Former President Donald Trump announced a “Latter-day Saints for Trump” coalition on Tuesday less than a month before Election Day, as his campaign seeks to shore up support among a key voting bloc where defections could be particularly damaging in key Western battlegrounds.
The coalition’s leaders include four prominent Utah Republicans: Senator Mike Lee, Representative Celeste Maloy, Representative Burgess Owens and Attorney General Sean Reyes.
Lee said Trump has ensured that “Latter-day Saints and people of all faiths can freely worship and live according to our beliefs,” adding, “His commitment to life and protecting the unborn has shaped the foundations of strengthens our families, and his leadership is exactly what America needs to preserve the God-given rights that make us strong and free.”
Although the church’s home base is in Utah, which hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, Arizona is home to a significant Latter-day Saint population: more than 442,879, according to the church. Joe Biden won Arizona in 2020 by 11,000 votes.
Exit polls show Biden winning 18% of the LDS vote in Arizona, a significant departure from a reliably conservative denomination rooted in traditional family values. Latter-day Saint voters’ steadfast support for Republican candidates has long helped keep Utah and Idaho—the states with the largest share of Mormon voters—stayed impenetrably red on election nights.
Arizona Republicans joining the Trump-LDS coalition include Rep. Andy Biggs and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who ran an unsuccessful Senate campaign this year.
Lamb said he believed Trump would protect his religious freedom and his right to “educate and protect” his family.
Trump plans to hold a roundtable with Latter-day Saint leaders in Arizona on Sunday, a campaign official said.
Some LDS voters dislike Trump for his often divisive political style, as well as his attacks on immigrants and refugees, which run counter to the denomination’s ministry and culture.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has sought to exploit community tensions and instead create a consent structure to support her, focusing on character and a more moderate personal — albeit politically progressive — style.
The Harris campaign hosts a “Latter-day Saints for Harris-Walz” coalition on its website and launched an advisory committee in Arizona last month. The Democratic campaign also organized an LDS coalition in Nevada this week.
Others who have joined the new Trump-LDS coalition include retired four-star Air Force General Robert Oaks, a retired General Authority of the Church; conservative media commentator Glenn Beck; and entertainment personalities, the Diesel Brothers.
In another sign of his growing influence within the Trump campaign, a campaign official told NBC News that Donald Trump Jr. was a key figure in launching the LDS coalition for Trump. He said he has strong relationships with members of the Mormon community.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
