United States presidential elections in the District of Columbia

The District of Columbia is a political division coterminous with Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States.^[1] Since the enactment of the 23rd amendment to the Constitution in 1961,^[2] the district has participated in 15 presidential elections. The amendment states that it cannot have more electoral votes than the state with the smallest number of electors.^[3] Since then, it has been allocated three electoral votes in every presidential election.^[4] The Democratic Party has immense political strength in the district. In each of the 15 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 8 of the 15 elections.

Presidential elections in the District of Columbia

Number of elections	15
Voted Democratic	15
Voted Republican	0
Voted other	0
Voted for winning candidate	7
Voted for losing candidate	8

In the 2000 presidential election, Barbara Lett-Simmons, an elector from the district, left her ballot blank to protest its lack of voting representation in Congress. As a result, Al Gore received only two of the three electoral votes from Washington, D.C.^[5] In 2016, 85.7% of the registered voters approved a statehood referendum.^[6] In recent times, there have been various statehood movements in the District of Columbia, which advocates making the district a state.^[7][8]

The district is a signatory of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an interstate 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 2023,^[update] it has not yet gone into force.^[9]

Presidential elections

Key for parties
Democratic Party – (D)   Green Party – (G)   Independent candidate – (I)   Libertarian Party – (LI)   New Alliance Party – (NA)   Republican Party – (R)   Socialist Workers Party – (SW) 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	%
1964		Lyndon B. Johnson (D) ‡	169,796	85.5%		Barry Goldwater (R)	28,801	14.5%	—		—	—	3	^[10]^[11]^[12]
1968		Hubert Humphrey (D)	139,566	81.82%		Richard Nixon (R) ‡	31,012	18.18%	—		—	—	3	^[13]^[14]^[15]
1972		George McGovern (D)	127,627	78.1%		Richard Nixon (R) ‡	35,226	21.56%		Linda Jenness (SW)	316	0.19%	3	^[16]^[17]^[18]
1976		Jimmy Carter (D) ‡	137,818	81.63%		Gerald Ford (R)	27,873	16.51%		Peter Camejo (SW)	545	0.32%	3	^[b]^[20]^[21]
1980		Jimmy Carter (D)	130,231	74.32%		Ronald Reagan (R) ‡	23,313	13.3%		John B. Anderson (I)	16,131	9.21%	3	^[22]^[23]
1984		Walter Mondale (D)	180,408	85.38%		Ronald Reagan (R) ‡	29,009	13.73%		David Bergland (LI)	279	0.13%	3	^[c]^[25]^[26]
1988		Michael Dukakis (D)	159,407	82.65%		George H. W. Bush (R) ‡	27,590	14.3%		Lenora Fulani (NA)	2,901	1.5%	3	^[27]^[28]^[29]
1992		Bill Clinton (D) ‡	192,619	84.64%		George H. W. Bush (R)	20,698	9.1%		Ross Perot (I)	9,681	4.25%	3	^[30]^[31]^[32]
1996		Bill Clinton (D) ‡	158,220	85.19%		Bob Dole (R)	17,339	9.34%		Ralph Nader (G)	4,780	2.57%	3	^[33]^[34]^[35]
2000		Al Gore (D)	171,923	85.16%		George W. Bush (R) ‡	18,073	8.95%		Ralph Nader (G)	10,576	5.24%	2^[d]	^[37]^[38]^[39]
2004		John Kerry (D)	202,970	89.18%		George W. Bush (R)‡	21,256	9.34%		Ralph Nader (I)	1,485	0.65%	3	^[40]^[41]^[42]
2008		Barack Obama (D)‡	245,800	92.46%		John McCain (R)	17,367	6.53%		Ralph Nader (I)	1,138	0.43%	3	^[43]^[44]^[45]
2012		Barack Obama (D)‡	267,070	90.91%		Mitt Romney (R)	21,381	7.28%		Jill Stein (G)	2,458	0.84%	3	^[46]^[47]
2016		Hillary Clinton (D)	282,830	90.86%		Donald Trump (R)‡	12,723	4.09%		Gary Johnson (LI)	4,906	1.58%	3	^[e]^[49]
2020		Joe Biden (D)‡	317,323	92.15%		Donald Trump (R)	18,586	5.4%		Jo Jorgensen (LI)	2,036	0.59%	3	^[f]^[51]

Graph

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.

See also

• Elections in the District of Columbia
  • United States House of Representatives elections in the District of Columbia
  • United States Senate elections in the District of Columbia
• List of United States presidential election results by state

Notes

1. For purposes of these lists, other candidates are defined as those who were in third place in the district
2. Various write-in candidates received 1,944 votes.^[19]
3. Various write-in candidates received 809 votes.^[24]
4. Abstention from one elector^[36]
5. Various write-in candidates received 6,551 votes^[48]
6. Various write-in candidates received 3,137 votes^[50]

References

1. Grogg, Robert (2013). "Introduction: Where Oh Where Should the Capital Be?". White House Historical Association. from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
2. "Presidential Vote for D.C." National Constitution Center. from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
3. "Presidential electors for D.C." (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office. (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
4. "Distribution of Electoral Votes". National Archives and Records Administration. 19 September 2019. from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
5. Stout, David (December 19, 2000). "The 43rd President, The Electoral College: The Electors Vote, and the Surprises Are Few". The New York Times. from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
6. "DC Voters Elect Gray to Council, Approve Statehood Measure". NBC News. November 7, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
7. Greve, Joan E. (May 3, 2021). "'Our moment is now': can Washington DC statehood finally become a reality?". The Guardian. from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
8. Flynn, Meagan (April 22, 2021). "House Democrats pass D.C. statehood, launching bill into uncharted territory". The Washington Post. from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
9. "Status of National Popular Vote Bill in Each State". National Popular Vote Inc. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
10. Leip, David. "1964 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
11. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 790.
12. Presidential elections 1997, p. 119.
13. Leip, David. "1968 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
14. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 791.
15. Presidential elections 1997, p. 120.
16. Leip, David. "1972 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
17. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 792.
18. Presidential elections 1997, p. 121.
19. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 793.
20. Leip, David. "1976 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
21. Presidential elections 1997, p. 122.
22. Leip, David. "1980 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
23. "1980 Presidential Election Results" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. December 30, 1980. p. 3. (PDF) from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
24. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 795.
25. Leip, David. "1984 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
26. "Federal Elections 1984 – Election Results for U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. 1985. p. 4. (PDF) from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
27. Leip, David. "1988 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
28. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 796.
29. "Federal Elections 1988 – Election Results for U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. 1989. p. 4. (PDF) from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
30. Leip, David. "1992 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
31. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 797.
32. "Federal Elections 1992 – Election Results for U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. 1993. pp. 17–18. (PDF) from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
33. Leip, David. "1996 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
34. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 798.
35. "1996 Presidential General Election Result" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. p. 3. (PDF) from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
36. Stout, David (December 19, 2000). "The 43rd President, The Electoral College: The Electors Vote, and the Surprises Are Few". The New York Times. from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
37. Leip, David. "2000 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
38. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 799.
39. "2000 Presidential General Election Result" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. p. 3. (PDF) from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
40. Leip, David. "2004 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. from the original on December 15, 2006. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
41. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 800.
42. "Official General Election Result for United States President – November 2, 2004" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. p. 28. (PDF) from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
43. Leip, David. "2008 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
44. Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 801.
45. "Official General Election Result for United States President – November 4, 2008" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. p. 29. (PDF) from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
46. Leip, David. "2012 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
47. "Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. p. 29. (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
48. Leip, David. "2016 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
49. "Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. p. 28. (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
50. Leip, David. "2020 Presidential General Election Results – District of Columbia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
51. "Official 2020 Presidential General Election Result" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. (PDF) from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.

Works cited

• Guide to U.S. Elections. SAGE Publications. 2010. ISBN 978-1-60426-536-1.
• Presidential elections, 1789–1996. Congressional Quarterly. 1997. ISBN 978-1-56802-065-5. LCCN 97019084. OL 673017M.