Exit poll show Christians helped Democrats win during 2026's 'blue wave'

A recently unlikely group helped Democrats ride the "blue wave" into elected office during the 2026 midterm: Christians. Preliminary exit polls show the Democrats gained ground with Christian voters by 3 percentage points among Protestants and 11 percentage points in Catholics, Christopher Kuo and Anvee Bhutani report for The Wall Street Journal. 

"For a Democratic Party long wary of mixing Christianity and politics, the victories of unapologetically faith-based candidates in hotly contested races marked a turn," Kuo and Bhutani write. "In podcast interviews, stump speeches and campaign ads, the contenders articulated a vision of progressive or center-left politics rooted in theological principles."

Perhaps most notable among the Democratic midterm winners is Texas Senator-elect James Talarico, who regularly quoted scripture at campaign stops. But other Democratic clergy and seminarians won seats in the House and Senate, including megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton from Kansas, and Lutheran minister Sarah Trone Garriott from Iowa. 

Even though evangelical Christians still voted "overwhelmingly" for Republicans, Kuo and Bhutani report that "some on the left hope their success will prompt the party to engage religious voters more directly and pave the way for other outspoken Christians to run as Democrats."