By Christian Dispatch Staff
Based on reporting from Reuters
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, a number of Democratic candidates are placing faith at the center of their campaigns, a move that marks a notable shift in U.S. politics. Over a dozen candidates running for federal and state offices this year identify as clergy or are actively pursuing religious vocations, and they are using scripture and Christian teachings to speak to voters.
Among them is Iowa State Senator and Lutheran minister Sarah Trone Garriott, who has long incorporated her faith into her political life. Others include Matt Schultz, a Presbyterian pastor running for Congress in Alaska, and James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian running for the Texas Senate. According to Doug Pagitt, pastor and founder of the progressive Christian group Vote Common Good, this number of faith leaders running as Democrats far exceeds previous cycles.
“These candidates are connecting their faith directly to public issues,” Trone Garriott said, emphasizing that “faith is about how we live together. So is politics.”
Historically, Christian voters in the U.S., particularly white evangelicals, have leaned heavily toward the Republican Party. In the 2024 election, former President Donald Trump won 83% of white evangelical support, according to Ryan Burge, a professor at Washington University’s Danforth Center on Religion and Politics. Yet some experts see openings for Democrats, citing concerns among faith communities about immigration policies and social justice.
Iowa gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, a practicing Lutheran, said his faith informs his Democratic politics. “The Christian faith is all about looking out for the little guy,” Sand told Reuters. Similarly, Schultz has argued that Christian teachings support policies aimed at reducing abortion through healthcare, access to contraception, and childcare—framing his pro-choice stance as consistent with scripture.
Candidates are also speaking on immigration and economic justice. Trone Garriott highlighted biblical calls to care for the vulnerable, noting that recent federal actions, including deadly confrontations with U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, illustrate the consequences of harsh immigration enforcement. “(Jesus) welcomed the stranger, he fed the hungry, he stood up for the vulnerable, he cared for the poor,” she said. “And what people are seeing right now… is communities being terrorized, people being treated with great cruelty.”
The approach is not without risk. The Democratic base has grown increasingly secular, with a 2023–24 Pew Research Center survey showing 40% of Democrats identifying as religiously unaffiliated—more than double the share in 2007. Political analysts say these candidates must navigate the challenge of appealing to faith-oriented moderates while maintaining support among secular Democrats.
Still, some believe the strategy could resonate. “A person of faith sees moral problems of the day and already has the lens to deal with it,” said U.S. Representative Morgan McGarvey, a Kentucky Democrat involved in candidate recruitment. “Do we have food? Do we have healthcare? Do we have housing? Do we have an ICE agency capable of respecting people’s rights?”
The campaigns of Trone Garriott, Schultz, and others illustrate a growing effort by some Democrats to use religious language and scripture to connect with voters traditionally aligned with the GOP—a development that could shape the tone of the midterms in unexpected ways.
Reporting by Helen Coster and Joseph Ax of Reuters. Edited for Christian Dispatch.
