Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Tensions Between Some Tahoe Residents and Wildlife Workers Become Unbearable

19 hours ago

California Republican Leader Calls for ‘Two State Solution’ Amid Redistricting Fight

19 hours ago

Three Dead in Minneapolis Shooting, Including Shooter, Justice Department Official Says

21 hours ago

Israeli Tanks Close in on Gaza City, Trump to Chair Meeting

22 hours ago

Trump Says Soros and His Son Should Be Charged With RICO

22 hours ago

Wall Street Opens Muted in Countdown to Nvidia Earnings

22 hours ago

Fresno Leaders Voice ‘Full Support’ for Pismo’s Restaurant Manager in ICE Custody

2 days ago

Poll: Katie Porter Holds Early Edge in California Governor’s Race

2 days ago

Just 38% of Americans Support Trump’s Use of Troops to Police DC, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

2 days ago

California Farming Couple Seeks $300 Million for Aspen Estate

2 days ago
AP Exclusive: Most Mormons Back GOP, but Fewer Support Trump
By admin
Published 7 years ago on
December 2, 2018

Share

WASHINGTON — About two-thirds of Mormon voters nationwide favored Republicans in the midterm elections, but President Donald Trump’s approval rating among members of the faith lagged behind, according to a nationwide survey of midterm voters.
And as Republican Sen. Mitt Romney prepares to join the new Congress in January, most voters in the predominantly Mormon state of Utah — 64 percent — would like to see the senator confront the president, AP VoteCast found. About half of Romney’s supporters — including his Mormon supporters — said they would like to see the former Massachusetts governor stand up to Trump, while about as many indicated the senator should support Trump if elected.
The new data reaffirms Trump’s struggle to gain widespread acceptance among Mormons despite the faith’s deep-rooted conservative leanings.
Voters of other religious faiths such as evangelical Christians and Catholics are more consistent in their ratings of the president and vote choice. Across most other religious affiliations, about the same share voted for Republican candidates as said they approve of the president.

76 Percent Preferred Republican Congressional Candidates

That’s not the case with Mormons: 67 percent voted for Republicans, but 56 percent said they approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president. That’s according to an analysis of 1,528 Mormon voters based on data from VoteCast, a survey of more than 115,000 voters nationwide conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago. The data offers an unusual level of detail about the voting decisions of a sometimes misunderstood religion.

67 percent voted for Republicans, but 56 percent said they approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president.
Among Mormon voters in Utah, 76 percent preferred Republican congressional candidates, but only 56 percent said they approved of Trump.
By comparison, 8 in 10 white evangelical Christians nationwide voted for Republican candidates, and nearly as many (79 percent) said they approve of Trump. Among Catholics, nearly half voted for Republican candidates and said they approve of Trump (49 percent each).
Nationally, 45 percent of voters said they approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, while 55 percent disapprove.
Among Republican voters nationwide, 85 percent said they approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president.

Trying to Gain Acceptance Among Mormons and in Utah

Trump has struggled since he was a presidential candidate to gain acceptance among Mormons and in Utah, where the mostly Mormon electorate has long been uncomfortable with his brash style and his comments about women and immigrants.

According to VoteCast, a majority of Mormons said Trump does not have the right temperament to serve effectively as president (58 percent), while just about 4 in 10 (42 percent) said he does.
He won the deep-red state in the 2016 election, but many conservative voters cast ballots instead for third-party candidate Evan McMullin as Trump earned the lowest percentage of the vote among GOP presidential candidates since 1992.
Members of the religion, which forbids its members from using alcohol or tobacco and teaches that gay marriage and homosexual relationships are a sin, place a high value on manners, amiability and public diplomacy. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Utah-based faith that counts 6.6 million members in the United States.
According to VoteCast, a majority of Mormons said Trump does not have the right temperament to serve effectively as president (58 percent), while just about 4 in 10 (42 percent) said he does. Forty-six percent of Mormons said the president is honest and trustworthy.
Support for Trump among Mormons nationally was slightly lower among more educated members of the faith. College-educated Mormons were far more likely to vote for Republican candidates than to express approval of the president (73 percent versus 51 percent), while there is no significant gap among Mormons without a college degree (63 percent voted for Republicans, and 60 percent approve of Trump).
In this Friday, Nov. 2, 2018 photo, former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney shakes hands during the Lone Peak High School against Davis High School football game in Highland, Utah. Romney is stumping for fellow Republican candidates as he sails toward a likely victory Tuesday in the race for a U.S. Senate seat from Utah and an official return to public office. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Romney Is Widely Revered in Utah and by Mormons

By contrast, Romney is widely revered in Utah and by Mormons for being a high-profile member of the Mormon faith in America and for his work in turning around Salt Lake City’s 2002 Winter Olympics after a bribery scandal.
Romney captured 63 percent of the vote to win the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Orrin Hatch, also a Mormon. VoteCast showed about 8 in 10 Mormon voters in Utah backed Romney (83 percent).
Romney called Trump a “phony” and “con man” during the 2016 presidential race, but their relationship has since thawed. Trump backed Romney for the Senate seat, and Romney has avoided attacking Trump, instead vowing to work with the president on issues they agree on and voice his disagreements when they don’t. Just last week, Romney pushed back against Trump’s comments on Saudi Arabia, saying they are “inconsistent” with U.S. foreign policy.
Nearly two-thirds of Utah voters said they would like to see Romney continue to stand up to Trump (64 percent), compared with fewer who would like to see him support Trump (36 percent). Romney voters were divided: Half said they would want him to stand up to Trump, and half preferred he support Trump. Romney’s Mormon supporters, in particular, were also equally divided on whether he should stand up to Trump or support him.

A Mix of Compassion and Toughness on Immigration

While the state’s two U.S. senators and three of four of its U.S House members are Republican, Democrat Ben McAdams did unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Mia Love to flip the seat and become the first Democrat among Utah’s congressional delegation since 2014.

Just about half of Mormon voters said they approve of the president on his handling of immigration (52 percent) and border security (54 percent).
McAdams pitches himself to voters as a moderate, and not a typical Democrat, in a district that includes many Salt Lake City suburbs. He was among 16 Democrats who signed a letter vowing not to vote for Nancy Pelosi for House speaker.
VoteCast also illustrated Mormons’ preference for a mix of compassion and toughness on immigration.
Just about half of Mormon voters said they approve of the president on his handling of immigration (52 percent) and border security (54 percent). More say immigrants do more to help the country (55 percent) than hurt the country (41 percent). Nearly 7 in 10 Mormon voters — similar to the share of voters overall — also said immigrants should be offered a chance to apply for legal status, compared with about 3 in 10 saying they should be deported. Still, 54 percent of Mormons were in favor of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Hundreds of thousands of Mormons have served proselytizing missions around the world, making them more sensitive to Trump’s hard-line stances than other Republicans.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Israeli Official Accused of Nevada Sex Crime Ordered to Appear in Court via Zoom

DON'T MISS

Think You Can’t Afford College? Go Online and Get a CalKIDS Scholarship

DON'T MISS

US CDC Director Ousted Weeks Into Job

DON'T MISS

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Mario Garcia

DON'T MISS

Shooter Kills Two Minneapolis Schoolchildren in Church, Injures 17

DON'T MISS

Did Fresno Restaurateur Bobby Salazar Commit Arson? Feds Lay Out Their Case

DON'T MISS

Hanford Police Arrest Two Teens After Shootouts Leave 17-Year-Old Wounded

DON'T MISS

US CDC Director Being Ousted Weeks Into Job, Washington Post Reports

DON'T MISS

Israeli Foreign Minister Saar Says There Will Not Be a Palestinian State

DON'T MISS

All UN Security Council Members, Except US, Say Famine in Gaza Is ‘Man-Made Crisis’

UP NEXT

Trump’s Tax Bill Expands 0% Capital Gains Eligibility in 2025

UP NEXT

Second-Highest Unemployment Rate Still In California

UP NEXT

Trump Holds Gaza Policy Meeting With Blair and Kushner, White House Official Says

UP NEXT

Grand Jury Declines to Indict Man Arrested for Throwing Sandwich at US Agent, Source Says

UP NEXT

Planned Visit by US Envoy Sparks Protests in Southern Lebanon

UP NEXT

California’s Environmental Agency Investigated by US Justice Department

UP NEXT

Three Dead in Minneapolis Shooting, Including Shooter, Justice Department Official Says

UP NEXT

Trump Administration Plans to Take Control of Washington Union Station

UP NEXT

Trump Says Soros and His Son Should Be Charged With RICO

UP NEXT

Zohran Mamdani, Rapper Turned NYC Mayoral Frontrunner, Embraces Diverse Roots

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Mario Garcia

14 hours ago

Shooter Kills Two Minneapolis Schoolchildren in Church, Injures 17

14 hours ago

Did Fresno Restaurateur Bobby Salazar Commit Arson? Feds Lay Out Their Case

14 hours ago

Hanford Police Arrest Two Teens After Shootouts Leave 17-Year-Old Wounded

14 hours ago

US CDC Director Being Ousted Weeks Into Job, Washington Post Reports

15 hours ago

Israeli Foreign Minister Saar Says There Will Not Be a Palestinian State

15 hours ago

All UN Security Council Members, Except US, Say Famine in Gaza Is ‘Man-Made Crisis’

15 hours ago

Trump’s Tax Bill Expands 0% Capital Gains Eligibility in 2025

16 hours ago

Second-Highest Unemployment Rate Still In California

16 hours ago

Trump Holds Gaza Policy Meeting With Blair and Kushner, White House Official Says

16 hours ago

Israeli Official Accused of Nevada Sex Crime Ordered to Appear in Court via Zoom

An Israeli official accused of trying to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex outside Las Vegas has been ordered to appear via videolink next wee...

13 hours ago

The flag of the U.S. state Nevada is seen in this illustration taken, August 21, 2024. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
13 hours ago

Israeli Official Accused of Nevada Sex Crime Ordered to Appear in Court via Zoom

14 hours ago

Think You Can’t Afford College? Go Online and Get a CalKIDS Scholarship

Susan Monarez, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 25, 2025. (Reuters File)
14 hours ago

US CDC Director Ousted Weeks Into Job

Mario Garcia is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for August 27, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
14 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Mario Garcia

Law enforcement use K-9 dogs to search a nearby neighborhood, after a shooting at Annunciation Church, which is also home to an elementary school, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. August 27, 2025. REUTERS/Tim Evans
14 hours ago

Shooter Kills Two Minneapolis Schoolchildren in Church, Injures 17

Bobby Salazar motorcycle gang fire restaurant Blackstone fresno insurance fraud
14 hours ago

Did Fresno Restaurateur Bobby Salazar Commit Arson? Feds Lay Out Their Case

A 17-year-old boy was shot and wounded in Hanford, and police arrested two juvenile suspects in connection with the shootings. (Hanford PD)
14 hours ago

Hanford Police Arrest Two Teens After Shootouts Leave 17-Year-Old Wounded

Susan Monarez, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 25, 2025. (Reuters File)
15 hours ago

US CDC Director Being Ousted Weeks Into Job, Washington Post Reports

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend