List of election bellwether counties in the United States
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Election bellwether counties in the United States are counties that vote in alignment with the country as a whole in United States presidential elections, so that the county votes for the candidate who ultimately wins the election. The strongest bellwether counties are those that back the winning candidate in all elections. There are a total of 3,142 counties or county equivalents in the United States.[1]
Significant bellwethers
[edit]The following county is the only county to have voted for the winner of the presidential election in every election starting in 1980:
Deviations in one election
[edit]The following 43 counties have deviated from the winner of the presidential election in one election since 1980 (no current bellwethers deviated from the winner in only 1980, 1984, 1996 or 2008, although some deviated in one of those plus another election):[3][4]
Deviations in two elections
[edit]The following 111 counties have deviated from the winner of the presidential election in two elections since 1980:[3]
- Allamakee County, Iowa, in 1992 and 2020
- Alamosa County, Colorado, in 2016 and 2020
- Baldwin County, Georgia, in 1980 and 2016
- Benzie County, Michigan, in 2012 and 2020
- Blue Earth County, Minnesota, in 1988 and 2004
- Brewster County, Texas, in 2012 and 2020
- Bureau County, Illinois, in 2012 and 2020
- Butte County, California, in 1996 and 2012
- Caddo Parish, Louisiana, in 2000 and 2016[a]
- Caledonia County, Vermont, in 2004 and 2016
- Calhoun County, Michigan, in 2000 and 2020
- Calhoun County, South Carolina, in 1980 and 2020
- Cascade County, Montana, in 2012 and 2020
- Cass County, Michigan, in 2012 and 2020
- Chesapeake, Virginia, in 1992 and 1996
- Chickasaw County, Mississippi, in 1980 and 2020
- Clark County, Washington, in 1988 and 2016
- Clear Creek County, Colorado, in 2004 and 2016
- Coles County, Illinois, in 2012 and 2020
- Colleton County, South Carolina, in 1980 and 2020
- Columbia County, Wisconsin, in 2000 and 2020
- Coös County, New Hampshire, in 2004 and 2020[4]
- Cayuga County, New York, in 2000 and 2020
- Chautauqua County, New York, in 2012 and 2020
- Delaware County, Indiana, in 1992 and 2020
- Dutchess County, New York, in 1992 and 2016
- Eagle County, Colorado, in 2004 and 2016
- East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, in 1992 and 2016
- Elk County, Pennsylvania, in 2012 and 2020
- Essex County, Virginia, in 1992 and 2020
- Fayette County, Kentucky, in 1992 and 2016
- Fresno County, California, in 1996 and 2016
- Gladwin County, Michigan, in 2012 and 2020
- Gloucester County, New Jersey, in 2000 and 2004
- Grand County, Utah, in 1996 and 2012
- Guilford County, North Carolina, in 2004 and 2016
- Gunnison County, Colorado, in 2004 and 2016
- Hill County, Montana, in 1988 and 2020
- Hillsborough County, Florida, in 1992 and 2016[4]
- Houston County, Minnesota, in 1992 and 2020
- Island County, Washington, in 1996 and 2016
- Jefferson County, Iowa, in 2004 and 2020
- Jo Daviess County, Illinois, in 1992 and 2020
- Kankakee County, Illinois, in 2012 and 2020
- Kennebec County, Maine, in 2000 and 2004
- Lake County, Illinois, in 1992 and 2016
- Larimer County, Colorado, in 1996 and 2016
- Latah County, Idaho, in 1988 and 2016
- Lenawee County, Michigan, in 2012 and 2020
- Lincoln County, Maine, in 2004 and 2016
- Lincoln County, Wisconsin, in 1988 and 2020
- Luna County, New Mexico, in 2012 and 2020
- Madison County, New York, 1992 and 2020
- Manistee County, Michigan, in 2000 and 2020
- Marion County, Oregon, in 1992 and 2012
- Marshall County, Iowa, in 1988 and 2020
- Marshall County, South Dakota, in 1988 and 2020
- Mason County, Illinois, in 2012 and 2020
- McDonough County, Illinois, in 2012 and 2020
- Menominee County, Michigan, in 2012 and 2020
- Monroe County, Indiana, in 2004 and 2016
- Monroe County, Michigan, in 2000 and 2020
- Monroe County, Wisconsin, in 2012 and 2020
- Montgomery County, Virginia, in 2012 and 2016
- Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in 2000 and 2004.
- Oconto County, Wisconsin, in 2012 and 2020
- Oneida County, Wisconsin, in 2012 and 2020
- Orange County, New York, in 1992 and 2020
- Orange County, Vermont, in 2004 and 2016
- Orleans County, Vermont, in 2004 and 2016
- Oswego County, New York, in 1992 and 2020
- Penobscot County, Maine, in 2004 and 2020
- Pike County, Mississippi, in 1980 and 2016
- Pitt County, North Carolina, in 1996 and 2016
- Porter County, Indiana, in 1992 and 2020
- Presque Isle County, Michigan, in 2012 and 2020
- Racine County, Wisconsin, in 1988 and 2020
- Radford, Virginia, in 1980 and 2016
- Ransom County, North Dakota, in 1988 and 2020
- Rensselaer County, New York, in 2000 and 2004
- Riverside County, California, in 1996 and 2016
- Rockingham County, New Hampshire, in 1992 and 2012
- Rockland County, New York, in 2000 and 2016[a]
- Routt County, Colorado, in 2004 and 2016
- Sandusky County, Ohio, in 1992 and 2020
- San Diego County, California, in 1996 and 2016
- San Luis Obispo County, California, in 1996 and 2016
- Sargent County, North Dakota, in 1988 and 2020[4]
- Sauk County, Wisconsin, in 2000 and 2004.
- Schuyler County, Illinois, in 2012 and 2020
- Seneca County, New York, in 2000 and 2020
- Spencer County, Indiana, in 2012 and 2020
- St. Joseph County, Indiana, in 2000 and 2016[a]
- Stark County, Ohio, in 2004 and 2020
- Starke County, Indiana, in 2012 and 2020
- Sullivan County, New York, in 2000 and 2020
- Sumter County, Georgia, in 1980 and 2016
- Teton County, Wyoming, in 2004 and 2016
- Traverse County, Minnesota, in 1988 and 2020
- Tuscarawas County, Ohio, in 2012 and 2020
- Union County, Iowa, in 1988 and 2020
- Val Verde County, Texas, in 2016 and 2020[4]
- Vanderburgh County, Indiana, in 2012 and 2020
- Wake County, North Carolina, in 1996 and 2016
- Warren County, New York, in 1992 and 2020
- Washington County, New York, in 1992 and 2020
- Watonwan County, Minnesota, in 2012 and 2020
- Whitman County, Washington, in 2012 and 2016
- Williamsburg, Virginia, in 2004 and 2016
- Winnebago County, Wisconsin, in 1992 and 2020
- Winona County, Minnesota, in 2000 and 2004
Notes
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "How many counties are in the United States?". Reunion Technology Inc. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ McCormick, John (November 13, 2020). "Bellwether Counties Nearly Wiped Out by 2020 Election". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Obeng, Adam (April 26, 2016). "There Are No Bellwether Counties". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2020.