Evangelicals Stay Republican as Other Religious Voters Shift Left
Fewer Evangelicals voting likely provided edge Democrats needed
White evangelical Christians continued to back Republican candidates overwhelmingly in the 2026 midterm elections, while Catholics and religiously unaffiliated voters favored Democrats, according to national voter-poll results. The problem was that fewer evangelicals voted than in 2024.
The share of voters identifying as white evangelical or born-again Christians fell to 17%, down from 23% in 2024, even as 82% of the group supported Republicans. The figures come from the 2026 Fox News Voter Poll, part of a national survey conducted by SSRS for a consortium of news organizations.
The decrease of 6% in white Evangelical participation in the election likely provided the narrow margin of opportunity Democrats needed to win
Protestants overall also leaned Republican, with 60% supporting GOP candidates and 39% backing Democrats. Catholics were nearly evenly divided: 50% voted Democratic and 49% Republican. Among voters with no religious affiliation, 78% supported Democrats and 20% Republicans. They accounted for 27% of the electorate, compared with 24% in 2024, according to exit-poll comparisons reported by Religion News Service. The decrease of 6% in white Evangelical participation in the election likely provided the narrow margin of opportunity Democrats needed in many races to take back the House, Senate and local races.
The only group which shifted towards Republicans were Jewish voters who made up 3% of the electorate. They remained more likely to support Democrats, with 68% backing Democratic candidates and 31% Republicans. That was a shift toward Republicans compared with 2024, when Democratic presidential candidates received between 74% and 78% of Jewish voters, depending on the poll.
The results show that the Republican advantage among white evangelicals remained strong, but that group represented a smaller portion of midterm voters. They didn’t show up as before.
Comparisons with 2024 also require care. The earlier figures measured presidential votes, while the 2026 results reflect midterm congressional voting; poll categories and methods can differ. The current Voter Poll combines interviews with voters who cast ballots in person and those who voted early or by mail.
The broader trend was not limited to religious affiliation. Democrats won 90% of Black voters, while white voters split evenly, with 49% supporting each party, according to the Fox poll. In 2024, Donald Trump won 57% of white voters, CBS News reported.
The shifts came as Democrats made gains in the midterms. Analysts interviewed by Religion News Service cautioned against treating the results as primarily a religious realignment. Political scientist Ryan Burge described the election as driven largely by economic concerns and dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.
–Alan Goforth
