The Jewish Vote Came Through for Democrats
This week has been painful. Alongside so many of you, we poured our heart into this election and the results are devastating. But not all was lost. JDCA accomplished a remarkable amount – we ensured the Jewish vote did not sway to Trump or Republicans – and we’re learning from the losses and savoring the wins.
As we sift through the election data and consider what went right and what went wrong, this much is certain: The Jewish vote held strong for Kamala Harris and Democrats. In fact, the Jewish vote represented one of very few segments of the electorate where Donald Trump failed to make meaningful inroads, despite an unprecedented campaign of GOP spending, disinformation, and other efforts targeting Jewish Americans.
Jewish Americans overwhelmingly voted for Democrats. The numbers just weren’t close enough for it to change the outcome of the presidential election.
There are many exit polls that demonstrate high percentages of Jewish voters supporting Kamala Harris – this CNN/Edison exit poll indicates that 78 percent of Jewish voters supported Kamala Harris, while 22 percent supported Donald Trump. According to this poll, 88 percent of Jewish women and 71 percent of Jewish men supported Kamala Harris over Trump.
The most methodologically sound polling of the Jewish vote, weighted consistent with Pew Polling standards for Jewish voters and conducted by GBAO polling on behalf of J Street, indicates that 71 percent of Jewish voters supported Kamala Harris and 26 percent supported Donald Trump; 75 percent vs. 23 percent in Pennsylvania. This is consistent with JDCA’s October polling indicating that more than seven out of ten Jewish voters would support Harris – thanks to our efforts, they did.
We are proud of our efforts and deeply grateful to the thousands of you who joined us. Together, JDCA and JDCA PAC:
- Made 2,842,364 direct voter contacts – this is 1.2 million more than ever before, and we’re proud that our fellows made more than 1.6 million;
- Completed 5,271 volunteer shifts with 2,115 volunteers;
- Knocked on more 52,962 doors in key states including AZ, NV, WI, MI, GA, PA, VA, and MD;
- Received more than 53 million views on our JDCA PAC ads;
- Had more than 65,000 of you join us for our programs;
- Raised and spent more than ever before on behalf of our 146 candidates.
We’re proud of the work to elect our endorsed House and Senate Democrats, many of whom earned hard-fought victories. This includes Elissa Slotkin in Michigan, Jacky Rosen in Nevada, and Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, who will be important voices for Jewish values in the Senate. We’re also proud of the House seats we defended and flipped thanks to Jewish voters, including Laura Gillen (NY-4), Josh Riley (NY-19), and Tom Suozzi (NY-3). As votes are finalized, this list will continue to grow.
We’re also proud of you. By taking action with JDCA, you helped deliver the Jewish vote for Democrats. And the work goes on. This election is a clarion call for Jewish Americans and all those who are determined to fight hatred and bigotry, and defend democracy and reproductive rights, which will be even more important in a Trump administration.
Our work does not end with this election. The security of Jewish Americans depends on the security of American democracy, and we’re going to continue to fight for it. To join us and support JDCA today, please consider investing in – or deepening your investment in – our continued efforts.
As the political home and voice of Jewish voters advocating for policies and supporting Democrats who share our core values, JDCA will continue defending our values. We’re incredibly grateful for your partnership and support, and hope to see you next week.
Wishing you a restful and restorative shabbat,
Hon. Ron Klein
Board Chair, Jewish Democratic Council of America
Halie Soifer
CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America