{"id":32459,"date":"2026-07-14T09:57:40","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T13:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=32459"},"modified":"2026-07-14T09:57:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T13:57:40","slug":"democratic-pastors-say-gop-has-hijacked-jesus-as-they-challenge-republicans-in-midterm-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2026\/07\/democratic-pastors-say-gop-has-hijacked-jesus-as-they-challenge-republicans-in-midterm-races","title":{"rendered":"Democratic Pastors Say GOP Has ‘Hijacked Jesus’ as They Challenge Republicans in Midterm Races"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Left: Adobe Stock | Right: kovop \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A growing group of Democratic pastors is stepping into congressional races this fall, arguing that Republicans have claimed exclusive ownership of Christian values and that it’s time to offer voters a different faith-based vision of politics.<\/p>\n

The candidates, most of whom are political newcomers, say they are motivated by concerns over President Donald Trump’s leadership and what they describe as the increasing influence of Christian nationalism within the Republican Party.<\/p>\n

“The Christians we’re hearing in Washington don’t reflect the Jesus of the Gospels,” Adam Hamilton, pastor of a 24,000-member Methodist megachurch in Kansas, told AFP.<\/p>\n

Hamilton is among at least seven white clergy members or ministers-in-training running as Democrats in congressional races across states including Kansas, Texas, Iowa, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alaska. Three of the candidates are women.<\/p>\n

Although Hamilton pastors in a deeply conservative region and supports traditional Republican priorities such as fiscal responsibility and a strong national defense, he also backs legal abortion and protections for LGBTQ Americans. He said he decided to run because he believes the tone and priorities of the Trump administration conflict with Jesus’s teachings.<\/p>\n

Pointing to what he described as the “crassness and mean-spiritedness” of Trump’s presidency, Hamilton said events in Washington have been “inconsistent with the values that I’ve preached for 36 years.”<\/p>\n

“I want to stand up and be heard saying: ‘This is not OK,'” he said.<\/p>\n

The effort represents a notable shift for white Democratic candidates. While clergy have long served in elected office within the Democratic Party\u2014particularly in the Black church tradition, including U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia\u2014white Democratic pastors have been rare in national politics for decades.<\/p>\n

Another prominent candidate is James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian seeking a U.S. Senate seat in Texas. Talarico has built a national following by weaving Scripture into speeches that argue Christian faith calls believers to care for the poor, immigrants and those without access to healthcare.<\/p>\n

“You want to know what insults Jesus? Kicking the sick off health care while cutting the taxes of billionaires,” Talarico said in one campaign speech.<\/p>\n

Supporters of the movement argue Democrats have too often allowed Republicans to define what it means to be a person of faith in public life.<\/p>\n

Indira Duggirala, co-chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Interfaith Council, acknowledged there has been, in her words, a “vacuum in that religious space in Democratic politics.”<\/p>\n

She welcomed the emergence of more openly religious Democratic candidates, saying, “It’s OK to be a Democrat and be religious,” while also emphasizing the importance of maintaining the constitutional separation of church and state.<\/p>\n

Several of the candidates also voiced concerns about Christian nationalism, a movement they believe has become increasingly influential within some conservative political circles.<\/p>\n

Robb Ryerse, an evangelical pastor running for Congress in Arkansas, described Christian nationalism as “one of the biggest threats to democracy in the United States.”<\/p>\n

“We need people of faith to stand up and say the United States has a separation of church and state,” Ryerse said, adding that he hopes to help “clean up the mess” he believes has been created by some Christians on the political right.<\/p>\n

The candidates face long odds in many of their races, particularly in conservative states where Republicans have traditionally dominated among white Christian voters. Hamilton, for example, would become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Kansas since 1932 if he prevails in November.<\/p>\n

The campaign also highlights an ongoing conversation within American Christianity about how believers should apply biblical principles to public policy. While many evangelical Christians continue to support Republican candidates because of issues such as abortion, religious liberty and judicial appointments, others argue that biblical teachings on compassion, justice and care for vulnerable people should play a larger role in shaping political priorities.<\/p>\n

As Election Day approaches, these Democratic pastors hope voters will consider their message that Christian faith cannot be claimed by any one political party\u2014even as debates over religion’s role in American public life continue to intensify.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A growing group of Democratic pastors is stepping into congressional races this fall, arguing that Republicans have claimed exclusive ownership of Christian values and that it’s time to offer voters a different faith-based vision of politics. The candidates, most of whom are political newcomers, say they are motivated by concerns over President Donald Trump’s leadership…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":32465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nDemocratic Pastors Say GOP Has 'Hijacked Jesus' as They Challenge Republicans in Midterm Races<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Democratic pastors challenge Republicans' hold on Christian voters, saying Jesus' teachings support a different political vision.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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