Presidential elections in the District of Columbia Number of elections 16 Voted Democratic 16 Voted Republican 0 Voted other 0 Voted for winning candidate 7 Voted for losing candidate 9
Since the enactment of the23rd amendment to the Constitution in 1961,[ 1] District of Columbia has participated in 16presidential elections . The amendment states that it cannot have any moreelectoral votes than thestate with the smallest number of electors.[ 2] [ 3] Democratic Party has immensepolitical strength in the district . In each of the 16 presidential elections, the district has overwhelmingly voted for the Democratic candidate, with no margin less than 56.5 percentage points. It has been won by the losing candidate in 9 of the 16 elections. In2016 ,Donald Trump , theRepublican candidate who would win the election eventually, received less total votes in the District than the third-party candidates combined.
In the2000 presidential election ,Barbara Lett-Simmons , an elector from the district, left her ballot blank to protestits lack of voting representation inCongress . As a result,Al Gore received only two of the three electoral votes from Washington, D.C.[ 4] a statehood referendum .[ 5] statehood movements in the District of Columbia , which advocates making the district a state.[ 6] [ 7]
The district is a signatory of theNational Popular Vote Interstate Compact , aninterstate compact in which signatories award all of their electoral votes to the winner of the national-level popular vote in a presidential election, even if another candidate won an individual signatory's popular vote. As of 2025, it has not yetgone into force .[ 8]
Presidential elections [ edit ] Key for parties Note – A double dagger (‡) indicates the national winner.
Presidential elections in the District of Columbia from 1964 to present Year Winner Runner-up Other candidate[ a] EV Ref. Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Lyndon B. Johnson (D) ‡ 169,796 Barry Goldwater (R) 28,801 — — — 3 Hubert Humphrey (D) 139,566 Richard Nixon (R) ‡ 31,012 — — — 3 George McGovern (D) 127,627 Richard Nixon (R) ‡ 35,226 Linda Jenness (SW) 316 3 Jimmy Carter (D) ‡ 137,818 Gerald Ford (R) 27,873 Peter Camejo (SW) 545 3 Jimmy Carter (D) 130,231 Ronald Reagan (R) ‡ 23,313 John B. Anderson (I) 16,131 3 Walter Mondale (D) 180,408 Ronald Reagan (R) ‡ 29,009 David Bergland (LI) 279 3 Michael Dukakis (D) 159,407 George H. W. Bush (R) ‡ 27,590 Lenora Fulani (NA) 2,901 3 Bill Clinton (D) ‡ 192,619 George H. W. Bush (R) 20,698 Ross Perot (I) 9,681 3 Bill Clinton (D) ‡ 158,220 Bob Dole (R) 17,339 Ralph Nader (G) 4,780 3 Al Gore (D) 171,923 George W. Bush (R) ‡ 18,073 Ralph Nader (G) 10,576 2[ b] John Kerry (D) 202,970 George W. Bush (R)‡ 21,256 Ralph Nader (I) 1,485 3 Barack Obama (D)‡ 245,800 John McCain (R) 17,367 Ralph Nader (I) 1,138 3 Barack Obama (D)‡ 267,070 Mitt Romney (R) 21,381 Jill Stein (G) 2,458 3 Hillary Clinton (D) 282,830 Donald Trump (R)‡ 12,723 Gary Johnson (LI) 4,906 3 Joe Biden (D)‡ 317,323 Donald Trump (R) 18,586 Jo Jorgensen (LI) 2,036 3 Kamala Harris (D) 294,185 Donald Trump (R)‡ 21,076 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) 2,778 3
The following graph shows the margin of victory of the Democratic Party over the Republican Party in the 15 presidential elections the District of Columbia participated.
^ For purposes of these lists, the "other candidate" is defined as the person who received the third-most votes in the District of Columbia. The total votes across the winner, runner-up, and "other candidate" do not equal the total votes cast in each election because any votes for remaining candidates and write-ins are not counted here. ^ Abstention from one elector[ 33] ^ "Presidential Vote for D.C." National Constitution Center Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ "Presidential electors for D.C." (PDF) .United States Government Publishing Office Archived (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2020. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ "Distribution of Electoral Votes" .National Archives and Records Administration Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ Stout, David (December 19, 2000)."The 43rd President, The Electoral College: The Electors Vote, and the Surprises Are Few" The New York Times Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ "DC Voters Elect Gray to Council, Approve Statehood Measure" .NBC News . RetrievedSeptember 21, 2021 .^ Greve, Joan E. (May 3, 2021)." .The Guardian Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Flynn, Meagan (April 22, 2021)."House Democrats pass D.C. statehood, launching bill into uncharted territory" .The Washington Post Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ "Status of National Popular Vote Bill in Each State" .National Popular Vote Inc. Retrieved2022-12-27 .^ Leip, David."1964 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections 1997^ Leip, David."1968 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections 1997^ Leip, David."1972 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ Presidential elections 1997^ Leip, David."1976 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Presidential elections 1997^ Leip, David."1980 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ "1980 Presidential Election Results" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on February 18, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ Leip, David."1984 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ "Federal Elections 1984 – Election Results for U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on July 19, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ Leip, David."1988 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ "Federal Elections 1988 – Election Results for U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on July 19, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ Leip, David."1992 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ "Federal Elections 1992 – Election Results for U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission 17– 18.Archived (PDF) from the original on March 21, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ Leip, David."1996 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ "1996 Presidential General Election Result" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on May 26, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ Stout, David (December 19, 2000)."The 43rd President, The Electoral College: The Electors Vote, and the Surprises Are Few" The New York Times Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Leip, David."2000 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ "2000 Presidential General Election Result" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on May 29, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ Leip, David."2004 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Archived from the original on December 15, 2006. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ "Official General Election Result for United States President – November 2, 2004" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on April 2, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ Leip, David."2008 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010^ "Official General Election Result for United States President – November 4, 2008" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on April 5, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ Leip, David."2012 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia" .Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 . ^ "Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ "Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ "Official 2020 Presidential General Election Result" (PDF) .Federal Election Commission Archived (PDF) from the original on February 10, 2021. RetrievedAugust 7, 2021 .^ "DCBOE General Election 2024 Election Results" .District of Columbia Board of Elections . Retrieved2024-11-08 .
