Special Report
The Most Democratic County in Every State
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Next month, the United States will finally elect its next president after nearly two years of campaigning, fundraising, scandals, and debates.
The Democratic party has never been perfectly unified. In this year’s Democratic primary, disagreements among registered Democrats seemed especially acute. Approximately 12 million Americans voted for former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, versus the 15.8 million who voted for nominee Hillary Clinton. Some portion of voters who supported Sanders in the primary will likely either not vote, or cast a ballot for a third-party candidate.
Yet, the country’s two-party political system is so structurally entrenched that the majority of states that went for Democratic candidate Barack Obama in 2012 appear likely to go for Clinton this time as well. While the political platform of a party and the candidates within that party can change over time, it seems that a portion of the population will always vote Republican or Democrat no matter who is running for president.
Click here to see the most Democratic county in every state.
Click here to see the most Republican county in every state.
Based on voting data compiled by political news organization Politico and a review of current and historical representation in the U.S. Congress, 24/7 Wall St. created an index to measure the political leanings of county residents. The index is based on the political party of the county’s elected representatives to the Senate and House of Representatives through the last five election cycles, as well as the results of the 2012 presidential election. Prince George’s County in Maryland is not just the bluest county in the state, but also in the nation.
Even in the most conservative states, there is at least one county that has strong Democratic leanings. In Alabama, 61% of total voters opted for Republican candidate Mitt Romney in the 2012 elections, one of the highest shares the losing the candidate received of any state. Yet, in Greene County, nearly 85% of voters cast ballots for Obama. While the state has had Republican representation in the Senate for years, Greene County’s congresswoman, Terri Sewell of Alabama’s 7th district, is a Democrat. Sewell’s predecessor, Artur Davis, is also a Democrat.
While both those counties lean heavily Democratic and the reddest states each tend to have low incomes, adults in the blue counties tend to have higher educational attainment rates compared to the reddest counties. In 33 states, adults in the most Democratic county had a higher bachelor’s attainment rate than those in the most conservative-leaning state.
Race clearly bears a strong relationship to political affiliation in these counties. In only three of the reddest counties, a lower share of residents identify as white than the national share of 63% of Americans who identify as white. On the other hand, 28 of the bluest counties have smaller shares of white populations compared to the national average composition.
Click here to read our methodology.
These are the most Democratic counties in every state.
1. Alabama
>Bluest county: Greene County
Obama won 84.7% of votes in Greene County, the highest share of any Alabama county except for Macon. Unlike Macon, voters in Greene County helped send a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections. As is generally the case in predominantly Democratic areas, the county’s median household income of $22,170 is lower than the national median of $52,482. Additionally, more than 30.0% of Greene County residents lived in poverty compared to 15.6% of Americans.
2. Alaska
>Bluest county: N/A
Data for Alaska counties is not sufficient to identify the most or least Democratic area in the state. However, Alaska residents as a whole trend conservative. A majority of eligible residents in the state voted for Romney in 2012, and all three members of Alaska’s congressional delegation are Republican.
3. Arizona
>Bluest county: Apache County
Apache County is the bluest county in Arizona, with 66.4% of residents casting a ballot for Obama in 2012. While some of the bluest counties in each state tend to vote for Democratic candidates far more often than for Republican candidates in the House and Senate, other counties are more even in their representation. Apache County, for example, has helped send both Democrats and Republicans to the House over the last 10 years. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democrat, now occupies the seat. Meanwhile, the senators from Arizona, Jeff Flake and John McCain, are both Republicans.
4. Arkansas
>Bluest county: Jefferson County
Republicans John Boozman and Tom Cotton currently serve Arkansas as senators in the U.S. Congress, reflecting relatively strong support for the party among state residents. Some Arkansans, however, lean far more Democratic. In Jefferson County, the bluest county in the state, 63.8% of voters cast a ballot for Obama in 2012. Jefferson County helped send both Democrats and Republicans to the House over the last 10 years, however. Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican, now occupies the seat.
5. California
>Bluest county: San Francisco County
Both of California’s U.S. senators are Democrats. Residents of San Francisco County are perhaps the most likely to support the party. Obama won 83.4% of the votes in the area, the highest share of any county in California. In addition to sending a Democrat to the White House, county voters helped send a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections.
6. Colorado
>Bluest county: Denver County
Obama won 73.5% of the votes in Denver County, the highest share of any county in Colorado. In addition to voting to send a Democrat to the White House, the county sent a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections. Unlike most Democratic-leaning areas, where incomes tend to be lower than in Republican-leaning regions, the county’s median household income of $51,800 is nearly in line with the national median of $52,482.
7. Connecticut
>Bluest county: Hartford County
Obama won 62.2% of the votes in Hartford County, a larger share than in any other county in the state. Not only were Hartford County residents more likely to prefer a Democrat in the White House, but they also sent a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections. Democrat John B. Larson is currently the House representative for Hartford county, the bluest county in Connecticut.
8. Delaware
>Bluest county: New Castle County
New Castle County is the bluest county in Delaware, with 66.3% of voters casting a ballot for Obama in 2012. The bluest counties in each state generally elect a Democratic over a Republican representative, but some blue counties have voted in members of both parties over the years. New Castle County is one such example. The county sent both Democrats and Republicans to the House over the last 10 years. Though Rep. John Carney, a Democrat, now occupies the seat, Republican Michael Castle preceded him, serving his final term in the 111th congress.
9. Florida
>Bluest county: Gadsden County
Gadsden County is the bluest county in Florida. Of the county’s roughly 22,500 voters in November 2012, nearly 16,000 cast a ballot for Obama. While some of the bluest counties in each state consistently elect Democrats to Congress, other counties have voted on both sides of the party line. Gadsden County, for example, sent both Democrats and Republicans to the House over the last 10 years. Rep. Gwen Graham, a Democrat, now occupies the seat. Marco Rubio, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, represents the Sunshine State in the U.S. Senate.