On a recent Sunday at Brentwood Baptist Church in Houston, James Talarico stood at the pulpit. A state representative in the Texas House, Talarico is a former middle school teacher, a student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the Democratic nominee for U.S. "I want to speak to you this morning, not as a candidate, but as a fellow Christian," he told the congregation.
"My grandad was a Baptist preacher in south Texas. And when I was real little, he told me that Christianity is a simple religion." But it's not easy, Talarico continued, telling the congregation that faith could provide a way of understanding the country's political turmoil. "Sometimes we see the world most clearly through our tears.
If your heart is breaking as you watch what's happening to our beloved country, it means you still have a heart," he said. "So blessed are you who weep." It's rare for Democrats to make religion a centerpiece of their campaigns. But this midterm election cycle, a number of candidates for Congress are doing just that.
At least a half-dozen candidates are ordained clergy themselves; others are studying to become ministers. They include a megachurch pastor in Dallas, a Methodist minister in Kansas and two members of the clergy in Iowa – all of whom are in competitive races. On the campaign trail, they've been invoking biblical teachings as they make the case for policies involving health care, veterans, immigrants and economic opportunity — while trying to persuade voters in states and districts where religion remains an important part of public life.
Republicans, meanwhile, have sharply criticized Democrats' religious rhetoric. Some have called the clergy running for office PINOs: Pastors In Name Only. "I've never seen so much blasphemy from anyone running for office," Texas Lt.
Dan Patrick said of Talarico at the state Republican convention earlier this year. "And let me tell you what, I'm going to pray for that guy, because when he loses the Senate race, if he campaigns against God, as he's been doing, he's going to hell for sure." Talarico has incorporated the attacks into his own campaign message. "The real blasphemy is kicking the sick off their healthcare to fund tax cuts for billionaires," he told congregants at Brentwood Baptist.
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