Kansas Senate vacancy law raises questions about whether the 2026 U.S. Senate election could be avoided

A Kansas law passed last year, Senate Bill 105, includes a provision that would trigger a congressional election two years after a Senate vacancy occurs on or after May 1 in an even-numbered year—prompting debate over how the rule could affect the 2026 U.S. Senate election cycle, according to coverage cited by the Kansas Press Association. The issue is tied to the position currently held by U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall. The article describes the bill’s stated aim as preventing Gov. Laura Kelly from appointing a Democrat to fill a Marshall-related vacancy, noting that the clause in question was added after the bill’s introduction. Democratic Rep. Kirk Haskins of Topeka is cited as saying the bill reflected a coordinated effort among House and Senate leadership and demands from federal-level actors and Marshall’s office. The Kansas Press Association account also points to former U.S. Attorney for Kansas Barry Grissom, who argues the law’s practical effect cannot move a Senate seat off its constitutional class structure. In response, Marshall’s chief of staff, Brent Robertson, is cited as saying the senator will run for reelection.