Can clergy candidates help Democrats win in red states?

Ayesha Rascoe (0:00)

I'm Ayesha Rascoe, and this is The Sunday Story.

Election day is just weeks away, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Democrats need to pick up four seats in the House and four in the Senate to take control of Congress. Something that might help them do it? A different kind of Democratic candidate, one who talks about faith.

Sarah Trone-Garriott (0:22)

Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Ayesha Rascoe (0:25)

Like Sarah Trone-Garriet.

Sarah Trone-Garriott (0:27)

Everyone is your neighbor.

Frederick Haynes (0:28)

I'm a Luke 4 Christian.

Ayesha Rascoe (0:30)

Frederick Haynes.

Frederick Haynes (0:31)

Because Jesus says, The Spirit of the Lord of God is upon me because he's anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

Ayesha Rascoe (0:38)

And Lindsay James.

Lindsey James (0:39)

It's about showing up for people. It's about listening without judgment. It's about offering hope. And it's about telling the truth.

Ayesha Rascoe (0:46)

Why are these Democratic candidates so good at talking about religion? Well, they're clergy.

Unlike Republicans, who aren't shy talking about religion on the campaign trail, these Democratic clergy have to thread a very fine needle, appeal to people of faith, but do so in a way that doesn't turn off the base. Meanwhile, Republicans are on their own mission to discredit these candidates. Here's Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.

Dan Patrick (1:19)

I've never seen so much blasphemy from anyone running for office.

Ayesha Rascoe (1:22)

And Republican businessman Joe Mitchell.

Joe Mitchell (1:25)

I call them pinos.

Dan Patrick (1:26)

Pastors are the name only, because they're not real pastors.

Ken Paxton (1:28)

They don't profess the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ayesha Rascoe (1:32)

Today on The Sunday Story, we'll take a closer look at some of these Democratic clergy candidates, ask why they're running, and whether their messages are resonating with voters. Stay with us.

Welcome back to The Sunday Story. I'm here with NPR religion correspondent, Jason DeRose, who's been following four Democratic clergy candidates in competitive races. Welcome to the podcast.

Jason DeRose (2:01)

Hello. It's good to be here.

Ayesha Rascoe (2:03)

So Jason, at Week in Edition, you know, my other job, we've done like a number of interviews about how religion is playing a role in politics right now. You've been covering religion for years. Did you ever think you'd see a critical mass of clergy running as Democrats?

I think it's about like six or seven depending on who you count.

Jason DeRose (2:26)

Well, Ayesha, it's certainly remarkable. After the election in 2000, I remember reporting on progressive people of faith trying to counter the George W. Bush administration, specifically his compassionate conservatism. But a lot of those efforts never got off the ground or just really fizzled. What's different this time around is not just talk about progressive values. This time around, it's clergy who are the candidates, people trained to speak about scripture and faith, and inspire people to live out that faith in public life. As many pastors will tell you, a big part of the job is rallying people around their beliefs to make a difference in political life, whether that's about health care or abortion.

Ayesha Rascoe (3:07)

So before we get into the specific clergy who are running, what do you think is driving clergy who identify as Democrats to actually run for office? Like, was this coordinated in some way?

Jason DeRose (3:23)

Well, nobody I spoke with says they were recruited specifically because they're clergy. They say they decided to run as a response to their calls to ministry, their calls to faith, their calls to public life, and a service to neighbor. They see some of the actions of the Trump administration and they say their faith compels them to take action and run.

Ayesha Rascoe (3:43)

That's very interesting to see it showing up, like, on the left in that way. So Jason, tell me about some of these candidates. Like, who are we talking about here?

Jason DeRose (3:53)

I reported on two candidates from Texas and two candidates from Iowa, both states that voted for Trump in 2024 In fact, Trump carried both states by a margin of more than 13 percent, so very red states.

Probably the most high-profile candidate is James Tallarico. He's the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas. He's currently a state representative in the Texas House, a former middle school teacher, and a student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. So he's not quite clergy yet. He's a minister in training, but he does preach regularly.

James Tallarico (4:35)

I want to speak to you this morning, not as a candidate, but as a fellow Christian.

Jason DeRose (4:39)

On a Sunday this summer, he stood at the pulpit of Brentwood Baptist Church in Houston.