---
title: "White Mainline Protestants and Democratic Presidential Candidates"
description: "Potential Support High for Clinton Where do white mainline Protestants stand with regard to the announced and potential Democratic presidential candidates? A June survey from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press sheds light on this question at this stage of the campaign by measuring name recognition and likelihood of support at […]"
date: "2007-06-04"
authors:
  - name: "Joseph Liu"
    job_title: "Guest Contributor"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2007/06/04/publicationpage-aspxid817/"
categories:
  - "Mainline Protestantism"
---

# White Mainline Protestants and Democratic Presidential Candidates

**Potential Support High for Clinton** Where do white mainline Protestants stand with regard to the announced and potential Democratic presidential candidates? A June survey from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press sheds light on this question at this stage of the campaign by measuring name recognition and likelihood of support at the polls. ([View a complete discussion of the survey findings and more details on the survey methodology](http://pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/reports/display.php3?ReportID=334).)

**Name Recognition.** Among white mainline Protestants, Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters are virtually unanimous in saying they are familiar with Al Gore* and [Hillary Clinton](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2008/11/04/religion-and-politics-08-hillary-clinton/), and more than nine-in-ten have heard of [John Edwards](/religion08/profile.php?CandidateID=6) (95%) and [Barack Obama](/religion08/profile.php?CandidateID=4) (91%).

Other Democratic candidates and potential candidates are less well-known; among all Democrats and Democratic-leaning registered voters, 53% report having heard of [Joe Biden](/religion08/profile.php?CandidateID=9), 47% of [Bill Richardson](/religion08/profile.php?CandidateID=8), 38% of Chris Dodd and 35% of Dennis Kucinich.

**Likely Support.** White mainline Protestants express more potential support for Clinton than for the other Democratic candidates. Fully 80% say that there is either a "good chance" (41%) or "some chance" (39%) they would vote for her, figures that are comparable to those seen among Democratic registered voters as a whole. Just 16% say there is "no chance" Clinton would get their vote. Fewer mainline Protestants say there is a chance they would vote for Gore (with 67% saying there is a "good chance" or "some chance" they would vote for him), Edwards (63% "good chance" or "some chance") or Obama (60% "good chance" or "some chance").

* Not an announced candidate as of June 4, 2007.