Campaign 2006

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has assembled a variety of resources on religion and the 2006 election, including reports, event transcripts, and polling data.

Pew Forum and Pew Research Center Resources | Advocacy Groups

Pew Forum and Pew Research Center Resources

Religion and the 2006 Elections
Exit polls show that the religious divide that has come to characterize American politics persisted in the 2006 election; white evangelicals and those who attend church frequently continued to support Republicans by large margins, while secular voters and infrequent churchgoers were similarly lopsided in their support of Democrats.

Split State Decisions on 'Culture War' Issues
Voters in South Dakota on Tuesday rejected what would have been the nation's most restrictive law against abortion, and Arizona became the first state to defeat a ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage.

Event Transcript: In Pursuit of Values Voters
With the Nov. 7 elections, approaching, the Forum brought together three respected observers of religion and party politics to compare GOP success in capitalizing on gay marriage and other social issues in 2004 with Democrats' increasing appeals to faith and "the common good" this election season.

Poll Report: Many Americans Uneasy with Mix of Religion and Politics
A July 2006 survey by the Pew Forum shows that the Democratic Party continues to face a "God problem," with just 26% of Americans saying the party is friendly to religion. However, the proportion of Americans who say the Republican Party is friendly to religion has fallen from 55% to 47% in the past year.

Poll Report: Pragmatic Americans Liberal and Conservative on Social Issues
Americans cannot be easily characterized as conservative or liberal on today's most pressing social questions, according to a July 2006 poll by the Pew Forum. Despite talk of "culture wars" and the high visibility of activist groups on both sides of the cultural divide, the survey finds that there has been no polarization of the public into liberal and conservative camps.

Backgrounder: Do Democrats Have a "God Problem"?
A July 2006 backgrounder looks at Pew Forum data and suggests that public perceptions may spell trouble for the Democrats as the Party continues to struggle with religion.

Transcript: Religion, Moral Values and the Democratic Party
At a May 2006 Pew Forum event, William A. Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former adviser to President Clinton, discussed the past half-century of American politics through the prism of religion. Galston also examined the causes and consequences of political polarization and the demographic trends that will shape the 2006 and 2008 elections.

Publication: A Faith-Based Partisan Divide
The Pew Forum's chapter from Trends 2005, a Pew Research Center publication, examines the role of faith in the 2004 presidential election and the potential implications for American political parties.

Poll Analysis: Evangelicals and the GOP: An Update
An October 2006 Pew Research Center poll shows that evangelicals, like other voters, have been affected by the broader wave of voter disillusionment with President Bush and the Republican Party. Evangelicals remain the party's most supportive group, but at levels significantly diminished from where they were in the 2002 and 2004 elections.

Poll Report: November Turnout May Be High
An October 2006 poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press suggests that turnout in the 2006 midterm election may well be higher than normal, given the level of interest expressed by voters. The difference this year is due to record-high levels of Democratic enthusiasm about the election. Currently, 59% of Democratic voters say they have given a lot of thought to this election, up from 46% at this point in the 2002 election.

Stateline.org: Elections
Interactive updates on the 2006 election cycle from all 50 states

Political and Religious Groups

Christian Alliance for Progress
Christian Coalition
Democratic National Committee
Faithful Democrats
Family Research Council
The Moral Majority Coalition
National Association of Evangelicals
National Jewish Democratic Council
Religion Action Center of Reform Judaism
Republican National Committee
TheocracyWatch