He was also an environmentalist. I had the privilege of taking religion classes from Hugh Nibley, as well as hearing him speak in church, and at other informal gatherings. His mind was amazing, he was a brilliant man.
And there are many Democrat Mormons, although I think the numbers may be going down because of the current stances of the Democrat party. If you look at the history of Utah, Democrats really dominated this state for many decades. However, as the Democrats have drifted leftward, the balance of power changed in Utah. Today, it is difficult to get elected if one is a Democrat.
As far as Hugh Nibley goes, his faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel, and his testimony of the Book of Mormon never wavered. He always made stinging comments about the Utah Mormon culture, but never our faith. And that is why he was such a beloved figure.
I used to watch the Book of Mormon lectures they would show on KBYU on Sundays. It was amazing to watch Bro. Nibley lecture without notes, jumping from the Book of Mormon, to the Dead Sea Scrolls, to Isaiah, to the Epic of Gilgamesh, to Elizabethan poetry, all the while reciting lengthy passages from memory.
He bounced so quickly from one tangent to another, it was hard to keep up. Truly a phenomenal mind, even well into his 70s (which is when those lectures were taped, I believe).