Wake, North Carolina — Presidential Election Results
Wake, North Carolina has voted Democratic in 5 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Democratic in 2008. In 2024, it was 29.2 pts more Dem. than North Carolina 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. North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | George W. Bush | Republican | 142,494 | 53.1% | 7.1 pts (19,028 votes) | 268,220 | — | 5.8 pts more Dem. |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Republican | 177,324 | 50.8% | 2.1 pts (7,415 votes) | 348,844 | +5.0 pts | 10.3 pts more Dem. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 250,891 | 56.7% | 14.4 pts (63,890 votes) | 442,245 | +16.7 pts | 14.3 pts more Dem. |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 267,262 | 54.9% | 11.4 pts (55,666 votes) | 486,427 | -3.0 pts | 13.7 pts more Dem. |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton | Democratic | 302,736 | 57.4% | 20.2 pts (106,654 votes) | 527,624 | +9.8 pts | 25.2 pts more Dem. |
| 2020 | Joseph R Biden Jr | Democratic | 393,336 | 62.3% | 26.5 pts (167,139 votes) | 631,830 | +5.6 pts | 28.3 pts more Dem. |
| 2024 | Kamala D Harris | Democratic | 402,984 | 61.7% | 25.4 pts (166,249 votes) | 653,580 | -1.0 pts | 29.2 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 | 633,267 | 42.4% of population |
| 2004 | 716,336 | 48.7% of population |
| 2008 | 856,492 | 51.6% of population |
| 2012 | 952,060 | 51.1% of population |
| 2016 | 1,048,335 | 50.3% of population |
| 2020 | 1,130,694 | 55.9% of population |
| 2024 | 1,232,444 | 53.0% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Wake shifted 33.1 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
Wake has matched the national popular winner in 5 of the last 7 presidential elections (71%), and North Carolina's own statewide winner in 3 of 7 (43%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other North Carolina Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Wake voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Wake has voted Democratic in 5 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 2 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Wake?
Wake's closest recorded margin was in 2004, when George W. Bush (Republican) won by 2.1 points (7,415 votes) out of 348,844 total votes cast.
Has Wake ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Wake changed which party won the county in: 2008, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Wake?
The widest margin on record for Wake was in 2020, when Joseph R Biden Jr (Democratic) won by 27.0 points.
How many votes were cast in Wake relative to its population?
In 2024, 653,580 votes were recorded in Wake against a total population of 1,232,444 (53.0% 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 Wake a presidential bellwether county?
Wake has matched the national popular winner in 5 of the last 7 presidential elections (71%), and North Carolina's own statewide winner in 3 of 7 (43%).