The Values Voter Summit is an annual political conference held in Washington, D.C. for American social conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States.

Among the key issues for values voters defined by the organizers are opposition to abortion and to same-sex marriage, and a strong national defense.

"[4] The conference typically includes appearances from Republican potential presidential candidates vying for the support of the crucial social conservative base of the party.

[1][5][6] Featured guests at the summit have included right-wing commentators Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, in addition to numerous elected officials and other conservative figures.

The winner of the first presidential straw poll, of about 5,776 votes, was former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who would later go on to be the runner-up of the 2008 primaries before winning the nomination in 2012.

After a "civil war" over the inclusion of the gay Republican group GOProud led many conservative organizations and activists to boycott the 2011 CPAC, Politico reported that a group of conservative figures were beginning to organize to turn the Values Voter Summit into "a full-fledged rival to CPAC" by expanding its focus to include economic and national security issues.

The 2013 and 2014 conferences both saw the same two candidates in the top two slots for the presidential straw poll for the first time ever, with Texas senator Ted Cruz and former neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson in first and second, respectively.

[11] Subsequently, the results of the presidential straw poll saw the same exact top three candidates for the second year in a row: Cruz once again came in first, with Carson in second, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in third.

[14] In 2010 the Family Research Council, an important sponsor of the Summit, was included on the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of organizations designated by as anti-LGBT hate groups.