CA
California
Party timeline · 1852–2024
One stripe per cycle. Hover to inspect, click to open that state-cycle.
Swing timeline · California
One column per cycle. Height is the state’s electoral votes, colour is the party that carried it, and a diamond marks a flip. 13 flips across 44 cycles.
Electoral votes over time
By party · all cycles
Rep 23
Dem 20
1
Popular vote · newest first
Swing is how far the gap between the Democratic and Republican shares moved since the state’s previous election with sourced votes: “R +1.6” means 1.6 points toward the Republican.
Scroll the table sideways for every column.
| Year | Carried by | Dem | Rep | Others named | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dem Harris | Harris 9,276,179 58.5% | Trump 6,081,697 38.3% | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 197,645 · 1.2% Jill Stein 167,814 · 1.1% | 3,194,482 20.1 pts | R +9.0 since 2020 |
| 2020 | Dem Biden | Biden 11,110,250 63.5% | Trump 6,006,429 34.3% | Jo Jorgensen 187,895 · 1.1% | 5,103,821 29.2 pts | R +0.9 since 2016 |
| 2016 | Dem Clinton | Clinton 8,753,788 61.7% | Trump 4,483,810 31.6% | Gary Johnson 478,500 · 3.4% Jill Stein 278,657 · 2.0% | 4,269,978 30.1 pts | D +7.0 since 2012 |
| 2012 | Dem Obama | Obama 7,854,285 60.2% | Romney 4,839,958 37.1% | Gary Johnson 143,221 · 1.1% | 3,014,327 23.1 pts | R +0.9 since 2008 |
| 2008 | Dem Obama | Obama 8,274,473 61.0% | McCain 5,011,781 37.0% | None | 3,262,692 24.1 pts | D +14.1 since 2004 |
| 2004 | Dem Kerry | Kerry 6,745,485 54.3% | Bush 5,509,826 44.4% | None | 1,235,659 9.9 pts | R +1.9 since 2000 |
| 2000 | Dem Gore | Gore 5,861,203 53.4% | Bush 4,567,429 41.7% | Ralph Nader 418,707 · 3.8% | 1,293,774 11.8 pts | R +1.1 since 1996 |
| 1996 | Dem Clinton | Clinton 5,119,835 51.1% | Dole 3,828,381 38.2% | Ross Perot 697,847 · 7.0% Ralph Nader 237,016 · 2.4% | 1,291,454 12.9 pts | R +0.5 since 1992 |
| 1992 | Dem Clinton | Clinton 5,121,325 46.0% | Bush 3,630,574 32.6% | Ross Perot 2,296,006 · 20.6% | 1,490,751 13.4 pts | D +17.0 since 1988 |
| 1988 | Rep Bush | Dukakis 4,702,233 47.6% | Bush 5,054,917 51.1% | None | 352,684 3.6 pts | D +12.7 since 1984 |
| 1984 | Rep Reagan | Mondale 3,922,519 41.3% | Reagan 5,467,009 57.5% | None | 1,544,490 16.2 pts | D +0.5 since 1980 |
| 1980 | Rep Reagan | Carter 3,082,943 35.9% | Reagan 4,522,994 52.7% | John B. Anderson 739,618 · 8.6% Ed Clark 148,390 · 1.7% | 1,440,051 16.8 pts | R +15.0 since 1976 |
| 1976 | Rep Ford | Carter 3,742,284 48.0% | Ford 3,882,244 49.7% | None | 139,960 1.8 pts | D +11.7 since 1972 |
| 1972 | Rep Nixon | McGovern 3,431,824 41.5% | Nixon 4,544,134 55.0% | John G. Schmitz 230,496 · 2.8% | 1,112,310 13.5 pts | R +10.3 since 1968 |
| 1968 | Rep Nixon | Humphrey 3,186,270 44.9% | Nixon 3,407,851 48.0% | George Wallace 481,665 · 6.8% | 221,581 3.1 pts | R +21.4 since 1964 |
| 19641 | Dem Johnson | Johnson 4,171,8771 59.1% | Goldwater 2,879,1081 40.8% | None | 1,292,769 18.3 pts | D +18.9 since 1960 |
| 1960 | Rep Nixon | Kennedy 3,224,099 49.6% | Nixon 3,259,722 50.1% | None | 35,623 0.5 pts | D +10.6 since 1956 |
| 19562 | Rep Eisenhower | Stevenson 2,420,1352 44.3% | Eisenhower 3,027,6682 55.4% | None | 607,533 11.1 pts | D +2.5 since 1952 |
| 19523 | Rep Eisenhower | Stevenson 2,197,5483 42.7% | Eisenhower 2,897,3103 56.3% | None | 699,762 13.6 pts | R +14.1 since 1948 |
| 19484 | Dem Truman | Truman 1,913,1344 47.6% | Dewey 1,895,2694 47.1% | Henry A. Wallace 190,381 · 4.7%4 | 17,865 0.4 pts | R +13.1 since 1944 |
| 19445 | Dem Roosevelt | Roosevelt 1,988,5645 56.5% | Dewey 1,512,9655 43.0% | None | 475,599 13.5 pts | R +2.6 since 1940 |
| 19406 | Dem Roosevelt | Roosevelt 1,877,6186 57.4% | Willkie 1,351,4196 41.3% | None | 526,199 16.1 pts | R +19.2 since 1936 |
| 1936 | Dem Roosevelt | Roosevelt 1,766,836 67.0% | Landon 836,431 31.7% | None | 930,405 35.3 pts | D +14.2 since 1932 |
| 1932 | Dem Roosevelt | Roosevelt 1,324,157 58.4% | Hoover 847,902 37.4% | Norman Thomas 63,299 · 2.8% | 476,255 21.0 pts | D +51.5 since 1928 |
| 19287 | Rep Hoover | Smith 614,3657 34.2% | Hoover 1,162,3237 64.7% | Norman Thomas 19,595 · 1.1%7 | 547,958 30.5 pts | D +18.5 since 1924 |
| 19248,9 | Rep Coolidge | Davis 105,5148 8.2% | Coolidge 733,2508 57.2% | Robert M. La Follette 424,649 · 33.1%8 Herman P. Faris 18,365 · 1.4%8 | 308,601 24.1 pts | R +7.0 since 1920 |
| 192010 | Rep Harding | Cox 229,19110 24.3% | Harding 624,99210 66.3% | Eugene V. Debs 64,076 · 6.8%10 Aaron S. Watkins 25,085 · 2.7%10 | 395,801 42.0 pts | R +42.3 since 1916 |
| 191611 | Dem Wilson | Wilson 466,28911 46.6% | Hughes 462,51611 46.3% | Allan L. Benson 42,898 · 4.3%11 J. Frank Hanly 27,713 · 2.8%11 | 3,773 0.4 pts | No Dem–Rep pair to compare |
| 191212 | Prog Roosevelt Roosevelt 11, Wilson 2 | Wilson 283,43612 42.1% | No Republican named | Theodore Roosevelt 283,610 · 42.1%12 Eugene V. Debs 79,201 · 11.8%12 Eugene W. Chafin 23,366 · 3.5%12 | 174 0.03 pts | No Dem–Rep pair to compare |
| 1908 | Rep Taft | Bryan 127,492 33.0% | Taft 214,398 55.5% | Eugene V. Debs 28,659 · 7.4% Eugene W. Chafin 11,770 · 3.0% Thomas L. Hisgen 4,278 · 1.1% | 86,906 22.5 pts | D +12.5 since 1904 |
| 1904 | Rep Roosevelt | Parker 89,404 27.0% | Roosevelt 205,226 61.9% | Eugene V. Debs 29,535 · 8.9% Silas C. Swallow 7,380 · 2.2% | 115,822 34.9 pts | R +21.8 since 1900 |
| 190013 | Rep McKinley | Bryan 124,98513 41.1% | McKinley 164,75513 54.2% | Eugene V. Debs 7,554 · 2.5%13 John G. Woolley 5,024 · 1.7%13 | 39,770 13.1 pts | R +12.1 since 1896 |
| 189614 | Rep McKinley McKinley 8, Bryan 1 | Bryan 143,37314 48.4% | McKinley 146,17014 49.3% | None | 2,797 0.9 pts | R +1.0 since 1892 |
| 189215 | Dem Cleveland Cleveland 8, Harrison 1 | Cleveland 118,29315 43.8% | Harrison 118,14915 43.8% | James B. Weaver 25,352 · 9.4%15 John Bidwell 8,129 · 3.0%15 | 144 0.05 pts | D +2.9 since 1888 |
| 188816 | Rep Harrison | Cleveland 117,72916 46.8% | Harrison 124,81616 49.7% | Clinton B. Fisk 5,761 · 2.3%16 | 7,087 2.8 pts | D +3.9 since 1884 |
| 188417 | Rep Blaine | Cleveland 89,28817 45.4% | Blaine 102,41617 52.1% | John P. St. John 2,920 · 1.5%17 Benjamin F. Butler 2,017 · 1.0%17 | 13,128 6.7 pts | R +6.7 since 1880 |
| 188018 | Dem Hancock Hancock 5, Garfield 1 | Hancock 80,42618 49.0% | Garfield 80,34818 48.9% | James B. Weaver 3,392 · 2.1%18 | 78 0.05 pts | D +1.8 since 1876 |
| 187619 | Rep Hayes | Tilden 75,84519 49.1% | Hayes 78,61419 50.9% | None | 2,769 1.8 pts | D +12.1 since 1872 |
| 187220,21 | Rep Grant | Greeley 40,71820 42.5% | Grant 54,02020 56.4% | Charles O'Conor 1,068 · 1.1%20 | 13,302 13.9 pts | R +13.4 since 1868 |
| 186822 | Rep Grant | Seymour 54,07822 49.8% | Grant 54,59222 50.2% | None | 514 0.5 pts | First sourced year |
| 186423 | Rep Lincoln | State popular vote not yet sourced. | ||||
| 186024 | Rep Lincoln | State popular vote not yet sourced. | ||||
| 185625 | Dem Buchanan | State popular vote not yet sourced. | ||||
| 185226 | Dem Pierce | State popular vote not yet sourced. | ||||
Shares are of the state’s total vote for president. Margin is the leader’s lead over the second-placed candidate. “Others named” lists every other candidate the figures give a line of their own.
Notes on the figures
- 1964 The official table notes: Others figure 19 marked footnote 1: 'Universal Party.'
- 1956 The official table notes: Scattering includes 8 Christian Nationalist votes (footnote 2).
- 1952 The official table notes: Hoopes and Hass: not a qualified political party in California; all of these votes were written in (footnote 4). Others: includes 3,326 Christian Nationalist Party votes and 178 Constitution Party votes (neither a qualified party in California; all written in), and 3,249 scattering votes (footnote 5).
- 1948 The official table notes: Others: 42 Christian Nationalist Party, 6 Greenback Party, 4 Vegetarian Party and 761 scattering votes (footnote 3).
- 1944 The official table notes: Thomas and Teichert figures are write-in votes (footnote 2). Others: scattering (footnote 3).
- 1940 The official table notes: Other (page 39 digest): Progressives, 16,506; scattering, 262.
- 1928 The official table notes: Footnote 1: 'Scattering votes, 157, included in grand total.' Footnote 2 on the Foster figure: 'Includes 104 votes for Gitlow.'
- 1924 La Follette's figure is the official table's: la Follette figure is the Socialist vote (footnote 1).
- 1924 The official table notes: La Follette figure is the Socialist vote (footnote 1).
- 1920 The official table prints no state total here; the total is the sum of the tickets it lists.
- 1916 The official table's state total (999,603) is 187 more than the tickets it lists; the difference is counted under other candidates.
- 1912 Roosevelt's Progressives held the Republican line in California; Taft was not on the ballot, and his figure is write-in votes.
- 1900 The official table's state total (303,793) is 1,475 more than the tickets it lists; the difference is counted under other candidates.
- 1896 The official table prints no state total here; the total is the sum of the tickets it lists.
- 1892 The official table prints no state total here; the total is the sum of the tickets it lists.
- 1888 The official table's state total (251,339) is 1,442 more than the tickets it lists; the difference is counted under other candidates.
- 1884 The official table prints no state total here; the total is the sum of the tickets it lists.
- 1880 The official table prints no state total here; the total is the sum of the tickets it lists.
- 1876 The official table prints no state total here; the total is the sum of the tickets it lists.
- 1872 Horace Greeley was the Liberal Republican nominee and was also endorsed by the Democratic Party; he is listed under the Democratic column, where the county file records his votes.
- 1872 The official table prints no state total here; the total is the sum of the tickets it lists.
- 1868 The official table prints no state total here; the total is the sum of the tickets it lists.
- 1864 State popular vote not yet sourced.
- 1860 State popular vote not yet sourced.
- 1856 State popular vote not yet sourced.
- 1852 State popular vote not yet sourced.
SourcesMIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976–2024 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1972 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1968 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 3, 1964 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1960 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 1956 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1952 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1948 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1944 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1940 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 3, 1936 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1932 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 1928 ; Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1924 ; Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential Election of November 2, 1920 ; The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1917 ; The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1914 ; The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1910 ; The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1905 ; The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1901 ; The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1897 ; The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1894 ; The World Almanac 1891 ; The World Almanac 1886 ; The Tribune Almanac and Political Register for 1878 ; The World Almanac for 1873 . How these figures were compiled
Results · oldest → newest
Second Party System
1852
Pierce
National: Franklin Pierce · Dem
Antebellum Crisis1856
Buchanan
National: James Buchanan · Dem
Civil War1860
Lincoln
National: Abraham Lincoln · Rep
Civil War1864
Lincoln
National: Abraham Lincoln · Rep
Reconstruction1868
Grant
National: Ulysses S. Grant · Rep
Reconstruction1872
Grant
National: Ulysses S. Grant · Rep
Gilded Age1876
Hayes
National: Rutherford B. Hayes · Rep
Gilded Age1880
Hancock
National: James A. Garfield · Rep
Gilded Age1884
Blaine
National: Grover Cleveland · Dem
Gilded Age1888
Harrison
National: Benjamin Harrison · Rep
Gilded Age1892
Cleveland
National: Grover Cleveland · Dem
Progressive Era1896
McKinley
National: William McKinley · Rep
Progressive Era1900
McKinley
National: William McKinley · Rep
Progressive Era1904
Roosevelt
National: Theodore Roosevelt · Rep
Progressive Era1908
Taft
National: William Howard Taft · Rep
Progressive Era1912
Roosevelt
National: Woodrow Wilson · Dem
Progressive Era1916
Wilson
National: Woodrow Wilson · Dem
Roaring Twenties1920
Harding
National: Warren G. Harding · Rep
Roaring Twenties1924
Coolidge
National: Calvin Coolidge · Rep
Roaring Twenties1928
Hoover
National: Herbert Hoover · Rep
New Deal Coalition1932
Roosevelt
National: Franklin D. Roosevelt · Dem
New Deal Coalition1936
Roosevelt
National: Franklin D. Roosevelt · Dem
New Deal Coalition1940
Roosevelt
National: Franklin D. Roosevelt · Dem
New Deal Coalition1944
Roosevelt
National: Franklin D. Roosevelt · Dem
New Deal Coalition1948
Truman
National: Harry S. Truman · Dem
New Deal Coalition1952
Eisenhower
National: Dwight D. Eisenhower · Rep
New Deal Coalition1956
Eisenhower
National: Dwight D. Eisenhower · Rep
New Deal Coalition1960
Nixon
National: John F. Kennedy · Dem
New Deal Coalition1964
Johnson
National: Lyndon B. Johnson · Dem
Cold War Realignment1968
Nixon
National: Richard Nixon · Rep
Cold War Realignment1972
Nixon
National: Richard Nixon · Rep
Cold War Realignment1976
Ford
National: Jimmy Carter · Dem
Cold War Realignment1980
Reagan
National: Ronald Reagan · Rep
Cold War Realignment1984
Reagan
National: Ronald Reagan · Rep
Cold War Realignment1988
Bush
National: George H. W. Bush · Rep
Modern Polarization1992
Clinton
National: Bill Clinton · Dem
Modern Polarization1996
Clinton
National: Bill Clinton · Dem
Modern Polarization2000
Gore
National: George W. Bush · Rep
Modern Polarization2004
Kerry
National: George W. Bush · Rep
Modern Polarization2008
Obama
National: Barack Obama · Dem
Modern Polarization2012
Obama
National: Barack Obama · Dem
Modern Polarization2016
Clinton
National: Donald Trump · Rep
Modern Polarization2020
Biden
National: Joe Biden · Dem
Modern Polarization2024
Harris
National: Donald Trump · Rep
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