In a shift from recent decades, several Democratic candidates are emphasizing their personal faith to connect with voters, a strategy aimed at reclaiming religious issues from the Republican Party, which has largely held sway with faith-based voters since the 1980s.
This approach is evident in key races across the country. In Texas, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, a state representative and seminarian, is highlighting his faith as a foundation for his political views. He stated that his faith teaches him to "love my neighbor despite whatever differences there might be" and expressed a desire for a politics rooted in love rather than fear or division.
In Iowa, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sands has linked his Lutheran faith to his progressive politics, telling voters that "Jesus is for the little guy." State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, also an ordained Lutheran minister running for Iowa's House of Representatives, sees her faith as integral to her identity, not merely a campaign tactic. She noted that her work with an interfaith food pantry network has helped her build strong connections and stay grounded.
Trone Garriott believes her background as a religious leader has aided her in winning tough statehouse races by being accessible to people. She pointed out that her core belief to "love my neighbor" extends to those with different perspectives.
Nationally, Senator Raphael Warnock, who serves as senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Georgia, has credited his faith for shaping his political identity and helping him build the coalition that led to his victory in a 2021 special election. Warnock has suggested that Democrats have allowed Republicans to dominate the conversation around faith and values.
Political scientists note that the Democratic Party's outreach to religious voters has waned since the 1970s, when then-presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, a born-again Baptist, successfully appealed to evangelical voters. At that time, many Southern evangelicals were Democrats. However, beginning in the 1980s, conservative religious leaders increasingly emphasized issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, leading to a significant shift of white evangelical voters toward the Republican Party.
David Campbell, a professor of politics at the University of Notre Dame, explained that this shift, which he termed an "exodus," was driven by a bundle of moral issues that resonated with white evangelicals, drawing them and some conservative Catholics to the GOP.
While white Democrats have become less open about their faith in politics, Black Democrats, such as Warnock and Sen. Cory Booker, have often been more vocal. A significant majority of Black Protestants identify with the Democratic Party. However, the Democratic Party also includes a growing segment of secular voters, presenting a challenge in appealing to both religious and non-religious constituents without alienating either group.