Election 2026 Iowa House
Iowa Democratic congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott speaks during a union rally, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in Ankeny, Iowa.
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Clergy members and other Democratic candidates with a Christian message helped their party flip control of Congress. This midterm victory highlighted the religious left's strength as a counter to the steady evangelical support for President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans. Mainline Protestantism, with its moderate beliefs, took the election spotlight Tuesday with candidates in Texas, Kansas and Iowa flipping key seats in the U.S. House and Senate. Those Democratic candidates backed church-state separation and sought common ground across religions. The AP Voter Poll found that 7 in 10 religiously unaffiliated voters supported Democratic candidates. Experts say economic issues and disdain for Trump also played a role.
