Mormon Democrats: An Oxymoron or Future Voting Bloc?

By Lucy Burningham, 7-13-05

How will the Democrats ever manage to lure a sizable amount of Western voters into its fold? The puzzling question was being posed by higher ups in the party long before the 2004 presidential election. But as Democrats take a deep breath, reevaluate and try to gain power on local and national levels, the Western vote looks more tantalizing than ever before. And for the first time, many Democrats are publicly discussing pursuing the LDS, or Mormon, vote as a way to win the West.

An article in The Economist printed just before the 2002 Olympic Games, says that within the next 40 years, one in 20 Americans will be a Mormon. While the number doesn’t reflect a geographical concentration, there’s a good chance that many of the faithful will live in the West, with Salt Lake City as the church's headquarters.

While the 2004 Bush reelection machine organized and mobilized voters on the ground using evangelical churches across the country, Democrats chose not to incorporate religion into their campaigning. Now, many Democrats are speaking out against the strategy by recommending the acknowlegement of faith, such as Utah’s new Democratic Chairman Wayne Holland. In his acceptance speech this past May, Holland is quoted as saying:

“Understanding the LDS and making a serious appeal to them based on their values will help a lot, too. Think: independence, honesty, responsibility, education and a sense of community and fair play. If Romney gets the GOP nomination, there is no way Utah votes Democratic. But what if the religious right savages Romney and Harry Reid or someone like him (think: Jim Matheson or Tom Udall) was on the Democratic ticket? This would open up a lot of possibilities.�

Holland refers to the individuals who make up the growing number of prominent Mormon politicians. This past January, Sen. Democratic Leader Harry Reid, the highest-ranking LDS member of Congress, announced the first ever Mormon Congressional Caucus, which includes Congressman Tom Udall (D-NM), Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Eni Faleomavega from America Samoa.

In a press release at the time, Reid explained the reasoning behind the caucus, which has been meeting informally since its formation. “I believe strongly that Democrats have many of the same issues at heart as do members of the Church. For example, as a party, we believe it is our moral responsibility to care for the less fortunate and for one another.�

But Mormon Democrats remain a cultural oxymoron in Utah and in other Western states. Despite the church’s refusal to endorse political candidates, members of the LDS faith overwhelmingly vote Republican, an alliance that may be largely influenced by moral issues. (In 2004, Utah was the “reddest� state in the nation, with nearly 72 percent of voters casting ballots for Bush.) Wayne Holland explains which issues help sway the vote.

“Thinking out of the box can help win elections. A leftist Utah is a fantasy, but a moderate Utah is doable. To the extent that the Democratic Party defines itself as or let’s itself be defined as the party of abortion and gay marriage, it will be futile to try to carry Utah and the Mormon vote. Once you get beyond those issues, then the prospects for carrying Utah and the LDS in general are much better.�

Ben McAdams, a corporate security lawyer who lives in New York City, proudly identifies himself as both a Mormon and a Democrat. He points out that the Democratic party ruled Utah in the late 1800s, so Mormon leaders began a campaign to encourage Utah’s faithful to vote Republican. “They saw a need for a two party system,� McAdams says. “I’ve seen the church taking similar steps today.� He explains how a high-level church leader made sure a photo of him standing with Sen. Reid was widely published to demonstrate that “you can be a good Mormon and a Democrat.�

McAdams says that in order to recruit Mormon voters, the Democratic Party needs to convince voters that individual candidates do not represent the standard black and white platform issues. “One of the challenges is to convince people that you can vote based on a candidate, and core set of issues,� he says. “Just because you vote for a Democrat, doesn’t mean you have to support everything every Democrat ever said.�

You can bet that when DNC chair Howard Dean visits Salt Lake City this weekend, he’ll suggest better articulating the black, white and gray Democratic stances for all the residents of the West. And if the Democratic Party gets its wish, many Republican-voting Mormons will be listening.
[End of article]