Vance rallies for Marshall in Topeka as early votes surge

Vice President JD Vance is in Topeka, Kansas, to campaign for U.S. Senator Roger Marshall on Sunday evening.

Vance will speak at Haas Metal Engineering, a steel company based in Topeka, at 5:15 p.m. This visit marks his second trip to the region in just over a month. In September, he stopped at an FBI facility in Kansas City and held a rally for Marshall in Olathe.

The visit comes one week after President Donald Trump hosted a campaign rally in Kansas. The presidential race is not on the ballot, but the presence of the top two figures in the Republican administration draws national attention to the state's midterm elections.

Election officials in Johnson County and Wyandotte County report that early voting is already outpacing previous midterms. In Wyandotte County, early turnout is three times higher than the 2022 midterms. Officials in Johnson County say the pace matches that of a presidential election year.

Candidates have eight days left to convince undecided voters before Election Day. However, a large share of the electorate has already cast ballots. The final full week of campaigning is underway as the state prepares for the vote.

Other local news items include the 100th anniversary of the death of magician Harry Houdini. A historical marker was unveiled last month at 10th and Main streets in downtown Kansas City to commemorate the spot where he performed his first suspended upside-down straitjacket escape in 1915. Houdini arrived in Kansas City as a 12-year-old runaway in 1904 and returned for eight performances during his career.

In sports, the Milwaukee Brewers lead the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 in the World Series. Neither team has previously won the championship. If the series goes to seven games, the winner will be crowned on Halloween night. The WNBA Finals are tied 2-2, with the Golden State Valkyries hosting the Atlanta Dream for Game 5 in San Francisco. The Kansas City Chiefs play the Denver Broncos on Sunday at 3:25 p.m.