In Presidential politics the Town of Brookhaven is often considered the bellwether for presidential results in Suffolk County. In the past four elections Brookhaven has voted for the winner of Suffolk County. With a population of almost 500,000, Brookhaven represents 1/3rd of the vote in Suffolk County. The Democratic Party picked up narrow victories in the elections of 2004, 2008, and 2012. In 2016, President Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by 18 points or a margin of about 59-41 percent. This was the first victory for a Republican candidate in both Brookhaven and Suffolk County as a whole since 1992 when the town voted for former President George H. W. Bush over Bill Clinton.