Roger Marshall Pays Six Year Old Bakery Bill Amid Re-election Race

A dispute over an unpaid campaign expense has put Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas under renewed scrutiny as he seeks re-election in November 2026. Marshall paid $1,300 after baker Holly Thomas publicly highlighted a $678.75 invoice for treats ordered for his campaign's 2020 primary election watch party, according to social media posts and reports from multiple news outlets.

Thomas, who owns Holly’s Sweet Treats in Hutchinson, Kansas, published her account on Facebook on October 8. She said Marshall's campaign had ordered cookies and other desserts but failed to pay the bill despite repeated collection attempts over nearly a year.

The invoice covered an order that included 150 frosted sugar cookies, 100 mini strawberry muffins and 100 fudge brownies, according to The New York Times. The dispute dates to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Thomas said the financial strain was especially difficult for her newly established business.

Thomas explained that the unpaid invoice was not simply a political disagreement but a matter of financial responsibility. She said the costs of ingredients, preparation and employee time had placed a burden on her small business.

"Do you know why I will never vote for Roger Marshall? Because six years ago, when I was a brand-new small business owner, his campaign ordered cookies and treats from my bakery for his primary election watch party. And I never got paid.

For nearly a year, I made repeated attempts to collect payment, reaching out by phone and email. I never received a return phone call, and the invoice was never paid," Thomas wrote in her October 8 Facebook post.

Her account spread widely online, prompting Marshall to address the unpaid bill. On October 10, the senator posted a screenshot showing a $1,300 payment to the bakery and said his team had contacted the business after learning about the dispute.

"As some folks may have seen, there was a post on social media regarding an unpaid 2020 cookie bill. We have absolutely no idea how this happened, but rest assured as soon as it became known to us, we immediately attempted to contact the business in order to apologize, and we have repaid the bill from 2020, double," Marshall wrote on X.

The payment drew further scrutiny because the amount did not precisely equal twice the original invoice. Doubling $678.75 produces $1,357.50, while the posted payment was $1,300. Some social media users also calculated that interest could push the amount owed above $1,400 using an 18% simple annual rate over six years.

An X community note attached to Marshall's post highlighted Thomas's earlier account of her collection attempts. One commenter challenged the senator's explanation, writing, "You got caught, and that’s the only reason you paid."

Thomas subsequently acknowledged receiving the payment and confirmed that the invoice had been settled.

"But I can officially confirm that Roger Marshall has paid his bill! Better late than never, right? Six years later, I guess we can finally mark that invoice PAID!" Thomas wrote on Facebook.

The controversy comes as Marshall faces Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton in a competitive Senate race scheduled for November 3, 2026. The Cook Political Report shifted its assessment of the contest from leaning Republican to a toss-up, while a recent poll by The New York Times and Siena University showed the candidates tied at 45% among likely voters.

Marshall has also faced scrutiny over his former obstetrics and gynecology practice. A September report by The New York Times said he had sued hundreds of patients over unpaid medical bills, including some debts as small as $101. The report said lawsuits had been filed against more than 700 patients and that at least 81 individuals had been arrested after missing court dates.

Democrats have used the medical debt reports in campaign advertising to criticize Marshall's record on health care costs. His spokesperson, Payton Fuller, defended the physician's history of treating patients regardless of their ability to pay and addressed criticism surrounding court proceedings.

"Judges issue warrants when people repeatedly miss court dates, not doctors," Fuller said in a statement to The New York Times.