGLE VOTE IN THIS DISTRICT AND SHARE OUR MESSAGE.
THE MAYOR OF TOPEKA IS ENDORSED BY ELIZABETH WARREN AND ENDORSED BY NANCY PELOSI.
THOSE AREN'T KANSAS VALUES AND WE THINK VOTERS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT CHOICE AND WE FEEL CONFIDENT WE'LL BE ABLE TO WIN IN NOVEMBER.
>> A NIGHT OF CELEBRATION BUT THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER ROUND -- >> BACK TO WORK TOMORROW, ABSOLUTELY.
>> ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT VIEWERS TO KNOW?
>>.
NO WE'RE JUST SO HUMBLED AND SO GRACIOUS FOR THOSE SUPPORTED US AND WORKING HARD TO EARN VOTES IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
>> THERE YOU HEARD JAKE LATURNER SPEAKING AFTER THIS RACE FOR THE SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN KANSAS.
REPORTING LIVE IN TOPEKA, BIANCA, KMBC 9 NEWS.
>> WE ALSO HEARD TONIGHT FROM THE TOPEKA CONGRESSMAN, STEVE WATKINS.
>> HERE'S PART OF HIS CONCESSION SPEECH.
>> I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH LATURNER.
I CONGRATULATED HIM ON HIS VIC VICTORY.
I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THE UNITY THIS NOVEMBER.
>> BOLLIER WON THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY TONIGHT.
SHE'S FROM JOHNSON COUNTY.
SHE SPOKE TO HER SUPPORTERS VIRTUALLY.
>> HERE IS WHAT CONCERNED ME SO MUCH AS WE ALL WATCHED THE OTHER SIDE'S FRAME MAYOR CAMPAIGN.
IT WAS A CONTEST FOR UNWAVERING ALLEGIANCE TO A POLITICAL PARTY RATHER THAN A THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT KANSAS NEEDS TO BEAT THIS VIRUS AND DIG OUT OF THIS RECESSION.
I HAVE NEVER HESITATED TO DISAGREE WITH MY PARTY OR HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE HERE IN KANSAS.
AND I'LL NEVER HESITATE TO DO THE SAME IN WASHINGTON.
>> AS WE MENTIONED MOMENTS AGO ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE THERE IN THE KANSAS SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT RACE, THE MAYOR OF TOPEKA, MICHELLE DELAISLA.
A RACE WHERE YOU WILL SEE THE DEMOCRAT IN THIS ONE VERY WELL FUNDED, AND WILL PROBABLY GIVE JAKE LATURNER ALL HE CAN HANDLE AS WE'RE NOW IN A 90-DAY SPRINT UNTIL NOVEMBER.
>> NOVEMBER 3, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE KANSAS THIRD DISTRICT HOUSE RACE.
THIS COVERS WYANDOT, JOHNSON AND PORTIONS OF MIAMI COUNTIES AMANDA -- ADKINS HAS BEEN DECLARED THE WINNER.
THE WINNER OF TONIGHT'S GOP PRIMARY, WHO WE KNOW IS AMANDA ADKINS IS GOING TO GO AGAINST CONGRESSWOMAN SHARICE DAVIDS FOR HER SEAT.
>> WE'RE LIVE FROM OBERLIN PARK WITH SOME OF THE GOP HOPEFULS IN THAT THIRD CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY RACE TONIGHT.
KELLY?
>> RIGHT.
THE WATCH PARTY HERE AT OBERLIN PARK IS STARTING TO THIN OUT BUT IT'S A NIGHT OF CELEBRATION FOR AMANDA ADKINS.
SHE'S ALREADY GIVEN HER ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AND SHE'S OBVIOUSLY THE VOTER'S CHOICE TO TAKE ON SHARICE DAVIDS IN NOVEMBER.
IN FACT, SHE HAD SOME STRONG WORDS FOR HER OPPONENT.
>> YOU'RE NOW OFFICIALLY ON NOTICE, YOU'VE BEEN CHALLENGED TO THREE DEBATES.
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO ALL THE OF YOU.
I'M SO GRATEFUL TO YOUR SUPPORT.
I'M AMANDA ADKINS AND I'M NOW YOUR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR THE THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
PL [APPLAUSE] >> NOW, I JUST GOT DONE TALKING TO ADKINS.
I JUST GOT DONE TALKING TO ADKINS.
SHE TELLS ME SHE EXPECTS THIS TO BE A CHALLENGING RACE.
SHE'S READY TO GET BACK TO WORK AND SHE'S READY TO GET BACK TO FUNDRAISING.
AGAIN, WE'LL BE SEEING A LOT MORE