Philadelphia, Pa., Apr 23, 2008 / 15:42 pm
In Tuesday’s key Democratic presidential primary election in Pennsylvania, New York Senator Hillary Clinton defeated Illinois Senator Barack Obama with a commanding lead among the Democrat Party’s Catholic voters, according to CNN exiting polling.
Among voting Pennsylvania Catholics who said they attend church weekly, Senator Clinton won 74 percent of the vote. Catholics who said they attend church less than weekly went for Clinton by 65 percent, according to CNN exit polls. Regular and irregular Catholic churchgoers each constituted 18 percent of the poll respondents.
Clinton’s victory among Catholic Democrats came despite Obama’s support from one of Pennsylvania’s most prominent Catholic politicians, Senator Bob Casey, Jr.
Clinton also won over the majority of all Pennsylvania churchgoers, winning even those who said they attend only a few times a year. Clinton won 51 percent of those who attend church more than weekly and 61 percent of those who attend church weekly. She won those who attend church monthly and a few times a year by 54 percent and 55 percent, respectively.