Regular churchgoers favor Romney, Pew poll shows

April 20, 2012

A new poll of American voters by the Pew Research Center finds that presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney holds a substantial edge over incumbent President Barack Obama among voters who attend religious services regularly.

Among Americans of all faiths who worship weekly or more, Romney leads Obama by a commanding margin of 56 to 38%. Among those who worship less frequently, the numbers are almost exactly reversed, with Obama leading 56 to 37%.

Romney holds an edge among Catholic voters, by 50 to 45%, the Pell survey showed. Among white non-Hispanic Catholics the Republican candidate’s lead is more pronounced: 57 to 37%.

But again the preference for Romney is much stronger among regular churchgoers. White non-Hispanic Catholics who attend Mass weekly (or more often) favor Romney by an overwhelming 64 to 31%; among those who attend Mass less often, his lead drops to 51 to 34%.

The Republican candidate is also favored by Protestants, by 51 to 43%. He holds a commanding lead among white non-Hispanic Evangelicals: 73 to 20%. Even among white mainline Protestants, Romney is favored by 50 to 42%.

But the Pew poll shows a stunning preference for Obama among African-American Evangelicals; the figure shows Obama monopolizing support in that group by a staggering 96 to 0%.

 

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Further information:

• With Voters Focused on Economy, Obama Lead Narrows (Pew Research Center)