For decades, some political scientists have tried to portray Hispanics as “socially conservative” – and in fact, many of them are.
But a novel poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that a solid majority of this diverse population – whether Catholic, Protestant or unaffiliated – believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases.
This is an engaging finding as the debate over access to abortion takes center stage ahead of the November 5 U.S. elections.
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is a staunch supporter of abortion rights. Her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, boasts about his Supreme Court appointments that led to the elimination of federal abortion rights.
Overall, the novel AP-NORC poll, conducted Sept. 12-16, found that Latino Protestants and Catholics — despite their theological differences — are remarkably similar in their demographic makeup and views on key issues like abortion and immigration.
Views on abortion after Roe v. Wade
According to the survey, about 4 in 10 Hispanics in the United States identify as Catholic, about a third as Protestant or “other Christian,” and about a quarter as unaffiliated. About half of Protestants identified themselves as evangelical or born-again, as did about 10% of Catholics.
About six-in-ten Hispanic Protestants and about two-thirds of Hispanic Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. A similar share believe Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.
This attitude also applies to other major religious groups in the United States, with the exception of white evangelical Protestants: only about a quarter of them believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Overall, a majority of U.S. Catholics from diverse populations support abortion rights, even though the Catholic hierarchy lists opposition to abortion as its top priority.
Ali Valenzuela, a professor of government at American University who studies Latino politics, said many Hispanics used to oppose abortion primarily because of their religious beliefs.
He attributed the shift in views to “the changing political reality” after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, jeopardizing access to abortion in many states.
About four in 10 registered Hispanic Protestant and Catholic voters said abortion policy was among the most essential issues in their November election. They were more likely to say the economy, health care, crime and immigration were among the most essential issues.
Trump vs Harris
When it comes to the presidential race, Hispanics were largely split in their assessment of Harris and Trump. Harris was viewed somewhat or very favorably by about 4 in 10 Hispanic Protestants and about half of Hispanic Catholics, and Trump was viewed favorably by about 4 in 10 Hispanic Protestants and Catholics.
Lorraine Martinez, a 68-year-old Californian, said she was raised Catholic. Although she doesn’t go to church regularly now, her upbringing in the faith shaped her values of “looking out for your neighbor, being kind and not being cruel.”
She said her 35 years of experience as a teacher shapes her priorities this election season: immigration and education.
“Seeing (migrant) children come here and thrive, and how much the other children accept them, is phenomenal,” says Martinez, who recalls that Vietnamese refugees attended her school starting in the 1980s and that there have been various immigrant groups since then.
Martinez, who plans to vote for Harris, added that she strongly opposes mass deportations and family separations.
She also supports legal access to abortion and believes that reproductive health issues, including IVF treatments, are something women should decide on without government interference.
Pam Butcher, 54, of Waverly, West Virginia – her mother’s family came to the U.S. from Mexico – is a Trump supporter who says abortion should be illegal in most cases.
“It’s very important to me; I’m pro-life,” Butcher said. “I mean, if a mother’s life is in danger, then you have to do it to save her, and if she chooses to do it, possibly rape and incest… but to me it’s murder.”
Trump, she said, “did not ban abortion but gave states back their rights on a highly controversial issue.”
Butcher attends a Protestant church and says her faith is as essential in her daily life as her decision to vote for Trump.
“The country was founded on religious principles,” she said. “I don’t think religion should be forced on anyone. But I also don’t think it should be removed from everything.”
Gabriela Maldonaldo, a 20-year-old Catholic from Chicago, also said she would vote for Trump.
She said she opposes abortion, but added that it is sometimes medically necessary. She believes Republicans can handle other issues she cares about better, such as the economy, crime and immigration.
For 21-year-old Californian Haylee Rader, inflation is the most essential issue this election season. “It’s hard to afford even a gallon of milk, and gas is very expensive,” says the community college student, adding that her mother, a Latina, has to drive half an hour to work.
On immigration, Rader believes that “the easy crossing is wrong” and that the government needs a better system for recording the legal immigration of those who come to the United States seeking safety.
In the poll, about half of registered Protestant and Catholic voters of Hispanic origin said immigration was one of the most essential issues affecting their election; only about one in 10 in each group said it was not essential.
About 6 in 10 Hispanic Protestants and Catholics said religious groups should provide assistance to immigrants living in the United States illegally, which is consistent with the opinion of Americans overall.
Neither Trump nor Harris have an advantage among Latin American Catholics when it comes to tackling the immigration issue. Latin American Protestants are slightly more likely to say they trust Trump to tackle the problem.
Further survey results:
– Hispanic Protestants and Catholics have similar church attendance patterns. About 2 in 10 say they go to church once or more per week, about 4 in 10 go to church at least once per month, and about 2 in 10 never go to church.
– About 7 in 10 Hispanic Catholics say they speak a language other than English at home, compared with about half of Hispanic Protestants.
–About 6 in 10 Hispanic Catholics have a somewhat or very favorable opinion of Pope Francis, compared with about 3 in 10 Hispanic Protestants. Overall, 4 in 10 Americans have a favorable opinion of Francis.
The diverse political views of Hispanics are reflected on several fronts in the current election campaign. For example, two of the most hotly contested U.S. Senate races feature candidates of Latino descent.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is running in Arizona, is the son of immigrants from Colombia and Mexico. Bernie Moreno, a Republican running in Ohio, immigrated from Colombia with his family as a child.
And there are also acute differences when it comes to abortion.
Samuel Rodriguez, chairman of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, published an op-ed on Fox News this month arguing that Democrats’ full-throated support for abortion access could anger some Hispanics who are open to restrictions on late-term abortions.
“The Democratic Party has now dramatically shifted to a policy of ‘abortion on demand,’ which includes late-term abortions,” wrote Rodriguez, a pastor from California. “This extreme position deeply disturbs many Latinos, especially those of faith.”
Meanwhile, in New Mexico, Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that construction would begin on a state-funded abortion clinic to serve residents and travelers from neighboring states such as Texas and Oklahoma, which have comprehensive abortion bans.
“This clinic will be a testament to our state’s commitment to reproductive freedom,” Lujan Grisham said.
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The survey of 2,028 adults was conducted September 12-16, 2024. The sample came from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s partnership with The Conversation US and a grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
