As the mid-term elections approach, many Catholic Americans are reevaluating their voting
choices as they face issues such as abortion, inflation, and education. The Catholic vote could
potentially influence a shift in control of government, this November.
One major issue for Catholic voters is the ailing economy and inflation. Many express little to no
confidence in the Biden administration’s ability to solve the problem.
As for the Inflation Reduction Act, recently signed by the president, Catholics express a lack of
confidence that it will reduce inflation. A majority of Catholics (54%) say they don’t have much
or any confidence that it will reduce inflation, while 37% say they have a great deal or some
confidence, and the rest are not sure. (National Catholic Register)
The aftereffect on education of the COVID-19 pandemic is another factor influencing the
Catholic vote. The gaps in social and educational development in students caused by the
lockdowns are raising concerns in many Catholic parents.
One other area of concern to Catholics is that of education, especially in the aftermath of the
COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that impacted schools across the country. Three-
quarters of Catholics said they are concerned about a “COVID deficit” in schoolchildren that
has caused them to have lost significant intellectual and social development; around 17% said
they were not concerned, and 10% said they were not sure. (National Catholic Register)
In addition to having concerns over the state of education after the pandemic, a significant
number of Catholic voters are leaning toward school choice, a policy that enjoys little support
among Democrats. Catholic parents are more likely to want legislation that enables states to lend
financial assistance to the schools they deem best for their children; be they public, private, or
religious. The promotion of so-called transgender ‘rights’ and including critical race theory in
school curricula have also raised concerns.
On the issue of abortion, a majority of Catholics supports some sort of restriction on the
procedure. In the aftermath of recent attacks on crisis pregnancy centers and Catholic pro-life
activists, support for abortion restrictions could intensify.
Although traditionally, Catholic Americans have tended to vote Democrat, the many issues that
have begun to raise concerns among them are beginning to make many of them reconsider their
position.
Among Catholic voters, 47% see Democrats in Congress as favorable (compared with 53% in
2020), and 49% see them as unfavorable (compared with 47% in 2020). Republicans are just as
unpopular, but their numbers haven’t changed since 2020. (Catholic News Agency)
