2004 US Presidential Election Results
George W. Bush (Republican) won the 2004 US presidential election with 286 electoral votes to John Kerry's 251 (270 needed to win). George W. Bush also won the national popular vote, by 2.5 points (3,032,918 votes), based on county-level returns aggregated across the country. That's a 3.0-point swing toward Republicans from 2000.
Electoral College
| Candidate | Party | Electoral Votes |
|---|---|---|
| George W. Bush (Won) | Republican | 286 |
| John Kerry | Democratic | 251 |
| Other / faithless electors | Other | 1 |
538 electoral votes total · 270 needed to win. One Minnesota elector cast their vote for John Edwards (Kerry's running mate) for both President and Vice President instead of Kerry, rather than voting as pledged.
National Popular Vote
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| George W. Bush | Republican | 61,931,981 |
| John Kerry | Democratic | 58,899,063 |
| Other candidates | Other | 1,489,505 |
Margin: 2.5 points (3,032,918 votes) · 122,320,549 total votes counted across all counties.
Margin Over Time
National two-party popular-vote margin (percentage points), 2000–2024. Positive values favor the Democratic candidate; negative values favor the Republican candidate.
Results by State
| State | Winner | Margin | Electoral Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Republican | 25.8 pts | 9 |
| Alaska | Republican | 23.7 pts | 3 |
| Arizona | Republican | 10.6 pts | 10 |
| Arkansas | Republican | 10.0 pts | 6 |
| California | Democratic | 10.1 pts | 55 |
| Colorado | Republican | 4.7 pts | 9 |
| Connecticut | Democratic | 10.5 pts | 7 |
| Delaware | Democratic | 7.7 pts | 3 |
| District of Columbia | Democratic | 81.0 pts | 3 |
| Florida | Republican | 5.0 pts | 27 |
| Georgia | Republican | 16.7 pts | 15 |
| Hawaii | Democratic | 8.7 pts | 4 |
| Idaho | Republican | 38.6 pts | 4 |
| Illinois | Democratic | 10.4 pts | 21 |
| Indiana | Republican | 20.8 pts | 11 |
| Iowa | Republican | 0.7 pts | 7 |
| Kansas | Republican | 25.7 pts | 6 |
| Kentucky | Republican | 20.0 pts | 8 |
| Louisiana | Republican | 14.7 pts | 9 |
| Maine | Democratic | 8.2 pts | 4 |
| Maryland | Democratic | 13.1 pts | 10 |
| Massachusetts | Democratic | 25.5 pts | 12 |
| Michigan | Democratic | 3.5 pts | 17 |
| Minnesota | Democratic | 3.5 pts | 10 |
| Mississippi | Republican | 20.5 pts | 6 |
| Missouri | Republican | 7.2 pts | 11 |
| Montana | Republican | 21.0 pts | 3 |
| Nebraska | Republican | 33.7 pts | 5 |
| Nevada | Republican | 2.6 pts | 5 |
| New Hampshire | Democratic | 1.4 pts | 4 |
| New Jersey | Democratic | 6.8 pts | 15 |
| New Mexico | Republican | 0.8 pts | 5 |
| New York | Democratic | 19.7 pts | 31 |
| North Carolina | Republican | 12.5 pts | 15 |
| North Dakota | Republican | 27.8 pts | 3 |
| Ohio | Republican | 2.1 pts | 20 |
| Oklahoma | Republican | 31.1 pts | 7 |
| Oregon | Democratic | 4.2 pts | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | Democratic | 2.5 pts | 21 |
| Rhode Island | Democratic | 21.2 pts | 4 |
| South Carolina | Republican | 17.3 pts | 8 |
| South Dakota | Republican | 21.8 pts | 3 |
| Tennessee | Republican | 14.4 pts | 11 |
| Texas | Republican | 23.0 pts | 34 |
| Utah | Republican | 46.7 pts | 5 |
| Vermont | Democratic | 20.6 pts | 3 |
| Virginia | Republican | 8.3 pts | 13 |
| Washington | Democratic | 7.3 pts | 11 |
| West Virginia | Republican | 12.9 pts | 5 |
| Wisconsin | Democratic | 0.4 pts | 10 |
| Wyoming | Republican | 40.6 pts | 3 |
Other Cycles
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Electoral College in 2004?
George W. Bush (Republican) won the Electoral College in 2004 with 286 votes to John Kerry's 251, out of 538 total and 270 needed to win. One Minnesota elector cast their vote for John Edwards (Kerry's running mate) for both President and Vice President instead of Kerry, rather than voting as pledged.
Who won the national popular vote in 2004?
George W. Bush (Republican) won the national popular vote in 2004 with 61,931,981 votes to John Kerry's 58,899,063, a margin of 2.5 points (3,032,918 votes), based on county-level returns aggregated across all 50 states and DC.
How many states did each party win in 2004?
The Democratic candidate won the statewide popular vote in 20 states (and/or DC), and the Republican candidate won it in 31, out of 51 total. This counts each state's overall popular-vote winner, not electoral votes, which can split by congressional district in Maine and Nebraska.
Which state had the closest presidential margin in 2004?
Wisconsin had the closest statewide margin in 2004, decided by 0.4 points.
Which state had the widest presidential margin in 2004?
District of Columbia had the widest statewide margin in 2004, decided by 81.0 points.
Which states flipped between 2000 and 2004?
4 state(s) changed which party won their statewide popular vote between 2000 and 2004: Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Mexico.