Democratic candidate contributed to 2018 sermon collection on political resistance

" The book encouraged faith leaders to oppose the sitting president and his supporters from the pulpit. The candidate's contribution, titled "The Gospel of Resistance," was described as the first sermon delivered after the 2016 election. The collection's introduction argued that pastors of the resistance were working against a coalition rooted in White supremacy, exploitation, greed, and heteropatriarchy.

Background on the candidate The candidate was ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2008. The candidate has faced scrutiny over past remarks on religion and cultural issues, including a 2023 discussion of officiating a Satanist wedding and a sermon that tied public displays of Christianity to political violence.

The candidate also defended a Wiccan-led prayer in the state legislature and criticized private schools and parental rights in education during the same 2023 talk.

Republican response The Republican National Committee criticized the candidate's participation in the collection. An RNC spokesman stated that the candidate views the pulpit as a political weapon to advance a radical agenda. " Other sermons condemned immigration enforcement, deportation policies, and what one author called the worship of military-grade weaponry.

The candidate did not respond to requests for comment on the contribution or agreement with the book's introduction. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as a toss-up.