Riverside, California — Presidential Election Results
Riverside, California has voted Democratic in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Republican in 2024. In 2024, it was 22.1 pts more Rep. than California overall.
Jump to year: 2000 · 2004 · 2008 · 2012 · 2016 · 2020 · 2024
Full Election History, 2000–2024
| Year | Winner | Party | Votes | Vote Share | Margin | Total Votes Cast | Swing | Vs. California |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | George W. Bush | Republican | 231,955 | 51.4% | 6.5 pts (29,379 votes) | 451,127 | — | 19.2 pts more Rep. |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Republican | 322,473 | 57.9% | 16.8 pts (93,667 votes) | 556,882 | -10.2 pts | 27.1 pts more Rep. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 325,017 | 50.2% | 2.3 pts (14,976 votes) | 647,299 | +19.3 pts | 22.2 pts more Rep. |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 329,063 | 49.7% | 1.7 pts (10,936 votes) | 661,907 | -0.7 pts | 22.1 pts more Rep. |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton | Democratic | 373,695 | 49.7% | 5.4 pts (40,452 votes) | 751,391 | +4.0 pts | 26.5 pts more Rep. |
| 2020 | Joseph R Biden Jr | Democratic | 528,340 | 53.0% | 7.9 pts (79,196 votes) | 997,156 | +2.4 pts | 21.7 pts more Rep. |
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 463,677 | 49.3% | 1.3 pts (11,895 votes) | 940,405 | -9.4 pts | 22.1 pts more Rep. |
Population Context
Total Census Bureau population estimate for the county that year, and recorded votes as a share of that total population. This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
| Year | County Population | Votes Cast (% of Population) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,558,985 | 28.9% of population |
| 2004 | 1,856,542 | 30.0% of population |
| 2008 | 2,109,712 | 30.7% of population |
| 2012 | 2,261,204 | 29.3% of population |
| 2016 | 2,380,081 | 31.6% of population |
| 2020 | 2,424,663 | 41.1% of population |
| 2024 | 2,529,933 | 37.2% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Riverside shifted 5.5 points toward the Democratic candidate, based on recorded county returns. This reflects the vote totals in this dataset only; no claim is made here about the causes of that shift.
Margin Over Time
Democratic candidate's margin (percentage points, two-party vote share). Positive values favor the Democratic candidate; negative values favor the Republican candidate.
Bellwether Status
Riverside has matched the national popular winner in 6 of the last 7 presidential elections (86%), and California's own statewide winner in 4 of 7 (57%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other California Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Riverside voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Riverside has voted Democratic in 4 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 3 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Riverside?
Riverside's closest recorded margin was in 2024, when Donald J Trump (Republican) won by 1.3 points (11,895 votes) out of 940,405 total votes cast.
Has Riverside ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Riverside changed which party won the county in: 2008, 2024, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Riverside?
The widest margin on record for Riverside was in 2004, when George W. Bush (Republican) won by 17.0 points.
How many votes were cast in Riverside relative to its population?
In 2024, 940,405 votes were recorded in Riverside against a total population of 2,529,933 (37.2% of the total population). This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
Is Riverside a presidential bellwether county?
Riverside has matched the national popular winner in 6 of the last 7 presidential elections (86%), and California's own statewide winner in 4 of 7 (57%).