Presidential elections in Florida Number of elections 44 Voted Democratic 25 Voted Republican 18 Voted Whig 1 Voted other 0 Voted for winning candidate 31 Voted for losing candidate 12
Florida is astate in theSouth Atlantic region of theUnited States .[ 1] admission to the Union in March 1845, it has participated in everyUnited States presidential elections , with the1848 election being the first. In this election, theWhig Party won Florida's three electoral votes with 57.20% of the vote; this was its only victory in the state.[ 2]
In therealigning 1860 election , Florida was one of the tenslave states that did not provideballot access to theRepublican nominee,Abraham Lincoln .[ 3] John C. Breckinridge emerged victorious, winning 62.23% of the vote.[ 4] seceded from the Union and became a part of theConfederacy .[ 5] 1864 presidential election .[ 6]
With the end of theCivil War , Florida rejoined the Union and participated in the1868 presidential election . This was the sole presidential election in Florida not decided by the popular vote; instead, thestate legislature choseUlysses S. Grant .[ 7]
Florida voted for the Republican nominee in all three presidential elections held during theReconstruction era .[ 8] [ 9] disfranchised mostBlack people and many poor whites.[ 10] [ 11] 1952 presidential election , the Republican Party only won Florida once, in1928 . According to historian Herbert J. Doherty, the Republicans' victory in that election was mainly becauseAl Smith , the Democratic nominee, was aCatholic and opposed toProhibition , causing many members of theSouthern Baptist Convention to switch to the Republican Party.[ 12] Pinellas Republican Party, which attracted many voters.[ 13]
Since the 1952 presidential election, the Democrats have only won Florida five times: in1964 ,1976 ,1996 ,2008 , and2012 . In2000 ,George W. Bush ledAl Gore by less than 2,000 votes on election day, but as therecount proceeded, the gap between the two sides continued to narrow.[ 14] Bush v. Gore Equal Protection Clause of theU.S. Constitution . The Supreme Court announced the halt of voterecounting .[ 15] [ 16] [ 17]
Florida was long aswing state ; furthermore, it had been seen as abellwether in presidential elections since 1928, only voting for the non-winner in1960 ,1992 and2020 .[ 18] 2022 midterm elections , many analysts believe that the state has transitioned from being a Republican-leaning swing state into a reliable red state, with Democratic-leaning trends inHillsborough County ,Orange County , andOsceola County unable to offset Republican gains inMiami-Dade County ,Broward County , andPalm Beach County .[ 19] [ 20] 2024 , when RepublicanDonald Trump won the state by 13.1 points, a margin that was 11.6 points greater than the national popular vote.
Presidential elections [ edit ] Key for parties Note – A double dagger (‡) indicates the national winner.
The election of 1860 was a complex realigning election in which the breakdown of the previous two-party alignment culminated in four parties each competing for influence in different parts of the country.[ 31] slavery , spurred the secession of eleven states and brought about theAmerican Civil War .[ 32]
Presidential elections in Florida from 1864 to present Year Winner Runner-up Other candidate[ c] EV Ref. Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Ulysses S. Grant (R)‡ –
–
Horatio Seymour (D) –
–
–
–
–
3 Ulysses S. Grant (R)‡ 17,763 Horace Greeley (LR) 15,427 –
–
–
4 Rutherford B. Hayes (R)‡ 23,849 Samuel J. Tilden (D) 22,927 –
–
–
4 Winfield S. Hancock (D) 27,964 James A. Garfield (R)‡ 23,654 –
–
–
4 Grover Cleveland (D)‡ 31,769 James G. Blaine (R) 28,031 John St. John (PRO) 72 4 Grover Cleveland (D) 39,557 Benjamin Harrison (R)‡ 26,529 Clinton Fisk (PRO) 414 4 Grover Cleveland (D)‡ 30,153 James B. Weaver (PO) 4,843 John Bidwell (PRO) 475 4 William Jennings Bryan (D) 32,756 William McKinley (R)‡ 11,298 John M. Palmer (ND) 1778 4 William Jennings Bryan (D) 28,273 William McKinley (R)‡ 7,355 John G. Woolley (PRO) 2,244 4 Alton B. Parker (D) 27,046 Theodore Roosevelt (R)‡ 8,314 Eugene V. Debs (S) 2,337 5 William Jennings Bryan (D) 31,104 William Howard Taft (R)‡ 10,654 Eugene V. Debs (S) 3,747 5 Woodrow Wilson (D)‡ 35,343 Eugene V. Debs (S) 4,806 Theodore Roosevelt (PR-1912) 4,555 6 Woodrow Wilson (D)‡ 55,984 Charles Evans Hughes (R) 14,611 Allan L. Benson (S) 5,353 6 James M. Cox (D) 90,515 Warren Harding (R)‡ 44,853 Eugene V. Debs (S) 5,189 6 John W. Davis (D) 62,083 Calvin Coolidge (R)‡ 30,633 Robert M. La Follette (PR-1924) 8,625 6 Herbert Hoover (R)‡ 144,168 Al Smith (D) 101,764 Norman Thomas (S) 4,036 6 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 206,307 Herbert Hoover (R) 69,170 Norman Thomas (S) 775 7 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 249,117 Alfred Landon (R) 78,248 Norman Thomas (S) 9 ≈ 7 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 359,334 Wendell Willkie (R) 126,158 Various candidates (Write-ins) 148 7 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 339,377 Thomas Dewey (R) 143,215 Various candidates (Write-ins) 211 8 Harry Truman (D)‡ 281,988 Thomas Dewey (R) 194,280 Strom Thurmond (DI) 89,755 8 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)‡ 544,036 Adlai Stevenson II (D) 444,950 Various candidates (Write-ins) 351 10 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)‡ 643,849 Adlai Stevenson II (D) 480,371 Various candidates (Write-ins) 1,542 10 Richard Nixon (R) 795,476 John F. Kennedy (D)‡ 748,700 –
–
–
10 Lyndon B. Johnson (D)‡ 948,540 Barry Goldwater (R) 905,941 –
–
–
14 Richard Nixon (R)‡ 886,804 Hubert Humphrey (D) 676,794 George Wallace (AI) 624,207 14 Richard Nixon (R)‡ 1,857,759 George McGovern (D) 718,117 Various candidates (Write-ins) 7,407 17 Jimmy Carter (D)‡ 1,636,000 Gerald Ford (R) 1,469,531 Eugene McCarthy (I) 23,643 17 Ronald Reagan (R)‡ 2,046,951 Jimmy Carter (D) 1,419,475 John B. Anderson (I) 189,692 17 Ronald Reagan (R)‡ 2,730,350 Walter Mondale (D) 1,448,816 David Bergland (LI) 754 21 George H. W. Bush (R)‡ 2,618,885 Michael Dukakis (D) 1,656,701 Ron Paul (LI) 19,796 21 George H. W. Bush (R) 2,173,310 Bill Clinton (D)‡ 2,072,698 Ross Perot (I) 1,053,067 25 Bill Clinton (D)‡ 2,546,870 Bob Dole (R) 2,244,536 Ross Perot (RE) 483,870 25 George W. Bush (R)‡ 2,912,790 Al Gore (D) 2,912,253 Ralph Nader (G) 97,488 25 George W. Bush (R)‡ 3,964,522 John Kerry (D) 3,583,544 Ralph Nader (RE) 32,971 27 Barack Obama (D)‡ 4,282,074 John McCain (R) 4,045,624 Ralph Nader (E) 28,128 27 Barack Obama (D)‡ 4,237,756 Mitt Romney (R) 4,163,447 Gary Johnson (LI) 44,726 29 Donald Trump [ e] (R)‡ 4,617,886 Hillary Clinton (D) 4,504,975 Gary Johnson (LI) 207,043 29 Donald Trump [ e] (R) 5,668,731 Joe Biden (D)‡ 5,297,045 Jo Jorgensen (LI) 70,324 29 Donald Trump (R) ‡ 6,110,125 Kamala Harris (D) 4,683,038 Jill Stein (G) 43,155 30
Party percentage vote margin (D+, R−) Year -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 1860 1890 1920 1950 1980 2010 2040 Party percentage vote margin (D+, R−) US presidential popular-vote margin (D+ / R−... Democratic positive, Republican negative US presidential popular-vote margin in Florida (D+, R−)
^ For purposes of these lists, other national candidates are defined as those who won at least one electoral vote, or won at least ten percent of the vote in multiple states. ^a b c d Not on ballot ^ For purposes of these lists, other candidates are defined as those who were in third place in Florida. ^ Due to the status of Reconstruction, no election was held; the three electoral votes were allocated by theFlorida State Legislature to Grant. ^a b Changed his home state from State of New York to Florida during his first presidency. ^ "The South" .Encyclopedia Britannica Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. RetrievedJuly 11, 2021 .^ "1848 Presidential General Election Results - Florida" .U.S. Election Atlas .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 .^ Burlingame, Michael (October 4, 2016)."Abraham Lincoln: Campaign and Elections" .Miller Center .Archived from the original on November 21, 2016. RetrievedJuly 13, 2021 . ^a b Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ "Museum of Florida History" .Museum of Florida History Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 .^a b Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^a b "The Returns" .The Carson Daily Appeal . November 6, 1868. RetrievedJanuary 26, 2021 .^a b Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^a b Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Nancy A. Hewitt (2001).Southern Discomfort: Women's Activism in Tampa, Florida, 1880s–1920s ISBN 978-0-252-02682-9 Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. RetrievedMay 13, 2018 . ^ Benson, Lee; et al. (1978).The History of American Electoral Behavior JSTOR j.ctt13x10rd .Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 21, 2023 . ^ Doherty, Herbert J. (1947)."Florida and the Presidential Election of 1928" .The Florida Historical Quarterly .26 (2):174– 186.ISSN 0015-4113 .JSTOR 30138645 .Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. RetrievedApril 23, 2023 . ^ "A quick history of Florida's presidential politics, from Whigs to wigged out" .Tampa Bay Times Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 21, 2023 .^ "CNN.com - Bush leads Gore by 327 votes in Florida recount, Associated Press reports - November 10, 2000" .CNN Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 21, 2023 .^ Bush v. Gore 531 U.S. 98, 103 (2000)^ "2000 Presidential General Election Results" .Federal Election Commission the original on August 25, 2012. RetrievedOctober 2, 2019 .^ Wolter, Kirk; et al. (February 1, 2003)."Reliability of the Uncertified Ballots in the 2000 Presidential Election in Florida" The American Statistician .57 (1):1– 14.doi :10.1198/0003130031144 .ISSN 0003-1305 .S2CID 120778921 .Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. RetrievedApril 23, 2023 . ^ "Florida is the true US presidential election bellwether state" .Al Jazeera Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 20, 2023 .^ Friedersdorf, Conor (November 9, 2022)."Is Florida Still a Swing State?" .The Atlantic .Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 21, 2023 . ^ Breuninger, Kevin."Florida no longer looks like a swing state after DeSantis, Rubio lead big Republican wins" .CNBC Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 21, 2023 . ^a b c Burnham 1955 , p. 252.^ Leip, David."1848 Presidential General Election Results - Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1852 Presidential General Election Results - Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1856 Presidential General Election Results - Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Egerton, Douglas (2010).Year of Meteors: Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Election That Brought on the Civil War ISBN 978-1-59691-619-7 ^ Egerton, Douglas (2010).Year of Meteors: Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Election That Brought on the Civil War 293– 305.ISBN 978-1-59691-619-7 ^ Leip, David."1860 Presidential General Election Results - Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ "SECESSION OF FLORIDA" .The New York Times Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 .^ Leip, David."1872 Presidential General Election Results - Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^a b c d e f Burnham 1955 , p. 253.^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1876 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1880 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1884 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1888 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1892 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1896 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1900 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1904 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1908 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1912 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1916 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on June 19, 2006. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1920 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1924 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1928 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1932 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1936 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1940 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1944 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1948 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1952 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1956 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1960 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1964 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1968 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1972 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1976 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1980 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1984 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1988 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1992 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."1996 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996 ^ Leip, David."2000 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Leip, David."2004 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Leip, David."2008 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Leip, David."2012 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ "UPDATE 2-Obama's final win in Florida gives him 332 electoral votes" .Reuters . November 10, 2012.Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 .^ Leip, David."2016 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ "Florida Election Results 2016" .The New York Times . August 1, 2017.Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 .^ "Official 2020 Presidential General Election Results" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on February 10, 2021. RetrievedJuly 11, 2021 .^ Leip, David."2020 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections .Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 . ^ "Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins" .The New York Times . November 3, 2020.Archived from the original on June 12, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023 .^ Leip, David."2024 Presidential General Election Results – Florida" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . ^ "Florida Election 2024: Key Races and Historical Presidential Election Results" .NBC News . November 9, 2024. RetrievedNovember 9, 2024 .
