U.S. Senator Roger Marshall paid $1,300 on October 10, 2026, to settle a six-year-old $678.75 campaign invoice from Holly's Sweet Treats in Kansas. The payment followed a viral post by bakery owner Holly Thomas describing her unsuccessful attempts to collect payment for a 2020 election event during the pandemic. The controversy unfolds amid a competitive 2026 re-election battle where polls show Marshall tied at 45% with Democrat Adam Hamilton.
Payment and resolution of the debt
- ▪On October 10, 2026, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall shared a screenshot of a $1,300 payment to Holly's Sweet Treats, $57.50 short of double the original $678.75 debt, stating his campaign had no prior knowledge.
- ▪On October 10, 2026, Holly Thomas published a follow-up social media post confirming receipt of the payment from U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and marked the invoice paid.
Social media post and public reaction
- ▪Community members and social media users supported Holly Thomas, expressing that Roger Marshall's failure to pay affected their views on his re-election campaign.
- ▪On October 8, 2026, bakery owner Holly Thomas published a social media post declaring she would never vote for U.S. Senator Roger Marshall due to the unpaid debt.
2020 bakery order
- ▪In 2020, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's campaign ordered 150 custom logo sugar cookies, cupcakes, and fudge brownies worth $678.75 from Holly's Sweet Treats in Hutchinson, Kansas, for a Republican primary election watch party.
- ▪An invoice shared by Holly Thomas showed that Roger Marshall's 2020 campaign was charged $375 for custom sugar cookies, $75 for cupcakes, and $175 for fudge brownies.
Background on the unpaid invoice
- ▪Bakery owner Holly Thomas made repeated attempts over nearly a year by phone and email to collect the unpaid $678.75 invoice from Roger Marshall's campaign without receiving a response.
- ▪Holly Thomas established Holly's Sweet Treats as a new business in Hutchinson, Kansas, shortly before receiving the unpaid 2020 campaign order.
- ▪The lack of payment for the $678.75 order occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic while small businesses were struggling to stay open.
State of the 2026 Senate race
- ▪An October 2026 New York Times/Siena University poll showed Roger Marshall tied with Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton at 45% among likely Kansas voters.
- ▪U.S. Senator Roger Marshall faces a competitive 2026 re-election race in Kansas against Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton.
- ▪The Cook Political Report changed its rating for the Kansas Senate race between Republican Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton from leaning Republican to toss-up.
Medical debt lawsuits
- ▪A September 2026 report revealed that Roger Marshall's former medical practice sued over 700 patients for unpaid debt, resulting in 81 arrests for missed court dates.
- ▪In response to the report, Roger Marshall spokesperson Payton Fuller stated that judges, not doctors, issue warrants when individuals repeatedly miss court dates.
Debatable claims
- ▪Roger Marshall's double payment adequately resolves his campaign's unpaid bakery debt
- ▪Debt collection lawsuits against patients are an acceptable practice for medical providers
- ▪Political candidates bear direct personal responsibility for unpaid campaign vendor debts
- ▪A candidate's treatment of local business vendors is a valid indicator of political character
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