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Democrats are rapidly losing the trust of Christian voters across denominations, according to a new poll highlighting a widening values gap between the party and the nation’s faith communities.
Commissioned by progressive pastor Doug Pagitt and conducted by Change Research, the survey found that 75% of Christians have little or no trust in the Democratic Party, with 58% saying the party is actively hostile to Christianity and 54% saying the same of Democratic voters.
In stark contrast, 70% of respondents view the Republican Party as friendly to Christianity, with 72% saying the same of Republican voters.
The findings point to a significant political and cultural shift — and a growing liability for Democrats among voters who once helped shape their electoral base.
“You can’t be the majority party if you ignore the majority faith in this country,” Pagitt told TIME’s Philip Elliott. “We know there’s this tension in the party.”
According to Elliott, Democrats have “long struggled to make a space for faith within the party,” citing a belief among consultants and activists that religion undermines the “party’s brand of inclusivity.”
He added, “For millions of voters who hold their faith as a core piece of identity, this has created a political stumbling block.”
Meanwhile, Pagitt contrasted the Democratic sentiment with the Republican Party.
“Republicans have made a concerted effort. Democrats have done everything they can never to name that identity,” he said. “They have a built-in bias against these identities in the Democratic Party.”
The data reflects a longer-term trend.
Following President Donald Trump’s 2024 win, multiple exit polls show that Trump “won the Catholic vote by a wide margin… posting the strongest performance among Catholics for a Republican nominee since Ronald Reagan,” CatholicVote reported at the time.
The survey, which polled more than 1,700 self-identified Christians, suggests Democrats are facing a deepening credibility crisis with a significant number of voters. As Pagitt said of the party, “They squandered it… They just walked away.”
