Rachel Evans
The Catholic vote in the US has historically been a key factor in determining the outcome of elections, with the Catholic population accounting for around one-fifth of the country's electorate. While there is no single Catholic vote, with Catholics holding diverse political views, their voting behavior has been influenced by various factors, including race, class, region, and their relationship with the Church. In recent years, there has been a notable partisan divide among Catholics, with white Catholics leaning more towards the Republican Party and Hispanic Catholics predominantly supporting the Democratic Party. This division has presented both challenges and opportunities for the Catholic Church in its engagement with civic discourse.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Voting patterns | Since the 1970s, non-Hispanic white Catholics have voted majority Republican, while a majority of Hispanic or Latino Catholics have voted Democrat. |
| Abortion | 77% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning Catholic adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 63% of Republican and Republican-leaning Catholics say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. |
| Immigration | 91% of Catholic Democrats oppose expanding the wall along the US-Mexico border, while 81% of Catholic Republicans favor expanding the wall. |
| Perception of Biden's religiousness | 59% of Catholics say Biden is "very" or "somewhat" religious, with 72% of Democratic Catholics agreeing and 46% of Republican Catholics agreeing. |
| Perception of Trump's religiousness | 37% of Catholics say Trump is at least somewhat religious, with 63% of Republican Catholics agreeing and 10% of Democratic Catholics agreeing. |
| Approval of the Pope | 89% of US Catholics who are or lean Democrat approve of the Pope, while 63% of US Catholics who are or lean Republican approve of the Pope. |
| Support for legalized abortion | 6 out of 10 US Catholics support legalized abortion in all or most cases, with 63% of Hispanic Catholics and 59% of white Catholics approving. |
| Attendance at Mass | Catholics who attend Mass regularly are more inclined to say the church should take a traditional or conservative approach on questions about the priesthood and sexuality. |
| Views on the Church's teachings | Catholics who oppose deviation from the Church's teachings on contraception, priestly celibacy, women's ordination, holy Communion for unmarried cohabiting couples, and recognition of same-sex marriages are more likely to identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. |
| Views on social issues | Catholics who are conservative Republicans value tradition and community, while Catholics who are liberal Democrats are more inclined to oppose abortion. |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics' views on abortion
Catholics in the United States, who make up about one-fifth of the population, have diverse political opinions, even on topics where the Catholic Church has a clear stance. They are split down the middle politically, with nearly half identifying as Republicans or leaning towards the Republican Party, and the other half identifying as Democrats or leaning towards the Democratic Party. However, this varies among different ethnic groups. While most Hispanic Catholic voters identify as Democrats, the majority of White Catholic registered voters identify with or lean towards the Republican Party.
Historically, Catholics were staunch Democrats. Since the 1960s, however, the Catholic vote has become bipartisan. This shift is evidenced by the fact that Nixon received 33% of the Catholic vote in the 1968 election, which increased to 52% in 1972.
The Catholic Church has long been one of the foremost opponents of legal abortion, teaching that human life is sacred "from conception to natural death" and that unborn children have a "right to life". The Church's position on abortion is clear and has been consistent throughout history. It teaches that abortion is the killing of children before they are born and, therefore, should never be tolerated in a free society. It also teaches that victims of rape deserve immediate medical, emotional, and spiritual care, and that if a child is conceived during a rape, this child is just as innocent and precious as the woman who was victimized.
Despite the Catholic Church's formal opposition to abortion, the views of Catholic Americans are varied. A majority of Catholic Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, and they are more likely to believe that life begins at conception. By contrast, most Catholic Democrats and Democratic leaners say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, and they are less likely to believe that life begins at conception. Catholic women are more likely than Catholic men to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and they are also more likely to say that the decision about whether to have an abortion should belong solely to the pregnant woman.
Hispanic Catholics are slightly more approving of keeping abortion legal than White Catholics. Catholics who attend Mass regularly are among the country's strongest opponents of legal abortion, and they are also more likely to believe that life begins at conception and that a fetus has rights.
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Catholics' views on immigration
Catholics in the United States, who make up about one-fifth of the population, have diverse political opinions. While white and non-Hispanic Catholics tend to vote Republican, most Hispanic Catholic voters identify as Democrats.
Historically, Catholics were staunch Democrats, with the Democratic Party nominating a Catholic for president or vice president in every election since 1960, except for 1988. However, since the 1960s, the Catholic vote has become more bipartisan, with a significant number of Catholics abandoning the Democratic Party to support the Republicans. This shift was particularly evident during the Nixon-McGovern race and Ronald Reagan's presidential elections.
On the specific issue of immigration, Catholic Democrats and Republicans hold differing views. According to a 2019 survey, 91% of Catholic Democrats oppose expanding the wall between the US and Mexico, while 81% of Catholic Republicans favor it. Pope Francis has described the desire to build a border wall as "not Christian."
The Catholic Church has long been an advocate and protector of immigrants. Catholic teachings emphasize the need for a charitable response to immigrants, and the Church has consistently called for a just reform of the US immigration system. The Church recognizes the right of nations to regulate their borders but stresses that this must be balanced with upholding the sanctity of human life and respecting the dignity of all persons.
Catholic social teaching on immigration is guided by three basic principles:
- People have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families.
- A country's regulation of borders and control of immigration must be governed by concern for all people and by mercy and justice.
- Immigration policies should focus on protecting families, as they are the foundation of society.
Catholic organizations provide shelter, food, and legal assistance to immigrants, regardless of their legal status. They view their response as aligned with their faith and Jesus' command to love one another.
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Catholic voters' perceptions of Biden and Trump
Catholics in the United States, who make up around one-fifth of the population, hold a diverse range of political opinions, even on topics where the Catholic Church has taken a clear stance. While Catholics were once staunch Democrats, the Catholic vote has become bipartisan since the 1960s.
In the 2020 election, Catholic voters were almost evenly split, with 50% backing Trump and 49% favoring Biden, a longtime member of the faith. In the 2024 election, however, AP VoteCast found that 54% of Catholic voters supported Trump and 44% backed Harris, with a notable racial divide. About 6 in 10 white Catholics supported Trump, while about 6 in 10 Latino Catholics supported Harris.
The views of Catholic voters on Trump and Biden are sharply divided by religious partisanship. Overall, more Catholic voters perceive Biden to be religious than Trump, with 59% saying Biden is “very” or “somewhat” religious, compared to only 37% for Trump. This perception is influenced by party affiliation, with 72% of Democratic Catholics viewing Biden as religious, compared to only 46% of Republican Catholics. The gap is even wider for Trump, with 63% of Republican Catholics considering him religious, compared to only 10% of Democratic Catholics.
On specific policy issues, Catholic voters' perceptions of Biden and Trump are also influenced by their political party affiliation. For example, on abortion, 77% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning Catholic adults say it should be legal in all or most cases, while 63% of Republican and Republican-leaning Catholics say it should be illegal. This divide exists despite the Catholic Church’s formal opposition to abortion. Similarly, on immigration, 91% of Catholic Democrats oppose expanding the wall along the US-Mexico border, while 81% of Catholic Republicans favor it. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Pope Francis have condemned Trump’s plan for a border wall, with the Pope describing it as “not Christian.”.
In summary, Catholic voters' perceptions of Biden and Trump are shaped by a complex interplay of religious partisanship and specific policy issues. While Biden's Catholic faith may have influenced some voters, the Catholic vote is not monolithic, and the support for each candidate is influenced by a variety of factors, including race, ethnicity, and political priorities.
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Catholic voters' views on contraception, sexuality and the priesthood
US Catholics, who make up about one-fifth of the population, have diverse political opinions, even on topics where the Catholic Church has taken a clear stance. They are split down the middle politically, with nearly half describing themselves as Republicans or leaning toward the Republican Party, and roughly the same number identifying with or leaning toward the Democratic Party.
Contraception
The Catholic Church has long opposed birth control, associating it with promiscuity and adultery. However, in the 1930s, the Anglican Church and other Protestant denominations began to relax their prohibitions. In 1957, Church law allowed women with "irregular" cycles to take the Pill to regularize their cycles and better practice the rhythm method. When the birth control pill became available in 1960, many believed the Church was about to change its stance on contraception. The Vatican took eight years to determine its policy, and in the meantime, the Pill became the most popular method of birth control among American women, regardless of religion.
A 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that Catholic respondents had differing views on whether the Church should allow Catholics to "use birth control." Those who attended church at least once a week were 20 percentage points less likely to favour birth control than those who did not (54% vs. 74%).
Sexuality
The Catholic Church teaches that sexual activity outside of marriage is a grave sin, and that anyone "conscious of a grave sin" should not take Communion.
Priesthood
The Catholic Church considers the rule of celibacy for priests to be a "discipline" rather than a doctrine. It already allows married priests under certain circumstances, such as if a man was married before being ordained in an Eastern Catholic Church. However, allowing parish priests to get married and continue their duties would represent a significant change in the everyday life of the Church in the United States.
A 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that Catholic respondents had differing views on whether the Church should allow priests to marry, with those who attended church at least once a week being 20 percentage points less likely to favour the change than those who did not (49% vs. 69%).
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Catholic voters' views on the Pope
Catholics make up about one-fifth of the US population and hold a diverse range of political opinions. While there is no clear consensus on whether most Catholics lean Democrat or Republican, there are some trends that have emerged over the years.
Historically, Catholics were staunch Democrats, with the Democratic Party nominating a Catholic for president or vice president in every election since 1960, except for 1988. However, since the 1970s, non-Hispanic white Catholics have been voting majority Republican, while a majority of Hispanic or Latino Catholics have voted Democrat. This trend was particularly evident during the elections of Ronald Reagan, who won about half of the Catholic vote, including a significant number of "Reagan Democrats", who were largely non-Hispanic white, blue-collar Catholics.
In more recent years, the Catholic vote has continued to be split between the two major parties. In 2018 and 2019, Pew Research Center polls showed that around half of Catholic registered voters (48%) identified as Republicans or leaned towards the Republican Party, while roughly the same proportion (47%) identified with or leaned towards the Democratic Party.
When it comes to Catholic voters' views on the Pope, there is a notable partisan divide. While the majority of US Catholics, regardless of their partisan leanings, express favorable views of Pope Francis, there is a significant gap between the approval ratings among Catholic Democrats and Catholic Republicans. According to a survey by Pew Research Center, 89% of Catholic Democrats approve of the Pope, compared to 63% of Catholic Republicans. This gap has widened over time, with Catholic Republicans becoming more negative towards the Pope, possibly influenced by sex abuse scandals within the Church.
Despite the overall favorable views of Pope Francis among US Catholics, he has generally been viewed less positively than his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who enjoyed approval ratings of 90% or higher in polls between 1987 and 1996.
In terms of the impact of the Pope's views on Catholic voters' choices, Pope Francis has refrained from explicitly endorsing any US political candidates. However, he has stated that Catholic voters in the US must choose "the lesser evil" between candidates, according to their conscience. He has emphasized that both major candidates in recent elections hold "anti-life" views, referring to their stances on abortion and care for migrants.
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Frequently asked questions
There is no single "Catholic vote" and Catholics have a diverse range of political opinions. In the US, Catholics are sharply divided by party, with nearly equal shares of Catholic voters going to each party. However, a majority of white Catholics identify as Republicans, while a majority of Hispanic Catholics are Democrats.
Before the 1960s, Catholics were staunch Democrats. Since then, Catholic voting has become bipartisan, with a number of Catholics abandoning their affiliation with the Democratic Party and shifting towards the Republican Party. In recent years, Catholic voters have been split, with nearly equal shares going to each party.
Catholics who attend Mass regularly are more inclined than those who attend less frequently to say the church should take a traditional or conservative approach on questions about the priesthood and sexuality. They are also more likely to oppose abortion and support the Republican Party. Catholics who seldom or never attend Mass hold more progressive views and are more likely to identify with the Democratic Party.
