Candidates from the clergy see role for religion in Democratic Party

n an Iowa swing district, Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott recounts how her work as a hospital chaplain and a Lutheran minister set her on a path to public service.

In deep-red Alaska, the Rev. Matt Schultz says his run as a Democrat for the state’s at-large House seat is part of his calling to “feed the hungry, comfort the grieving and stand up to bullies.”

And in Texas, Presbyterian seminarian and Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico blends progressive politics with lines from Scripture, a combination that has made him a viral sensation and a fundraising juggernaut.

As Democrats look beyond 2024’s lacerating losses, some candidates are challenging the idea that religion has no place in an increasingly secular party. They include Iowa state Auditor Rob Sand, a Bible-quoting Lutheran running for governor, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose public identity is intertwined with his Jewish faith.




https://rollcall.com/2025/12/17/christian-clergy-democrats-religion-midterm-elections/