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2004 Presidential Elections: National Results

Whether President George W. Bush's reelection victory was decisive enough to be considered a mandate is in the eye of the beholder. He is the first presidential winner since 1988 to capture a majority of the popular vote, and unlike 2000, emerged victorious in both the popular and electoral vote. But his margin of victory in the popular vote - roughly 3.3 million, at present - is the smallest for any president to win reelection since Harry Truman in 1948. And Bush's current margin in the Electoral College - 34 votes - is the smallest for any reelected president since Woodrow Wilson in 1916.

The electoral map changed little from 2000 as only three states switched parties. Iowa and New Mexico, which were won narrowly by Democrat Al Gore in 2000, voted by a small margin for President Bush this time. New Hampshire, which Bush carried narrowly in 2000, showed a slight preference for Democrat John Kerry in 2004.

The results below are based on official returns from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Electoral  

Percentage of
 Vote     Rep.-Dem.

Total Vote

Major Vote
Bush Kerry Total Vote Bush Kerry Other Plurality Rep. Dem. Other Rep. Dem.
Alabama 9 1,883,415 1,176,394 693,933 13,088 482,461 R 62.5% 36.8% 0.7% 62.9% 37.1%
Alaska 3 312,598 190,889 111,025 10,684 79,864 R 61.1% 35.5% 3.4% 63.2% 36.8%
Arizona 10 2,012,585 1,104,294 893,524 14,767 210,770 R 54.9% 44.4% 0.7% 55.3% 44.7%
Arkansas 6 1,053,694 572,770 468,631 12,293 104,139 R 54.4% 44.5% 1.2% 55.0% 45.0%
California 55 12,419,857 5,509,826 6,745,485 164,546 1,235,659 D 44.4% 54.3% 1.3% 45.0% 55.0%
 
Colorado 9 2,129,630 1,101,255 1,001,732 26,643 99,523 R 51.7% 47.0% 1.3% 52.4% 47.6%
Connecticut 7 1,578,769 693,826 857,488 27,455 163,662 D 43.9% 54.3% 1.7% 44.7% 55.3%
Delaware 3 375,190 171,660 200,152 3,378 28,492 D 45.8% 53.3% 0.9% 46.2% 53.8%
Florida 27 7,609,810 3,964,522 3,583,544 61,744 380,978 R 52.1% 47.1% 0.8% 52.5% 47.5%
Georgia 15 3,298,790 1,914,254 1,366,149 18,387 548,105 R 58.0% 41.4% 0.6% 58.4% 41.6%
 
Hawaii 4 429,013 194,191 231,708 3,114 37,517 D 45.3% 54.0% 0.7% 45.6% 54.4%
Idaho 4 598,376 409,235 181,098 8,043 228,137 R 68.4% 30.3% 1.3% 69.3% 30.7%
Illinois 21 5,275,415 2,346,608 2,891,989 36,818 545,381 D 44.5% 54.8% 0.7% 44.8% 55.2%
Indiana 11 2,468,002 1,479,438 969,011 19,553 510,427 R 59.9% 39.3% 0.8% 60.4% 39.6%
Iowa 7 1,506,908 751,957 741,898 13,053 10,059 R 49.9% 49.2% 0.9% 50.3% 49.7%
 
Kansas 6 1,187,756 736,456 434,993 16,307 301,463 R 62.0% 36.6% 1.4% 62.9% 37.1%
Kentucky 8 1,795,860 1,069,439 712,733 13,688 356,706 R 59.6% 39.7% 0.8% 60.0% 40.0%
Louisiana 9 1,943,106 1,102,169 820,299 20,638 281,870 R 56.7% 42.2% 1.1% 57.3% 42.7%
Maine 4 740,752 330,201 396,842 13,709 66,641 D 44.6% 53.6% 1.9% 45.4% 54.6%
Maryland 10 2,384,238 1,024,703 1,334,493 25,042 309,790 D 43.0% 56.0% 1.1% 43.4% 56.6%
 
Massachusetts 12 2,912,388 1,071,109 1,803,800 37,479 732,691 D 36.8% 61.9% 1.3% 37.3% 62.7%
Michigan 17 4,839,252 2,313,746 2,479,183 46,323 165,437 D 47.8% 51.2% 1.0% 48.3% 51.7%
Minnesota 9* 2,828,387 1,346,695 1,445,014 36,678 98,319 D 47.6% 51.1% 1.3% 48.2% 51.8%
Mississippi 6 1,139,824 672,660 457,766 9,398 214,894 R 59.0% 40.2% 0.8% 59.5% 40.5%
Missouri 11 2,731,364 1,455,713 1,259,171 16,480 196,542 R 53.3% 46.1% 0.6% 53.6% 46.4%
 
Montana 3 450,434 266,063 173,710 10,661 92,353 R 59.1% 38.6% 2.4% 60.5% 39.5%
Nebraska 5 778,186 512,814 254,328 11,044 258,486 R 65.9% 32.7% 1.4% 66.8% 33.2%
Nevada 5 829,587 418,690 397,190 13,707 21,500 R 50.5% 47.9% 1.7% 51.3% 48.7%
New Hampshire 4 677,662 331,237 340,511 5,914 9,274 D 48.9% 50.2% 0.9% 49.3% 50.7%
New Jersey 15 3,609,691 1,668,003 1,911,430 30,258 243,427 D 46.2% 53.0% 0.8% 46.6% 53.4%
-
New Mexico 5 756,304 376,930 370,942 8,432 5,988 R 49.8% 49.0% 1.1% 50.4% 49.6%
New York 31 7,391,036 2,962,567 4,314,280 114,189 1,351,713 D 40.1% 58.4% 1.5% 40.7% 59.3%
North Carolina 15 3,501,007 1,961,166 1,525,849 13,992 435,317 R 56.0% 43.6% 0.4% 56.2% 43.8%
North Dakota 3 312,833 196,651 111,052 5,130 85,599 R 62.9% 35.5% 1.6% 63.9% 36.1%
Ohio 20 5,625,631 2,858,727 2,739,952 26,952 118,775 R 50.8% 48.7% 0.5% 51.1% 48.9%
 
Oklahoma 7 1,463,758 959,792 503,966 - 455,826 R 65.6% 34.4% 65.6% 34.4%
Oregon 7 1,836,782 866,831 943,163 26,788 76,332 D 47.2% 51.3% 1.5% 47.9% 52.1%
Pennsylvania 21 5,765,764 2,793,847 2,938,095 33,822 144,248 D 48.5% 51.0% 0.6% 48.7% 51.3%
Rhode Island 4 437,134 169,046 259,760 8,328 90,714 D 38.7% 59.4% 1.9% 39.4% 60.6%
South Carolina 8 1,617,730 937,974 661,699 18,057 276,275 R 58.0% 40.9% 1.1% 58.6% 41.4%
 
South Dakota 3 388,215 232,584 149,244 6,387 83,340 R 59.9% 38.4% 1.6% 60.9% 39.1%
Tennessee 11 2,437,319 1,384,375 1,036,477 16,467 347,898 R 56.8% 42.5% 0.7% 57.2% 42.8%
Texas 34 7,410,749 4,526,917 2,832,704 51,128 1,694,213 R 61.1% 38.2% 0.7% 61.5% 38.5%
Utah 5 927,844 663,742 241,199 22,903 422,543 R 71.5% 26.0% 2.5% 73.3% 26.7%
Vermont 3 312,309 121,180 184,067 7,062 62,887 D 38.8% 58.9% 2.3% 39.7% 60.3%
 
Virginia 13 3,198,367 1,716,959 1,454,742 26,666 262,217 R 53.7% 45.5% 0.8% 54.1% 45.9%
Washington 11 2,859,084 1,304,894 1,510,201 43,989 205,307 D 45.6% 52.8% 1.5% 46.4% 53.6%
West Virginia 5 755,659 423,550 326,541 5,568 97,009 R 56.1% 43.2% 0.7% 56.5% 43.5%
Wisconsin 10 2,997,007 1,478,120 1,489,504 29,383 11,384 D 49.3% 49.7% 1.0% 49.8% 50.2%
Wyoming 3 243,428 167,629 70,776 5,023 96,853 R 68.9% 29.1% 2.1% 70.3% 29.7%
 
Dist. of Col. 3 227,586 21,256 202,970 3,360 181,714 D 9.3% 89.2% 1.5% 9.5% 90.5%

TOTAL

 286 251 122,266,085 62,025,554 59,026,013 1,214,518 2,999,541 R 50.7% 48.3% 1.0% 51.2% 48.8%

*There was a faithless elector in Minnesota who cast a vote for Edwards.

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Document Citation
2004 presidential elections: national results. (2004). In CQ voting and collection (Web site). Washington: CQ Press.
Document ID: 2004Pres
Document URL: http://www.cqpress.com/docs/2004Elections/2004Pres.htm
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