"We're Lutherans:" Walz makes rare reference to personal faith in VP debate

Driving the news: As part of an exchange on immigration policy, the Democratic vice presidential nominee cited a Bible verse to make the case that a failed border bill backed by Harris and other Democrats reflected American values.

• "I don't talk about my faith a lot, but Matthew 25:40 talks about, to the least amongst us, you do unto me," Walz said. "I think that's true of most Americans. They simply want order to it."

Catch up fast: Walz has said he was raised in the Catholic church, attending parishes in small-town Nebraska, per The National Catholic Register.

• But he reportedly became a Lutheran after marrying Gwen Walz, whose parents were involved in their own Minnesota church.
• In recent years, he's publicly referred to himself as a "Minnesota Lutheran," emphasizing the cultural aspects of the religious identity, and has posted on social media about attending a service at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in St. Paul.

What he's saying: "We're Lutherans, we don't talk about it," Walz told reporters as he and his wife got pepperoni pizza from a New York City slice spot after the debate.

The bottom line: Both 2024 campaigns' lack of emphasis on religion comes as the percentage of Americans identifying as "religiously unaffiliated" grows.

• The share of people who identify that way is now 27% — larger than the share of mainline Protestants and evangelical white voters combined.