President Bush Wins the Catholic Vote

November 4, 2004

Election results from Tuesday indicate that President Bush handily won the Catholic vote.  CNN and the national voter exit poll survey indicate that the President defeated Senator John Kerry outright among Catholics, 52%-47% (see link below for full results). A few items of interest from the data indicate the following:

• Catholics represented twenty-seven percent (27%) of all voters in this year's presidential election, for a total estimate of 31,065,769 voters;
• President Bush has decidedly improved his standing among Catholic voters since his 2000 election, when he lost the Catholic vote to former Vice President Al Gore, 47%-50%. The 2004 results of Bush 52%, Kerry 47% represent an eight (+8) point net gain for the President among Catholic voters since 2000;
• Among Catholics who attend mass weekly, the President increased his share of the vote further, winning 56%-43%;
• Yesterday's election marks the first time that a Republican presidential candidate has won the Catholic vote since 1988;
• This election marks that first time that a Catholic major party candidate for President has lost the Catholic vote.

Individual state results show similar or stronger results. For example, President Bush won the Catholic vote by comparatively larger margins in two states widely regarded as the two most important in this year's election: Florida and Ohio. On Election Day this year, Catholics comprised twenty-eight percent (28%) of all voters in Florida and twenty-six percent (26%) of all voters in Ohio. The results were as follows:

• FLORIDA CATHOLICS:     Bush 57%, Kerry 42% (among weekly mass-goers, Bush 66%, Kerry 34%);
• OHIO CATHOLICS:             Bush 55%, Kerry 44% (among weekly mass-goers, Bush 65%, Kerry 35%).

Clearly, the President's agenda of respect for human life, the sanctity of marriage, and a more hopeful America have resonated with Catholic voters. These results demonstrate that Catholic voters overwhelmingly chose their candidate this year based upon the issues, rather than mere imagery.