KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — Republicans for a half century have built a loyal following among white evangelical Christians. But presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg 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.