Jesus Is Back. Can He End America's Political Holy War?
Summary
James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and Democrat, defeated Republican Ken Paxton in a Texas Senate race on November 3. Talarico has used Christian teachings to support progressive causes, challenging the Republican Party’s longstanding association with Christian voters.Key Facts
- Talarico’s victory was Democrats’ first Texas Senate win since 1988.
- In his victory speech, Talarico referred to Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers.
- Talarico emphasizes compassion for poor and marginalized people in his political use of Christian teachings.
- Pew Research Center found that 85 percent of white evangelical voters identified with or leaned toward Republicans in 2024.
- Historian Janine Giordano Drake traces the Republican Party’s ties to Protestant business movements in the 19th century.
- Historian Heath W. Carter said Christian liberal and left-wing coalitions were influential from the New Deal era through the civil rights movement.
- Paxton’s wife filed for divorce in 2025 and accused him of adultery, citing biblical grounds.
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