The newly elected pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, has not solely forged ballots within the papal conclave, however in U.S. elections as properly.
The Chicago-born pope — previously Cardinal Robert F. Prevost — is registered to vote within the Chicago suburb of New Lenox, Ailing., and has a combined voting historical past of collaborating in primaries for each events, based on voting information shared with CBS Information and information from the Illinois State Board of Elections.
There isn’t any occasion registration in Illinois, however to vote in a main it’s important to select a celebration’s poll to vote on. Prevost has voted in additional Republican primaries than Democratic, and the final main election he voted in was the 2016 Republican presidential main.
He final voted within the 2024 normal election, although it isn’t recognized what occasion he voted for.
That is based on information, shared with CBS Information by GOP marketing consultant Jared Small, of Prevost’s information from “L2 Information,” a paid service utilized by political campaigns that has entry to particular person voter information supplied by every state. CBS Information has reached out to the Will County Clerk’s Workplace for copies of this information as properly.
He voted within the Republican primaries in 2012, 2014 & 2016, together with the presidential primaries in 2012 and 2016.
L2 Information information present he final voted in a Democratic main in 2010. He had additionally voted within the occasion’s presidential main in 2008.
He has voted in no less than 9 normal elections, together with in 5 presidential election cycles: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2024. There isn’t any document of him voting within the 2016 or 2020 normal election.
Data present he additionally voted in a “consolidated normal election” in April 2001, when native Illinois workplaces had been on the poll.
The now-pope has additionally been active on social media for years, and has reposted statements about politics.
In February, he shared on X an article that criticized Republican Vice President JD Vance, and he as soon as shared a 2015 Washington Post op-ed written by American Cardinal Timothy Dolan titled “Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.” He has additionally shared tales essential of abortion.
Each Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance congratulated Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, and Mr. Trump instructed reporters it was “such an honor for our nation” to have an American pope.
The brand new pope had studied on the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago and was ordained a priest in 1982. He had served a number of positions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago. He’s additionally a fan of the Chicago White Sox skilled baseball group, based on a WGN interview along with his brother John Prevost.
contributed to this report.
