Sumter, South Carolina — Presidential Election Results
Sumter, South Carolina has voted Democratic in 6 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Democratic in 2004. In 2024, it was 23.1 pts more Dem. than South 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. South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | George W. Bush | Republican | 15,915 | 51.9% | 5.1 pts (1,550 votes) | 30,672 | — | 11.2 pts more Dem. |
| 2004 | John Kerry | Democratic | 18,695 | 50.5% | 1.7 pts (621 votes) | 37,003 | +6.8 pts | 19.0 pts more Dem. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 25,431 | 57.3% | 15.4 pts (6,850 votes) | 44,358 | +13.9 pts | 24.7 pts more Dem. |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 27,589 | 58.3% | 17.6 pts (8,315 votes) | 47,309 | +2.2 pts | 28.4 pts more Dem. |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton | Democratic | 24,047 | 54.5% | 12.0 pts (5,302 votes) | 44,086 | -5.4 pts | 27.3 pts more Dem. |
| 2020 | Joseph R Biden Jr | Democratic | 27,379 | 56.0% | 13.0 pts (6,379 votes) | 48,920 | +0.8 pts | 25.0 pts more Dem. |
| 2024 | Kamala D Harris | Democratic | 23,425 | 51.9% | 4.9 pts (2,210 votes) | 45,170 | -8.2 pts | 23.1 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 | 104,802 | 29.3% of population |
| 2004 | 106,099 | 34.9% of population |
| 2008 | 106,463 | 41.7% of population |
| 2012 | 107,800 | 43.9% of population |
| 2016 | 107,075 | 41.2% of population |
| 2020 | 105,493 | 46.4% of population |
| 2024 | 104,776 | 43.1% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Sumter shifted 10.1 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
Sumter has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and South Carolina's own statewide winner in 1 of 7 (14%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other South Carolina Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Sumter voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Sumter has voted Democratic in 6 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 1 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Sumter?
Sumter's closest recorded margin was in 2004, when John Kerry (Democratic) won by 1.7 points (621 votes) out of 37,003 total votes cast.
Has Sumter ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Sumter changed which party won the county in: 2004, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Sumter?
The widest margin on record for Sumter was in 2012, when Barack Obama (Democratic) won by 17.7 points.
How many votes were cast in Sumter relative to its population?
In 2024, 45,170 votes were recorded in Sumter against a total population of 104,776 (43.1% 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 Sumter a presidential bellwether county?
Sumter has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and South Carolina's own statewide winner in 1 of 7 (14%).