Republican campaigns are intensifying attacks on Democratic candidates with Christian backgrounds, portraying clergy and other religious figures in closely fought US races as inauthentic, politically extreme or financially compromised.
In Texas, seminarian James Talarico is being targeted by MAGA Inc, which has described him as a “liberal weirdo” while highlighting remarks including “Jesus Christ Himself was a radical feminist” and “God is non-binary”. Talarico is seen as the Democrats’ strongest prospect for flipping a Texas Senate seat in nearly four decades.
Republicans in Iowa have attacked Presbyterian minister Lindsay James and Lutheran minister Sarah Trone Garriott, who are both mounting competitive campaigns in districts won by Donald Trump in 2024. A Trump-aligned political action committee has accused James of presenting herself as a caring pastor in public while being “radical” away from the cameras.
In Kansas, Republican senator Roger Marshall’s campaign has focused on Adam Hamilton, a megachurch pastor who has made the state’s deep-red political landscape more competitive. The campaign has labelled him “too woke and too weak” and described him as a “slimy”, “millionaire megachurch CEO”.
An advert alleges that Mr Hamilton “used faith to fatten his wallet” and asked churchgoers to contribute to God while using church resources for his own campaign. It concludes: “The swamp’s got enough money changers.”
Brent Robertson, chief of staff to Mr Marshall’s campaign, said Mr Hamilton’s sermons were “essentially a carbon copy of the Democrat National Committee platform”. He pointed to a previous sermon in which Mr Hamilton urged followers to reduce their carbon footprint.
Democratic candidates defend their religious records
The Republican attacks draw on years of sermons and other public appearances by candidates with religious careers, giving opponents extensive material to use in campaign advertising.
Vice President JD Vance joined the criticism of Mr Hamilton during a visit to Iowa earlier this month. He said the pastor had a “kind of a ‘gee whiz, I’m a nice pastor’ vibe”, but claimed he told his congregation not about the gospel of Jesus Christ but that they should “repent for their white privilege while eating beef”.
Democrats have largely dismissed the attacks. Mr Talarico has acknowledged that he “missed the mark” with some “cringey” past comments, but defended using religious arguments against politicians he believes are acting in their own interests.
“When I take on the politicians who are serving themselves and not the people, I’m doing it on biblical grounds,” he said in a sermon last weekend.
A spokesperson for Ms James said Republicans were “desperately attacking Lindsay’s deeply held faith commitments”, adding: “If it wasn’t so insulting to other Iowa Christians, it would be laughable.”
Mr Hamilton has also received support from 120 fellow Methodist ministers in Kansas. In an open letter to Mr Marshall, they urged him to stop attacking Mr Hamilton’s pastoral ministry, saying the criticism “tear[s] at the fabric that is the body of Christ”.
“We’re not the first Christians to be attacked for our faith, and we won’t let smears and lies from a couple of Washington politicians stop us from living out our values in the world,” Mr Hamilton said in a video after Mr Vance’s speech.
A wider role for faith in the Democratic Party
The contests form part of a broader effort by Democrats to present faith as a visible part of their political identity. Candidates this election cycle include clergy, Sunday school teachers, chaplains and other practising Christians.
Chaz Molder, the Democratic nominee in Tennessee’s deeply conservative 2nd District, leads a Sunday school class with his wife. He said voters valued sincerity and that “faith without works is dead”, adding that simply posting scripture to show that someone had attended church was not enough.
Ben McAdams, the Democratic nominee in Utah’s 1st District and a volunteer Sunday school teacher in his Latter-day Saint congregation in Salt Lake City, said the party should make clear that it was a broad coalition containing people for whom faith remained important.
“The Republican Party of Donald Trump does not seem to be reflecting the Christian values that I grew up with,” he said.
Doug Pagitt, executive director of the progressive group Vote Common Good, said nine clergy members were running for federal office as Democrats this cycle, a number he had not seen before.
“The idea that a faith leader, especially a white faith leader, would run as a Democrat and be forthright about it … it’s really unusual,” Mr Pagitt said, arguing that candidates had previously been wary of drawing attention to their religious backgrounds within Democratic circles.
