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

Reverend Adam Hamilton, founder of the Church of the Resurrection, which has 23,000 members across nine campuses, is running as a Democrat for the Senate in Kansas. No Democrat has won a Kansas Senate race since 1932, but Hamilton is among about nine faith leaders, seminary students and Sunday school teachers seeking federal office in the November 3, 2026 election. Several are running in conservative states including Iowa, Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee. Shannon Fleck of the progressive Christian group Faithful America says Democrats can offer an alternative to voters disillusioned with Republicans’ claim to religious values.