Farmers’ frustrations test Republican voter energy as Trump heads to Kansas rally; Vance named

A visit during harvest

Kansas farmer Glenn Brunkow calls this period “go time,” as farmers harvest fields, transport crops and move livestock. This year, he said, those tasks come with added financial pressure.

Diesel costs are more than $2.50 per gallon higher than a year ago. Rising expenses, uncertain markets and lower profits are adding to the strain, Brunkow said.

Political stakes in Kansas

Trump is scheduled to speak at a rally at 7 p.m. EDT on Monday, then travel to Iowa later in the week. The stops are part of efforts to motivate supporters in the weeks before the midterm elections.

Republicans are spending heavily on Senate contests in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa as they worry about voter enthusiasm. In Kansas, Marshall is facing Hamilton after Trump carried the state by 16 percentage points against Kamala Harris in 2024; Democrats have not won a Senate election there in 94 years.

Voter frustrations grow

Brunkow, whose Kansas Farm Bureau endorsed Marshall, said economic worries may make agricultural producers less likely to vote, even if they do not necessarily shift to Democrats. He said people have repeatedly asked him whether those concerns could change farmers’ political choices.

Immigration and party appeal

Hineman also pointed to concern about immigration, following raids in western Kansas that led to more than 100 people being detained. He said voters can support border security while also seeking immigration rules that provide needed workers.

Hineman said the familiar Republican argument that electing Democrats would strengthen the party’s liberal wing is becoming less persuasive to some voters, himself included. The report does not describe any role for Vance in the Kansas visit.