Demographics of the Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party of the United States is one of the country's two major political parties. Over time, it has brought together many different groups of people who share similar ideas and goals.

These groups include many workers, families, and people who care about helping others and protecting the environment. The party has also attracted many younger people, people from different backgrounds, and those who believe in equal rights for everyone.

Because the Democratic Party includes so many different kinds of people, its ideas and policies can change to match what its members care about most. This makes the party an important part of American politics and society.

Ethnicity

In 2023, Pew found that 56% of Democrat voters were white, 18% Black and 16% Hispanic.

Originally, the Republican Party was favored by African Americans after the end of the civil war. This trend started to gradually change in the 1930s, with Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs. Support for the civil rights movement in the 1960s by Democratic presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson helped give the Democrats even larger support among the Black community. Today, African Americans have stronger support for the Democratic Party than any group has for either party. Prominent Black American Democrats include President Barack Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Raphael Warnock, Governor of Maryland Wes Moore, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

The Democratic Party also has considerable support in the small yet growing Asian American population. The Democratic Party made gains among the Asian American population starting in 1996 and in 2006 won 62% of the Asian American vote. Exit polls after the 2008 presidential election indicated that Democrat Barack Obama had won 62% of the Asian American vote. In the 2012 presidential election, 73% of the Asian American electorate voted for Obama's reelection. Prominent Asian American Democrats include Senators Mazie Hirono and Tammy Duckworth.

The Hispanic American population have been strongholds for the Democratic Party. Hispanic Democrats commonly favor liberal views on immigration. In the 1996 presidential election, Democratic president Bill Clinton received 72% of the Hispanic vote. This trend continued in 2008, as Barack Obama carried the Latino vote with 67%. Obama expanded his share of the Latino vote to 71% in the 2012 presidential election.

The Democratic Party also has strong support among certain tribes of the Native American population. Modern-day Democratic Native American politicians include former Secretary Deb Haaland and Representative Sharice Davids.

Religion

See also: Religious affiliations of presidents of the United States, Religious affiliations of vice presidents of the United States, Religious affiliation in the United States House of Representatives, and Religious affiliation in the United States Senate

Buddhist and Hindu Americans

Both Buddhist and Hindu Americans tend to vote Democratic. In the 2008 presidential election, Buddhists supported Obama by 86% while Hindus backed Barack Obama by around 82%. In the 2012 presidential election, Obama again received 84% of the Buddhist vote while Hindus backed him by 82%. In the 2020 presidential election, majority of Buddhist voters (73%) chose Joe Biden for president. Similarly, most Hindu voters (77%) supported Biden. As of 2022, both Buddhist and both Hindu members of Congress are Democrats.

Christian Americans

See also: Christian left

As of 2021^[update], every Democratic United States President, Democratic United States Vice President, and Democratic presidential nominee has been a Christian. According to the Pew Research Center, 78.4% of Democrats in the 116th United States Congress were Christian.

However, the vast majority of white evangelical and Latter-day Saint Christians favor the Republican Party.

Irreligious Americans

See also: Atheism in the United States, Irreligion in the United States, and List of atheists in politics and law

The Democratic Party receives support from secular organizations such as the Secular Coalition for America and many agnostic and atheist Americans. Exit polls from the 2008 election showed that although a religious affiliation of "none" accounted for 12% of the electorate, they overwhelmingly voted for Obama by a 75–25% margin. In his inaugural address, Obama acknowledged atheists by saying that the United States is not just "Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus but non-believers as well". In the 2012 election cycle, Obama had moderate to high rankings with the Secular Coalition for America, whereas the majority of the Republican candidates had ratings in the low-to-failing range.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted between January and June 2016 found 28% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters were religiously unaffiliated. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in June 2016 found that 67% of religious "nones" supported Hillary Clinton and 23% supported Donald Trump.

An October 2012 American Values Survey found that among atheist and agnostic American voters, 51% identified as politically independent, 39% Democratic, 9% Republican, and 1% other. Moreover, 57% in this group identified as liberal, and 81% supported Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

Jewish Americans

See also: National Jewish Democratic Council

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

Senator Jon Ossoff

Senator Ron Wyden

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Representative Jerry Nadler

Jewish Americans are a stronghold for the Democratic Party, with more than 70% of Jewish voters having cast their ballots for the Democrats in the 1992 through 2016 presidential elections. Of the 29 Jewish Senators and Representatives who served in the 114th Congress, 27 were Democrats. Among American Jews are people who consider themselves religious believers of one denomination or another as well as people who are explicitly or implicitly secular.

Muslim Americans

Representative Ilhan Omar

Representative Rashida Tlaib

Representative André Carson

Attorney General of Minnesota Keith Ellison

Muslims make up about 0.6% of Americans and in the 2008 presidential election, 89% of Muslim Americans voted for Barack Obama. They also tend to be socially conservative, but the younger generation of Muslim Americans tends to be more socially liberal.

After the September 11 attacks, many Muslim Americans experienced hostility and discrimination, and many right-wing religious and political leaders attacked Islam both as a violent religion and as a threat to American values. Furthermore, most Muslim Americans opposed the Iraq War, solidifying their shift to the Democratic Party.

Islamic convert Keith Ellison was elected as the first Muslim member of Congress in 2006. He was elected as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district. In 2018, Ellison was elected as the Attorney General of Minnesota.

A 2017 Pew Research Center report found that majority (66%) of American Muslims identify with or learn toward the Democratic Party.

According to exit polls for the 2018 midterm elections, 78% of Muslim voters supported Democratic candidates. 46% considered themselves liberal on social issues, while 35% considered themselves socially conservative. 40% considered themselves liberal on fiscal issues, while 43% considered themselves fiscally conservative.

The majority of American Muslims that ran for political office in 2018 were Democrats. The first two Muslim women to serve in Congress, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, are both Democrats.

A 2021 survey conducted by YouGov/CCES showed that nearly 84% of Muslims voted for Biden in 2020. Another survey conducted by Emgage/Muslim Public Affairs Council in 2021 similarly showed a majority of Muslim voters (86%) backing Biden in the 2020 election.

Voters with higher education

See also: College Democrats of America and Law School Democrats of America

The Democratic Party has grown more popular among voters with college degrees since the 1970s. In the past, people with college degrees often voted for the Republican Party, but this changed over time.

Today, most voters with higher education, especially those with a Bachelor's degree or more, tend to support the Democratic Party. This shift has been steady, with voters with graduate degrees consistently choosing Democratic candidates since the 1990s.

Economic groups

Voters without a college degree, often called "working class" voters, are an important group in the Democratic Party. They often have left-leaning views on money matters but may have different ideas on other topics. Many of these voters are from ethnic minorities.

Since 1980, support for the Democratic Party has gone down among white voters without college degrees. In the 2008 election, Barack Obama got 40% of their votes. In 2012, he got 36%. In 2020, Biden got 32%.

Since the 1930s, organized labor has been a big part of the Democratic Party. Labor unions help with money, organizing, and support. But union membership has gone down a lot since 1954.

Gender demographics

See also: National Federation of Democratic Women, Women in the United States Senate, Women in the United States House of Representatives, List of female governors in the United States, and List of female speakers of legislatures in the United States

See also: Stonewall Democrats

Since the 1970s, many people in the LGBTQ+ community have supported the Democratic Party. In 1971, the first group for LGBTQ+ Democrats was formed. During the 1980 presidential primaries, some people felt that President Jimmy Carter was not doing enough for LGBTQ+ rights.

Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both worked closely with LGBTQ+ voters. Surveys show that most LGBTQ+ voters prefer the Democratic Party. In 2012, Obama won 76% of LGBTQ+ voters. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won 78% of LGBTQ+ voters. In 2018, Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives won 82% of LGBTQ+ voters.

In January 2021, Mauree Turner became the first openly non-binary state legislator.

Transgender Americans

At the 2000 Democratic National Convention, Jane Fee of Minnesota was the first transgender delegate. In 2008, the Democratic Party platform included “gender identity” for the first time. In 2009, the Democratic National Committee added gender identity to its non-discrimination policy. In 2010, President Obama appointed the first openly transgender person to a federal government position. In 2012, a group was formed to support President Obama’s re-election. During the 2015 State of the Union Address, President Obama became the first U.S. president to use the term “transgender.” At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Sarah McBride became the first openly transgender person to speak. A survey found that 50% of transgender Americans identified as Democrats. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine was the first openly transgender person to hold an office that requires Senate confirmation.

Other demographic data

Unmarried people

Younger voters

See also: Young Democrats of America, High School Democrats of America, and Youth vote in the United States

[United States Senator](/wiki/United_States_Senate) [Jon Ossoff](/wiki/Jon_Ossoff)

Representative [Sara Jacobs](/wiki/Sara_Jacobs)

Representative [Maxwell Frost](/wiki/Maxwell_Frost)

Representative [Jake Auchincloss](/wiki/Jake_Auchincloss)

Ideological bases

Registered Democrats

See also: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democratic Governors Association, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democrats Abroad, and National Conference of Democratic Mayors