Election 2008 Results
Each election opens in its own mode: the forecast before the votes are counted, the live count while races are still too close to call, and the results once every race is decided.
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2008 presidential election results by state and county
Barack Obama won the presidency in a decisive victory over John McCain, carrying 365 electoral votes and becoming the first Black American elected president.
Barack Obama (Democrat) beat John McCain in 2008, winning 365 electoral votes to 173. Barack Obama carried 29 states and John McCain 22. Across the states, the Democratic and Republican vote came to 69,498,516 and 59,948,323 (D+7.3 of all votes cast).
The closest states were Missouri (R+0.1), North Carolina (D+0.3) and Indiana (D+1.0). 9 states changed party from 2004: Colorado to the Democrats, Florida to the Democrats, Indiana to the Democrats, Iowa to the Democrats, Nevada to the Democrats, New Mexico to the Democrats, North Carolina to the Democrats, Ohio to the Democrats and Virginia to the Democrats.
Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.
About the 2008 presidential election
The 2008 election took place as the financial system was collapsing. Lehman Brothers failed in September, and the economy was falling into the worst recession since the 1930s. Bush was deeply unpopular, and the Iraq war remained divisive. Barack Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, beat Hillary Clinton in a long primary fight. Republicans nominated John McCain, the Arizona senator and former prisoner of war, who chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Obama won about 53 percent of the popular vote, the best Democratic showing since 1964. He flipped nine states that Bush had carried in 2004: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. Indiana and Virginia had not voted Democratic since 1964. North Carolina went to Obama by 0.3 points and Indiana by 1.0. He also won one electoral vote from Nebraska's district around Omaha. McCain won 22 states for 173 electoral votes, holding Missouri by about a tenth of a point and Montana by 2.3. Democrats expanded their majorities in both houses of Congress, setting up the stimulus package and the Affordable Care Act.
Every state
| State | Democrat | Votes | Republican | Votes | Others | Margin | EV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Barack Obama | 813,479 (38.7%) | John McCain | 1,266,546 (60.3%) | 19,794 | R+21.6 | 9 |
| Alaska | Barack Obama | 123,594 (37.9%) | John McCain | 193,841 (59.4%) | 8,762 | R+21.5 | 3 |
| Arizona | Barack Obama | 1,034,707 (45.1%) | John McCain | 1,230,111 (53.6%) | 28,657 | R+8.5 | 10 |
| Arkansas | Barack Obama | 422,310 (38.9%) | John McCain | 638,017 (58.7%) | 26,290 | R+19.9 | 6 |
| California | Barack Obama | 8,274,473 (61.0%) | John McCain | 5,011,781 (37.0%) | 275,646 | D+24.1 | 55 |
| Colorado flip | Barack Obama | 1,288,633 (53.7%) | John McCain | 1,073,629 (44.7%) | 39,200 | D+9.0 | 9 |
| Connecticut | Barack Obama | 997,772 (60.6%) | John McCain | 629,428 (38.2%) | 19,597 | D+22.4 | 7 |
| Delaware | Barack Obama | 255,459 (61.9%) | John McCain | 152,374 (36.9%) | 4,579 | D+25.0 | 3 |
| District of Columbia | Barack Obama | 245,800 (92.5%) | John McCain | 17,367 (6.5%) | 2,686 | D+85.9 | 3 |
| Florida flip | Barack Obama | 4,282,074 (51.0%) | John McCain | 4,045,624 (48.2%) | 63,046 | D+2.8 | 27 |
| Georgia | Barack Obama | 1,844,123 (47.0%) | John McCain | 2,048,759 (52.2%) | 31,604 | R+5.2 | 15 |
| Hawaii | Barack Obama | 325,871 (71.8%) | John McCain | 120,566 (26.6%) | 7,131 | D+45.3 | 4 |
| Idaho | Barack Obama | 236,440 (36.1%) | John McCain | 403,012 (61.5%) | 15,670 | R+25.4 | 4 |
| Illinois | Barack Obama | 3,419,348 (61.9%) | John McCain | 2,031,179 (36.8%) | 71,844 | D+25.1 | 21 |
| Indiana flip | Barack Obama | 1,374,039 (49.9%) | John McCain | 1,345,648 (48.9%) | 31,367 | D+1.0 | 11 |
| Iowa flip | Barack Obama | 828,940 (53.9%) | John McCain | 682,379 (44.4%) | 25,804 | D+9.5 | 7 |
| Kansas | Barack Obama | 514,765 (41.7%) | John McCain | 699,655 (56.6%) | 21,452 | R+15.0 | 6 |
| Kentucky | Barack Obama | 751,985 (41.2%) | John McCain | 1,048,462 (57.4%) | 26,173 | R+16.2 | 8 |
| Louisiana | Barack Obama | 782,989 (39.9%) | John McCain | 1,148,275 (58.6%) | 29,497 | R+18.6 | 9 |
| Maine | Barack Obama | 421,923 (57.7%) | John McCain | 295,273 (40.4%) | 13,967 | D+17.3 | 4 |
| Maryland | Barack Obama | 1,629,467 (61.9%) | John McCain | 959,862 (36.5%) | 42,267 | D+25.4 | 10 |
| Massachusetts | Barack Obama | 1,904,097 (61.8%) | John McCain | 1,108,854 (36.0%) | 68,034 | D+25.8 | 12 |
| Michigan | Barack Obama | 2,872,579 (57.4%) | John McCain | 2,048,639 (41.0%) | 80,548 | D+16.5 | 17 |
| Minnesota | Barack Obama | 1,573,354 (54.1%) | John McCain | 1,275,409 (43.8%) | 61,606 | D+10.2 | 10 |
| Mississippi | Barack Obama | 554,662 (43.0%) | John McCain | 724,597 (56.2%) | 10,606 | R+13.2 | 6 |
| Missouri | Barack Obama | 1,441,911 (49.3%) | John McCain | 1,445,814 (49.4%) | 37,480 | R+0.1 | 11 |
| Montana | Barack Obama | 231,667 (47.2%) | John McCain | 242,763 (49.5%) | 15,872 | R+2.3 | 3 |
| Nebraska | Barack Obama | 333,319 (41.6%) | John McCain | 452,979 (56.5%) | 14,983 | R+14.9 | 5 |
| Nevada flip | Barack Obama | 533,736 (55.1%) | John McCain | 412,827 (42.7%) | 21,285 | D+12.5 | 5 |
| New Hampshire | Barack Obama | 384,826 (54.1%) | John McCain | 316,534 (44.5%) | 9,610 | D+9.6 | 4 |
| New Jersey | Barack Obama | 2,215,422 (57.3%) | John McCain | 1,613,207 (41.7%) | 39,608 | D+15.6 | 15 |
| New Mexico flip | Barack Obama | 472,422 (56.9%) | John McCain | 346,832 (41.8%) | 10,904 | D+15.1 | 5 |
| New York | Barack Obama | 4,804,945 (62.9%) | John McCain | 2,752,771 (36.0%) | 83,215 | D+26.9 | 31 |
| North Carolina flip | Barack Obama | 2,142,651 (49.7%) | John McCain | 2,128,474 (49.4%) | 39,664 | D+0.3 | 15 |
| North Dakota | Barack Obama | 141,278 (44.6%) | John McCain | 168,601 (53.3%) | 6,742 | R+8.6 | 3 |
| Ohio flip | Barack Obama | 2,940,044 (51.5%) | John McCain | 2,677,820 (46.9%) | 90,486 | D+4.6 | 20 |
| Oklahoma | Barack Obama | 502,496 (34.4%) | John McCain | 960,165 (65.6%) | R+31.3 | 7 | |
| Oregon | Barack Obama | 1,037,291 (56.7%) | John McCain | 738,475 (40.4%) | 52,098 | D+16.4 | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | Barack Obama | 3,276,363 (54.5%) | John McCain | 2,655,885 (44.2%) | 81,024 | D+10.3 | 21 |
| Rhode Island | Barack Obama | 296,571 (62.9%) | John McCain | 165,391 (35.1%) | 9,804 | D+27.8 | 4 |
| South Carolina | Barack Obama | 862,449 (44.9%) | John McCain | 1,034,896 (53.9%) | 23,624 | R+9.0 | 8 |
| South Dakota | Barack Obama | 170,924 (44.7%) | John McCain | 203,054 (53.2%) | 7,997 | R+8.4 | 3 |
| Tennessee | Barack Obama | 1,087,437 (41.8%) | John McCain | 1,479,178 (56.9%) | 33,134 | R+15.1 | 11 |
| Texas | Barack Obama | 3,528,633 (43.7%) | John McCain | 4,479,328 (55.5%) | 69,834 | R+11.8 | 34 |
| Utah | Barack Obama | 327,670 (34.4%) | John McCain | 596,030 (62.6%) | 28,670 | R+28.2 | 5 |
| Vermont | Barack Obama | 219,262 (67.5%) | John McCain | 98,974 (30.4%) | 6,810 | D+37.0 | 3 |
| Virginia flip | Barack Obama | 1,959,532 (52.6%) | John McCain | 1,725,005 (46.3%) | 38,723 | D+6.3 | 13 |
| Washington | Barack Obama | 1,750,848 (57.7%) | John McCain | 1,229,216 (40.5%) | 56,814 | D+17.2 | 11 |
| West Virginia | Barack Obama | 303,857 (42.6%) | John McCain | 397,466 (55.7%) | 12,128 | R+13.1 | 5 |
| Wisconsin | Barack Obama | 1,677,211 (56.2%) | John McCain | 1,262,393 (42.3%) | 43,813 | D+13.9 | 10 |
| Wyoming | Barack Obama | 82,868 (32.5%) | John McCain | 164,958 (64.8%) | 6,832 | R+32.2 | 3 |
Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Margins are Democrat minus Republican, of all votes. Certified results, from the states' own archives, the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, Heideman (2026) and Algara & Amlani (2021). Maine and Nebraska are shown whole, without their district votes. How these results were checked.