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KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — Republicans for a half century have built a loyal following among white evangelical Christians. But presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (BOO'-tuh-juhj) is trying to demonstrate that there's a strong religiosity among Democrats, too.
President Donald Trump's reelection fortunes are rooted deeply in the unshakable support among religious conservatives.
But Buttigieg's regular references to his own Christian faith offer a counterweight that could be an influential asset in Iowa and beyond as Democrats parry the secular labels that Republicans have tried to apply to them.
Not since Bill Clinton has a Democratic presidential candidate leaned so heavily on religious references in everyday campaign events, though the South Bend, Indiana, mayor says he's wary of coming off as overly pious.
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