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Tuesday’s election, by at least one tally, appears to continue an interesting  trend:

The past 12 months have been noteworthy for the number of Roman Catholics elected or appointed to top political posts, and yesterday’s election results kept the streak going.

The winners of the two biggest races, gubernatorial contests in Virginia and New Jersey, are Catholic Republicans who appear to be committed to their faith. Virginia’s governor-elect, Bob McDonnell, has talked about his Catholic upbringing shaping his political views. New Jersey’s governor-elect, Chris Christie, and his wife send their kids to parochial schools.

The relatively new heads of the two major political parties are both Catholics whose lives have been deeply influenced by their faith. Michael Steele, the Republican National Committee chair, is a former seminarian. Tim Kaine, the Democratic National Committee chair, is a former missionary.

Last year, Joe Biden became the first Catholic vice president in American history.

In the summer, President Obama appointed Catholic Sonia Sotomayor as the first Latino to the Supreme Court.

There’s more at the link, including a theory about why this is happening.

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