Roger Marshall

Roger Marshall
Born	Roger Wayne Marshall 9 8, 1960
Birthplace	El Dorado, Kansas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, physician
Known for	U.S. Senator from Kansas (2021–present); U.S. Representative for Kansas's 1st congressional district (2017–2021)
Education	University of Kansas (MD)
Children	4
Website	[Official Senate website Official site]

Roger Wayne Marshall (born August 9, 1960) is an American politician, physician, and former military officer who has served as the junior United States senator from Kansas since January 3, 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Marshall previously represented Kansas's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2017 to 2021. Before entering politics, Marshall practiced medicine as an obstetrician in Great Bend, Kansas, for more than two decades and served as a captain in the United States Army. His path to Congress began with an upset victory over incumbent Tim Huelskamp in the 2016 Republican primary, a race shaped in large part by agricultural policy disputes in Kansas's sprawling rural 1st district. Marshall went on to win election to the U.S. Senate in 2020, succeeding the retiring Pat Roberts, after defeating Democratic nominee Barbara Bollier in the general election. In the Senate, he serves on several committees, including the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee; the Finance Committee; the Budget Committee; and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. As of 2026, Marshall is preparing for his first re-election campaign amid a tour of Kansas counties aimed at highlighting his legislative priorities.

Early Life

Roger Wayne Marshall was born on August 9, 1960, in El Dorado, Kansas, a small city in Butler County in the south-central part of the state. He grew up in the region and attended local schools. Marshall's upbringing in rural Kansas shaped his later political focus on agricultural and rural issues, themes that would become central to his congressional campaigns and legislative work.

As a young man, Marshall attended Butler Community College before transferring to Kansas State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.

Following his medical education, Marshall served in the United States Army from 1984 to 1991, achieving the rank of captain. His military service overlapped with the completion of his medical training and early years of medical practice. After leaving the Army, Marshall settled in Great Bend, Kansas, where he established a career as an obstetrician. He practiced medicine there for more than twenty-five years, delivering thousands of babies in the rural community before entering politics.

Marshall's long tenure as a physician in rural Kansas provided him with firsthand knowledge of healthcare access challenges in underserved areas, a subject that would later inform his positions on healthcare policy in Congress. His background as an alumnus of El Dorado High School was noted during a 2018 visit to the school, where he spoke with students about civic engagement and policy issues.

Education

Marshall's educational background spans three Kansas institutions. He began his post-secondary education at Butler Community College, a two-year institution in El Dorado. He then transferred to Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree. Marshall earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas. His medical training prepared him for a career in obstetrics, which he practiced for over two decades in Great Bend before transitioning to a career in public service.

Career

Medical Practice and Military Service

After completing his medical degree at the University of Kansas, Marshall served as a physician in the United States Army from 1984 to 1991, holding the rank of captain. Following his military service, he established an obstetrics practice in Great Bend, Kansas, a community in Barton County in the central part of the state. Marshall practiced medicine there for more than twenty-five years, making him one of the most established physicians in the area. His medical career in a rural community gave him a perspective on healthcare delivery outside of urban centers, which he later cited as informing his approach to healthcare legislation.

2016 Congressional Campaign

In 2015, Marshall announced his candidacy for Kansas's 1st congressional district, challenging the incumbent Republican representative, Tim Huelskamp. The 1st district is a predominantly rural constituency covering much of western and northern Kansas, where agriculture is the dominant industry.

The primary race was shaped significantly by Huelskamp's record on agricultural policy. Huelskamp had been removed from the House Agriculture Committee by Republican leadership in 2012, a decision that angered many farmers and agricultural interests in the district who felt they had lost a critical voice on policy affecting their livelihoods. Huelskamp had voted against the 2014 Farm Bill, further alienating agricultural groups in the heavily farming-dependent district.

The Kansas Farm Bureau, one of the most influential political organizations in the state, endorsed Marshall over the incumbent Huelskamp in July 2016, a significant development in the race. The endorsement reflected broader dissatisfaction among agricultural interests with Huelskamp's tenure and lent Marshall substantial credibility among rural voters.

On August 2, 2016, Marshall defeated Huelskamp in the Republican primary, an outcome that attracted national attention as one of the more notable primary upsets of the 2016 election cycle. In the heavily Republican district, winning the primary was tantamount to winning the general election, and Marshall went on to win the November 2016 general election comfortably.

U.S. House of Representatives (2017–2021)

Marshall took office as the representative for Kansas's 1st congressional district on January 3, 2017. During his tenure in the House, he focused on agricultural policy, healthcare, and issues affecting rural communities.

Healthcare Policy

As a physician-legislator, Marshall was frequently involved in debates over healthcare policy during the 115th Congress. During the Republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare) in 2017, Marshall attracted national media attention for comments he made about healthcare access. In a March 2017 interview, Marshall made remarks suggesting that some lower-income individuals did not prioritize their own health, a statement that drew criticism from healthcare advocates and was widely reported in national media.

Marshall voted in favor of the American Health Care Act of 2017, the Republican healthcare bill that passed the House in May 2017.

Tax Policy

In December 2017, Marshall voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the major tax reform legislation that was a centerpiece of the Republican legislative agenda during the 115th Congress. The bill passed the House with Republican support before being signed into law by President Donald Trump.

Immigration and Travel Policy

In January 2017, when President Trump issued Executive Order 13769, commonly referred to as a travel ban targeting several majority-Muslim countries, Marshall was among the Republican members of Congress whose positions on the order were tracked by national media. He expressed support for the executive action.

2018 Train Incident

On January 31, 2018, Marshall was among the Republican members of Congress aboard a chartered Amtrak train traveling to a party retreat in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, when the train struck a garbage truck at a railroad crossing in Crozet, Virginia. One person in the truck was killed and another was injured. Marshall, drawing on his medical training, assisted injured individuals at the scene.

Re-election in 2018

Marshall won re-election to the House in 2018, continuing to represent the 1st district through the end of the 116th Congress.

2020 Senate Campaign

On September 7, 2019, Marshall announced his candidacy for the United States Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Pat Roberts, the long-serving Republican senator from Kansas. The open seat attracted a competitive Republican primary field. Marshall won the Republican primary on August 4, 2020, securing the party's nomination.

In the general election, Marshall faced Barbara Bollier, a Democratic state senator who had previously been a Republican before switching parties. Marshall won the November 3, 2020, general election, continuing the Republican Party's long hold on both Kansas Senate seats. Kansas had not elected a Democrat to the United States Senate since 1932, a streak that remained intact after the 2020 race.

U.S. Senate (2021–present)

Marshall was sworn in as the junior United States senator from Kansas on January 3, 2021, succeeding Pat Roberts and serving alongside senior senator Jerry Moran.

January 6, 2021 Electoral Vote Objections

On January 6, 2021, just three days after taking office, Marshall joined a group of Republican senators led by Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz in objecting to the certification of electoral votes from Pennsylvania and Arizona during the joint session of Congress to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Both objections were rejected by the Senate by wide margins, with the Arizona objection failing 93–6 and the Pennsylvania objection failing 92–7.

Committee Assignments

In the Senate, Marshall serves on several committees reflecting his background in medicine and his constituency's agricultural economy. His committee assignments include the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the Senate Finance Committee; the Senate Budget Committee; and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Legislative Activity

Marshall has pursued bipartisan legislative efforts on healthcare-related matters. In February 2026, he joined with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) in sending a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services urging the agency to pilot a program for home-delivered medically tailored meals for high-risk Medicare patients.

Marshall has also been involved in financial regulation debates. In 2026, he co-sponsored legislation related to capping credit card interest rates, a measure that drew opposition from the Kansas Bankers Association, which argued the bill could reduce credit access for low-income families.

Constituent Engagement and 2026 Re-election

As he approaches his first re-election campaign in 2026, Marshall has undertaken extensive outreach across Kansas. In February 2026, he completed a "4 Corners, 50 Counties" tour covering 2,788 miles across the state, during which he met with local leaders, visited agricultural operations, and discussed legislative priorities including affordability and healthcare policy. Among his stops was a visit to Emporia Livestock Sales, where he discussed agriculture policies with constituents. He also visited STARBASE, an educational program for youth.

Marshall stated that his priorities for 2026 include addressing affordability and healthcare policy. The 2026 race has attracted attention, with U.S. Representative Sharice Davids, a Democrat, reportedly considering a challenge, although Kansas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932.

Personal Life

Marshall and his wife, Laina, have four children. The family has been based in Great Bend, Kansas, where Marshall practiced medicine for over two decades before entering politics. Marshall's connection to rural Kansas has been a recurring theme in both his campaigns and his legislative work, with his medical practice and community ties frequently cited during his political career.

Marshall served in the United States Army from 1984 to 1991, reaching the rank of captain, before transitioning to civilian medical practice.

Recognition

Marshall's upset victory over incumbent Tim Huelskamp in the 2016 Republican primary for Kansas's 1st congressional district was one of the notable primary results of the 2016 election cycle, drawing national media coverage. The race was covered by outlets including Bloomberg News, McClatchy newspapers, and others as an example of the political consequences of Huelskamp's removal from the House Agriculture Committee and his opposition to the Farm Bill.

The endorsement Marshall received from the Kansas Farm Bureau during that primary was considered a significant factor in his victory, reflecting the importance of agricultural policy in the district's politics.

Marshall's actions in providing medical assistance following the January 2018 Amtrak train collision were noted in media reports at the time, highlighting his use of his medical training in an emergency situation during his time in Congress.