2004 Elections

November's election results indicate President Bush handily won the Catholic vote.

In 2000, Al Gore won the Catholic vote. A few items of interest this year:

• Among Catholics who attend Mass weekly, the president won 56% to 43%.

• Even counting all self-described Catholics, President Bush improved his standing since the 2000 election, when he lost the self-described Catholic vote to former vice president Al Gore, 47% to 50%. The 2004 results — Bush 52%, Kerry 47% — represent an eight-point net gain for the president among Catholic voters since 2000.

• This election marks the first time that a Republican presidential candidate has won the Catholic vote since 1988.

• This election marks the first time that a Catholic major-party candidate for president has lost the Catholic vote.

Individual state tallies show similar or stronger results. For example, President Bush won the Catholic vote by comparatively larger margins in two states widely regarded as the two most important in this year's election: Florida and Ohio.

On Election Day this year, Catholics comprised 28% of all voters in Florida and 26% of all voters in Ohio. The results were as follows:

• Florida Catholics: Bush 66%, Kerry 34% (or, including those who aren't weekly Mass-goers, Bush 57%, Kerry 42%).

• Ohio Catholics: Bush 65%, Kerry 35% (including those who don't go to Mass weekly, Bush 55%, Kerry 44%).

Our thanks to Priests for Life for these numbers.