Nearly three-fourths of Jewish voters supported Democrats in the midterm and 76% blame Trump and his allies for rising antisemitism.
The poll conducted for J Street found:
– Jewish voters continue to vote overwhelmingly Democratic, back Joe Biden and support the Democratic Party amid the national polarization dividing the country. Biden has a 70 percent job approval rating among Jewish voters, far exceeding his 42 percent approval among the general population (Real Clear Politics average). Jews also have positive views of the Democratic Party (66 percent favorable/32 percent unfavorable) and voted for Democrats by a 74 to 25 percent margin.
-The state of democracy and abortion dominate the issue environment,
underscoring Jewish priorities amid America’s cultural battles. More than half of Jewish voters (55 percent) cite the state of democracy as one of the two most important issues impacting their vote, followed by abortion (40 percent). There is a large drop-off to the next tier of issues, including inflation and the economy (27 percent), climate change (19 percent), and crime (16 percent).
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– Antisemitism weighs heavily on the minds of American Jews and they hold Trump and his Republican allies responsible. An astonishing 97 percent of Jews say they are concerned about antisemitism in the United States, including 85 percent stating they are very concerned. o When asked how responsible Trump and his allies in the Republican Party are for a rise in antisemitism, 76 percent say they are responsible (including 67
percent very responsible). This is most pronounced among older Jews (79
percent among voters 50 years and older). Similarly, 76 percent say Trump and his allies in the Republican Party are responsible for a rise in white supremacy.
Israel was also a low-priority issue for American Jewish voters, and the poll revealed that Trump has a 79% unfavorable rating with American Jews.
Republicans will probably be surprised to learn that proclaiming to love Israel while antisemites are running their party will not fool Jewish voters.
The poll is only one post-election data point, but it suggests that people didn’t vote on inflation and crime and abortion, and democracy also drove voters to the polls.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
