Catholics Split Evenly in 2026 Midterm Vote
Exit polls from NBC News show U.S. Catholics divided 50 percent Democratic and 49 percent Republican in the 2026 midterm elections.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Catholicism
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NBC News exit polls found Catholics split nearly evenly between Democratic and Republican candidates in the 2026 midterms. The figures were still being adjusted the day after the election, and other estimates of Catholic voting are expected in the coming weeks.
Why it matters
The result marks a shift from 2024, when Catholics voted 55 percent for Trump, and suggests the religious group's political preferences remain volatile. Analysts looking at the nation's largest Christian denomination will be watching later estimates to see whether the even split holds.
NBC News exit polls put Catholic Democratic support at 50 percent in 2026, compared with 55 percent Catholic support for Trump in 2024 per Pew Research Center. Final figures remain subject to adjustment and later estimates have not yet been published.
The players
NBC News
NBC News is a national American television network whose exit polls are widely used to track voter behavior by religion and demographic group.
Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan American think tank known for public opinion research on religion and politics.
The details
Exit polls conducted by NBC News measured how Catholics voted in the 2026 midterm elections. Among other groups, roughly 59 percent of self-identified Protestants voted Republican while about 78 percent of unaffiliated voters voted Democratic.
Timeline
2024: Catholics voted 55 percent for Trump in the presidential election.
November 3, 2026: The midterm elections took place with Catholics splitting evenly.
November 4, 2026: Exit poll figures were still being adjusted.
Coming weeks: Additional estimates of Catholic voting are expected.
Legacy Context
The 2026 even split follows Pew Research Center's 2024 finding that Catholics backed Trump by 55 percent, marking a notable departure from that Republican-leaning pattern. Whether the change reflects a lasting realignment among the nation's largest Christian denomination remains an open question.
For Catholic voters, the split signals that party loyalty within the faith is far from settled, which may shape how parishes and families discuss politics. Readers following elections can expect more detailed Catholic voting estimates to appear in coming weeks.
The takeaway
Religious identity alone no longer predicts how Catholics vote, with age, race, education, and gender all showing sharp divides. Following later estimates will help clarify whether the 2026 split reflects a lasting shift.
Further reading
Explore more on Catholicism to see how faith communities are shaping American political life.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Breitbart.
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