Date Approved

2026

Degree Type

Open Access Senior Honors Thesis

Department or School

Political Science

First Advisor

Joshua Koss, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Shu Wang, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Barbara Patrick, Ph.D.

Abstract

Religious groups in the United States are making large partisan switches–decades-long Democrats are questioning their support and often change their vote to another party. This phenomenon contributed to Michigan’s flip to Republican in the 2024 presidential election, as well as divided Jewish support for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Past research has linked a positive correlation between religious participation and political mobilization, though the tactics used by campaigners to create this connection have gone under research. Looking at Donald Trump’s victory in Dearborn, Michigan in 2024 and Zohran Mamdani’s extensive New York City mayoral campaign, this study focuses on the campaign tactics of the respective candidates and their intentional focus on key religious groups. Keywords: Elections; Campaigns; Political Communications; Ethnic Politics

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