The Rise of the Christian Left in Texas

James Talarico, Frederick D. Haynes III and Gina Hinojosa are Christians campaigning as Democrats in Texas, where Republicans have long been seen as the party of Christian voters. Talarico and Haynes argue that addressing hardship through public policy and community work can be part of Christian duty, offering a religious case for progressive politics.

Haynes’s Friendship-West Baptist Church provides legal help, immigration advocacy, counselling, economic justice work and food support. The article cites a 2026 analysis finding four of America’s 10 most financially distressed major cities are in Texas, Feeding America’s estimate that nearly one in five Texans faced food insecurity in 2024, and projections that Medicaid eligibility changes will leave 7.5 million more Americans uninsured by 2034. It places the campaigns in a longer history of both progressive religious activism and churches supporting slavery, segregation and exploitation.