Santa Barbara, California — Presidential Election Results
Santa Barbara, California has voted Democratic in 7 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). In 2024, it was 6.7 pts more Dem. 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 | Al Gore | Democratic | 73,411 | 47.4% | 1.2 pts (1,918 votes) | 154,974 | — | 11.1 pts more Rep. |
| 2004 | John Kerry | Democratic | 90,314 | 53.4% | 8.0 pts (13,508 votes) | 169,125 | +6.8 pts | 2.0 pts more Rep. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 105,614 | 60.4% | 22.9 pts (40,029 votes) | 174,912 | +15.3 pts | 1.2 pts more Rep. |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 94,129 | 57.6% | 18.1 pts (29,523 votes) | 163,320 | -4.8 pts | 5.1 pts more Rep. |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton | Democratic | 107,142 | 60.6% | 28.7 pts (50,777 votes) | 176,786 | +12.5 pts | 1.2 pts more Rep. |
| 2020 | Joseph R Biden Jr | Democratic | 129,963 | 64.9% | 32.1 pts (64,227 votes) | 200,339 | +1.8 pts | 3.0 pts more Dem. |
| 2024 | Kamala D Harris | Democratic | 114,149 | 61.8% | 26.7 pts (49,279 votes) | 184,715 | -5.3 pts | 6.7 pts more Dem. |
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 | 399,990 | 38.7% of population |
| 2004 | 407,284 | 41.5% of population |
| 2008 | 415,859 | 42.1% of population |
| 2012 | 429,699 | 38.0% of population |
| 2016 | 444,340 | 39.8% of population |
| 2020 | 448,083 | 44.7% of population |
| 2024 | 444,500 | 41.6% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Santa Barbara shifted 26.2 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
Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara's closest recorded margin was in 2000, when Al Gore (Democratic) won by 1.3 points (1,918 votes) out of 154,974 total votes cast.
Has Santa Barbara ever flipped between parties?
Not in the 2000-2024 record on this page -- Santa Barbara has voted for the same party in every recorded presidential election in that span.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Santa Barbara?
The widest margin on record for Santa Barbara was in 2020, when Joseph R Biden Jr (Democratic) won by 32.8 points.
How many votes were cast in Santa Barbara relative to its population?
In 2024, 184,715 votes were recorded in Santa Barbara against a total population of 444,500 (41.6% 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 Santa Barbara a presidential bellwether county?
Santa Barbara 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%).