Adam Hamilton, mega-church pastor, wins Dem Senate primary. Now comes the hard part.

(RNS) — The Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of the largest United Methodist church in the U.S., is about to test whether a pastor running as a Democrat can flip a red seat — and become Kansas’ first Democratic senator in nearly a century.

The Associated Press called the race for Hamilton within minutes of polls closing on Tuesday (Aug. 4), with the pastor ultimately besting four other challengers by winning just shy of 35% of the vote . Hamilton will face Sen. Roger Marshall, an incumbent Republican who has identified as a non-denominational Protestant , in the general election.

“I didn’t plan to run for office. I’ve spent my life as a pastor, and I try to care for people,” Hamilton, who has run on a platform that stresses making life more affordable, said in his victory speech .

He later added: “Sometimes we need the government to help as well. The role of Washington is sometimes going to do the things that we as communities cannot do.”

With the win, Hamilton becomes one of seven clergy, former clergy and seminarians who have successfully become Democratic nominees running for Congress. He told RNS in April that many clergy are running because they see a discrepancy between…