Which Political Party do Religious Groups Typically Vote For?

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How U.S. religious groups lean in politics.

According to the Religious Landscape Study by Pew Research Center, The Republican party rests easy with Mormons in the United States. Democrats have overwhelming support from the National Baptist Convention and the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, black Protestant denominations. The study, conducted in 2014, spanned 30 religious groups.

Which Political Party do Religious Groups Typically Vote For?[/tweetthis]

About 70 percent of American Mormons are more inclined to Republican ideals. Only 19 percent of Mormons are Democrats. They include a number of Protestant denominations and a number of other religious groups. The study also included taking into account three types of individuals who consider themselves religiously unaffiliated.

The other side of the spectrum is dominated by Democrats. The AME church members are overwhelmingly voters of the Democratic party, with 92 percent of them clearly giving their ballot. Only four percent leaned towards the Republican party. This makes a huge 88-point gap. Similar trends are observed among members of Church of God in Christ and National Baptist Convention with 75 percent and 87 percent identifying themselves as Democrats.

Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center

These patterns mirror data gleaned from the exit polls at 2012 general election. During that time, about 95 percent of black Protestants informed the poll officials that they had voted for Obama. In contrast, Mitt Romney, a Mormon and a Republican, received 78 percent of the vote. The Republican skew was also seen among white evangelical Protestants with 79 percent having admitted voted for Romney. In a similar vein about 63 percent of members of Church of the Nazarene favored the Republican party compared to only 24 percent giving their vote to the Democrats. Almost identical voting patterns are seen among Southern Baptist Convention and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod with 64 percent vs. 26 percent and 59 percent vs. 27 percent respectively. It is to be noted that these members can belong to any ethnicity. The exit polls, however, takes only white evangelicals.

When it comes to Catholics, they are politically divided. About 37 percent of those surveyed favor the Republican party while 44 percent will vote for the Democrats. About 19 percent have no political leanings and their votes can go either way. The 2012 election saw 50 percent of the Catholics giving their vote to Obama, while Romney got 48 percent of the vote.

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