evangelicals Archives - Dr. Rich Swier

The religious gap between Republicans and Democrats is bigger than ever, with two-thirds of Kamala Harris voters “seldom” or “never” attending church, an analysis of a new study found.

The “God gap,” the difference in worship between the parties, was determined using data collected by the Cooperative Election Study, according to political scientist Ryan Burge.

The study found that by the 2024 election, a majority of Trump voters had attended a religious service at least yearly, with 43% of Republicans reporting at least monthly attendance at a religious service.

In contrast, 44% of Harris voters reported “never” attending church, with another 21% reporting “seldom” attendance at religious services.

“For every Harris voter who attended church weekly in 2024, there were about four Harris voters who attended less than once a year,” Burge summarized. “If that’s not the God gap, I don’t know what is.”

However, Democrats and Republicans are both more removed from religious services than ever, according to the data.

Since 2008, the percentage of Republicans reporting at least yearly attendance at a religious service has dropped from 71% to 57%, with most of the difference attributed to an 11-point increase in those who “never” attend religious services and a 7-point decline in those who attend a religious service more than once a week.

“The other thing worth noting is that the share of Republican voters who attend weekly hasn’t really changed much; it’s the more-than-once-a-week people who have started to disappear,” Burge said, pointing out that Republicans are twice as likely to not go to church at present than in 2008.

Although GOP religiosity is at an all-time low, the “God gap” between the parties has never been greater.

In 2008, only 24% of Democrats “never” attended church, but that figure rose to 44% in 2024, with sharp declines in all other categories of religious service attendance.

Here’s the God Gap in one graph.

The share of Republicans who expressed an atheist/agnostic belief in God was 4% in 1988.

It was 4% in 2024.

For Democrats, that share went from 5% to 23% during the same time period. pic.twitter.com/z2IB5eTF9T

— Ryan Burge 📊 (@ryanburge) January 3, 2026

Burge also broke down the Cooperative Election Study’s reported religious makeup of the parties.

Since 2008, the Republican Party has seen a slight drop in support from mainline Christians, white Catholics and Latter-day Saints. During the same time frame, the party has gained increased support from white and nonwhite evangelicals, Black Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, atheists, agnostics and those identifying as “nothing in particular.”

Burge found that 42% of Trump’s votes came from the evangelical community. There is no more important voting bloc in the country than evangelicals if you are Republican. It’s basically impossible to win any race without their support,” he wrote.

“The only other group that really registers much at all are the ‘nothing in particular’ people,” Burge continued, citing that category’s growth in GOP representation from 8% to 12%.

Atheists and agnostics now make up only 5% of all GOP voters, with approximately 80% of Trump voters being Christian.

“To be even more specific, 70% came from white Christians,” Burge said. “The GOP is the party of white Christianity.”

Since 2008, the Democratic Party has lost support from white evangelicals, mainline Christians and Catholics. The party has received a small increase in support from nonwhite evangelicals and Jews, with most of its growth coming from those who identify as religious “nones.”

Burge concluded that the only reason Democrats are not getting “blown out in every election” is due to their support from atheists, agnostics and those who identify as “nones.”

“The GOP vote is 80% Christian and 17% nonreligious. The Democratic vote is 48% Christian and 45% nonreligious,” Burge summarized the current “God Gap,” adding that future elections will go the way of whatever party can “build a slightly bigger coalition without alienating their base.”

AUTHOR

Derek VanBuskirk

Reporter

RELATED ARTICLES:

How international law is weaponised against Israel

Jimmy Kimmel Credits Donald Trump In Acceptance Speech

‘Murder Masquerading As Medicine’: Senate Ignores Bill On CCP’s Christian Organ Harvesting

Presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump addressed evangelicals and faith-minded voters Saturday at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Road to Majority conference in Washington, D.C.

The crowd broke out into “U-S-A” chants as soon as Trump took the stage. Trump told the audience they “cannot afford to sit on the sidelines” and to “go and vote, Christians, please!” according to the Associated Press.

During his remarks, Trump repeated his support for displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools. This follows Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signing a universal school choice bill into law Wednesday, which includes a provision making the state the first to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Trump then spoke about Democrats who oppose the Ten Commandments being displayed in schools.

“Who likes the Ten Commandments going up in the schools?” Trump asked, prompting the audience to erupt with cheers and applause. “They think it’s such a bad thing. I said, ‘Thou shall.’ I mean, has anybody read this? Incredible stuff. It’s just incredible. They don’t want it to go up. It’s a crazy world.”

Other Republican speakers at the Conference included Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Trump took to social media earlier Friday to express his support for the Ten Commandments soon after the Louisiana bill was signed.

“I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND MANY OTHER PLACES, FOR THAT MATTER. READ IT — HOW CAN WE, AS A NATION, GO WRONG??? THIS MAY BE, IN FACT, THE FIRST MAJOR STEP IN THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION, WHICH IS DESPERATELY NEEDED, IN OUR COUNTRY. BRING BACK TTC!!! MAGA2024” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

After delivering his remarks in D.C., Trump held a rally in Philadelphia. The Republican candidate visited Tony and Nick’s Steak before taking the stage, signing merchandise and posing for pictures with supporters, who he embraced as “his people.”

Social media circulated video of Trump’s interaction with a young boy dressed as Trump who was reportedly “brought to tears,” according to Trump’s deputy director of communications, Margo Martin. Trump was also recorded signing gold campaign sneakers for law enforcement officers begore he departed on “Trump Force One.”

AUTHOR