This archive report was first published on 23 October 2019.
As the 2020 Democratic primary heats up, a key question remains: can Democrats effectively speak about faith without alienating secular voters? Mike McCurry, a Democratic consultant and former White House press secretary, believes the answer is yes.
McCurry, who now teaches at the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, points out that faith has always been intertwined with American politics. He argues that Democrats can tap into this sentiment to their advantage, particularly in key battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
“I sure as hell believe that it would work in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and that’s what it’s all going to come down to,” McCurry said.
One Democrat who has successfully woven faith into his campaign is Pete Buttigieg. In the first debate, he took aim at the Trump administration’s treatment of migrants at the border, saying, “The Republican Party likes to cloak itself in the language of religion. But we should call out hypocrisy when we see it.”
Buttigieg, a churchgoing Episcopalian, has refused to cede religion to Republicans. He has spoken about how his marriage to another man has deepened his faith, saying, “Nothing has made me feel more connected, more able to be true, however imperfectly, to my faith than the experience of putting myself second. That came with committing my life to my husband, Chasten.”
