Evangelical Christians are twice as likely to say they will vote for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump than for Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a study released Thursday, the latest evidence that a key bulwark of support for Trump has not seriously flagged since the 2020 campaign.
Despite some frustrations with Trump, 61% of likely evangelical voters surveyed by Lifeway Research said they’d back him in the coming election, compared to 31% who pledged support for Harris – results that differ little from those of a similar study in 2020.
(READ MORE: A tragic retreat’: Evangelicals balk as abortion takes back seat in Trump’s GOP)
Among Christians more generally, the presidential race is far closer, though the study found a plurality of Christian churchgoers – 49% – backed Trump.
Meanwhile, Trump retained especially potent support among white evangelicals, with 77% telling researchers they planned to back him. The findings echo those of the Pew Research Center, which earlier this month found that 82% of white evangelical registered voters backed Trump.
Both studies were conducted around the same time frame, in the weeks prior to the Sept. 10 debate. National polls show the presidential race to be close.
Tennessee has among the highest proportion of Christian evangelicals in the nation. The Nashville-based Lifeway Research said in the study it defined as “evangelical” those who responded affirmatively to four statements:
– The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.
– It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.
– Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.
– Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.
Researchers found the economy remains the issue around which likely voters – evangelical or not – were most likely to say they would cast their ballot.
Evangelicals stood out, however, for their stated prioritization of immigration, foreign policy and religious freedom. Meanwhile, they were less likely than nonevangelical voters to say climate change or personal character were important issues.
Studies have found support for Harris to be far higher than for Trump among members many non-Christian religious groups, as well as religiously unaffiliated people like atheists. (Pew found that atheists are more likely than other significant religious subgroups to see abortion as a “very important” issue.)
(READ MORE: Evangelicals sue IRS, seeking to forge new era)
Trump has been criticized by evangelicals leaders for, among other things, seeming to soften his stance on abortion and same-sex marriage.
Meanwhile, according to The Associated Press, members of groups like “Evangelicals for Harris” have touted what they say is Harris’s pro-family platform, citing proposals like the child tax credit. Among Black evangelicals, 78% told Lifeway Research they planned to support Harris.
Still, among U.S. evangelicals as a whole, such views remain in the clear minority.
Contact Andrew Schwartz at aschwartz@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.