United Methodists in Congress
Senate (10)
Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama
Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas
Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia
David Perdue, R-Georgia
Jerry Moran, R-Kansas
Pat Roberts, R-Kansas
Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts
Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan
Richard Burr, R-North Carolina
Rob Portman, R-Ohio
House (33)
Doris Matsui, D-California
Mark Takano, D-California
Mike Coffman, R-Colorado
Jeff Miller, R-Florida
Richard Nugent, R-Florida
Bill Posey, R-Florida
Rick Allen, R-Georgia
Buddy Carter, R-Georgia
Rob Woodall, R-Georgia
David Loebsack, D-Iowa
Lynn Jenkins, R-Kansas
Kevin Yoder, R-Kansas
Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky
Ed Whitfield R-Kentucky
Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Maryland
John Kline, R-Minnesota
Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi
Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Missouri
Bob Gibbs, R- Ohio
Steve Stivers, R-Ohio
Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma
Stephen Fincher, R-Tennessee
Phil Roe, R-Tennessee
Joe Barton, R-Texas
John Culberson, R-Texas
Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas
Kay Granger, R-Texas
Gene Green, D-Texas
Sam Johnson, R-Texas
Pete Olson, R-Texas
Pete Sessions, R-Texas
Derek Kilmer, D-Washington
Rick Larsen, D-Washington
By the numbers
This tabulation is based on the religious affiliations reported by National Journal, CQ/Roll Call, the Almanac of American Politics, and VoteSmart.com. It has been compiled by Americans for Religious Liberty research director, Albert J. Menendez.
This includes only United Methodists, not the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
There are 43 United Methodists serving in the 114th Congress, a decline of two from the 113th Congress.
In the Senate, United Methodists increased from nine to 10, while the denomination's presence in the House decreased from 36 to 33.
Three new United Methodists will serve in the 114th Congress, all of them Republicans from Georgia. They include Sen. David Perdue and Reps. Rick Allen and Buddy Carter.
United Methodists from the 113th Congress who are no longer members include Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and Bill Young of Florida, who both died in office. Another United Methodist, Mike Rogers of Michigan, did not seek re-election.
Nebraska’s Lee Terry was defeated for re-election, as was Ralph Hall of Texas, who lost in the Republican primary. Tom Cotton of Arkansas moved from the House to the Senate.
Republicans outnumber Democrats 31 to 12 among United Methodists, which is similar to the partisan division in the previous Congress.
Texas has the largest number of United Methodists with eight, followed by five from Georgia, four from Kansas and three from Florida and Ohio. Kansas has the highest Methodist percentage in its delegation (four out of six). Both U.S. Senators from Georgia and Kansas are United Methodist Republicans.
The South and its border states are home to 27 Methodists, while 10 represent states of the Midwest and five in the West. There is one United Methodist member in New England. There is at least one United Methodist member in 21 states, while 29 states have none.
United Methodists remain in third place in congressional religious affiliations, behind first place Roman Catholics and second place Baptists, which has been the pattern since 1994.
The Governors
United Methodist governors include Republicans Phil Bryant of Mississippi, Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Rick Scott of Florida. There are also three United Methodist Democratic governors, Jay Nixon of Missouri, Earl Ray Tomblin of West Virginia, and newly-elected Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania.
Menendez is research director for Americans for Religious Liberty and has been writing about religion and politics since 1972.
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