Wednesday, February 18, 2026
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST
Location: 111 Massachusetts Ave NW Lower Level Multipurpose Room
As U.S. political coalitions shift and long-standing alignments weaken, the relationship between faith and public life is being tested and reshaped. Religious beliefs and communities continue to influence how many Americans understand their political commitments, civic responsibility, and duty to promote the common good.
This installment of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life’s Faith and the Faithful series will bring together an experienced campaign faith director, experts on the intersection of politics and faith, and a leading journalist to examine how faith is shaping political engagement and realignment and what this might mean for future elections.
Chris White, associate director for strategic initiatives and senior fellow of the Initiative, will moderate the conversation.
This gathering will have two parts:
In observance of Ash Wednesday, we will hold our dialogue at 7:00 pm, with a time to gather after.
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Dialogue
A conversation on “Political Realignment and the Faith Vote: What to Expect in Future Elections” with four leaders
8:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Reception
Continue the conversation with other young leaders
This Salt and Light Gathering is for young Catholics and others to come together to explore key issues and personal stories involving faith and public life with respected leaders, and is part of the Initiative’s Faith and the Faithful series.
Recording and Accessibility
For those who cannot join us in person, the dialogue starting at 7:00 p.m. EDT will be livestreamed and posted online for later viewing.
Participants
Melissa Deckman
Melissa Deckman is the CEO of Public Religion Research Institute, a non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy, and the author of The Politics of Gen Z How the Youngest Voters Will Shape Our Democracy (2024).
Josh Good
Josh Good is the director of the Aspen Institute’s Religion and Society Program. Since 2018, he has led Faith Angle Forum, a program that strengthens reporting and commentary on how religious believers, religious convictions, and moral arguments affect American politics and public life.
John McCarthy
John McCarthy was the senior advisor for political engagement to President Joe Biden and was the deputy national political director for Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. He served as national director of faith community outreach for Hillary for America and was a co-chair of Catholics for Obama-Biden. He was a senior fellow with the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life in fall 2025.
Sabrina Rodriguez
Sabrina Rodriguez is a politics reporter at the Wall Street Journal. She previously covered national politics for the Washington Post, reporting on evolving demographics in battleground states.
Accessibility
All in-person accommodation requests should be sent to cathsocialthought@georgetown.edu by Monday, February 16. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.