An earlier version of this article first appeared in the On the Trail 2024 newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox on Friday mornings here.
Happy Friday, friends. It’s swearing-in day in Washington for the 119th Congress. That includes John Curtis, the freshman senator from Utah who will replace Mitt Romney. Read my story about Curtis here.
The big idea
Believe in the Capitol
While a growing share of American adults are turning away from religion, Christianity continues to flourish in one American institution: the United States Congress.
Members of the 119th Congress overwhelmingly identify as religious, and while the share of Christian members of Congress has declined slightly in recent years, Christians are still overrepresented in the Capitol.
According to data collected by CQ Roll Call and organized by Pew Research Center, 461 members of the new Senate and House of Representatives – or 87% – identify as Christian.
That’s down from 88% two years ago and 92% a decade ago, but far ahead of the 62% of American adults who identify as Christian, according to Pew’s polling.
In a sense, the upcoming conference will break a record: For the first time, several members describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated, or “none.” Kyrsten Sinema, the retiring independent senator from Arizona, made history when she became the first U.S. congresswoman to ever describe her religion as “none”; in the upcoming Congress, three will do the same: Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Arizona; Rep. Emily Randall, D-Washington; and Rep. Abraham Hamadeh, R-Arizona.
In recent decades, the share of American adults who identify as “nones” has increased dramatically. Yet the share of “nones” in Congress – who make up less than 1% of the body – lags far behind the 28% of American adults who have no religious affiliation.
That difference between the country’s religious makeup and that of Congress isn’t surprising, said Ryan Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University. “Congress represents America as it looked 20 or 30 years ago, not as it looks today,” Burge told CQ Roll Call.
Among Democrats in Congress, the shift toward a religious makeup that more closely represents the country appears to be happening more quickly. A majority of Democrats – 75% – identify as Christian, with the remaining quarter comprising a diverse group including Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Unitarian Universalists and one humanist. Meanwhile, a large majority of Republicans – 98% – identify as Christian.
My fellow Latter-day Saints are an increasingly small part of Congress. During the 114th Congress (2015-2017), there were sixteen Latter-day Saints in Congress; now there are nine. They’re all Republicans.
Curious about more? Find the full data from Pew Research Center here.
A New Year’s news quiz
For the most loyal “On the Trail 2024” readers, try this 12-question quiz. It touches on the wild, unpredictable political year that was 2024. The correct answers will be sent in next week’s newsletter.
Do you think you have what it takes? Send your answers to onthetrail@deseretnews.com. The first reader to get them right wins a Desert News bottlenose dolphin.
Here we go:
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According to a Deseret News/HarrisX poll we published in January, what percentage of Republican voters thought Trump was a “person of faith”?
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Which candidate won Nevada’s GOP presidential primary?
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Who was Trump’s last Republican challenger to withdraw from the presidential primaries?
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The nonprofit No Labels tried to field a candidate who could run atop its presidential ticket. All their options said no. Which of the following Utahns was among them?
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Which Hall-of-Fame basketball player did Robert F. Kennedy Jr. support? as president?
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Which of the following events was scheduled to take place in Utah before it was canceled?
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What was the reason Utah Governor Spencer Cox gave for supporting Trump?
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What was Pres. Biden’s stated reason for leaving the presidential race?
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Which campaign first created a formal Latter-day Saint voter initiative?
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Which billionaire megadonor appeared on stage with Trump during his October return to Butler, Pennsylvania?
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During the September debate, Trump said he had “concepts of a plan” for what policy area?
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Who said the following quote shortly after the presidential election was decided? “We accept the choice the country has made. I have often said: you cannot love your country only when you win.”
3 things to know
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Speaker shuffle: When the House of Representatives convenes this morning, its first task will be to elect the Speaker. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson received strong support from Donald Trump, after his negotiations to avoid a government shutdown the week before Christmas drew the ire of the MAGA world. Johnson should have the votes to avoid a McCarthy-esque drama – but nothing is guaranteed. Read more here.
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Carter’s legacy: Former President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday, leaving behind a legacy as a philanthropist and humanitarian. But one aspect of his legacy is being questioned by the president-elect: his decision to hand over control of the Panama Canal. Read more here.
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Legal issues: Trump’s efforts to overturn the verdict in his sexual assault case were stymied Monday after a federal appeals court upheld the May 2023 verdict and ordered Trump to pay $5 million in damages. Read more here.
