A curious thing about being rooted in Minnesota, as I am, and having taught on US religion, is that I notice—more than most—how often Lutherans get squeezed out of the big picture when pundits map the US religious landscape... [But in the upper Midwest] Lutherans, alongside Catholics, are a decisive swing demographic. It is not too much to say they could be ground zero for deciding the balance of power in the 2026 midterms and 2028 elections.