Sacramento, California — Presidential Election Results
Sacramento, California has voted Democratic in 7 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024).
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 | Al Gore | Democratic | 212,792 | 49.3% | 4.0 pts (17,173 votes) | 431,550 | — | 8.2 pts more Rep. |
| 2004 | John Kerry | Democratic | 236,657 | 49.6% | 0.2 pts (1,118 votes) | 476,765 | -4.0 pts | 9.9 pts more Rep. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 316,506 | 58.5% | 19.0 pts (102,923 votes) | 541,101 | +19.2 pts | 5.1 pts more Rep. |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 300,503 | 58.1% | 19.0 pts (97,989 votes) | 516,809 | +0.1 pts | 4.3 pts more Rep. |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton | Democratic | 326,023 | 58.3% | 24.4 pts (136,234 votes) | 559,330 | +6.9 pts | 5.8 pts more Rep. |
| 2020 | Joseph R Biden Jr | Democratic | 440,808 | 61.4% | 25.2 pts (181,403 votes) | 718,440 | -0.5 pts | 3.9 pts more Rep. |
| 2024 | Kamala D Harris | Democratic | 381,564 | 58.1% | 19.7 pts (129,424 votes) | 656,626 | -5.5 pts | 0.4 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 | 1,229,940 | 35.1% of population |
| 2004 | 1,348,932 | 35.3% of population |
| 2008 | 1,394,438 | 38.8% of population |
| 2012 | 1,444,852 | 35.8% of population |
| 2016 | 1,510,987 | 37.0% of population |
| 2020 | 1,586,727 | 45.3% of population |
| 2024 | 1,611,231 | 40.8% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Sacramento shifted 16.2 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
Sacramento has matched the national popular winner in 3 of the last 7 presidential elections (43%), and California's own statewide winner in 7 of 7 (100%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other California Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Sacramento voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Sacramento has voted Democratic in 7 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 0 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Sacramento?
Sacramento's closest recorded margin was in 2004, when John Kerry (Democratic) won by 0.2 points (1,118 votes) out of 476,765 total votes cast.
Has Sacramento ever flipped between parties?
Not in the 2000-2024 record on this page -- Sacramento has voted for the same party in every recorded presidential election in that span.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Sacramento?
The widest margin on record for Sacramento was in 2016, when Hillary Clinton (Democratic) won by 26.4 points.
How many votes were cast in Sacramento relative to its population?
In 2024, 656,626 votes were recorded in Sacramento against a total population of 1,611,231 (40.8% 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 Sacramento a presidential bellwether county?
Sacramento has matched the national popular winner in 3 of the last 7 presidential elections (43%), and California's own statewide winner in 7 of 7 (100%).