At a guess, gerrymandering. Absurdly defined district maps are used to split up areas where the opposition is strong and drown them with surrounding friendly voters.

Why won’t those people vote against the religious legislative class? Are they outnumbered?

For a lot of people religion is like a salad bar or buffet, they pick and choose the parts they like and ignore the ones they don’t. That seems to extend towards their politicians, be my brand of religion and policy and I’ll let you do almost anything because at least you aren’t that other person.