Faith and the Faithful in the 2020 Elections: Religion, Racism, and the COVID-19 Crisis

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July 10, 2020 | The 2020 presidential campaign is being reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic crisis it created, and the national focus on racism in the aftermath of the killings of George Floyd and other African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement officers. These challenges are testing our faith and our politics, our religious communities, and our nation.

This online dialogue focused on how the social and economic costs of the pandemic and the moral and human costs of racism may be affecting religious communities and voters in advance of the November elections. How are our leaders and communities responding? What are our obligations and opportunities in this time of crisis as citizens and as believers? How will recent United States Supreme Court decisions affect the views and choices of religious voters and the dynamics of the campaign?

In this volatile context, the attitudes of evangelical, Catholic, and other religious voters may be shifting dramatically, with old alignments losing ground to new realities. What do we know now? What are the implications of potential shifts for religious communities, U.S. politics, and the November 2020 elections?

The role of religion, racism, and the COVID-19 crisis was addressed by a panel of respected journalists and political leaders who bring differing religious, racial, generational, and political perspectives and backgrounds. John Carr, director of the Initiative, moderated the online conversation.