Former Kansas Governor Bill Graves, a Republican, stepped over the political fence this week, breaking with his party to back the Democrat challenger seeking to unseat incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall in November.

Graves announced his endorsement of the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Adam Hamilton on Wednesday in an opinion piece published with the Kansas City Star. In it, he cited Hamilton's emphasis on common ground and public service as reasons for his support amid national partisan gridlock.

"Adam understands the value in finding the common ground necessary to solve the tough issues confronting our nation," Graves wrote. "The gridlock occurring in Washington is the result of both political parties refusing to stop the politicking and understand their public service role."

Crossing party lines is nothing new for Graves. The former governor previously endorsed Democratic Laura Kelly in both of her victorious 2018 and 2022 gubernatorial races.

Hamilton, the senior pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area, won the Democratic primary on August 4 in a crowded political field that included eleven candidates. He will face Sen. Marshall in the November 3 general election.

Hamilton responded to the endorsement on X.

The endorsement marks a notable cross-party move in a race that Democrats feel critical for any path to their hopes of a Senate majority. Graves has criticized Marshall's tenure in the U.S Senate, saying the Republican has turned his back on Kansas over the past six years. Hamilton, Graves described, offered a fresh approach focused on serving the state’s residents rather than partisan interests.

Hamilton has positioned his campaign around affordability, most notably reducing costs for Kansas families, as well as addressing dysfunction in the ever-gridlocked Washington. He set Kansas fundraising records during his primary campaign after raising nearly $3.7 million in one reporting period.

Marshall, who faced only a minor challenge in his primary, has described Hamilton as too liberal for the state. The incumbent Republican is endorsed by President Donald Trump.

The endorsement comes in a race both parties are looking at as necessary for a majority in the U.S. Senate. Cook Political Report rates the race 'Likely Republican' with other forecasters placing it as only 'Lean Republican'. Prediction markets currently greatly favor Marshall.

In the traditionally Republican Kansas, Democrats have made significant political gains in the last decade. Hamilton's campaign is drawing attention for his large following, keeping the race relatively competitive for Democrats as November midterms approach.