Joshua Bennett
The Catholic vote in the United States has been a topic of interest for many years. Since the 1960s, the Catholic vote has become bipartisan, with Catholics comprising a quarter of the nation's electorate and one of the country's largest swing groups. In recent years, the Catholic vote has swung back and forth between Republican and Democratic candidates, with Donald Trump receiving 53% of the Catholic vote in 2024, a slight increase from 2020 and 2016. While the Catholic vote has traditionally been majority Democratic, there has been a shift towards the Republican Party among non-Hispanic white Catholics since the 1970s, with 57% identifying with or leaning towards the Republican Party as of 2018-2019. On the other hand, a majority of Hispanic Catholic voters (68%) identify as Democrats or lean Democratic.
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What You'll Learn
White Catholics and the Republican Party
Since the 1960s, the Catholic vote in the United States has been bipartisan. While Catholics have traditionally been affiliated with the Democratic Party, a shift towards the Republican Party began in the 1960s and 1970s, with Nixon receiving 33% of the Catholic vote in 1968 and 52% in 1972. This shift was particularly pronounced among non-Hispanic white Catholics, who have voted majority Republican since the 1970s. In 1980, Ronald Reagan won about half of the Catholic vote, with the support of many non-Hispanic white, blue-collar Catholics.
In recent years, the Catholic vote has continued to be split between the Republican and Democratic candidates, with Catholics narrowly backing Republican George W. Bush in 2004, Democrat Barack Obama in 2008, and Republican Donald Trump in 2016. According to Pew Research Center polls in 2018 and 2019, around half of Catholic registered voters (48%) identified as Republicans or leaned towards the Republican Party, while 47% identified with or leaned towards the Democratic Party. However, there are differences within the Catholic population, with white Catholic registered voters more likely to identify with or lean towards the Republican Party (57%) compared to Hispanic Catholic voters (35%).
The 2020 election between Joe Biden, the fourth Catholic major-party nominee in US history, and Donald Trump, saw a slight shift among Catholic voters. While Trump received 50% of the Catholic vote in 2016, Edison exit polls estimated that only 47% of Catholic voters supported him in 2020, while 52% voted for Biden. This shift may have been influenced by Biden's Catholicism and his deviation from Catholic doctrine on moral issues, although the impact of religion on the election outcome is complex and difficult to determine.
In summary, while the Catholic vote in the United States has been traditionally associated with the Democratic Party, there has been a notable shift towards the Republican Party, particularly among non-Hispanic white Catholics. In recent years, the Catholic vote has been split between the two major parties, with some fluctuations from year to year. The impact of religion on voting behaviour is complex and influenced by various factors, including policy issues, economic concerns, and the personal religiousness of the candidates.
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Hispanic Catholics and the Democratic Party
Since the 1960s, the Catholic vote in the United States has been bipartisan. While Catholics were solidly Democratic before 1964, with 80-90% of them voting for the party, a shift began in the 1960s and 1970s, with a number of Catholics abandoning the Democratic Party to support the Republican Party. This shift is evidenced by the fact that Nixon received 33% of the Catholic vote in the 1968 election compared to 52% in 1972.
Since the 1970s, non-Hispanic white Catholics have voted majority Republican, while a majority of Hispanic or Latino Catholics have voted Democrat. In the 1980 election, Ronald Reagan won about half of the Catholic vote and a majority of non-Hispanic white Catholics. Reagan Democrats, many of whom were non-Hispanic white, blue-collar Catholics, comprised 25% of the Democrats who voted for Reagan.
In recent presidential elections, Catholic voters have swung back and forth between the Republican and Democratic candidates. In 2016, 52% of Catholics backed Republican Donald Trump while 44% voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton. In 2008, Catholics chose Democrat Barack Obama over Republican John McCain by a margin of 54% to 45%.
According to data collected in 2018 and 2019, two-thirds of Catholic registered voters are White, while a quarter are Hispanic. Nearly six-in-ten White Catholic registered voters (57%) identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, marking a big shift since 2008 when four-in-ten (41%) supported the GOP. Most Hispanic Catholic voters (60%-68%), meanwhile, identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, a share that has remained fairly stable in the past decade.
On specific policy issues, Catholics are often more aligned with their political party than with the teachings of their church. On abortion, for example, 77% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning Catholic adults say they think 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, according to a 2019 survey. This divide exists despite the Catholic Church’s formal opposition to abortion. On immigration, 91% of Catholic Democrats oppose expanding the wall along the border between the U.S. and Mexico, while 81% of Catholic Republicans favor expanding the wall, according to a separate 2019 survey.
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Catholic voters in recent elections
Catholics represent a significant portion of the American electorate, and their voting preferences have shifted over time. In recent elections, Catholic voters have swung back and forth between Republican and Democratic candidates, with their choices influenced by various factors such as religious affiliation, racial and ethnic identity, and policy issues.
Historically, Catholics in the United States tended to align with the Democratic Party. From the onset of significant immigration in the 1840s, the Catholic Church in the US was predominantly urban, with both its leaders and congregants usually from the laboring classes. Over time, nativism, anti-Catholicism, and anti-unionism became associated with the Republican Party, further pushing Catholics toward the Democrats.
However, since the 1960s, the Catholic vote has become more bipartisan. In the 1968 election, Nixon received 33% of the Catholic vote, which increased to 52% in 1972. This shift was particularly notable among non-Hispanic white Catholics, who have voted majority Republican since the 1970s. In 1980, Ronald Reagan won about half of the Catholic vote, including a majority of non-Hispanic white Catholics.
In recent years, the Catholic vote has continued to be divided between the two major parties. According to Pew Research Center polls in 2018 and 2019, around half of Catholic registered voters (48%) identified as Republicans or leaned Republican, while 47% identified with or leaned toward the Democratic Party. In the 2016 presidential election, 52% of Catholics backed Republican Donald Trump, while 44% voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Racial and ethnic identity play a significant role in shaping Catholic voting preferences. White Catholic registered voters have increasingly leaned toward the Republican Party, with 57% identifying as Republicans or leaning Republican in recent years. On the other hand, most Hispanic Catholic voters (68%) identify as Democrats or lean Democratic. This divide was evident in the 2016 election, where 64% of White Catholics voted for Trump, while 78% of Hispanic Catholics voted for Clinton.
Policy issues and religious values also influence Catholic voters' choices. On abortion, for example, there is a clear divide between Democratic and Republican Catholics, with the former more likely to support abortion rights. Additionally, Catholic voters who attend religious services more frequently are more likely to identify as Republicans or lean Republican (61%) compared to those who attend less often (47%).
In the 2020 election, Joe Biden, a Catholic himself, received 52% of the Catholic vote, according to Edison exit polls. This represented a slight increase from the 46% received by Clinton in 2016. However, other estimates showed an almost even split between Biden and Trump among Catholic voters.
In summary, Catholic voters in recent elections have been split between the Republican and Democratic parties, with racial and ethnic identity, religious affiliation, and policy issues all playing a role in shaping their voting preferences.
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Catholic voters and abortion
The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is a grave evil and is never acceptable at any stage of pregnancy. However, the views of Catholic voters on abortion are varied and often influenced by their political affiliations.
A 2025 EWTN News/RealClear Opinion Research poll found that only 9% of US Catholic voters believe that abortion should never be permitted under any circumstance, reflecting the official position of the Catholic Church. In contrast, 18% of Catholic voters said that abortion should be available to a woman at any time during her pregnancy. The same poll also revealed that a majority of Catholic voters (82%) support some form of restriction on abortion, with 32% favouring abortion only in cases of rape, incest, or to save the woman's life.
Catholic voters' views on abortion are often influenced by their political affiliations. A 2019 survey found that 77% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning Catholic adults believe 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. This divide was also evident in the 2020 US presidential election, where 65% of Hispanic Catholic registered voters, who predominantly identify as Democrats, supported Joe Biden, while 54% of White Catholic registered voters, who lean more Republican, supported Donald Trump.
The Catholic Church's position on abortion has been a topic of debate within the Church's hierarchy, with some bishops prioritising abortion as a "preeminent priority" for Catholic voters in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election. However, Pope Francis, in his 2018 apostolic exhortation on holiness, emphasised that while the defence of the unborn is crucial, the lives of those already born are "equally sacred," highlighting other issues such as human trafficking, poverty, and euthanasia.
In summary, while the Catholic Church officially opposes abortion, Catholic voters hold diverse views on the issue, often influenced by their political affiliations. The Church's hierarchy has prioritised abortion as a key issue for Catholic voters, but Pope Francis has also emphasised the importance of other social and moral concerns.
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Catholic voters and religion
The Catholic vote in the United States has been a significant factor in shaping the country's political landscape, with Catholics making up around 30% of the US Congress as of 2019. Since the 1960s, Catholic voters have become increasingly bipartisan, with their votes split between the two major parties. The Catholic Church played a prominent role in shaping America's labour movement, particularly among immigrant communities in the 1800s and early 1900s. During this period, Catholics often faced nativist and anti-Catholic sentiments, which pushed them towards the Democratic Party.
In recent decades, there has been a notable shift among Catholic voters, with a growing number identifying with or leaning towards the Republican Party. This trend is particularly pronounced among White Catholic voters, with around 57% identifying as Republicans or leaning Republican. This shift may be influenced by the increasing association of White evangelical Protestants with the GOP, as well as the decline in religious affiliation among Democrats.
Hispanic Catholic voters, on the other hand, have traditionally voted majority Democrat, with around 68% identifying as Democrats or leaning Democratic. However, there are indications that this may be changing, with some sources noting a shift among Hispanic Catholics towards the Republican Party, particularly in the 2024 election. This shift may be influenced by economic concerns and a perception of support for family values, although it is worth noting that a majority of Hispanic Catholics still voted for Kamala Harris in 2024.
The impact of a candidate's religion on Catholic voters is complex and varies depending on the individual and the specific election. While John F. Kennedy's Catholicism may have contributed to his narrow victory in the 1960 election, Joe Biden's Catholicism in 2020 did not result in a substantial increase in support among Catholic voters. Biden faced opposition from Catholics due to his deviation from Catholic doctrine on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.
Overall, the Catholic vote in the United States is diverse and influenced by a range of factors, including religious affiliation, race, and specific policy issues. While there have been shifts towards the Republican Party in recent years, particularly among White Catholics, the Catholic vote remains split between the two major parties, reflecting the complexities of religious and political identity in the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
52% of Catholics voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, while 44% voted for Hillary Clinton.
According to Pew Research Center polls in 2018 and 2019, 48% of Catholic registered voters identify as Republicans or lean towards the Republican Party. However, this varies depending on the frequency of religious service attendance, with 61% of Catholic voters who attend services monthly or more often identifying as Republicans or leaning Republican, while among less frequent attenders, 47% align with the GOP.
Since the 1960s, the Catholic vote has become bipartisan. In the 1960s and early 1970s, many Catholics abandoned their traditional affiliation with the Democratic Party and began to support the Republican Party. This shift is evidenced by Nixon receiving 33% of the Catholic vote in the 1968 election compared to 52% in 1972. Since the 1970s, non-Hispanic white Catholics have voted majority Republican, while a majority of Hispanic or Latino Catholics have voted Democrat.
