Final answer:
The religious right strongly favored Ronald Reagan, despite him not being a regular churchgoer, because of his commitment to conservative policies that resonated with evangelical values. Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority and similar groups advocated for him over other candidates like Jimmy Carter, who were more liberal in their approach despite Carter's personal religious beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The political leader that the religious right strongly favored was Ronald Reagan. Televangelists and religious leaders of the New Right, such as Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, played a significant role in advocating for conservative social issues and recommending political candidates like Reagan to their followers. Despite being a divorced Hollywood actor and not a regular churchgoer, Reagan won the support of the evangelical Christian community over Jimmy Carter, largely because of his commitment to conservative policies and platform.
While Jimmy Carter was a born-again Christian, his approach to politics did not align as closely with the desires of the religious right compared to Reagan, who presented policies that resonated with their values. Throughout his presidency, Reagan's administration emphasized conservative agendas which appealed to the New Right and religious groups, further solidifying his support among these cohorts. George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush also garnered support from socially conservative groups but to varying extents in different periods.