Faith leaders on the ballot: 11 races to watch

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(RNS) — This election cycle is shaping up to be an unusually faith-fueled affair.

The shift has been especially striking on the Democratic side, where 12 pastors, former pastors and seminarians ran for Congress this year, with eight eventually emerging as Democratic nominees . Even more surprising: Most of their races have turned out to be unexpectedly competitive, with faith-forward Democrats mustering real challenges for seats long held by Republicans.

Meanwhile, Republicans have also fielded some clergy as candidates, albeit fewer than Democrats. The result is a series of closely watched contests where religion has become a major theme — and, often, a point of debate.

Here are 11 races featuring faith leaders that Religion News Service is watching between now and Election Day.

Kansas U.S. Senate race Could Kansas elect its first Democratic senator in nearly a century this year? That’s the question surrounding the Rev. Adam Hamilton , the soft-spoken pastor of a United Methodist megachurch near Kansas City who made headlines in May when he launched his campaign for U.S. Senate.…