Latter-day Saints, Democrats and Republicans, join forces to support Harris

SALT LAKE CITY (Utah News Dispatch) — A group of Kamala Harris supporters convened successful a virtual telephone Tuesday evening. It was an eclectic operation pinch attorneys, lawmakers, podcasters, singers and a mayor. There were, certainly, Democrats connected nan speaker lists, but besides Republicans who person decided to measurement distant from their party’s summons this year.

What connected each of them? Their Latter-day Saint faith.

Kamala Harris officially becomes nan Democratic statesmanlike nominee 

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whitethorn beryllium a important unit successful statesmanlike outcomes successful profoundly reddish Utah and battleground Arizona, according to speakers, including Mayor of Mesa, Arizona, John Giles, who is Republican, but is simply a vocal Harris supporter; erstwhile Democratic U.S. typical from Utah Ben McAdams; and Salt Lake City Democratic legislators Sen. Luz Escamilla and Rep. Brian King, nan second besides being nan Democratic gubernatorial nominee successful Utah.

Data shows that Latter-day Saints are poised to support Harris “more than immoderate different statesmanlike Democratic summons successful 60 years,” said Jacob Rugh, an subordinate professor successful nan Department of Sociology astatine church-run Brigham Young University, during nan call. He cited his research and past races that person moved nan needle near successful Utah and Maricopa County successful Arizona.

“My geospatial study shows that areas dense pinch LDS chapels successful nan eastbound vale were astir apt to flip bluish (in 2020),” Rugh said connected Tuesday. Nationwide, successful 2020, 1 successful 3 Latter-day Saint voters picked nan Biden-Harris ticket, and nan mostly of nan faith’s millennial and Gen Z voters chose nan Democratic ticket, according to Rugh.

LDS rank successful nan West

The 2020 Biden-Harris summons capacity successful Utah “was nan champion of immoderate Democratic summons since 1964. Salt Lake County flipped bluish successful 2016 and, successful 2020, voters did what others said was intolerable by flipping 4 precincts bluish successful Provo,” Rugh said. He predicts they “will flip moreover much successful 2024.”

There are 2.1 cardinal members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints successful Utah, according to data from nan church. It’s nan astir salient religion successful Utah, which has historically voted red. There are besides much than 442,800 members successful Arizona and much than 476,000 members successful Idaho. 

Idaho Democratic chair says liking successful Harris-Walz statesmanlike summons is energizing party

About 1,400 group tuned into Tuesday’s call, a first from a group called Latter-day Saints for Harris-Walz, which connected its societal media boasted of arsenic galore arsenic 2,600 registrants. The event came nan aforesaid time Harris announced she had picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arsenic her moving mate.

The remarks from presenters, mostly from Utah and Arizona, were preceded by a prayer. Speakers besides cited scripture arsenic they said astir nan characteristic of nan Republican statesmanlike nominee, erstwhile President Donald Trump, and to explicate why, successful their view, nan astir Latter-day Saint-aligned campaigner is Harris.

Mostly, it was a chat connected really to shape to elite Harris. After all, Rob Taber, an organizer, said Latter-day Saints “from missions and ministering, (are) beautiful bully astatine reaching retired to group and building bridges.”

However, Taber besides advised those connected nan telephone not to usage ward aliases liking rank lists erstwhile reaching retired to group because that violates nan church’s neutrality policy.

“But you tin stock connected societal media really you’re feeling. This really does make a large difference,” Taber said.

Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her moving mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speak astatine a run rally successful Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. | Matt Rourke, Associated Press

LDS Church encourages members to ‘examine nan character’ of candidates

Ask Mesa Mayor John Giles why he decided to support a Democratic campaigner and he whitethorn mention nan arguments he made successful an op-ed he wrote successful Arizona Central criticizing Trump’s refusal to judge nan result of nan 2020 predetermination and his disinvestment successful cities for illustration Mesa, and wherever he called connected different Arizona Republicans to take “country complete statement this election.”

But, he whitethorn besides mention an admonition he heard astatine a Latter-day Saint religion gathering that encouraged members to beryllium bully citizens, to participate successful elections and to “examine nan characteristic of nan candidates.”

“Man, I sincerely dream that we get that admonition this predetermination season, because I deliberation that would thief our brothers and sisters to look pinch caller eyes astatine this election,” Giles said connected Tuesday.

Giles besides cited nan church’s stance connected defending nan U.S. Constitution and really different that position is from Trump’s view, he said.

Trump is “more than consenting to discuss nan norm of rule and nan United States Constitution to further his ain gains,” Giles said. “I deliberation that we person a peculiar ngo arsenic Latter-day Saints to measurement up and constituent those things retired to our friends wrong nan religion and extracurricular arsenic well.”

Some of nan attendees, specified arsenic McAdams, said they ballot Democrat “not successful spite of our religion, but because of our religion,” arguing that “negativity, divisiveness, rage, governmental violence, favoritism and racism are not of God.”

Utah Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla said that, arsenic she was preparing to thatch Sunday School, it was clear to her that Trump whitethorn not beryllium aligned pinch Latter-day Saint doctrine. She quoted Elder Dallin H. Oaks, first counsellor successful nan church’s First Presidency.

“He said ‘knowing that we are each children of God, springiness america a divine imagination of nan worthy of each others and nan will and expertise to emergence supra prejudice and racism.’ The existent campaigner for nan Republican Party is virtually moving tirelessly to create prejudice and racism against Americans,” Escamilla said. “And that unsocial is simply a logic why each members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should beryllium supporting Vice President Harris for President of nan United States successful nan 2024 predetermination cycle.”

Utah gubernatorial campaigner Rep. Brian King besides praised Harris’ moving mate, arguing that Walz fits into nan exemplary he likes to spot successful nan country’s candidates and elected officials.

“He’s nan benignant of campaigner that leaders of our religion person called for america to support, a personification of integrity, compassion, pinch a committedness to service,” King said. “I’m truthful gladsome that Vice President Harris has revealed her ain characteristic truthful intelligibly successful her prime of moving mate.”