Members of the Church of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) could become an important voting bloc in the swing state of Arizona if their antipathy toward former President Donald Trump persists.
President Joe Biden made gains among Mormons in Arizona during the 2020 election, but recent polls suggested he was losing momentum with the group. Now Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has set up a sign-up page for “Latter-day Saints for Harris-Walz.”
“So much is at stake in this election for our democracy, our freedoms, the rule of law, our culture and the free world. Register now to join Latter-day Saints for Harris-Walz,” the website says.
The number of volunteers for Latter-day Saints for Harris, formerly called Latter-day Saints for Biden, doubled within days of Biden suspending his re-election campaign. Axios. In the 2016 election, Mormons doubled their support for Biden compared to former President Bill Clinton. Nine percent of Mormons voted for Clinton, compared to 18 percent who voted for Biden in 2020.
Mormon support for Republicans fell from 80% in 2004 to 61% in 2016 as most other Christian groups moved further to the right.
“I think Trump in 2016 – there were questions not only among Mormons, but among other faith communities,” former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who is Mormon, told Politico in 2020. “I think Mormons in particular are starting to see him as a different type of candidate than they were in 2016 because he has a track record now,” referring to Trump’s stance against abortion and religious freedom.
On Tuesday, Rob Taber, the Latter-day Saint national director for Harris, hosted a conference call. Before the call, he said 2,400 people had confirmed they would attend.
“We’re a big tent,” Taber said. “You don’t have to agree with everything the Democratic Party has to say. This is definitely a place where the undecided can come and listen and hang out.”
“Many members of the Church really enjoy having an online home. When they vote for the Democratic candidate, they often feel a little lonely or outnumbered in their home wards or stakes or in their families. So if we can create a place that edifies them and also helps them get involved in the campaign, a lot of good can come from that,” Taber continued.
Those in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have a negative opinion of the former president could be a key voting bloc for the Harris-Walz ticket in the Grand Canyon State. There are more than 442,000 members of the Mormon Church in Arizona.
Two Utah Democratic politicians – State Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla and Rep. Brian King (D-UT) – as well as Mesa Republican Mayor John Giles joined the call.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Giles, a Latter-day Saint and leader of Arizona’s third-largest city, also supports Harris. In a statement published in Republic of Arizonahe supported Harris and urged his Republican colleagues to do the same.
“I believe my party has a moral and ethical responsibility to restore faith in our democratic institutions. In the spirit of the late Senator John McCain’s motto, ‘Country First,’ I urge other Republicans in Arizona to join me in putting country over party in this election and voting against Donald Trump,” Giles wrote.