Pennington, Minnesota — Presidential Election Results
Pennington, Minnesota has voted Republican in 6 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Republican in 2012. In 2024, it was 36.5 pts more Rep. than Minnesota 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. Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | George W. Bush | Republican | 3,380 | 53.5% | 14.6 pts (922 votes) | 6,320 | — | 18.4 pts more Rep. |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Republican | 3,767 | 53.7% | 9.3 pts (650 votes) | 7,017 | +6.4 pts | 13.0 pts more Rep. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 3,394 | 49.8% | 2.1 pts (146 votes) | 6,822 | +11.6 pts | 8.3 pts more Rep. |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney | Republican | 3,305 | 50.7% | 4.3 pts (281 votes) | 6,517 | -6.6 pts | 12.3 pts more Rep. |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | Republican | 4,000 | 59.6% | 27.6 pts (1,853 votes) | 6,715 | -25.7 pts | 31.8 pts more Rep. |
| 2020 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 4,532 | 62.3% | 27.0 pts (1,964 votes) | 7,277 | +2.5 pts | 34.9 pts more Rep. |
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 4,756 | 64.4% | 31.4 pts (2,317 votes) | 7,381 | -4.5 pts | 36.5 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 | 13,545 | 46.7% of population |
| 2004 | 13,640 | 51.4% of population |
| 2008 | 13,842 | 49.3% of population |
| 2012 | 14,119 | 46.2% of population |
| 2016 | 14,206 | 47.3% of population |
| 2020 | 13,950 | 52.2% of population |
| 2024 | 13,652 | 54.1% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Pennington shifted 16.4 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
Pennington has matched the national popular winner in 5 of the last 7 presidential elections (71%), and Minnesota's own statewide winner in 1 of 7 (14%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other Minnesota Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Pennington voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Pennington has voted Democratic in 1 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 6 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Pennington?
Pennington's closest recorded margin was in 2008, when Barack Obama (Democratic) won by 2.2 points (146 votes) out of 6,822 total votes cast.
Has Pennington ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Pennington changed which party won the county in: 2008, 2012, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Pennington?
The widest margin on record for Pennington was in 2024, when Donald J Trump (Republican) won by 32.2 points.
How many votes were cast in Pennington relative to its population?
In 2024, 7,381 votes were recorded in Pennington against a total population of 13,652 (54.1% 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 Pennington a presidential bellwether county?
Pennington has matched the national popular winner in 5 of the last 7 presidential elections (71%), and Minnesota's own statewide winner in 1 of 7 (14%).