October 16, 2015

Record number of Catholics run for presidency in 2016

John F. Kennedy first, only Catholic to be commander-in-chief of the United States
Published: July 28, 2015  
By Chaz Muth
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — The onetime stigma of being a Catholic for those seeking national office appears to have disappeared in the 2016 presidential election cycle since a record number of candidates have declared their candidacy or expressed an interest in running for the highest office in the country.

Twelve Catholics have said they are interested in running, seven of whom have already declared their candidacy.

“It’s going to be a Catholic year for candidates running for the presidency,” said Stephen F. Schneck, director of the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington. “So, it’s historic.”

Catholics who have declared their candidacy include:

• Florida Sen. Marco Rubio

• New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

• Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal

• Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley

• Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum

• Former New York Gov. George Pataki

• Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush

“There’s never been a (U.S. presidential) election with this many Catholics running as this year,” Schneck told Catholic News Service in an interview. “Historically, there’s been a gradual increase in the number of Catholic candidates for the office, but 2016 is going to be a Catholic year.”

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