Faith Leaders Run in 12 Midterm Races

Four states vote on abortion ballot measures as religious leaders take on candidacies in the November 2026 midterm elections.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Religion — General

Live Poll

Should your state loosen its abortion restrictions?

Voters in Missouri, Idaho, Virginia, and Nevada will decide abortion-related ballot measures on Nov. 3, 2026. At least 12 House and Senate races feature a faith leader on the ballot.

Why it matters

The measures could reshape reproductive access across the regions they affect, and faith leaders on both sides of the abortion issue are weighing in. Polling suggests abortion is a less pressing priority for voters this cycle.

Four states are holding abortion-related ballot measures alongside at least 12 House and Senate races with faith leaders on the ballot. The source does not report polling margins for the measures or the outcomes of the races.

The players

Abdul El-Sayed

Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Michigan who would be the first Muslim U.S. Senator if elected.

The details

Many faith-leader candidates are mainline Protestant clergy and seminarians running as Democrats. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is running for U.S. Senate in Michigan and would become the first Muslim U.S. Senator if elected, while Ohio's next governor will be either the state's first Jewish or first Hindu governor.

• Nov. 3, 2026: Midterm election voting on abortion ballot measures and faith-leader races.

Big Picture

Faith leaders seeking federal office in 2026 continue a visible pattern of clergy candidacies, with mainline Protestant clergy and seminarians disproportionately running as Democrats. The number of faith-leader candidates in this cycle places the current midterms among the more religiously represented contests in recent memory.

Voters in Missouri, Idaho, Virginia, and Nevada will decide abortion-related measures that directly govern reproductive access in those states. Residents should check their state ballots on Nov. 3, 2026 to see which measures apply to them.

The takeaway

Faith leaders on the ballot and abortion measures together signal that religious identity is a visible factor in this midterm, so voters may find it useful to review candidate backgrounds and measure language before November 3.