Who won California in the 2004 presidential election?

Kerry (Democratic) carried California in 2004, winning its 55 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did California have in 2004?

California cast 55 electoral votes in the 2004 presidential election.

Did California vote for the national winner in 2004?

No. California backed Kerry, while George W. Bush won the presidency nationally.

Modern PolarizationCA · 55 EV

2004

California: Kerry carries 55 EV.

California cast its 55 electoral votes for Kerry (Democratic). National winner: George W. Bush (Republican) — California voted against the national winner this cycle.

California in 2004

The 2004 contest saw California line up behind Kerry, delivering 55 electoral votes to the Democratic ticket. Nationally the result broke the other way — George W. Bush (Republican) won the presidency, leaving California among the states he did not carry.

It marked the 4th consecutive election in which California backed the Democratic party, a streak reaching back to 1992. The region divided — Oregon joined California for the Democratic ticket, while Nevada and Arizona did not. Across the 44 presidential elections California has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Republican party (22 times). The vote fell within the Modern Polarization — Close elections in a divided country.

In the national count, George W. Bush took 286 of the 538 electoral votes, against John Kerry's 251. George W. Bush led the national popular vote with 50.73% of the ballots cast.

The 2004 national map

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