February 25th, 2026 Len’s Political Note #792 Erik Murray Kansas US Senate
2026 General Election
Erik Murray
There is something off about Kansas Senator Roger Marshall.
I checked out Reddit, which I hardly ever do.
The first comment about Roger Marshall is that “he is a total scumbag.” The second criticizes the first comment for being too generous. A third comment suggested that Marshall was a “Florida man.” On another website altogether, the writer argued that Senator Marshall’s Kansas house was a cabin, that his $1.2 million home was in Florida and that, somehow, Marshall’s official duties frequently required him to go to Florida not far from that house.
About a year ago, Senator Marshall was gushing about Trump’s appointments. In one letter he praised Dan Driscoll as Secretary of the Army. People who follow the military know that Driscoll, probably acquiesced to the Defense Secretary’s directions, by firing communication director Dave Butler for “allowing” the press to compare Hegseth unfavorably to General Mark Milley. In the same letter Senator Marshall praised the new US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for his capacity to implement The Art of the Deal. Strangest in that letter, he praised the “Dream Team” of law enforcement: Kash Patel, Don Bongino, and Pam Bondi.
Kansans know there is something off with this first term Senator. Five of them have announced they would run against him. I am supporting and recommending that you support Erik Murray. He is one of two of those five to have actually raised some money, though not nearly as much as the $4 million the incumbent began 2026 with. Erik Murray announced his candidacy in December and had more than $100,000 to begin the new year with in January.
Erik Murray began his campaign saying the incumbent is “out of touch with the issues that affect every day Kansans.” As an example, he described the crumbling infrastructure and bridge closures in Wyandotte County just as World Cup soccer games are about to be played. “We have the largest economic development driver in this history of this country, perhaps, coming to our city and state, and we did not get federally funded bridges open? Roger Marshall should be jumping up and down every day saying “We need money for that.”
Erik Murray’s story is not up from poverty into the middle class. That was his father’s story. While his mother taught school and became an administrator, his dad worked his way up in Kansas City, Kansas governance. He became head of economic development for the city and a perfect example for his son who would work in finance and in development in the private sector.
Erik Murray’s parents (Let’s guess his mother) sent him to the local schools they thought were right for him. Though they were members of the Fellowship Christian Church, they sent Erik to St. Patrick’s Catholic elementary school. For high school, he was admitted into, attended, and graduated from Kansas City’s public magnet school Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Erik Murray would get out of town for college. He went west, attended the University of Southern California, helped by a scholarship. He graduated in 2004. There, he met Nicole, who he would marry and bring back to Kansas City (for the weather, no doubt). Living near his parents, they began their family of four children.
While Erik Murray’s BA was in disease prevention from USC’s Medical School, at home in Kansas City, Kansas he went to work in a field his father was familiar with. After an initial year with an industrial real estate broker, he worked for four years at the Kansas City offices of a Washington based international real estate services firm, four more years at a Toronto based firm, and completed his initial Kansas City stay as a principal in the Kansas City offices of a California based Commercial Real Estate firm.
It was easy for him and Nicole to move back to California in 2015 where he became Director of Real Estate and Facilities for the largest publicly traded roofing firm in North America. At a young age, he was prosperous enough to experiment. He supported Oakland. In 2016, he became the Chairman and Managing Partner of Oak Investment Funds. In 2020, he founded and managed the related Oak Impact real estate group. He supported Black oriented investments. In 2020, he became a partner and investor in Homage, a Black owned and oriented hospitality group.
In 2023, he and Nicole and their children returned to Kansas City. The two youngest attended Erik Murray’s former school, Sumner Academy. A year earlier, he had founded Eastside Innovation intending to bring clean energy to low income communities in the Kansas City area. In 2025, he added another project Airside Innovation for which he was a co-founder and the managing partner. This firm would develop the “next generation of aviation infrastructure” and be housed in Kansas City.
Home in Kansas City, Kansas Nick Murray said his day job has been helping people live better. “That’s economic development, housing development, community development.” His firm, Eastside Innovation Kansas, leads a nearly $1 billion redevelopment project at the site of the former Indian Springs Mall in Kansas City. The Kansas City Aviation Department chose a Nick Murray firm to develop 20 acres of land at the downtown airport.
He added politics to his job description. He decided on a run for the US Senate. If he is elected, he promises, he will place his assets in a blind trust. Nick Murray added: “I do not believe that senators or Congress people should be trading stocks or making investments or doing anything like that. You’re there to work for the people.”
If he raises more money and spends some of his own, he will make it through the August 4 primary. Taking on a Republican incumbent in what has usually been Republican Kansas, may require something big – like a Blue Wave.
He may not need something extraordinary, though. Roger Marshall is a medical doctor who has followed the lead of RFK Jr, Secretary of HHS, on vaccines. He wonders why children have to take so many vaccinations. Why, he asks, for instance, should newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccination?
Johns Hopkins says: “Without vaccination, as many as 9 in 10 infants infected with hepatitis B in their first year of life will develop chronic infection that can lead to liver failure and death……Since 1991, when the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns, infections with hepatitis B virus in children and teens have decreased by 99%.”
That’s why.
I would not trust Roger Marshall with my grandchildren’s care. Nor should Kansans trust him with what is in their political interest. DONATE to Erik Murray’s campaign.
Other Kansas Races
Governor. State Senator Ethan Gorson can follow Laura Kelly with another Democratic administration in Kansas. DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #776
Attorney General. Ex cop, former prosecutor, leader in movement against drunk driving, Chris Mann can defeat incumbent and anti-immigrant fanatic Kris Kobach. DONATE to Chris Mann’s campaign. See Len’s Political Note #752
Kansas 02. Retired Army Pilot Dan Coover is running to unseat incumbent Dereck Schmidt. DONATE to Dan Coover’s campaign.
Kansas 03. Incumbent Sharice Davids is a former MMA fighter and a Cornell Law School graduate. DONATE. Keep her in Congress.
Nebraska races
Nebraska Senate. Labor leader Dan Osborn made a dent running for the Senate in 2022. This time he could flip the seat held by multimillionaire Pete Ricketts. DONATE to independent Dan Osborn. See Len’s Political Note #765
Nebraska Governor. Former State Senator Lynne Walz is running to replace incumbent governor and Chair of the Pillen Family Farms, Jim Pillen. DONATE to Lynn Walz’ campaign.
Nebraska 01 Former State Department official Chris Backemeyer is seeking to flip this seat now held by Republican Mike Flood, owner of multiple radio stations who stated, in a Town Hall, that he supports Elon Musk and DOGE. DONATE to Chris Backemeyer’s campaign.
Nebraska 02. State Senator John Cavanaugh leads in the polls. Businesswoman Denise Powell leads the financial race in this open Republican district which Democrats have a decent chance of flipping.
