Democrats running for Congress in Iowa and Texas are bringing a shared credential to the campaign trail: service in the clergy. Four candidates in competitive races are drawing attention as the party looks for seats it can flip in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Their candidacies put a strategic question before Democrats: Can candidates who speak openly from a religious background connect with voters in states where the party faces difficult races, while also appealing to a secular base? One prominent example is James Talarico, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Texas. He is challenging Republican Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, in a closely watched contest. Talarico has campaigned across Texas, including at a rally in Kerrville in August. The candidates’ clergy backgrounds may offer a way to reach voters for whom faith is an important part of public life. But their campaigns also face the challenge of representing a party whose voters hold a range of religious beliefs, including no religious affiliation. The contests in Iowa and Texas are part of Democrats’ broader effort to compete in states where winning congressional seats can be difficult. Whether clergy candidates can turn their religious experience into broader electoral support remains an open question heading into November.