Catholics Vote Common Good

It is related to left-leaning political advocacy group Vote Common Good. ¹

Background

Catholics Vote Common Good is a project of Vote Common Good (VCG) that “encourages faith groups to support progressive candidates.” ²  It was established in 2024 as a continuation of the 2020 Catholics for Biden movement and is the “Catholic wing of the VCG family.” ³

Vote Common Good is a left-leaning political advocacy group focused on faith-based voters. It was founded in 2018 to oppose the policies of the first Trump administration. ⁴

Throughout 2024 Catholics Vote Common Good traveled around the country on the Vote Common Good bus hosting rallies, trainings, and monthly meetings in preparation for the elections with a goal of defeating presidential candidate Donald Trump. ^{3 5}  It actively supported the Democratic ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz with phone banks, postcards, billboards, lawn signs, and social media commercials. ⁶

In August 2024, Catholics Vote Common Good hosted an event at the Democratic National Convention entitled “Keeping the Faith: The Catholic Vote in 2024.” Panelists included Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), the Obama administration’s ambassador to the Holy See Miguel Diaz, the Harris-Walz campaign Catholic outreach coordinator Alex Nason, and DNC delegate Caroline McGraw. ⁷

In September 2024 Catholics Vote Common Good joined with Catholics for Harris-Walz to organize weekly phone banks to support the campaign. ⁸

Post-2024 Election

Catholics Vote Common Good continues its activism against the second Trump administration. It works to activate Catholic voters in support of left-of-center issues concerning “social justice, immigration, climate change, and the scourge of White Christian Nationalism.” ⁹ It describes itself as inspiring people to “speak up against MAGA politics.” ¹

Catholics Vote Common Good is a partner of the “No Kings” movement along with several other left-of-center activist organizations including Black Voters Matter, Common Defense, Feminist Majority, Greenpeace, the Human Rights Campaign, Indivisible, Kairos Center, the League of Conservation Voters, the National Action Network, One Fair Wage, the Patriotic Millionaires, People for the American Way, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, the Progressive Democrats of America, Reproductive Freedom for All, and Working Families Power. ¹⁰

The No Kings protest was a “nationwide day of defiance” planned for Flag Day, June 14, 2025, and meant to coincide with the national celebration and parade for the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C. It was organized by approximately 198 Democratic National Committee affiliates. ^{11 12}

The No Kings movement continues to encourage activism against the second Trump administration with its partners, including an event on July 17, 2025 called Good Trouble Lives On. ¹³

Funding and Support

Catholics Vote Common Good’s parent organization Vote Common Good reported 2024 total revenue of $1,647,854 and expenses of $540,089. ¹⁴ Its related nonprofit organization is Greater Things, which encourages people to “leave behind the narratives of exclusion, violence, greed, sexism, exploitation and racism rooted in white supremacy.” ^{15  16}

Catholics Vote Common Good lists a number of elected Democrats as strong supporters of the group, including Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA). ⁶

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) is a founding member of Catholics Vote Common Good. Suozzi became a member of the House of Representatives for a second time in February 2024 after winning a special election to replace expelled former Rep. George Santos (R-NY). ^{17 18}

Leadership

Catholics Vote Common Good has a national steering committee made up of nine members from New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.. ¹⁹

Denise Murphy McGraw is a co-founder of Catholics Vote Common Good and a member of its national steering committee. She graduated from the State University of New York with a major in political science and government. She had been a partner at a public affairs firm in Albany, New York for almost 16 years as of 2025. At that time, she was president of the New York State Federation of Democratic Women and a special assistant for political affairs for SMACNA. ^{20 21}

Patrick Carolan is a co-founder of Catholics Vote Common Good and a member of its national steering committee. As of 2025, he was the executive director of left-leaning Christian activist group Franciscan Action Network, a position he had held since 2010. He co-founded climate justice group Global Catholic Climate Movement and faith-based advocacy network Faithful Democracy, which partners with left-leaning groups including the Franciscan Action Network, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and the National Council of Churches. ^{22 23}