Who Are the Favorite Celebrities of Republicans and Democrats? Dems Like Celebs Who Are Edgier, More Diverse

With a crazy political season in full swing, we’re examining the PR and marketing insights of looking at the media, entertainment and celebrities that political party identifiers prefer. We recently took a look at favorite programs of Democrats and Republicans, and in new analysis, E-Score has identified the favorite celebrities among folks who identify themselves as Democrats or Republicans.

Key findings show that Democrats like celebrities that are edgier and more diverse, while Republicans prefer family-friendly celebrities who often play “law-and-order” roles, with fewer women and minorities. There is a correlation between Democrats favorite shows and strong affinity for the actors in them. Meanwhile, Republicans prefer big-budget movie stars, and their TV-show preferences are plot driven and not as star-centric as their Democratic counterparts.

Democrats: Edgy and Diverse

With 7 women and 6 African Americans, the Democrats’ favorite celebrities are a diverse group. Celebrities like comedian and political commentator John Oliver provide an edge to the Democratic list. Additionally, at #12, Jesse Williams has been a lightning rod since his speech at the 2016 BET Awards. With polarizing comments from E-Poll panelists, Williams’ may be the edgiest celebrity to make this list.

As mentioned, E-Score recently identified favorite programs of Dems and Reps, and several of the celebrities on the Democrat list also star in some of their favorite shows. Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Kit Harington (Game of Thrones), and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) all star in programs that appear on the list of Democrats’ favorite shows.

Republicans: Family-Friendly, “Law and Order” Types

The Republican side of the list has a law-and-order feel. Celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Sam Elliot, Harrison Ford and Sean Connery have starred in their share of “good guys of justice” roles. Interestingly enough, Harrison Ford plays roles that are well received by Republicans even though he is a long-time Democrat. With 4 women and only one African-American, the Republican list is notably less diverse.

With the exception of David McCallum and Pauley Perrette, who both star in NCIS, no other celebrity from the top 20 stars in a favorite show among Republicans.

E-Score analyzed public opinion of more than 9,000 celebrities among Americans of voting age whose political affiliation is either Republican or Democrat and ranked the results based on Appeal (% “Like a Lot”). Each E-Score survey is conducted among 1,100 persons with general representation across income, age, education and geographic demographics to represent a cross-section of the U.S. population. Analysis combines the results of multiple surveys taken over the past year. E-Score is a product of E-Poll Market Research.