NPR

Democrats Have The Religious Left. Can They Win The Religious Middle?

Faith voters who have a mix of liberal and conservative values are up for grabs in the 2020 election. Democrats hope to win them over.
Democrats are hopeful they can mobilize a religious left to counter the religious right. But it's unclear whether that outreach will resonate with voters who make up the religious middle.

Exit polls from the 2016 presidential election suggest that only one of six white evangelical voters supported Hillary Clinton. It was the worst such performance of any recent Democratic nominee.

"She never asked for their votes," says Michael Wear, who directed religious outreach efforts for Barack Obama's successful reelection campaign in 2012.

Democrats this year are making a more determined effort to reach voters whose political preferences are driven in part by their religious faith. Two presidential candidates — Sen. Cory Booker and Mayor Pete Buttigieg — are recruiting faith advisers to help in their campaigns, and the Democratic National Committee

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