The number of Democratic pastors on Capitol Hill is poised to grow (by a lot)

Donald Trump has spent years attacking the Democratic Party’s religiosity, repeatedly insisting that the party’s officials and candidates “hate God,” “oppose God,” and deserve to be seen as “godless.” As recently as last year, the president, who has never demonstrated any real interest in matters of faith, went so far as to insist that Democrats were “evil” and members of “the party of Satan.”

The rhetoric was ridiculous, but the president was hardly alone. Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who was just elected governor, has repeatedly and publicly declared that the Democratic Party is “a Satanic cult,” adding, “There’s not one Democrat that can tell you they stand up for God.”

This nonsense was likely news to Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who is an accomplished Christian pastor who “stands up for God” during his weekly sermons. But as the dust settles on the midterm elections, I’m struck by just how much company Warnock will soon have on Capitol Hill:

Democratic Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton of Kansas, the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race in his home state since 1932, is the senior pastor of Kansas’ largest church.

Democratic Sen.-elect James Talarico of Texas is a Presbyterian seminarian.

Democratic Rep.-elect Sarah Trone Garriott of Iowa is a Lutheran minister.

Democratic Rep.-elect Lindsay James of Iowa is a Presbyterian minister.

Democratic Rep.-elect Frederick Haynes III of Texas is the senior pastor of a Baptist church in Dallas.

Highlighting the pattern, a Vox analysis noted that these incoming lawmakers “belong to a rising tide in American politics: the emergence of a religious left that marries moderate or liberal strains of Christianity with Democratic policy and political priorities. Their wins are the first major victories of this movement in the 2026 cycle.”

In all likelihood, Trump and other Republicans are likely to keep pretending that deeply religious voters must reject Democrats, and it’s likely to take time to change public perceptions.

But there’s no denying the fact that Americans are electing Democratic pastors to Congress in ways without modern precedent.

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