A growing number of Democratic candidates and faith leaders are increasing their outreach to religious voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. According to Doug Pagitt, executive director of Vote Common Good, this shift follows decades in which the Democratic Party reduced its focus on voters' religious identities. The trend includes more than a dozen faith leaders running for office as Democrats, as well as candidates holding campaign events at churches and religious forums.
The movement comes as polling indicates a shift in religious voter sentiment. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from June 2026 showed President Donald Trump’s approval rating among evangelicals at 52 percent, down from 61 percent in August 2025. Additionally, Pew Research data reported that 40 percent of white evangelicals believe Trump acts ethically in office, a decrease from 55 percent the previous year.
Several Democratic candidates have highlighted their religious backgrounds during their campaigns. In Texas, U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, has discussed his faith in relation to his political views. In Iowa, Lutheran minister Sarah Trone Garriot is running for Congress, while practicing Lutheran Rob Sand is a candidate for governor. Other candidates include Robb Ryerse, an evangelical pastor in Arkansas, and Justin Pearson, a Christian running for Congress in Tennessee.
For individual voters, this shift may manifest as a change in campaign messaging and candidate presence within religious institutions. Instead of focusing primarily on secular policy, candidates are increasingly appearing at faith forums and churches to discuss how their personal beliefs inform their legislative priorities. This approach aims to counter rhetoric suggesting the Democratic Party is opposed to faith, potentially altering the political landscape for millions of religious citizens who have historically felt excluded from progressive platforms.
The knock-on effects could influence how both major parties handle religious policy and outreach in future cycles. By actively recruiting faith leaders—with over 12 currently running in 2026—the Democratic Party is testing a strategy to break the Republican Party's historical advantage with religious demographics. The effectiveness of this shift will be measured during the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress and several governorships. Candidates and the Democratic National Committee’s Interfaith Council are continuing to conduct voter engagement trainings ahead of the November 2026 contests.