2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire
New Hampshire was the only state that Bush won in the 2000 presidential election but lost in the 2004 presidential election. This is the first time that a Republican won a presidential election while losing New Hampshire, while Bush became the second consecutive Republican president (after his father) to lose New Hampshire in his second election having won it in his first. This would also be the first time since 1976 that New Hampshire would back the losing candidate in a presidential election, which would be repeated in 2016.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Primaries, Democratic primary
The 2004 New Hampshire Democratic Primary was held on January 27, 2004. Taking place 8 days after the Iowa caucuses, it marked the second contest to take place during the Democratic party's 2004 primary season, as well as the first actual primary to take place.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Primaries, Democratic primary, Polling
Primary polling taken by American Research Group during the last few days of campaigning (January 23 to January 27, 2004) showed that former New Hampshire poll leader as well as national leader Howard Dean was steadily gaining ground to catch up to now front-runner John Kerry.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Primaries, Democratic primary, Polling
Tracking polling showed that Dean had been catching up to Kerry in the days before the primary, cutting Kerry's 18 point lead to 10 points in a matter of days. With Dean dropping and Kerry rising, it became apparent that the battle for 1st place in New Hampshire would be close. Also, for third place, Wesley Clark, John Edwards and Joe Lieberman were the only ones fighting for third. With Clark and Edwards both taking hits going into the primary, a Lieberman on the rise, the fight for 1st place and third place, according to polls would be intense.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Primaries, Democratic primary, Results
As results began to come in during Primary night, it became apparent Kerry had won the primary and was promptly projected the winner by several media outlets. Dean finished in second place. Clark and Edwards were in a dead-lock for third place, with both candidates at 12% during the night. Earlier returns showed Lieberman in a stronger position to tie with Clark and Edwards, allowing him to declare to his supporters that it was "a three-way split decision for third place."


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Primaries, Democratic primary, Results
As final results were being tallied, Kerry won the primary with 84,277 votes and 38%, Dean finished second, with 57,761 and 26%, and Clark narrowly defeated Edwards for third place, with 27,314 votes and 12%. Lieberman had fallen back in the count and didn't even reach 10%.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Primaries, Democratic primary, Results
Kerry won huge margins of support amongst almost all constituencies, with his only weak point amongst Republicans, who made up 4% of the voting block and was Lieberman's strongest point. Dean repeatedly came distant second or third for almost all categories of voters. Edwards defeated Clark amongst male voters as well as voters under 65, but only by a very tiny margin. Lieberman finished in a distant third in almost all categories except for Republicans, in which he nearly defeated John Kerry.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Campaign, Polling
Pre -election polling was back and forth, with no clear indication who would end up winning the state. The final 3 polls averaged Kerry leading 48% to 47%, with the undecided voters, making up just 3%, deciding the election.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Bush visited the state 6 times, while Kerry visited the state 4 times. Each campaign spent between $100,000 to $300,000 each week.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Analysis
New Hampshire, historically considered to be a more conservative state compared to the rest of New England, had by the early 2000s become a swing state in presidential elections, having voted for Democrat Bill Clinton twice in the 1990s but narrowly choosing Republican George W. Bush in 2000. However the state began heavily trending Democratic after 2000. Bush's approval ratings were consistently below 50% in 2004. Also, polling in the state consistently showed Kerry leading, and with between 47% to 50% of the vote.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Analysis
On election day, Kerry won with just over 50% of the vote, with a small margin of victory, as expected from the polls. Major factors include Bush's lower approval ratings and just 1% who voted for third-party candidates, unlike 2000 when over 4% of the people voted for an independent. Kerry won 6 of the 10 counties. Most of the counties were won and lost by small margins. Kerry's key to victory was winning Cheshire County with over 59%. Bush's best performance was in Belknap County, which he won with over 55% and carrying every single town.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Analysis
Bush won New Hampshire's 1st congressional district, and Kerry won New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district. This was also the first presidential election since 1968 when Coos County would back the losing candidate, and only the second time since 1892 when that would occur overall. This would later be repeated when Donald Trump won the county over Joe Biden in 2020 despite losing the presidential election that year.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Electors
Technically the voters of NH cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. NH is allocated 4 electors because it has 2 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 4 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 4 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in New Hampshire, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 4 were pledged for Kerry/Edwards:


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey
The 2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 15 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey
New Jersey was won by Democratic nominee John Kerry by a 6.7% margin of victory. Prior to the election, most news organizations considered it as a state Kerry would win, or a blue state. Although due to the impact of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the resignation amidst scandal of Governor James McGreevey, the state was considered an interesting race. Polls showed Senator John F. Kerry with a slim lead throughout the campaign and the Republicans invested some campaign funds in the state. In the end, however, Kerry took New Jersey by a comfortable margin. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which the Democratic margin of victory was in single digits, or that the Republican won Somerset County.


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey, Campaign, Polling
Kerry won most of the pre-election polls taken in this state, but mostly by small margins. The final 3 polling average showed the Democratic leading 49% to 42%.


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey, Campaign, Advertising and visits
President George W. Bush visited Marlton, New Jersey, in Burlington County for a rally on October 18th, 2004.


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey, Analysis
Generally, Kerry was very dominant in the urban centers of the state, particularly in Essex, Hudson, and Camden Counties. However, Bush made inroads in Bergen County, where many wealthy residents reside, and in other South Jersey counties. Bush controlled largely rural parts of the state, such as the Northwest (Hunterdon, Somerset, and Morris are also among the 10 wealthiest counties in America) and Salem County. Monmouth County's wealthy population and Ocean and Cape May Counties' older population also contributed to Bush's relative success in this largely Democratic state.


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey, Analysis
This would also be the first election in which a Northern Democrat carried New Jersey since 1960 when fellow Massachusetts Democrat John F. Kennedy did so. The previous three Democratic presidential candidates to carry the state were all from the South (Lyndon B. Johnson was from Texas, Bill Clinton from Arkansas, and Al Gore from Tennessee), even though New Jersey is a northern state.


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey, Electors
Technically the voters of NJ cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. NJ is allocated 15 electors because it has 13 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 15 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 15 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in New Jersey, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 15 were pledged for Kerry/Edwards.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico
The 2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose five representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico
New Mexico was won by incumbent Republican President George W. Bush by a 0.79% margin of victory. Bush took 49.84% of the vote, narrowly defeating Democratic Senator of Massachusetts John Kerry, who took 49.05%. Prior to the election, most news organizations considered it as a swing state. New Mexico is a very diverse state, with 42% of the state Hispanic and another 42% of the electorate non-Hispanic white. Exit polling showed that incumbent George W. Bush performed better among Hispanic Americans in 2004 than in 2000.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico
This may be one of the reasons why Bush won and swung the state from 2000, when Al Gore had narrowly won the state. New Mexico was one of the only three states which switched sides between 2000 and 2004 (Iowa also flipped from Gore to Bush, while New Hampshire flipped from Bush to Kerry), although Bush only won with a margin of less than 1% of the vote. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time that the Republican nominee carried New Mexico, as well as Los Alamos County and Sandoval County.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico, Campaign, Polling
Polls showed Kerry in the lead for most of the general election. However, Bush caught up in the last month. The last 3 polling average showed Bush leading with 48% to 46%, which meant that the undecided voters would decide the election.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Because of the closeness of the prior election, New Mexico was largely considered as a swing state. Over the general election, Bush visited the state 5 times and Kerry visited 8 times. Nearly $2 million were spent by both campaigns combined in television advertisements each week.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico, Analysis
Although Bill Richardson, the Democratic governor, was very popular, the state, which voted for Al Gore by 300 votes in 2000, chose George W. Bush in 2004, by 6,000 votes. The only county Bush won in 2004 that he didn't win in 2000 was Colfax County. Half of the population in New Mexico is Hispanic, thus Bush was able to appeal to over 40% of the Hispanic vote.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico, Analysis
As of 2020 this is the last time New Mexico chose a Republican for president.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico, Results breakdown, By congressional district
Kerry won 2 of 3 congressional districts including 1 district won by a Republican representative.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico, Electors
New Mexico voters cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. New Mexico has 5 electors because it has 3 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 5 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 5 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia meet in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in New Mexico, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for Bush/Cheney.


2004 United States presidential election in New York
The 2004 United States presidential election in New York took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 31 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in New York
New York was won by Democratic nominee John Kerry with an 18.3% margin of victory. Kerry took 58.37% of the vote to Bush's 40.08%. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Kerry would win, or otherwise considered as a safe blue state. The last Republican presidential nominee to have carried the state of New York was Ronald Reagan in 1984 and the last one to even be competitive was Bush's father George H. W. Bush  in 1988.


2004 United States presidential election in New York
Despite being a "safe blue state", this was the best showing for a Republican candidate in a presidential election in New York since 1988 and a significant improvement over Bush's performance in 2000; this is often attributed to increased support for President Bush after the 9/11 attacks. However, New York also had Kerry's fourth largest margin of victory after Kerry's home state of Massachusetts, and neighboring  Rhode Island and Vermont. New York was one of just seven states that Kerry won by double digits, the others being neighboring Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maryland and Illinois.


2004 United States presidential election in New York
As of the 2020 United States presidential election, this is the last election in which the Republican candidate both received over 40% of the vote, and lost by less than a 20% margin in New York or Westchester County, and carried Rockland and Dutchess counties.


2004 United States presidential election in New York, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in New York, Campaign, Polling
Kerry won every single pre-election poll, and all but one with a double-digit margin and with at least 49%. The final 3-poll average showed Kerry leading 55% to 38%.


2004 United States presidential election in New York, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited the state during the fall campaign.


2004 United States presidential election in New York, Geographic analysis
The voters of the five boroughs of New York City were the main force responsible for Kerry's decisive victory in the state. Kerry won New York City by an overwhelming margin, taking 1,828,015 votes to Bush's 587,534, a 74.99% to 24.10% victory. Excluding New York City's votes, John Kerry still would have carried New York State, but by a reduced margin, taking 2,486,265 votes to Bush's 2,375,033 votes, a 51.14% - 48.86% victory.


2004 United States presidential election in New York, Geographic analysis
The New York suburbs consist of Long Island, Westchester and Rockland counties. Traditionally Republican, this area went clearly Democratic through the past few decades, with the arrival of people from New York City. However, in this area where many voters commute to Manhattan, Bush did better than expected. Although he clearly lost these counties to Gore in 2000 with 39.55% to 56.42%, or 655,665 votes to 935,456, he only lost them by a close 46.13% to 52.30% to Kerry. While Bush won 167,397 more votes than in 2000, Kerry lost 2,437. This can be mainly explained by the concerns of suburban moderate voters about terrorism, an issue about which they trusted Bush more than Kerry.


2004 United States presidential election in New York, Geographic analysis
Upstate New York region, including all of the counties that are not part of New York City or its suburbs, is the least liberal region of the three. Its politics are very similar to those of Ohio or Pennsylvania, both key swing states and sharing conservative rural areas. Despite this characteristic, Senator Kerry still managed a slim victory in Upstate New York, with 1,553,246 votes to 1,551,971 for Bush. This was largely due to a Democratic tidal wave in the region's four largest cities--Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany. Kerry also ran strongly in college dominated Tompkins County and two counties with an influx of former New York City residents moving to vacation homes, Ulster County and Columbia County.


2004 United States presidential election in New York, Electors
NY voters cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. New York has 31 electors because it has 29 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 31 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 31 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in New York, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia meet in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in New York, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from New York. All were pledged to and voted for Kerry/Edwards.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina
The 2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 15 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina
North Carolina was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 12.44% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or a red state. North Carolina was also the home state of Democratic Party vice presidential nominee John Edwards, who was then representing the state in the United States Senate. This was not enough for Democrats to break Republican success in this state since Jimmy Carter's victory in 1976. While winning the state comfortably, Bush's margin of 12.44% was 0.39% lower than his 2000 performance, making it the only Southern state to swing more Democratic than 2000.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina
Bush became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Mecklenburg or Guilford County since Calvin Coolidge in 1924.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Campaign, Polling
Bush won every single pre-election poll. The final 3 poll average showed Bush leading 52% to 44%.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited the state during the fall campaign.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Analysis
John Edwards failed to make his home state competitive in the general election. In 2000, George W. Bush had performed strongly in most of the South, including North Carolina, which he had won by 12.83%. As in most of the rest of the South, he did so once again in North Carolina, notwithstanding Edwards' presence on the Democratic ticket, although his margin of victory did go down slightly, to 12.44%, even as nationally he improved from losing the popular vote by 0.5% to winning it by 2.5%. Bush consistently led in polling leading up to election day.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Analysis
Bush won a majority of the 100 counties and congressional districts. The only region in the state that Kerry dominated in was the Northeastern black belt, the location of North Carolina's 1st congressional district. However, Kerry did narrowly flip two heavily populated counties, Mecklenburg and Guilford, which have gone on to give Democrats over 55% of the vote in every subsequent election as of 2020. He also cut Bush's margin in another heavily populated county, Wake, from 7.1% to 2.1%. As of 2020, Wake has gone on to give Democrats over 55% of the vote in every subsequent election save 2012. Large Democratic margins in these counties have been instrumental to making North Carolina competitive in every election from 2008 onward.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Analysis
As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Pitt County, Forsyth County, Wilson County, Wake County, Buncombe County, and Cumberland County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Analysis
As of 2020, this is the last election in which a presidential candidate won North Carolina by double digits, as well as the last time the state was not seriously contested.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Electors
Technically the voters of North Carolina cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. North Carolina is allocated 15 electors because it has 13 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 15 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 15 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in North Carolina, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for Bush/Cheney:


2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota
The 2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose three representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota
North Dakota was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 27.36% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. The state has voted Republican in all but five presidential elections since statehood. In 2004, George W. Bush defeated John Kerry with 62.86% of the vote. The state's population of about 650,000 is little changed from what it was 80 years ago, as North Dakota is one of seven states with the minimum three electoral votes.


2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign visited or advertised in this state during the fall campaign.


2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota, Analysis
In 2000, Al Gore won two counties, compared to Kerry who won four counties in the state, including his best performance in Sioux County, where he won with seventy percent of the vote. Overall, Bush dominated the state, winning a wide majority of the state's counties, and with large margins. In just two counties – both majority Native American – did Bush obtain less than 44 percent of the vote. As of 2020, this is the last election in which the Republican nominee won Cass County by majority.


2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota, Electors
Technically the voters of ND cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. ND is allocated 3 electors because it has 1 congressional district and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 3 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 3 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for Bush and Cheney:


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio
The 2004 United States presidential election in Ohio took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 20 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president, the record lowest from Ohio at the time since 1828.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio
Ohio was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 2.10% margin of victory. Prior to the election, most news organizations considered the Buckeye state as a swing state. The state's economic situation gave hope for John Kerry. In the end, the state became the deciding factor of the entire election. Kerry conceded the state, and the entire election, the morning following election night, as Bush won the state and its 20 electoral votes. The close contest was the subject of the documentary film ... So Goes the Nation, the title of which is a reference to Ohio's 2004 status as a crucial swing state. Had Kerry carried the state, he would have won the presidency with 272 electoral votes.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio
As of the 2020 election, this was the last time Ohio voted more Democratic than the nation as a whole, as well as the last time Hamilton County voted Republican. This is also the last time as of 2020 that Ohio voted to the left of Colorado, Nevada or Virginia.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations that made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Campaign, Polling
Pre -election polling showed a lot of volatility throughout the general election. In September, Bush was gaining momentum here, reaching over 50% in several polls and even reaching double digit margins in some. But in October, Kerry gained back momentum as he started winning many of the polls, leading with from 48% to as high as 50%. The last 3 polls averaged Kerry leading 49% to 48%.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Both candidates campaigned heavily. Bush visited the state 18 times to Kerry's 23 times. Almost every week, over $10 million was spent on television advertising.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Analysis
CNN Exit polling showed that Bush barely won the state. Among male voters, he won with 52%. Among female voters, it was tied 50-50. Also, 53% of the voters approved of Bush's job as president.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Analysis
Bush dominated in the rural areas, while Kerry dominated and won most of the counties with large populations. Overall, Bush won most of the counties and congressional districts in the state. All the congressional districts Kerry won were in the northern section of the state.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Electors
Technically the voters of Ohio cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Ohio is allocated 20 electors because it has 18 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 20 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 20 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 20 were pledged for Bush/Cheney.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Objection to certification of Ohio's electoral votes
On January 6, 2005, Senator Barbara Boxer joined Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio in filing a Congressional objection to the certification of Ohio's Electoral College votes due to alleged irregularities including disqualification of provisional ballots, alleged misallocation of voting machines, and disproportionately long waits in predominantly African-American communities. The Senate voted the objection down 74–1; the House voted the objection down 267–31.


2004 United States presidential election in Ohio, Objection to certification of Ohio's electoral votes
At the time, it was only the second Congressional objection to an entire State's electoral delegation in U.S. history; the first instance was in 1877, when all the electors from three southern states were challenged, and one from Oregon. The third instance was in 2021, when Republicans objected to the certification of the electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania. An objection to a single faithless elector was also filed in 1969.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma
The 2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose seven representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma
Oklahoma was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 31.14% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered a safe red state. Bush won this state, every single county, and congressional district. Giving Bush 65.57% of the vote, it was the most Republican state in the south and Bush's fifth best performance in the country after Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Nebraska. In addition, he performed nine points better here than he had four years earlier, indicating an increasing Republican trend.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma
Oklahoma has been a Republican-leaning state since 1952 and a Republican stronghold since 1980. This was the first of five consecutive elections to date in which every county in the state was won by the Republican candidate.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma, Campaign, Polling
Bush won every single pre-election poll, each with a double-digit margin and with at least 53% of the vote, except for the first poll. Many polls had Bush winning with a 30% margin or even higher. The final 3 poll average had Bush leading 63% to 32%.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall campaign.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma, Analysis
Bush won here in 2000 with just 60% of the vote, and losing several counties in the eastern part of the state. However, the major difference between 2000 and 2004 is that in 2000 the Reform Party and Libertarian Party candidates were on the ballot. Oklahoma now has the toughest laws for a third-party candidate to get ballot access, as no independent has gotten ballot access here since 2000. Bush won every single county in 2004, including winning statewide with over 65% of the vote, which is one of Bush's best performances in the nation. Bush's key to victory was gaining the heavily populated counties of Tulsa County and Oklahoma County with over 64% of the vote in each.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma, Electors
Technically the voters of Oklahoma cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Oklahoma is allocated 7 electors because it has 5 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 7 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 7 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 7 were pledged for Bush/Cheney:


2004 United States presidential election in Oklahoma, Electors
The slate for the Democrats, which was not elected, consisted of George Krumme, Edwynne Krumme, Maxine Horner, Jim Hamilton, Bernice Mitchell, Betty McElderry, Bob Lemon


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon
The 2004 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose seven representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon
Oregon was won by Democratic nominee John Kerry by a 4.2 point margin of victory. Prior to the election, news organizations considered the state a tossup or leaning Kerry. A moderate amount of campaigning took place here, as Kerry won every poll after October 14, and each with between 47% and 53% of the vote. Despite the state having been very competitive and being barely won by Al Gore four years earlier, Oregon is a consistent blue state that no Republican has won in a presidential election since Ronald Reagan in 1984.


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon
Kerry won this state with a modest margin, indicating Oregon's Democratic trend. This is the most recent presidential election in which Oregon was considered a swing state. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Clackamas County voted for a Republican presidential candidate as well as the final time the state's margin would be in the single digits, and the last time a Republican received more than 45% of the state's vote.


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon, Campaign, Polling
Kerry won most pre-election polling. The final 3 poll average had Kerry leading 50% to 45% for Bush.


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon, Campaign, Advertising and visits
In the week of September 28, both tickets combined spent an estimated $546,000 on advertising. However, both tickets spent less and less money each week. Bush visited here 2 times. Kerry visited here 3 times. Both tickets visited the western part of the state.


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon, Analysis
After the 2000 election, which saw a particularly close race, Oregon was largely considered a potential Republican target. However, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry won 51% of Oregon's vote, narrowly defeating Republican incumbent George W. Bush. The rural and highly conservative eastern interior and Southern Oregon favored Bush, but Kerry's strong support in the more urban Willamette Valley allowed him to win the state. About 68% of the voting age population came out to vote.


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon, Electors
Technically the voters of Oregon cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Oregon is allocated 7 electors because it has 5 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 7 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 7 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Oregon, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All seven were pledged for Kerry/Edwards.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania
The 2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 21 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania was won by Democratic nominee John Kerry by a 2.50% margin of victory. Prior to the election, most news organizations considered this a toss-up, or swing state. Although the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in six subsequent elections since 1992, the margins of victory had become smaller over the past elections. On election day, Kerry won the state with 50.92% of the vote, but won only 13 of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania. Most of these 13 counties have the highest populations in the commonwealth. The biggest key to Kerry's victory was winning Philadelphia County with 80.44% of the vote.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania
Bush was the first president elected to two terms without carrying the Keystone State either time since Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and 1916. This to date is the most recent election where Pennsylvania would back the losing candidate who did not win the overall electoral vote, and presidency. This was also the first (and also last) time since 1948 that the Keystone State backed the loser of the popular vote by majority.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Primaries, Eligibility
In order to vote in the primary, one must have been:


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Primaries, Eligibility
Convicted felons could not vote from prison and were not allowed to register to vote for five years after being released from prison.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Primaries, Registration
Individuals could register to vote at County Voter Registration offices, through the mail, at a Department of Transportation office, or at various other government agency offices.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Primaries, Registration
Voters must have been registered 30 days prior to the election in order to be eligible to vote.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Primaries, Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary took place on April 27, 2004. It was open to registered Democrats only.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Primaries, Democratic primary election, Results
Note: Twenty seven delegates remained uncommitted until they reached the floor of the convention. Kerry eventually received all 178 delegates from Pennsylvania.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Primaries, Republican primary election
The Republican primary took place on April 27, 2004. It was open to registered Republicans only. Incumbent President George W. Bush ran unopposed.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, General election campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, General election campaign, Polling
Al Gore won here in 2000 with barely 50% of the vote. In late October 2004, the state was split at 47% on whether or not to approve of Bush. But Kerry won the poll 48% to 46% in the last Mason Dixon poll. Throughout the election of 2004, Kerry won most of the polls in the upper 40% to lower 50% range. However, Bush polled within the margin of error, usually in the mid 40% range. In the last Real Clear Politics average Kerry was leading with 48% and by almost a 1% margin.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, General election campaign, Advertising and visits
Bush campaigned heavily in the state and dropped by here over 20 times in 2004. But it wasn't enough to swing the undecided voters as Kerry won the state's electors with almost 51% of the vote, slightly higher than Gore.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Analysis
This Kerry victory can be attributed to the overwhelmingly Democratic cities of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Erie. Although Kerry-held cities which voted for the Senator by narrow margins assisted him in advancing his margin over President Bush, many political analysts underscored the fact that if Philadelphia were excluded, President George W. Bush would have won Pennsylvania by a fairly slim margin, with 2,663,748 versus 2,395,890 for Kerry. Although Pennsylvania is closely divided in most elections, it did not vote Republican in a presidential election from 1992 to 2012.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Analysis
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were the biggest contributors to Kerry's victory in Pennsylvania. However, many independents in suburban Philadelphia counties (Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, and somewhat in Chester) voted for Kerry, which may well have been the deciding factor. Kerry also had narrow margins of victory around cities like Allentown, Scranton, Erie, and the traditionally Democratic Pittsburgh suburbs; he also garnered many votes in certain rural areas such as parts of the Poconos and the Laurel Highlands, and in cities like Reading, Johnstown, Harrisburg, and State College. Bush's margins were extremely large in Central Pennsylvania and the sparsely populated Northern Tier, with traditional GOP cities such as Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Altoona, Huntingdon, and Williamsport strongly throwing their support behind him. This area, along with rural western Maryland, was clearly the most conservative in the Northeast.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Analysis
As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last presidential election that the Democratic candidate won any county bordering Allegheny County, namely Washington County, Beaver County and Fayette County. This is also the last election in which Dauphin County, Centre County, and Monroe County voted for the Republican candidate.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Electors
Technically the voters of Pennsylvania cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Pa. is allocated 21 electors because it has 19 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 21 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 21 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 21 were pledged for Kerry/Edwards.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island
The 2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose four representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island
Rhode Island was won by Democratic nominee John Kerry by a 20.8% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Kerry would win, or otherwise considered as a safe blue state. Even though President George W. Bush fared better than he had in four years earlier, he was overwhelmingly defeated in a traditional Democratic stronghold, winning only 39% of the vote to 59% for Kerry.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island, Campaign, Polling
Kerry won every single pre-election poll, each with a double-digit margin and with at least 49% of the vote. The final 3 poll average showed Kerry leading 55% to 38%.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited here in the fall campaign.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island, Analysis
Federally, Rhode Island is one of the most reliably Democratic states during presidential elections, regularly giving the Democratic nominees one of their best showings. In 1980, Rhode Island was one of only six states to vote against Ronald Reagan. Reagan did carry Rhode Island in his 49-state victory in 1984, but the state was the second weakest of the states Reagan won. Rhode Island was the Democrats' leading state in 1988 and 2000, and second-best in 1996 and 2004.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island, Analysis
Historically, the state was devoted to Republicans until 1908, but has only strayed from the Democrats seven times in the 24 elections that have followed. In 2004, Rhode Island gave John Kerry more than a 20% margin of victory (the third-highest of any state), with 59.4% of its vote. All but three of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns voted for the Democratic candidate. The only exceptions were East Greenwich, West Greenwich and Scituate.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island, Analysis
Having some of the highest taxes in the nation, Rhode Island is considered to be a liberal bastion. In addition, Rhode Island has abolished capital punishment, making it one of 15 states that have done so. Rhode Island abolished the death penalty very early, just after Michigan (the first state to abolish it), and carried out its last execution in the 1840s. Rhode Island is 1 of 2 states in which prostitution is legal, provided it takes place indoors, though there have been recent efforts to change this.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island, Electors
Technically the voters of Rhode Island cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Rhode Island is allocated 4 electors because it has 2 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 4 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 4 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Rhode Island, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 4 were pledged for Kerry/Edwards.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina
The 2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina took place on November 2, 2004, as part of the 2004 United States presidential election which took place throughout all 50 states and D.C. Voters chose eight representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina
South Carolina was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 17.08% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise a red state. No Democrat had won this state since 1976. On election day, Bush won a majority of the counties and congressional districts in the state.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina
The results were very similar to the state's results in 2000, and very similar to the results in neighboring Georgia this election, although Democratic Senator John Edwards of the bordering state of North Carolina was chosen as the vice presidential nominee. Bush won Greenville County, the largest county in the state, by a margin of 33.23%.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Primaries
For both parties in 2004, South Carolina's was the first primary in a Southern state and the first primary in a state in which African Americans make up a sizable percentage of the electorate.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Primaries
The Democratic primary was held on February 3, with 45 delegates at stake. It was held on the same day as six other primaries and caucuses.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Primaries
South Carolina's 45 delegates to the 2004 Democratic National Convention were awarded proportionally based on the results of the primary. The state also sent ten superdelegates.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Campaign, Polling
Bush won every pre-election poll, each with a double-digit margin (except for one) and with at least 49% of the vote. The final 3 poll average showed Bush leading 55% to 41%.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Analysis
South Carolina, historically part of the Solid South, has become a Republican stronghold in the past few presidential elections. Since Barry Goldwater carried the state in 1964, the only Democratic presidential nominee to win it was Jimmy Carter of neighboring Georgia in 1976. Since then, the Palmetto State has been a safe bet for the Republicans. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Charleston County voted for the Republican candidate.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Results breakdown, By congressional district
Bush won 5 of 6 congressional districts including a district won by a Democratic representative


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Electors
Technically the voters of South Carolina cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. South Carolina is allocated 8 electors because it has 6 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 8 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 8 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 8 were pledged for Bush/Cheney.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota
The 2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose three representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota
South Dakota was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 21.5 point margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. Since 1940, the state has voted for the Republican nominee in every presidential election, except 1964.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Campaign, Predictions
There were twelve news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Campaign, Polling
Bush won every pre-election by a double-digit margin. The final three poll average showed Bush with 55% to Kerry at 39 percent


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall campaign season.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Analysis
South Dakota politics are generally dominated by the Republican Party, and the state has not supported a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964 — even George McGovern, the Democratic nominee in 1972 and himself a South Dakotan, did not carry the state. Additionally, a Democrat has not won the governorship since 1978. As of 2006, Republicans held a ten percent voter registration advantage over Democrats and hold majorities in both the state House of Representatives and Senate.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Analysis
Despite the state's general Republican and conservative leanings, Democrats have found success in various statewide elections, most notably in those involving South Dakota's congressional representatives in Washington. Two of the three members of the state's congressional delegation at the time were Democrats, and until his electoral defeat in 2004 Senator Tom Daschle was the Senate minority leader (and briefly its majority leader during Democratic control of the Senate in 2001-02).


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Analysis
Opposition to the Iraq War in this isolationist state did allow Kerry to improve upon Al Gore’s  performance in 2000 by two percentage points. Kerry won four counties – Corson, Day, Roberts and Ziebach – that Gore had not carried in 2000.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Results, By congressional district
Due to the state's small population, only one congressional district is allocated. This district, called the At-Large district, because it covers the entire state, and thus is equivalent to the statewide election results.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Electors
Technically the voters of SD cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. SD is allocated 3 electors because it has 1 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 3 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 3 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 3 were pledged for Bush/Cheney.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee
The 2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Tennessee was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 14.30% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise a red state. In the past 14 presidential elections, the Republican nominee won ten of them. The state trended more Republican by 10.43 points from Bush's performance in 2000. Bush won most of the counties and congressional districts in the state. Third party and independent candidates made up just 0.68% of the vote. As of 2021, this is the last time Tennessee voted to the right of Arkansas, or to the left of Georgia.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Primaries
The 2004 Tennessee primary took place on February 10, 2004, as part of the 2004 United States Democratic presidential primaries. The delegate allocation is Proportional. the candidates are awarded delegates in proportion to the percentage of votes received and is open to anyone. A total of 69 (of 85) delegates are awarded proportionally. A 15 percent threshold is required to receive delegates. Frontrunner John Kerry won the primary with Senator John Edwards and former general Wesley Clark both obtaining over 20% and receiving delegates.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Primaries
Kerry won most of the counties and all the congressional districts. Although, Kerry didn't do well in the middle of the state, winning the 4th, 5th, and 6th CDs with less than 40% of the vote. Edwards won 4 counties in the state. In Sullivan County, Tennessee Edwards obtained 42% of the vote but lost to Kerry with a small margin. Clark gained over 30% of the vote in just 2 counties, including his best performance in Montgomery County, TN. The largest turnout came from Shelby County and Davidson County.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Campaign, Polling
Bush won every single pre-election poll, and won each with at least 49%. The final 3 polls averaged Bush leading 56% to 40%.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Analysis
While the Republicans control slightly more than half of the state, Democrats have strong support in the cities of Memphis and Nashville and in parts of Middle Tennessee and in West Tennessee north and east of Memphis The latter area includes a large rural African-American population.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Analysis
In the 2000 presidential election, Vice President Al Gore, a former U.S. Senator from Tennessee, couldn't carry his home state. The majority of voters support for Republican George W. Bush increased in 2004, with his margin of victory in the state increasing from 4% in 2000 to 14% in 2004. Southern Democratic nominees (e.g., Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton) usually fare better in Tennessee, especially among split-ticket voters outside the metropolitan areas.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Analysis
As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Trousdale County, Humphreys County, Grundy County, Lake County, Benton County, Overton County, Smith County, Lauderdale County, Van Buren County, Stewart County, Perry County, and Clay County voted for the Democratic candidate, as John McCain would outperform Bush in the state four years later.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Electors
Technically the voters of Tennessee cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Tennessee is allocated 11 electors because it has 9 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 11 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 11 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 9 were pledged to Bush/Cheney:


2004 United States presidential election in Texas
The 2004 United States presidential election in Texas took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. State voters chose 34 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas
Texas was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 22.87% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered Texas as a safe red state. The Lone Star State is a Republican stronghold and is Bush's home state as well as the state he once served as the governor of. As of the 2020 presidential election, Texas has not voted for a Democratic candidate in a U.S. presidential election since Jimmy Carter's victory in 1976.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas
As John Kerry lost Texas, this is the last time, as of the 2020 presidential election, where the Democratic candidate lost the state with less than 40% of the vote or a Republican has broken 60% of the vote in the Lone Star State. Likewise, Bush is the last Republican to win any of the following counties: Bexar, Cameron, Culberson, Dallas, and Harris County. This was the first election a county in Texas cast more than a million votes, the county being Harris.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas
Bush, who made historic gains with Latino voters in 2004, drew even with Kerry among Texas Latinos, winning 49% to Kerry's 50%. As of 2021, this election is the closest a Republican has come to carrying the Latino vote in Texas.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas
This is the last presidential election in which Texas voted to the right of West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, or Louisiana. This is also the first time since 1984 in which a Republican candidate has gotten over 60% of the vote, and as of 2021, the last time due to the increasing Democratic shift in many counties Bush carried in this election, with many counties swinging hard towards Barack Obama in 2008.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas, Campaign, Polling
Bush won every single pre-election poll, and won each with at least 55% of the vote and a double-digit margin of victory. The final three polls averaged Bush leading 59% to 37%.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas, Analysis
Texas, located in the South, has become a consistently Republican state at all levels. Economically and racially diverse, Texas includes a huge swath of the Bible Belt where many voters, especially those in rural Texas, identify as born-again or evangelical Christians and therefore tend to vote Republican due to the party's opposition to abortion. Although once part of the Solid South, the last time Texas voted for a Democratic presidential nominee was Jimmy Carter in 1976. George Bush achieved his party's best result in Texas since Ronald Reagan's second landslide in 1984.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas, Analysis
President Bush carried 236 of the state's 254 counties, improving on his performance from 2000. East Texas, historically the most Democratic region in the state, also swung more towards the Republican Party. South Texas, while still losing the region heavily to Senator Kerry, swung towards Bush as well. The only regions to swing in Kerry's favor were parts of Metro Houston, the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, and the Austin area.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas, Analysis
Out of the three regions, only Travis County in the Austin area flipped back into the Democratic column due to the city's strong liberal leanings and opposition to the Iraq War. Although Bush carried Dallas County by a narrow margin of 50% to Kerry's 49%, the city of Dallas proper voted heavily for Kerry, winning 57% of the vote.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas, Electors
Technically the voters of Texas cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Texas is allocated 34 electors because it has 32 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 34 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 34 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Texas, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 34 were pledged to Bush/Cheney:


2004 United States presidential election in Utah
The 2004 United States presidential election in Utah took place on November 2, 2004. It was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose five representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Utah
Utah was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 45.5% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. It is a strongly Republican state that in 2004 had a state legislature with a "super-majority" of Republicans in its make-up (meaning the minority parties are unable to block a veto by its members), both U.S. Senators being Republican as well as two of the three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. With 71.54 percent of the popular vote, Utah was Bush's strongest state in the 2004 election.


2004 United States presidential election in Utah
This is one of only four instances in which a candidate gained over 70% of a state's vote since Ronald Reagan's 1984 landslide. The others are Mitt Romney in Utah again in 2012 as well as Barack Obama in Hawaii in 2008 and 2012. Interesting, all four of these elections excluding this one involved the candidate having some close tie to the state: Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, and Mitt Romney would later represent Utah in the United States Senate.


2004 United States presidential election in Utah, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Utah, Campaign, Polling
The final three polls averaged Bush with 67 percent to Kerry with 25 percent.


2004 United States presidential election in Utah, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.


2004 United States presidential election in Utah, Analysis
Republicans dominate Utah state politics because of the very high Mormon population that accounts for almost seventy percent of the residents throughout the state. Mormons have been known for having very conservative values. While every county voted for Bush, areas such as Summit County (ski resort), Moab (becoming an outpost for environmental activists), Carbon County (largely blue collar), Salt Lake City (urban area with some diversity) and San Juan County (economically distressed and mostly Native American) did give a number of their votes to Kerry. However, other areas were uniformly Republican in voting. Utah County's (home of Provo and Brigham Young University) Republican vote (86%) was by far the largest percentage of any county its size in America.


2004 United States presidential election in Utah, Electors
Technically the voters of Utah cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Utah is allocated five electors because it has three congressional districts and two senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of five electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins a plurality of votes in the state is awarded all five electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Utah, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Utah, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 5 were pledged to Bush/Cheney:


2004 United States presidential election in Vermont
The 2004 United States presidential election in Vermont took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose three representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Vermont
Vermont is the home state of United States presidential candidate and anti-war advocate Howard Dean, its former governor.


2004 United States presidential election in Vermont
Vermont voted overwhelmingly for the Democratic candidate, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, over incumbent Republican President George W. Bush of Texas.


2004 United States presidential election in Vermont
Kerry received 58.94% of the vote to Bush's 38.80%, a Democratic victory margin of 20.14%.


2004 United States presidential election in Vermont
Kerry also swept 13 of the state's 14 counties, breaking 60% in 6 of them. Kerry's strongest county was Windham County, which he won with 66.43% of the vote to Bush's 31.22%. Only one county voted for Bush, sparsely populated bellwether Essex County in the far northeast of the state, which Bush won with 54.17% of the vote.


2004 United States presidential election in Vermont
A state with strong liberal and anti-war tendencies, Vermont registered as the third most Democratic state in the nation in the 2004 election, its results making the state about 23% more Democratic than the nation. It also had the strongest Democratic swing of any state in the nation against Bush compared to the 2000 result. Even as Bush increased his nationwide popular vote support from a 0.52% loss to Al Gore in 2000 to a 2.46% nationwide victory in 2004, Vermont swung 10.20% against Bush, making the state trend 13.18% Democratic relative to the nation. This portended the future trend of the state toward dominance by the Democratic Party, as Democrat Barack Obama would carry the state in a 67-30 landslide four years later in 2008 and again in 2012.


2004 United States presidential election in Vermont
Kerry, from neighboring Massachusetts, was the first Northern Democrat ever to carry Vermont. The previous three Democratic presidential candidates to carry the state were all from the South (Lyndon B. Johnson was from Texas, Bill Clinton from Arkansas and Al Gore from Tennessee), even though Vermont is a northern state.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia
The 2004 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia
Virginia was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by an 8.20% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise a red state. The state had voted for the Republican candidate in all presidential elections since 1952 except for 1964's Democratic landslide. This pattern continued in 2004, although it would be broken four years later by the Democratic victory in 2008.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia
As of the 2020 presidential election, the 2004 election is the last time that Virginia has voted Republican. This was also the last time Buchanan County and Dickenson County would vote Democratic for president; and the last time Loudoun County, Prince William County, and Henrico County, and the independent Cities of Winchester, Radford, Staunton, Harrisonburg, Manassas, Suffolk, Hopewell, and Manassas Park, would vote Republican for president. As of 2020, this is the last time Virginia has voted to the right of Missouri, Florida, or Ohio.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia
Bush became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Fairfax County since Calvin Coolidge in 1924.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia, Campaign, Polling
Bush won every single pre-election poll. The final 3 poll average showed Bush leading 50% to 45%.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia, Analysis
In the last century Virginia has shifted from a largely rural, politically Southern and conservative state to a more urbanized, pluralistic, and politically moderate environment. Up until the 1970s, Virginia was a racially divided one-party state dominated by the Byrd Organization. African Americans were effectively disfranchised until after passage of civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s. Enfranchisement and immigration of other groups, especially Hispanics, have placed growing importance on minority voting. Regional differences play a large part in Virginia politics.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia, Analysis
Rural southern and western areas moved to support the Republican Party in response to its "southern strategy", while urban and growing suburban areas, including Northern Virginia, form the Democratic Party base. Democratic support also persists in union-influenced parts of Southwest Virginia, college towns such as Charlottesville and Blacksburg, and the southeastern region.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia, Results breakdown, By congressional district
Bush won 9 of 11 congressional districts, including one that elected a Democrat.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia, Electors
Technically the voters of Virginia cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Virginia is allocated 13 electors because it has 11 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 13 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 13 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Virginia, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 13 were pledged for Bush/Cheney:


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state)
The 2004 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state)
The State of Washington was considered a competitive swing state in 2004, and on election day, Kerry won the state with a margin of 7.2%. This is the most recent presidential election in which Washington was considered a swing state. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the final time the state's margin would be in the single digits and the last time a Republican received more than 45% of the state's vote.


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state), Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state), Campaign, Polling
Kerry won every single pre-election except one tie. The final 3 poll average had Kerry winning with 50% to 45%.


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state), Campaign, Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state), Analysis
A solidly blue state, Washington has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in every presidential election since 1988. Neither candidate seriously contested the state as it was viewed as a safe blue state. Like Oregon, the state is divided politically by the urban/rural divide and geographically by the Cascade Mountains. Most of the state's population resides in Western Washington along the Pacific Coast and in highly urbanized areas like Seattle; this part of the state votes overwhelmingly Democratic. The other side of the mountains in Eastern Washington is much more rural and conservative and therefore heavily Republican.


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state), Analysis
While polling showed that voters trusted Bush more than Kerry on the issue of terrorism, the Iraq War and Bush's domestic policies were unpopular in the state. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Clark County, Island County, and Skagit County voted for the Republican candidate.


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state), Electors
Technically the voters of Washington cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Washington is allocated 11 electors because it has 9 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 11 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 11 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state), Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in Washington (state), Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 11 were pledged for Kerry/Edwards:


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia
The 2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 5 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia
West Virginia was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 12.86% margin of victory. Prior to the election, 8 of 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a red state, while others considered it as a swing state. Democratic President Bill Clinton easily won this state in 1992 and 1996, but Bush carried the state in 2000 with just 51.92% of the vote. West Virginia is the only state to vote against George H. W. Bush both times and vote for George W. Bush both times. On election day, President Bush won here with a 6.53% better margin than his performance in 2000, signaling that the state was trending Republican at the presidential level. This was despite the fact that over 50% of the state's population were registered Democrats and both senators were Democrats.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia
This also marked the last election in which West Virginia voted for the same presidential candidate as neighboring Virginia, and the first election since 1944 in which West Virginia voted to the right of Virginia. Since then, West Virginia would vote for the Republican presidential candidate while neighboring Virginia would vote for the Democratic candidate. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Fayette County, Brooke County, Logan County, and Mingo County voted for the Democratic candidate. Bush was the first Republican president since William McKinley  to win re-election nationwide while carrying West Virginia in both elections.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia
Overall, this was the last election where West Virginia was considered remotely competitive for the Democratic Party. As of 2020, this is the last election where West Virginia voted to the left of Indiana, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Georgia, South Carolina or Texas.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia, Campaign, Polling
Early on, pre-election polling showed the election as a pure toss up. But after September 14, Bush pulled away and reached 50% or higher in the polls. The final 3 poll average showed Bush leading 50% to 44%.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Bush visited the state 8 times. Kerry visited the state 6 times. A total of between $100,000 to $550,000 was spent each week. As the election went on, both tickets spent less and less here each week.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia, Analysis
More than any other state, West Virginia highlighted Kerry's trouble in Appalachian America. It swung heavily to the Democrats during the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt and remained reliably Democratic for most of the next 68 years. It often voted for Democrats (such as Jimmy Carter and Mike Dukakis) who went on to big national defeats. This was largely due to its blue-collar, heavily unionized workers, especially coal miners, who favored Democratic economic policy. Starting with Al Gore, however, the state's voters became more concerned with environmental policies advocated by the Democrats, especially regarding coal, which is a large source of jobs in the state. This made them more receptive to Republicans.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia, Electors
Technically the voters of WV cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. WV is allocated 5 electors because it has 3 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 5 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 5 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia, Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.


2004 United States presidential election in West Virginia, Electors
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 5 were pledged for Bush/Cheney:


2004 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
The 2004 United States presidential election in Wisconsin took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 10 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.


2004 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Wisconsin was won by Democratic nominee John Kerry by a 0.38% margin of victory. Prior to the election, most news organizations considered this a toss-up, or swing state. The state had similar demographics and was a showdown state just like its bordering states: Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa. On election day, Senator Kerry barely carried the state over President George W. Bush. The results in Wisconsin were nearly identical to the results from four years earlier, when Al Gore squeaked by Bush.


2004 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
As of the 2020 Presidential Election, this would be the most recent time when Wisconsin did not back the overall winning candidate of the Electoral College. Additionally, this was only the third time since 1960 (the other years occurring four years earlier in 2000, along with 1988) it would vote for the losing candidate. This is also the last time a Republican won the presidency without winning Wisconsin and the last time it voted for a losing candidate. Until 2020, this was the last time Wisconsin did not vote for the same candidate as neighboring Iowa.


2004 United States presidential election in Wisconsin, Campaign, Predictions
There were 12 news organizations that made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.


2004 United States presidential election in Wisconsin, Campaign, Polling
Pre -election polling had Bush and Kerry winning polls, with neither candidate grasping a strong lead. The last 3 poll averages showed Bush leading 49% to 46%.


2004 United States presidential election in Wisconsin, Campaign, Advertising and visits
Bush visited the state 12 times. Kerry visited the state 14 times. A total of between $1.3 million to $3.6 million was spent each week.


2004 United States presidential election in Wisconsin, Analysis
Wisconsin has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in the last four elections before the fifth time in 2004. The urban centers of Milwaukee and Madison tend to vote strongly Democratic. The suburbs of those cities are politically diverse, but tend to vote Republican. Counties in the western part of the state tend to be liberal, a tradition passed down from Scandinavian immigrants. The rural areas in the northern and eastern part of the state are the most solidly Republican areas in Wisconsin.


2004 United States presidential election in Wisconsin, Analysis
The CNN exit polls showed a dead heat between the two. However, the deciding factor for Kerry's victory was union members who voted for him with 62%, while non-members (83% of the population) voted for Bush with just 52% of the vote.