Lake, Michigan — Presidential Election Results
Lake, Michigan has voted Democratic in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Republican in 2016. In 2024, it was 31.2 pts more Rep. than Michigan 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. Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Al Gore | Democratic | 2,584 | 55.1% | 13.3 pts (623 votes) | 4,693 | — | 8.4 pts more Dem. |
| 2004 | John Kerry | Democratic | 2,675 | 51.0% | 3.3 pts (172 votes) | 5,246 | -10.4 pts | 0.1 pts more Rep. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 2,919 | 55.2% | 12.3 pts (650 votes) | 5,292 | +9.2 pts | 4.2 pts more Rep. |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 2,752 | 52.1% | 5.0 pts (265 votes) | 5,287 | -7.5 pts | 4.5 pts more Rep. |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | Republican | 3,159 | 59.3% | 22.9 pts (1,220 votes) | 5,328 | -29.0 pts | 23.7 pts more Rep. |
| 2020 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 3,946 | 62.4% | 26.2 pts (1,658 votes) | 6,323 | -2.7 pts | 29.4 pts more Rep. |
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 4,523 | 65.4% | 32.2 pts (2,225 votes) | 6,915 | -6.0 pts | 31.2 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 | 11,338 | 41.4% of population |
| 2004 | 11,757 | 44.6% of population |
| 2008 | 11,629 | 45.5% of population |
| 2012 | 11,464 | 46.1% of population |
| 2016 | 11,853 | 45.0% of population |
| 2020 | 12,098 | 52.3% of population |
| 2024 | 13,005 | 53.2% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Lake shifted 46.3 points toward the Republican 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
Lake has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Michigan's own statewide winner in 6 of 7 (86%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other Michigan Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Lake voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Lake 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 Lake?
Lake's closest recorded margin was in 2004, when John Kerry (Democratic) won by 3.3 points (172 votes) out of 5,246 total votes cast.
Has Lake ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Lake changed which party won the county in: 2016, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Lake?
The widest margin on record for Lake was in 2024, when Donald J Trump (Republican) won by 32.6 points.
How many votes were cast in Lake relative to its population?
In 2024, 6,915 votes were recorded in Lake against a total population of 13,005 (53.2% 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 Lake a presidential bellwether county?
Lake has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Michigan's own statewide winner in 6 of 7 (86%).