For Immediate Release: November 6, 2020
Contact: Lee Morrow, [email protected], 202-601-7871

Catholic Lobby: Multi-Issue Catholic Voters Drive Trump Out of Office

Sr. Simone: “We are multi-issue voters who reject the divisive and harmful politics of Donald Trump.”

Early Exit Polls Show President Trump Losing Catholic Vote By 4 Points

WASHINGTON, D.C. – It is clear that Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris have won the popular vote and will soon secure the electoral votes needed to become our nation’s next President and Vice President. Multi-issue Catholics have voted in record numbers all over our nation, including in battleground states, to end the failed presidency of Donald Trump. Multi-issue Catholic voters rejected President Trump’s politics of racism, hatred, and division. The exit polling shows President Trump losing the Catholic vote by as much as 4%. In Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, Catholic voters likely decided the election by choosing Vice President Biden and Senator Harris to lead our country.

Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice issued the following statement:

“Catholics are not single issue voters, and that’s why Vice President Biden is winning this election. Our community looked at the entirety of Donald Trump’s divisive and harmful record and chose to elect leaders who will govern with empathy and concern for the most marginalized. Catholics rejected racism, hatred, and division and embraced the politics championed by Pope Francis – a politics of love and inclusion.

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in American history. When President Trump leaves office in January, he will leave behind a battered country, a biased court system, and a bitter divide in many parts of our nation.  It is up to all of us to fix what Donald Trump has broken. Unlike his administration, we are confident that a President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will listen to the full breadth of equally sacred values that multi-issue Catholic voters hold dear.

“So do not turn away from the pain and sadness of what Donald Trump has wrought. Allow it to break your heart. When our hearts have been broken open, nothing can stop us. The faithful way forward is together. We congratulate Vice President Joseph Biden and Senator Kamala Harris on their imminent victory, and we look forward to working together to create a more perfect union, caring for those who were too often left out of the Trump administration’s care.”

In August, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice encouraged its members to vote against President Trump, telling members in a statement: “Catholics cannot be true to their faith and vote for Donald Trump in November.” The group also announced the release of its Equally Sacred Scorecard for Catholic voters. This scorecard compares President Trump’s and Vice President Biden’s positions on the issues that Pope Francis names as “equally sacred” to the defense of the unborn, including caring for immigrants and ending economic inequality.

From September through October, NETWORK’s Nuns on the Bus: Who We Elect Matters tour took this message on the virtual road, hosting 63 events in communities across the country in states where the Catholic vote was critical to the defeat of Donald Trump. Throughout the election, NETWORK’s Pope Francis Voter campaign ran digital ads in English and Spanish that were seen over 8 million times by almost 2.5 million Catholic swing voters in battleground states.

The Catholic Sisters and activists of NETWORK are grateful for all of the tireless election officials who helped ensure an accurate count. In this historic election, the nation relied on local governments and volunteers to do this critical work of democracy.

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NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice – advocates for justice inspired by Catholic Sisters – educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation. They have a nearly 50-year track record of lobbying for critical federal programs that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good. www.networklobby.org