Early voting begins this week for the 2024 U.S. presidential election. According to a Pew Research poll conducted among Catholics in the U.S. from August to September 2024, 52% of Catholic voters lean toward former President Donald Trump as their candidate.
The data shows that 57% of male Catholics are inclined to support Trump, compared to 42% for Vice President Kamala Harris. Among female Catholics, 46% said they would vote for Trump, while 53% said they would cast their vote for Harris. Additionally, women aged 18 to 49 favor Harris at 55%, with Trump receiving 43% support.
Last month, Pope Francis was asked on the papal plane to give advice to American Catholics regarding the election. Although the Holy Father did not name specific candidates, he said, “Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies.”
“In political morality, in general they say that if you don’t vote, it’s not good, it’s bad. You have to vote, and you have to choose the lesser evil,” the Pope said. “What is the lesser evil? That woman, or that man? I don’t know. Each one, in their conscience, must think.”
With this political reality in mind, FCNews wanted to better understand how Catholic women are approaching the nation’s historic election. So we asked them. Here’s what we found.
Which candidate do you consider the most pro-woman and why?
“Neither. Trump doesn’t care and Harris supports inherently anti-women policies like abortion,” said a 24-year-old paralegal from West Virginia who also said she is voting for Trump.
“Kamala Harris. She speaks with kindness about women. She understands and can empathize; she is respectful, intelligent, and highly educated,” said McKenzie, a 30- year-old from North Dakota. “Trump speaks so abhorrently about women, mothers, immigrants, poor people, and POC. Trump is the antithesis of my faith, morals, and beliefs.”
“Of the two major candidates, Kamala Harris is more pro-woman, but it doesn’t take much to beat Trump on that. I can’t in good conscience vote for either of them,” said Katie Kaczmarski, a 39-year-old mom and UX Designer from Maryland.
“Pro-life is pro-woman. I said that if Trump put pro-life judges on the Supreme Court, my vote would have been worth it, and it was,” said Rebecca, a 32-year-old birth doula and mom from North Carolina.
“I don’t consider either of them pro-women,” said a 28-year-old director of communications, who also said she is voting for Trump.
“Harris indirectly lowers abortions, directly supports resources, healthcare, support for women,” said a 47-year-old social worker from Arizona.
A 24-year-old non-profit program coordinator is voting for “Trump because he doesn’t support abortion as far in gestation,” she said.” “I think he’d be more open to restorative reproductive medicine as an approach to fertility issues and I think his IVF comments were purely political to capture more Gen Z and millennial women who think he’s anti-woman.”
“Harris, because she is a woman,” will get the vote of a 30-year-old data analyst. “I see Trump as vehemently anti-woman because of the language he uses and because he’s been accused of rape and sexual assault.”
“Neither. But Trump has more ‘whole person,’ policies,” said Sarah, a 40-year-old mom from Arizona.
Some Catholics, dissatisfied with the mainline candidates, are opting for a third-party candidate. Stratton DeWitt-Coleman, a 27-year-old business owner and professional ballroom dancer from Pennsylvania, supports the American Solidarity Party presidential nominee Peter Sonski.
She is voting for him because he “Promotes a thoroughly pro-life approach, believes in thoroughly funding true women's healthcare, pro-family policies including subsidies for at-home parents, expansion of support for victims of domestic and sexual violence, greater access to higher education for all people, the inclusion of fertility awareness based curriculum in educational health programming, acknowledges continued discrimination against women in the workplace.”
What else we heard:
“I am abstaining from the vote to protest the slaughter and dehumanization of Palestinians. I can’t in good conscience, even if it is not ‘politically moral,’ vote for either candidate. They are both dangerous in their own terrifying ways.”
“I’m voting for Trump because killing babies is wrong, our border should be secure, living should be affordable, our schools should return to excellence, our cities should be safe, and our children should not be taught to mutilate their bodies.”
“You can be a Catholic and vote Democrat. Neither party is wholly pro-life according to the tenants of our faith. Don’t let anyone shame you for voting for kindness and empathy. I’ve never felt more vitriol and hate from others than from the people of my own faith when it comes to Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party.”
“The American Solidarity Party, while not perfect, is the best option for American Catholics who don't want to "choose the lesser of two evils" but to have their vote counted towards a presidential candidate who stands for policies which most closely align with Catholic social teachings and morality.”
“The policy I’m most concerned about is gun control. I don’t think either candidate will do enough, but I’ve heard Harris talk about an assault weapon ban/buy-back program. I want my kids to be safe at school and in any public place.”
“I’m always just looking for candidates that treat people (in speech and action), from womb to tomb, no matter who they are, with dignity. I find both main political parties lacking in this, especially at the federal level.”
“The concept of the lesser of two evils drives me crazy! We were not meant to be a two party system. We need to start using our voice more.”
