Welp, here we are. Election Day.
I didn’t stroke out last night like I did just before the most recent presidential election, which means that the long-rumored Democratic Tsunami is really gonna happen. As a few of you know, my body monitors these things. And if you don’t know, check the footnotes.1
I’m watching all kinds of things and local races, but I thought I’d pull out one silo and focus on it for this post.
You may have heard that Kansas’s U.S. Senate seat is in play.
Yes, Kansas. As in “What’s the Matter with Kansas” Kansas.
Someone wrote a book on that whole thing not so long ago.
Now that a famous pastor of a Kansas megachurch is running for the Blue side, Republicans are suddenly blue about their prospects there.
Let’s take a look at eight Christians who wear their faith on their sleeves and are trying to show Republicans that Christianity isn’t supposed to be the intolerant hate machine that Republicans say it is.
1. Texas state Rep. James Talarico
Running for U.S. Senator in Texas
He defeated one of my favorite political critters, House Representative Jasmine Crockett, in the Democratic primary in Texas. He’s a Presbyterian seminarian who is in his last year of doctoral studies.
He’s a real theologian, not a crackpot like most Republican fake Christians who think that Christianity is about lording over women’s bodies, banning books, yelling at the LGBTQ+ community, and enabling Epstein sexual fanatics.
He’s currently leading in the polls, in no small part because the heavy-breathing Orange Puffaroon helped fanatical Satanists in the Texas Republican Party kick incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn to the curb.
Cornyn was a loyal sycophant, but apparently said something at one time that pissed off TrumpleThinSkin, so the grifter-in-chief endorsed a serial criminal, Ken Paxton, for the Senate seat, and now Republicans might be on the verge of losing Texas in a statewide race for the first time in so many years I can’t count.
We Just Learned More About Ken Paxton’s “Biblical Grounds” Divorce
Remember the story about a very religious political couple in a very religious state named Texas, which is famous for stripping away the rights of women and urging its citizens to send each other to prison for attempting to preserve one’s bodily autonomy?
I’ll believe it when I see it. This battle for the soul of Texas is probably the race of the night.
2. Pastor Adam Hamilton of Kansas
Running for Senator in Kansas
Hamilton is the founding pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas.
His opponent is incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall, whose closing argument was this hysterical ad defending how, as an obstetrician, he just had to use a collection agency to go after his constituents.
Beautiful stuff.
Highlighting the fact that he was the only OB serving 40,000 residents while Republicans continue trying to tear down Obamacare would have been funny enough, but then he continues with more inanity.
Marshall has described Hamilton, the founder and leader of a 25,000-member Christian congregation with nine locations dotted around the Kansas City area, as “too woke.”
In October, President 666 spewed out some toxic thoughts that included mentioning that Hamilton “openly mocks Jesus.” For realz. He said that. The Epstein guy who blows innocent people out of the water in the Caribbean, kills girls in their schools in Iran, and sells Trump Bibles and holds them upside down when he promotes them. That’s the guy saying other people mock Jesus.
What will Hamilton’s positions be? Probably woke, praise Jesus. He preached at the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral during Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013.
3. Iowa state senator Sarah Trone Garriott
Running against incumbent Republican Zach Nunn in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District
Ms. Garriott is a Lutheran minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Despite the “Evangelical” in its name, her denomination is not a bastion of fundamentalist hate, and is actually one of the more liberal Christian denominations.
Instead of banning books, Ms. Garriott does things like serving as Coordinator of Interfaith Engagement for the Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry Network.
On her Facebook page, she recently wrote:
“My faith teaches me to help my neighbor. That's what I've done working as a hospital chaplain, as a parish pastor, at the DMARC food pantry network, and in the Iowa Senate—and that’s what I’ll do in Congress.”
Another thing in her favor: She drew the ire of fundamentalist Christians for her support of an invocation delivered by a Wiccan priestess at the Iowa state Capitol in 2015. Her retort, published by the Des Moines Register, took Christo-nationalists to Sunday school:
“Christians specifically should be aware that Jesus engaged with pagans multiple times throughout the New Testament and always from a place of kindness and compassion.”
The Cook Political Report rates this race a toss-up, so keep an eye on it if you’re looking for the blue tsunami.
4. Leader of Vintage Fellowship Robb Ryerse of Arkansas
Running for Congress in Arkansas’ Third Congressional District against incumbent Republican Steve Womack
Ryerse is the leader of a Christian fellowship group called the Vintage Fellowship, which he describes as a fellowship where “everyone is welcome regardless of faith (or lack thereof).” He was raised by fundamentalist Baptist parents, and left the Republican Party because of its current insanity.
Sadly, current polling shows his opponent far ahead in the contest, 61.3% to 38.7%. There will be some pleasant surprises tonight, but this seat in the heart of Arkansas MAGAt country isn’t likely to be one of them.
If this guy does win, the traitor-in-chief better purchase a one-way Aeroflot plane ticket to Moscow.
5. Former United Methodist Church (UMC) pastor Anna Golladay of Tennessee
Running for Congress in Tennessee’s Third Congressional District
Every congressional district in Tennessee was divided to heavily favor Republicans, which means the state won’t elect a Democrat to the House unless Tennessee Democrats can find a way to tear the state away from Republicans at the state level, or a new Supreme Court reinstates the Voting Rights Act.
After the Roberts Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee Republicans immediately redrew all nine of the state’s U.S. House seats. Winning one seat will be a challenge because of the way each district snakes around the state and strategically includes small slivers of Black demographics.2
To give you an example of the Tennessee gerrymander, take a look at Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district:
That little footstool you see at the bottom left is a slice of Memphis, which was cut up to serve Tennessee Republican racism.
Anna Golladay, who’s on the cover image of this post, is in the Third Congressional district, and is well behind in the polling.
Anna was fired as a United Methodist Church (UMC) pastor for officiating a same sex wedding, and is an open ally of the LGBTQ+ community.
Her district stretches from Chattanooga to the outskirts of Knoxville, and covers a lot of blood-red MAGA rural parcels where meth is the primary export, import, and God.
So her chances are also slim. A victory by Anna should act as another argument for President Krasnov to seriously ponder that one-way Aeroflot flight.
6. Chaz Molder of Tennessee
Running for Congress in Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District
He’s not an official church leader, but Molder knows enough about Tennessee’s broken Christianity to loudly proclaim his family’s active participation in the First United Methodist Church in Columbia.
It won’t help much unless things really go crazy, but he’s only behind 5-8 points in the polls, so this one might at least be interesting. Keep an eye out for this one if you’re looking for a Blue Perfect Storm Tsunami.
7. Presbyterian chaplain and four-term state representative, Lindsay James of Iowa
Running for Congress in Iowa’s Second Congressional District
Ms. James is supported by a group with one of the best names around, Vote Mama. That alone should win her votes, especially since she’s a mama of two kids. She’s a Presbyterian chaplain with a normal outlook on life, which of course draws the ire of Satanic fundamentalists.
Vote Mama says its mission is about…:
…growing a movement across all fifty states to ensure everyday moms have a voice in the decisions that affect our families. From who can run and serve to the policies our elected officials prioritize, we are building the Mama Lobby one pissed off mom at a time.
Ms. James is currently leading in the polls against her Republican opponent by about three to five percentage points, depending on the poll.
It’s a pretty MAGA-centric part of the state, but even the Polymarket bro culture has her ahead, so keep an eye on this one.
8. Pastor Frederick Haynes of Texas
Running for Congress in Texas’ Thirtieth Congressional District
Pastor Haynes is Jasmine Crockett’s pastor, and is running to fill the seat she left vacant when she ran in the primary against Talarico.
This seat is not in question. It’s pure blue.
The real question is, where does the supremely gifted Jasmine Crockett go from here?
Most reports are indicating a record turnout everywhere
Meanwhile, it looks like people are motivated to slay this monster. It’s been a rough two years. People seem poised to let their feelings known.
Early exit polls are suggesting that even a significant slice of MAGA country is rebelling against the human virus that is filling each of our days with toxic rants.
Praise be.
Thanks for reading!
Notes
Yesterday I posted that I might open up the chat here for the elections if there was interest. There was very little interest, so unless things get really twisty and weird, or unless the vote is so catastrophic for Republicans that I just need to yell out in celebration online somewhere, I won’t be doing that.
Frankly, I’m just always glad to be given one more day of life (especially another Election Day!).
If things go south for the good guys and gals, then, like everyone else, I’ll be reconsidering everything, so an immediate reaction won’t be forthcoming.
Happy electioneering!
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Footnotes
On the eve of the 2024 Presidential election, I had a hemorrhagic stroke. I remain convinced that my body knew before anyone else did that Kamala was going to “lose.” I eat well, so the docs weren’t able to blame my blood panels. Nope, it was just good old-fashioned premonition. Needless to say, election night in the ICU was hell on earth as John King drew his maps on the small hospital TV looking down on me like a hungry vulture.
The first “I gotta bad feeling about this Chewie” moment occurred when Musk bought a social media platform and turned it into Apartheid Twitter, but it got worse when polls ushered forth broad hints of a problem, backed later by Kamala rallies with not enough men attending.
Hot tip for young men: Want to meet some great women? Stop listening to Joe Rogan and Pat McAfee and attend a Democratic rally and meet some cool ladies instead.
I’m basically okay after that crappy medical event. The part of my brain affected mostly affected my vision, which is why you sometimes see mispelings and other minor gaffes in my posts. Hey, at least I ain’t AI.
Friedman, Adam. “Democrats Face Uphill Battle in Winning Any Tennessee U.S. House Race.” Tennessee Lookout, September 21, 2026. https://tennesseelookout.com/2026/09/21/democrats-face-uphill-battle-in-winning-any-tennessee-u-s-house-race/.
All of your picks are commendable and I hope they all win. But what I really hope for as someone that has a dim view of all organized religions based on the historical record and a firm believer in the separation of church and state is they all just keep to themselves behind the closed doors of their chosen house of worship and upon emerging mind their own g_od damn business.
Great read, thanks. Here in the upstate of SC I'm not hopeful but 🤞