2008 US Presidential Election Results
Barack Obama (Democratic) won the 2008 US presidential election with 365 electoral votes to John McCain's 173 (270 needed to win). Barack Obama also won the national popular vote, by 7.4 points (9,519,583 votes), based on county-level returns aggregated across the country. That's a 9.9-point swing toward Democrats from 2004.
Electoral College
| Candidate | Party | Electoral Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Barack Obama (Won) | Democratic | 365 |
| John McCain | Republican | 173 |
538 electoral votes total · 270 needed to win.
National Popular Vote
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Barack Obama | Democratic | 69,448,278 |
| John McCain | Republican | 59,928,695 |
| Other candidates | Other | 1,810,364 |
Margin: 7.4 points (9,519,583 votes) · 131,187,337 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 | 21.8 pts | 9 |
| Alaska | Republican | 22.1 pts | 3 |
| Arizona | Republican | 8.6 pts | 10 |
| Arkansas | Republican | 20.3 pts | 6 |
| California | Democratic | 24.6 pts | 55 |
| Colorado | Democratic | 9.1 pts | 9 |
| Connecticut | Democratic | 22.9 pts | 7 |
| Delaware | Democratic | 25.3 pts | 3 |
| District of Columbia | Democratic | 86.8 pts | 3 |
| Florida | Democratic | 2.8 pts | 27 |
| Georgia | Republican | 5.3 pts | 15 |
| Hawaii | Democratic | 46.0 pts | 4 |
| Idaho | Republican | 26.0 pts | 4 |
| Illinois | Democratic | 25.5 pts | 21 |
| Indiana | Democratic | 1.0 pts | 11 |
| Iowa | Democratic | 9.7 pts | 7 |
| Kansas | Republican | 15.2 pts | 6 |
| Kentucky | Republican | 16.5 pts | 8 |
| Louisiana | Republican | 19.0 pts | 9 |
| Maine | Democratic | 17.7 pts | 4 |
| Maryland | Democratic | 25.9 pts | 10 |
| Massachusetts | Democratic | 26.4 pts | 12 |
| Michigan | Democratic | 16.7 pts | 17 |
| Minnesota | Democratic | 10.5 pts | 10 |
| Mississippi | Republican | 13.3 pts | 6 |
| Missouri | Republican | 0.1 pts | 11 |
| Montana | Republican | 2.5 pts | 3 |
| Nebraska * | Republican | 15.2 pts | 5 * |
| Nevada | Democratic | 12.8 pts | 5 |
| New Hampshire | Democratic | 9.7 pts | 4 |
| New Jersey | Democratic | 15.7 pts | 15 |
| New Mexico | Democratic | 15.3 pts | 5 |
| New York | Democratic | 27.0 pts | 31 |
| North Carolina | Democratic | 0.3 pts | 15 |
| North Dakota | Republican | 8.8 pts | 3 |
| Ohio | Democratic | 4.6 pts | 20 |
| Oklahoma | Republican | 31.3 pts | 7 |
| Oregon | Democratic | 16.8 pts | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | Democratic | 10.4 pts | 21 |
| Rhode Island | Democratic | 28.4 pts | 4 |
| South Carolina | Republican | 9.1 pts | 8 |
| South Dakota | Republican | 8.6 pts | 3 |
| Tennessee | Republican | 15.3 pts | 11 |
| Texas | Republican | 11.9 pts | 34 |
| Utah | Republican | 29.1 pts | 5 |
| Vermont | Democratic | 37.8 pts | 3 |
| Virginia | Democratic | 6.4 pts | 13 |
| Washington | Democratic | 17.5 pts | 11 |
| West Virginia | Republican | 13.3 pts | 5 |
| Wisconsin | Democratic | 14.1 pts | 10 |
| Wyoming | Republican | 33.1 pts | 3 |
* Nebraska: Nebraska split 4-1: McCain won the 1st and 3rd congressional districts and the state at large; Obama won the 2nd district (Omaha).
Other Cycles
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Electoral College in 2008?
Barack Obama (Democratic) won the Electoral College in 2008 with 365 votes to John McCain's 173, out of 538 total and 270 needed to win.
Who won the national popular vote in 2008?
Barack Obama (Democratic) won the national popular vote in 2008 with 69,448,278 votes to John McCain's 59,928,695, a margin of 7.4 points (9,519,583 votes), based on county-level returns aggregated across all 50 states and DC.
How many states did each party win in 2008?
The Democratic candidate won the statewide popular vote in 29 states (and/or DC), and the Republican candidate won it in 22, 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.
Did Nebraska really vote Republican in 2008, according to this site?
Nebraska split 4-1: McCain won the 1st and 3rd congressional districts and the state at large; Obama won the 2nd district (Omaha).
Which state had the closest presidential margin in 2008?
Missouri had the closest statewide margin in 2008, decided by 0.1 points.
Which state had the widest presidential margin in 2008?
District of Columbia had the widest statewide margin in 2008, decided by 86.8 points.
Which states flipped between 2004 and 2008?
9 state(s) changed which party won their statewide popular vote between 2004 and 2008: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia.