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U.S. Political Party Identification of Jews

(April 2020)

In politics, as of today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent? (American Jewish Committee)

 
Republican
Democrat
Independent
Not sure/Other
2002
18%
48%
32%
2%
2003
16%
51%
31%
1%
2004
16%
54%
29%
2%
2005
16%
54%
29%
1%
2006
15%
54%
29%
3%
2007
15%
58%
26%
2%
2008
17%
56%
25%
2%
2009
16%
53%
30%
1%
2010
15%
50%
32%
2%
fall 2010
17%
48%
34%
1%
2011
16%
45%
38%
2%
2012
19%
52%
26%
2%
2013
15%
52%
32%
 
2015*
19%
49%
32%
 
2016
18%
51%
26%
3%
2017
15%
57%
20%
8%
2018
16%
51%
24%
9%
2019 18% 49% 20% 12%
         
Average 17% 52% 29% 3%

Jews are substantially more likely to identify themselves as Democrats than are members of any other major religious group in the country. Data for 2004 shows that 50% of Jews say they are Democrats, compared with 34% who say they are independents and only 16% who say they are Republicans. These patterns have remained extremely stable since the early 1990s. The national average for partisanship is 28% Republican, 38% independent, and 34% Democrat. Data comparing party identification among Jews between 2008 and 2011 shows considerable gains for Republicans, but the Jewish Democratic voting trend remains strong nonetheless.

*No survey for 2014.

 

Pew Research Center

Year
Rep/Lean Rep
% Change
Dem/Lean Dem
% Change 
1994
24
 
69
 
1995
27
13%
68
-1%
1996
28
4%
68
0%
1997
28
0%
66
-3%
1998
24
-14%
69
5%
1999
23
-4%
71
3%
2000
18
-22%
74
4%
2001
22
22%
70
-5%
2002
23
5%
71
1%
2003
25
9%
69
-3%
2004
22
-12%
70
1%
2005
21
-5%
73
4%
2006
25
19%
70
-4%
2007
23
-8%
69
-1%
2008
21
-9%
72
4%
2009
25
19%
66
-8%
2010
31
24%
63
-5%
2011
29
-6%
65
3%
2012
24
-17%
71
9%
2013
29
21%
66
-7%
2014
28
-3%
67
2%
2015
31
11%
65
-3%
2016
23
-26%
74
14%
2017
31
35%
67
-9%
 
 
 
 
 
Average
25
 
69
 

 

(Gallup)

 
Republicans
Independents
Democrats
Sample Size
Feb 1-10, 2019 16%   71% 978
Oct. 2002-May 2004
16%
34%
50%
382
Feb. 2001-Sept. 2002
17%
33%
50%
408
Jan. 1992-Jan. 2001
18%
32%
50%
800

*Note that the small sample size increases the margin of error.

In every poll, Gallup asks independents if they lean more toward the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. The resulting partisanship measures serve as a useful predictor of how people will vote, because partisanship is such a strong predictor of vote choice, and those who lean to one party are highly likely to also support that party. These data show Jews who identify as political independents are more likely to lean toward the Democratic Party than toward the Republican. Taken together, more than two in three Jews, 68%, either identify as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party. Twenty-eight percent of Jews are either Republican or lean Republican, and 4% are independents with no partisan leanings.

 

 
Republicans
Republican Leaners
Democrats
Democratic Leaners
Independents
(No Lean)
Oct. 2002-May 2004
28%
68%
4%