US EditionNew study reveals political affiliations of pro athletes
The WNBA is the most Democratic league with 67.5% registered Democrats, while MLB leads Republican registration at 53.7%, based on 1,506 athletes analyzed by VoteHub.
- On Tuesday, VoteHub published a league-level analysis using public voter-registration records identifying party affiliation for more than 1,500 athletes across the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, and NHL.
- Lutz matched players to public voter files and compiled registration data from two dozen states, identifying players via public biographical information among athletes active in 2024.
- In the NBA, independents comprise 45.9%, Democrats 42.9%, according to VoteHub's analysis, highlighting league partisan splits.
- The data does not identify individual players and only offers league-level data; VoteHub warned independents may mask true affiliations and concluded the patterns reflect political sorting in four leagues.
- Data limitations mean the sample covers about 40% of eligible athletes, as several large states like California and Texas do not make voter files accessible, while foreign-born players made up 69% of the NHL.
7 Articles
7 Articles
Ever Wonder Where Sports Leagues Lean Politically? New Survey Reveals Exactly What Parties Athletes Are Members Of
A recent survey has shed light on the political leanings of athletes in sports leagues, offering a rare glimpse into a subject where data is typically limited.
NHL's American players among the most right-leaning in pro sports: Report
Watching Florida Panther forward Matthew Tkachuk gush over U.S. president Donald Trump at the White House while donning the Commander-in-Chief’s signature red tie may have been a hint, but a new report gleaned from publicly available voter registration data finds that the NHL’s American players are among the most right-leaning in professional sports. Only one […]
New Analysis Reveals Political Leanings of America’s Pro Sports Leagues
Scott Boehm/AP A new analysis using voter registration data has revealed where athletes in America’s major professional leagues stand on the political spectrum. The study compiled public registration information from two dozen states. Players were identified once they were matched to voter records via public biographical information. It was published Tuesday evening by VoteHub’s Peter Lutz, a student at George Washington University. Using the da…
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Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left
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