Can religion help Democrats win in red states? These faith leaders hope so

In the landscape of religious life in the United States, Reverend Adam Hamilton has a massive pulpit.

The organisation he founded, the Church of the Resurrection, is considered the largest United Methodist congregation in the country. It spans nine campuses and 23,000 members. Hamilton himself has authored more than 30 books.

But this November, Hamilton is eyeing an even bigger platform: the US Congress.

A mild-mannered pastor with square glasses and a receding swoop of white hair, Hamilton is hoping to achieve what many political observers once dismissed as far-fetched.

He is hoping to win a seat representing Kansas in the US Senate – as a Democrat.

Not since 1932 has a Democrat won a Senate race in the Midwestern state. Kansas is considered ruby red, with a conservative base that leans towards right-wing leaders like President Donald Trump.

But Hamilton is part of a trend in the 2026 midterm election cycle. Largely in right-leaning states, several Christian leaders have stood for election as Democrats, bucking the stereotype that religion is the domain of conservatives.

Approximately nine Democratic faith leaders, seminary students and Sunday school teachers are in the running for federal office in the November 3 election. At least a dozen were on the ballot during the primary elections earlier this year.

Many are competing in states like Iowa, Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee, which have a history of backing right-wing candidates in statewide elections.

Their campaigns have raised questions about whether appealing to Christian voters can be a path to victory for Democrats in the hotly contested midterms.

Reverend Shannon Fleck, executive director of Faithful America, a progressive Christian advocacy organisation, believes some voters have grown disenchanted with the Republican claim on religious values.

Democratic candidates, she argues, can offer an alternative.

"This is going to move the needle even more in red states because, in our homes, faith has been a part of our ecosystem for forever, but it’s also been manipulated by our leaders for forever," Fleck, an Oklahoma resident, said.

She added that faith-inspired Democratic candidates have "more opportunities for turnover" in right-leaning states, "because we are so intimately familiar with the other option".