{"id":694866,"date":"2026-10-13T12:04:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T16:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&p=694866"},"modified":"2026-10-13T12:04:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T16:04:36","slug":"religious-groups-differ-widely-in-their-2026-midterm-preferences","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/10\/13\/religious-groups-differ-widely-in-their-2026-midterm-preferences\/","title":{"rendered":"Religious Groups Differ Widely in Their 2026 Midterm Preferences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

White evangelical Protestant and White Catholic registered voters prefer Republican candidates over Democratic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. Registered voters in every other religious group we can analyze either are split roughly evenly or favor Democratic candidates in this year\u2019s midterm elections, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, registered voters are more likely to support Democratic candidates<\/a> than Republican ones. And registered voters who support Democratic candidates are more engaged in the election and more motivated to vote than those who back Republican candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a complete analysis of the survey results, read \u201c<\/em>With Americans in a Sour Mood, Democratic Voters Are More Engaged in Midterms<\/em><\/a>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey, conducted Sept. 28-Oct. 4, also finds that President Donald Trump\u2019s approval ratings among members of every religious group we can study are among the lowest of his second term. Even religious groups who have traditionally been his strongest supporters see him less favorably than they used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this research<\/summary>\n

This Pew Research Center analysis looks at midterm vote preferences and views of President Donald Trump across a variety of religious groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. We have studied religion\u2019s role in politics<\/a> for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We surveyed 5,062 U.S. adults, including 3,917 registered voters, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, 2026. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel. The survey represents the views of the full U.S. adult population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the survey questions used for this analysis<\/a>, the detailed responses<\/a> and the survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Which religious groups are most likely to support Republicans or Democrats?<\/h4>\n\n\n
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White evangelicals are the only group of registered voters in which a majority prefer GOP House candidates <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Among all registered voters, % who say that if the election were held today, they would vote for the ___ for U.S. House of Representatives in their district<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Note: Based on registered voters. White and Black adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic; Hispanics are of any race. In most cases, the survey used geographic information that respondents provided to show them the names and party affiliations of the candidates running in their congressional districts. Refer to the topline<\/a> for more details.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2026.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t