Ryan Burge

“I would even argue it’s probably the smallest it’s ever been in the last five years,”

Ryan Burge · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Burge argued that the overtly religious voting bloc is probably the smallest it has been in the last five years.

“There’s a lot of emphasis on the dignity of each person, in terms of income inequality as a moral issue. That filters down to things like minimum wage, workers’ rights, unions – but also to things like healthcare and health insurance,”

Ryan Burge · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Burge described how religious left candidates frame income inequality, healthcare, and workers' rights as moral issues.

“The abolitionist movement was largely a religious movement involving a lot of liberal and progressive Christians in the North,”

Ryan Burge · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Burge traces the roots of the religious left to the 19th-century fight over slavery.

“The best-selling book in America was A Theology for the Social Gospel for three years in a row around the turn of the century, which is a very liberal Christian book,”

Ryan Burge · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Burge described the Social Gospel movement of the early 1900s when pastors applied Christian principles to social justice issues.

“You also have Muslims, who are a strong Democratic constituency, as well as Jews,”

Ryan Burge · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Burge noted that the religious left has stronger representation among Muslims, Jews, and African-American Christians.

“On the religious right, it’s almost all Protestants and Catholics,”

Ryan Burge · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Burge explained that the religious right is more homogeneous, consisting almost entirely of Protestants and Catholics.

“cast these issues not as economic issues but as social justice issues motivated by religion”

Ryan Burge · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Burge explained that the religious left frames economic issues as social justice issues motivated by religion.

“They want strong separation of church and state. They don’t want their politicians to sound like Republicans. They don’t want to talk about Jesus.”

Ryan Burge · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Burge said many Democrats want strong separation of church and state and do not want politicians to sound like Republicans.

“Candidates being overly religious is not a huge turn-on for a lot of Democrats,”

Ryan Burge · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Burge explained that Democrats have resisted being overtly religious as their coalition has grown more diverse.