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When Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) steps down from the Senatein early 2017, Mormonism will lose its highest-ranking elected official -- and the most high-profile example that yes, there is such a thing as a Mormon Democrat.

Mormons arethe most Republican religious group in America, and they are moving to the right. A2007 Pew studyfound about 66 percent identify with the party. By 2012, Pew found that figure had risen, and 74 percent of Mormons identifiedas Republican.

During anaddress at Brigham Young Universityin 2007, Reidtalked about what it was like being a Democrat in a deeplyRepublican faith.

"It is not uncommon for members of the Church to ask how I can be a Mormon and a Democrat," he said. "Some say my party affiliation puts me in the minority of our Church members. But my answer is that if you look at the church membership over the years, Democrats have not always been the minority, and I believe we won't be for long. I also say that my faith and political beliefs are deeply intertwined. I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it."

It's true that Mormons haven't always been as Republican as they are today. Here's a chart fromSeeking the Promised Land: Mormons and American Politics by David Campbell, John Green, and Quin Monson (it's a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of Mormonism and politics) that shows how that's changed since 1896. It specifically tracks onlyUtahMormons, but it's telling.

When Reid was first elected to Congress in the 1980s, about 70 percent of Utah Mormons voted Republican. By 2012, that figure reached 90 percent -- though having a fellow Mormon on the ticket in 2012 certainly could be a factor in the record-breaking percentage.

Reid's prediction that Democrats won't always be in the minority in the church came several years before the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would show it doesn't toe the partyline on some hot-button Republican issues. In 2010, the church backed immigration proposals that kept families together and focused on criminal activity rather than federal violations, and this year, Utah's LGBT and religious protections legislation was applauded by LGBT groups, while social conservatives were mostly unimpressed.

[How much influence can a church have over its members' political beliefs? A Mormon case study]

Mormon Democrats are more likely to be women and less likely to be white, mirroring Democratic demographics nationally, but unlike national trends, they're also more likely to be older. Mormons over the age of 65 are 51 percent Republican, compared with 69 percent of those under 30.

So while Mormons very well may one day becomemore Democratic, it just might take awhile for a new generation to start voting. Butby then, theywon't have the high-profile example ofReid to look to.

Originally posted here:
The Fix: Harry Reid and the increasingly rare Mormon Democrat