A new survey finds more Americans say they would vote for a Mormon presidential candidate than an evangelical Christian.
A Gallup survey finds 81% of Americans say they would cast a vote for a presidential candidate of the LDS faith. Just 73% say they would vote for an evangelical Christian.
The Washington Post says the results are surprising because, traditionally, evangelicals have been more popular than Mormons in popular culture.
For some respondents, it might just boil down to social issues. While evangelicals and Mormons are both overwhelmingly conservative and Republican and share similar beliefs for a number of these issues, Mormons aren't on the front lines of the culture wars and have recently taken positions that have a wider, more bipartisan appeal. For same-sex marriage, for instance, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supported Proposition 8 in California in 2008. But in 2012 it was silent on same-sex marriage ballot initiatives in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. In 2013, its response to legalized same-sex marriage in Utah was muted, and last year, it endorsed LGBT non-discrimination legislation. In just a few years, it's gone from public enemy No. 1 to an ally on selected issues.
