Who won California in the 2008 presidential election?

Obama (Democratic) carried California in 2008, winning its 55 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did California have in 2008?

California cast 55 electoral votes in the 2008 presidential election.

Did California vote for the national winner in 2008?

Yes. California backed Barack Obama, who won the presidency that year.

Modern PolarizationCA · 55 EV

2008

California: Obama carries 55 EV.

California cast its 55 electoral votes for Obama (Democratic). National winner: Barack Obama (Democratic) — California voted with the national winner this cycle.

What happened in California, 2008

In 2008, California awarded its 55 electoral votes to Obama of the Democratic party. California ended up on the winning side — Barack Obama captured the White House that year.

It marked the 5th consecutive election in which California backed the Democratic party, a streak reaching back to 1992. The region divided — Oregon and Nevada joined California for the Democratic ticket, while 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, Barack Obama took 365 of the 538 electoral votes, against John McCain's 173. Barack Obama led the national popular vote with 52.93% of the ballots cast.

The 2008 national map

California full history →