Steve Cortes, Senior Political Adviser of CatholicVote, said on May 5 that tensions between Catholic leadership’s political engagement and what he described as federal scrutiny of faith-based groups is an increasingly important issue, particularly in growing Catholic communities such as those in Arizona.
“The Democrats target Catholics. And I don’t mean target with just harsh words. I mean prosecutions criminal targeting. It’s a war on faith. It’s a war on families. We now have the proof in their own words from the highest levels of the DOJ of Joe Biden a supposedly devout Catholic. Many bishops from the Pope himself to numerous American church leaders they take every opportunity to step into partisan politics and align themselves overtly with the Democrats even as those same Democrats target us,” Cortes said in a social media post.
The topic has gained attention due to recent discussions about how religious institutions interact with government entities across the United States. According to a video shared by Cortes on social media, these conversations stem from various reports and cases involving faith-based groups and federal policies in recent years. The video included additional materials to illustrate points raised regarding political and religious dynamics that often surface in debates about religious liberty and its role in public discourse, particularly in diverse states such as Arizona where Catholic communities maintain a strong presence.
Arizona is home to a large Catholic population, with about 1.5 million adherents, according to the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Catholics make up roughly 21% of the state’s residents, up from 14.6% in 2010 to 21.3% in 2020 based on U.S. Religion Census data. The growth reflects the continued role of Catholic institutions in education, health care, and community services across cities such as Phoenix and Tucson. The state’s Catholic community continues to shape local family and cultural traditions in meaningful ways, according to NBC News.
Nationally, Pew Research Center estimates that about 20% of U.S. adults identify as Catholic, representing roughly 53 million people. The Catholic population has also become increasingly diverse, with Hispanic Catholics accounting for a growing share of adherents in recent decades.
Cortes joined CatholicVote as a senior political adviser and spokesman in 2025. He previously served in advisory roles focused on economic and outreach strategies during national campaigns. His background includes work as a political commentator and strategist with an emphasis on issues important to working families and traditional values. Cortes continues to engage publicly on topics connecting faith labor and policy matters.
