The religious left makes a play for red-state conservatives

Democrats in a pair of deep-red states are testing the religious right's dominance by putting their Christian faith at the center of their campaigns — potentially creating a template for the party to compete in similarly forbidding terrain.Why it matters: Upsets by Texas' James Talarico and Kansas' Adam Hamilton would all but ensure that Democrats take the Senate.A recent poll from Pew shows both an opening and an obstacle: White evangelicals still strongly favor Republicans, while many other Christian groups lean Democratic or are more narrowly split.The big picture: Talarico, a Presbyterian seminary student, and Hamilton, a United Methodist pastor, are challenging conservatives' claim to speak for faith. Their bids come after Democrat Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, was elected to the Senate in 2021.President Trump won both Texas and Kansas by double digits in 2024. Neither state has sent a Democrat to the Senate in the 21st century — the last time Kansas did was in 1932. Both races this year are considered toss-ups.Zoom in: Talarico's "religiosity is a way to soften his liberalism" and potentially win over Christians turned off by his scandal-plagued opponent, says Brandon Rottinghaus, who co-hosts Houston Public Media's "Party Politics." Talarico has also made several visits to Black Baptist churches. Trump made inroads with minority communities in Texas, and Talarico looks to do the same after besting Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), who is Black, in a brutal primary.He's harnessed scripture in his pitch against Christian nationalism and for protecting the vulnerable, invoking the biblical campaign slogan, "It's time to start flipping tables.""We're in a populist political moment, and many of the teachings of the social gospel give him an opportunity to link the politics and his faith together," Rottinghaus adds.By the numbers: A September Marist survey of 1,139 Texas registered voters showed Paxton with a 75% to 22% lead over Talarico among white evangelical Christians. In Kansas, the race will hinge less on whether Hamilton can win large numbers of religious Republicans and more on whether he can replicate Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's coalition, says Alexandra Middlewood, the political science department chair at Wichita State University.Hamilton has presented himself as a bridge-builder, drawing on his experience leading the largest United Methodist church in the nation.His well-known religious background could appeal to less engaged, moderate Christians and center-right voters, Middlewood says.Yes, but: While Kansas has elected blue governors and voted to keep abortion legal in the state, Republicans have a massive registration advantage that's made a Democratic Senate win "near impossible," notes Bob Beatty, Washburn University's political science chair. Establishment Democrats have long been viewed with suspicion, especially in western Kansas, he said.But Hamilton being a pastor "gives him an open doorway to