United States presidential elections in Oklahoma

Presidential elections in Oklahoma
Map of the United States with Oklahoma highlighted
Number of elections30
Voted Democratic10
Voted Republican20
Voted other0
Voted for winning candidate21
Voted for losing candidate9

Oklahoma is a state in the South Central region of the United States.[1] Since it joined the United States in 1907,[2] Oklahoma has participated in 29 presidential elections. It was initially granted seven electoral votes,[3] gaining three following the 1910 census.[4] It was given an additional vote in the 1930 census,[5] which it later lost in the 1940 census.[5] The state's electoral votes were reduced to eight in the 1950 census[6] before returning to its original seven following the 2000 census.[7]

In the 1960 election, Republican candidates Richard Nixon and Henry C. Lodge won Oklahoma.[8] However, elector Henry D. Irwin decided to cast a faithless vote for Harry F. Byrd and Barry Goldwater. An amendment to the Constitution of Oklahoma had been passed earlier to allow political parties to select their own electors. However, the amendment did not go effect until 1964. In 1961, the state passed a law that would invalidate any votes cast by and issue a fine to faithless electors.[9]

Oklahoma initially fluctuated between voting Democrat and Republican, but it has come to be considered a safely red state. Republicans have won every single county in Oklahoma since the 2004 presidential election.[10] The last Democrat to win the state was Lyndon B. Johnson in his 1964 landslide victory.[11][12] Oklahoma was last considered a swing state during the presidential campaigns of Jimmy Carter (1976 and 1980) and Bill Clinton (1992 and 1996).[13]

Republicans have won the White House without winning Oklahoma only twice: William Howard Taft in 1908 and Calvin Coolidge in 1924. Democrats have won without the state eight times, most recently in Joe Biden's victory in 2020.

Presidential elections

Key for parties
  American Independent Party – (AI)
  Democratic Party – (D)
  Independent candidate – (I)
  Libertarian Party – (LI)
  Prohibition Party – (PRO)
  Progressive Party (1924) – (PR)
  Reform Party – (RE)
  Republican Party – (R)
  Socialist Party of America – (S)


Note: A double dagger (‡) indicates the national winner.
Note: Percentages may not total 100.0%.

Election results
Year Winner Runner-up Other candidate[a] EV Ref.
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes %
1908
 William Jennings Bryan (D) 122,363 47.99% William Taft (R)‡ 110,474 43.33% Eugene Debs (S) 21,734 8.52% 7
[3]
1912
 Woodrow Wilson (D)‡ 119,156 46.95% William Taft (R) 90,786 35.77% Eugene Debs (S) 41,674 16.42% 10
[4]
1916
 Woodrow Wilson (D)‡ 148,113 50.65% Charles Evans Hughes (R) 97,233 33.25% Allan L. Benson (S) 45,190 15.45% 10
[14]
1920
 Warren G. Harding (R) ‡ 243,831 50.11% James M. Cox (D) 217,053 44.61% Eugene Debs (S) 25,726 5.29% 10
[15]
1924
 John W. Davis (D) 255,798 48.41% Calvin Coolidge (R) ‡ 226,242 42.82% Robert M. La Follette (PR) 46,375 8.78% 10
[16]
1928
 Herbert Hoover (R)‡ 394,046 63.72% Al Smith (D) 219,174 35.44% Norman Thomas (S) 3,924 0.63% 10
[17]
1932
 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 516,468 73.30% Herbert Hoover (R) 188,165 26.70%
–
–
–
 11
[5]
1936
 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 501,069 66.83% Alf Landon (R) 245,122 32.69% Norman Thomas (S) 2,221 0.30% 11
[18]
1940
 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 474,313 57.41% Wendell Willkie (R) 348,872 42.23% Roger Babson (PRO) 3,027 0.37% 10
[19]
1944
 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 401,549 55.57% Thomas E. Dewey (R) 319,424 44.20% Claude A. Watson (PRO) 1,663 0.23% 10
[20]
1948
 Harry S. Truman (D)‡ 452,782 62.75% Thomas E. Dewey (R) 268,817 37.25%
–
–
–
 10
[6]
1952
 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) ‡ 518,045 54.59% Adlai Stevenson (D) 430,939 45.41%
–
–
–
 8
[21]
1956
 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) ‡ 473,769 55.13% Adlai Stevenson (D) 385,581 44.87%
–
–
–
 8
[22]
1960
 Richard Nixon (R)[b] 533,039 59.02% John F. Kennedy (D) ‡ 370,111 40.98%
–
–
–
 8
[23]
1964
 Lyndon B. Johnson (D) ‡ 519,834 55.75% Barry Goldwater (R) 412,665 44.25%
–
–
–
 8
[24]
1968
 Richard Nixon (R) ‡ 449,697 46.66% Hubert Humphrey (D) 301,658 31.30% George Wallace (AI) 191,731 19.89% 8
[25]
1972
 Richard Nixon (R) ‡ 759,025 71.78% George McGovern (D) 247,147 23.37% John G. Schmitz (AI) 23,728 2.24% 8
[26]
1976
 Gerald Ford (R) 545,708 49.87% Jimmy Carter (D) ‡ 532,442 48.66% Eugene McCarthy (I) 14,101 1.29% 8
[27]
1980
 Ronald Reagan (R) ‡ 695,570 59.33% Jimmy Carter (D) 402,026 34.29% Ed Clark (LI) 13,828 1.18% 8
[28]
1984
 Ronald Reagan (R) ‡ 861,530 68.61% Walter Mondale (D) 385,080 30.67% David Bergland (LI) 9,066 0.72% 8
[29]
1988
 George H. W. Bush (R) ‡ 678,367 58.24% Michael Dukakis (D) 483,423 41.50% Ron Paul (LI) 2,985 0.26% 8
[30]
1992
 George H. W. Bush (R) 592,929 42.65% Bill Clinton (D) ‡ 473,066 34.02% Ross Perot (I) 353,741 23.01% 8
[31]
1996
 Bob Dole (R) 582,315 48.22% Bill Clinton (D) ‡ 488,105 40.42% Ross Perot (RE) 130,788 10.83% 8
[32]
2000
 George W. Bush (R) ‡ 744,337 60.31% Al Gore (D) 474,276 38.43% Pat Buchanan (RE) 9,014 0.73% 8
[33]
2004
 George W. Bush (R)‡ 959,792 65.57% John Kerry (D) 503,966 34.43%
–
–
–
 7
[34]
2008
 John McCain (R) 960,165 65.65% Barack Obama (D)‡ 502,496 34.35%
–
–
–
 7
[35]
2012
 Mitt Romney (R) 891,325 66.77% Barack Obama (D)‡ 443,547 33.30%
–
–
–
 7
[36]
2016
 Donald Trump (R)‡ 949,136 65.32% Hillary Clinton (D) 420,375 28.93% Gary Johnson (LI) 83,481 5.75% 7
[37]
2020
 Donald Trump (R) 1,020,280 65.37% Joe Biden (D)‡ 503,890 32.29% Jo Jorgensen (LI) 24,731 1.58% 7
[38]
2024
 Donald Trump (R)‡ 1,036,213 66.16% Kamala Harris (D) 499,599 31.90% Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) 16,020 1.02% 7
[39]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ For the purposes of this table, other candidates are defined as those who were in third place in Oklahoma. Some elections did not have a qualified third-party candidate.
  2. ^ Elector Henry D. Irwin faithlessly voted for presidential candidate Harry F. Byrd and vice-presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.[8]

References

  1. ^ Census Regions and Divisions of the United States (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  2. ^ "Oklahoma Statehood, November 16, 1907". National Archives and Records Administration. August 15, 2016. Archived from the original on December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Leip, David. "1908 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Leip, David. "1912 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Leip, David. "1932 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Leip, David. "1948 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  7. ^ "Distribution of Electoral Votes". Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Agrawal, Nina (December 8, 2016). "All the times in U.S. history that members of the electoral college voted their own way". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  9. ^ Averill, Dave (June 7, 1992). "Tale of Oklahoma's Bolting Presidential Elector". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  10. ^ "Oklahoma 2020 election results". CNN. November 24, 2020. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Levy, Micheal (August 9, 2024). "United States presidential election of 1964". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  12. ^ "Oklahoma Election Results 2024". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  13. ^ "Who will win Oklahoma?". The Hill. October 2, 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-10-07. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  14. ^ Leip, David. "1916 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  15. ^ Leip, David. "1920 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  16. ^ Leip, David. "1924 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  17. ^ Leip, David. "1928 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  18. ^ Leip, David. "1936 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  19. ^ Leip, David. "1940 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  20. ^ Leip, David. "1944 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  21. ^ "General Election Presidential Electors" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. November 4, 1952. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  22. ^ Leip, David. "1956 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  23. ^ Leip, David. "1960 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  24. ^ Leip, David. "1964 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on April 16, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  25. ^ "Elections of 1968 General Election" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. November 5, 1968. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  26. ^ "Elections of 1972 General Election Presidential Electors" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. November 7, 1972. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  27. ^ "Elections of 1976 General Election" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. November 2, 1976. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  28. ^ "General Election Presidential Electors" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. November 4, 1980. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  29. ^ "General Election Presidential Electors" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. November 6, 1984. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  30. ^ "Elections of 1988 General Election" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. November 8, 1988. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  31. ^ "Elections of 1992 General Elections" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  32. ^ "President and Vice President of the United States General Election" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. November 5, 1996. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  33. ^ "President and Vice President of the United States General Election — November 7, 2000" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. November 7, 2000. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  34. ^ "2004 Presidential General Election Results" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. May 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  35. ^ "General Election Summary Results". Oklahoma State Election Board. November 4, 2008. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  36. ^ "November 6, 2012 Official Results". Oklahoma State Election Board. November 6, 2012. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  37. ^ "November 8, 2016 Official Results". Oklahoma State Election Board. November 8, 2016. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  38. ^ "November 3, 2020 Official Results". Oklahoma State Election Board. November 3, 2020. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  39. ^ "November 5, 2024 Official Results". Oklahoma State Election Board. November 5, 2024. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.