Hundreds gather for rally at Kansas Capitol as midterm campaigns hit homestretch

Howard Tyler and Mary Oswald, siblings from Horton, put flags in the ground Oct. 17, 2026, outside the Kansas Capitol to register their concern about the U.S. government and to emphasize the importance of voting by Nov. 3. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — Howard Tyler and Mary Oswald arrived early to secure a spot at the front of the crowd for Saturday’s pre-election rally outside the Kansas Capitol.

The Horton siblings made the trip to Topeka because they wanted to be conspicuous about their commitment to the power of voting and to register discontent with current management of government, especially at the federal level under President Donald Trump. The gathering hosted by the decentralized, grassroots Kansas 50501 brought together several hundred people.

It was part of No Kings: Vote Early events occurring in Lawrence, Overland Park and Mission, as well as across the nation, less than three weeks from the Nov. 3 midterm election.

“We’ve got to do something for our country,” said Oswald, a retired nurse who has attended a series of similar events since 2025.

“We can’t do much, but at least we can do this,” added Tyler, a former truck driver who hauled diary milk. “I used to be a Republican, but I’m a Democrat now.”

Their central target, along with many in the crowd, was Trump and his allies, including Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, who finds himself in a tight reelection battle against Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton. On Monday, Trump is scheduled to be in Wichita for an event designed to bolster Marshall’s campaign. Political analysts rate the Senate contest a toss-up despite the state’s 901,000 registered Republicans, compared to 578,000 independents and 521,000 Democrats.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say they don’t know what to vote for,” Oswald said. “Most of them are what I call Trumpers. Vote. Just vote.”

A contingent attending a rally Oct. 17, 2026, outside the Kansas Capitol in advance of the Nov. 3 election do their best to obscure the lone person waving a flag in support of President Donald Trump. The objective of the event organized by groups aligned with the No Kings movement is to encourage Kansans to vote in-person with an advance ballot. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

A portion of protest signs in the crowd urged participants to vote in-person with an advance ballot. Others in the audience took the opportunity to share their critique of Trump by touching on the rising cost of living, military conflict with Iran, apprehension about the president’s affinity for tyrants, his controversial appointees and the dispute regarding public disclosure of documents tied to investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein.

One person, who said his name was “Ed Norton” and declined to explain his political motivation or discuss voting rights, waved a pro-Trump flag on steps of the Capitol directly behind speakers at the event. A squad of his rivals maneuvered their signs in an attempt to block the audience’s view of the lone dissident.

Michelle Jones, a lead organizer with Committed Kansas Activists in Ottawa, said she’d taken part in protests in Minnesota, Illinois and Washington, D.C. She was in southwest Kansas to support people who questioned recent raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

She joined others by raising questions about Marshall’s voting record in the U.S. Senate.

“Marshall is on record voting against Kansans,” she said. “He’s a Trump loyalist. He does care about the people here in Kansas.”

Jones said she believed in the right to vote and participated in a group that offers rides to the polls on Election Day.

“We don’t ask them how they’re voting,” she said. “We volunteer to go pick people up.”

The family of Kevin, Michelle and Harlan Manning offers a colorful take on politics Oct. 17, 2026, outside the Kansas Capitol during a rally to spur voter participation in the Nov. 3 midterm election. The event offered them an opportunity to share personal perspectives on government, especially leadership of President Donald Trump. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Kevin and Michelle Manning, and their daughter, Harlan, made their presence felt at the rally. Michelle Manning wore a shark suit to suggest Trump could be devoured if the full Epstein files were released. Kevin Manning hoisted a poster with more than a dozen photographs of Trump administration officials or allies. It was a type of scorecard that designated the handful of people who exited the Trump administration.

“We feel like democracy is in danger,” Michelle Manning said. “It’s not a time to be quiet. It’s a time to speak up and use your voice while we still have the ability to use our voice. We don’t agree with anything … resembling an authoritarian regime, and that’s currently what our president is doing. He’s making our country more dangerous. Everything he campaigned on was a lie to garner a vote with no follow through. He’s not to be trusted and he’s out for himself. It’s time we stand up.”

She urged Kansans to be wary of fraud claims after next month’s election because people making those allegations were most likely to benefit from public distrust in the electoral process.

Harlan Manning, 13 years of age and wearing a partial cat outfit, said she was learning in school about the history of the founding of the United States and the political system that endures to this day. She said her peers were interested in politics.

“They do pay attention,” she said.

In addition to the U.S. Senate race, Kansas voters will resolve the gubernatorial contest between Republican Ty Masterson, who has Trump’s endorsement, and Democrat Cindy Holscher. The ballot features a handful of other statewide offices and the state’s four congressional races. The entire Kansas House is up for grabs. There’s a constitutional amendment on the ballot designed to affirm only citizens have the right to vote.

On the edge of the throng at the Statehouse rally, Brad Williams of Topeka held a pair of signs. One contained Trump’s profile and asserted his administration was corrupt. The other made reference to Williams’ wish for a government that respected legal boundaries and well-established guardrails.

“My dream is to have the rule of law reinstated again,” he said. “I’d like to have Congress do its job and provide oversight of the executive branch.”