Why have democrats almost always won New York City?

[Soonerdem]

Looking back at some presidential history results it’s kind of amazing how even back in the 1840’s and 50’s and in the early days of the GOP the New York State map is almost always NYC goes dem along with maybe buffalo and a few areas around the city and Upstate with everything else going for either the Whigs or GOP. Even in Lincoln vs Douglas, Grant and the Roosevelt’s the map always looks the same. I know that their are a few exceptions and that the GOP does even worse now in the city then it did back then but given that so many people think the parties completely switched. (A point I actually somewhat disagree on) why has NYC been Dem from Van Buren to Clinton?

[Soonerdem]

Looking back at some presidential history results it’s kind of amazing how even back in the 1840’s and 50’s and in the early days of the GOP the New York State map is almost always NYC goes dem along with maybe buffalo and a few areas around the city and Upstate with everything else going for either the Whigs or GOP. Even in Lincoln vs Douglas, Grant and the Roosevelt’s the map always looks the same. I know that their are a few exceptions and that the GOP does even worse now in the city then it did back then but given that so many people think the parties completely switched. (A point I actually somewhat disagree on) why has NYC been Dem from Van Buren to Clinton?

Pre-FDR, Erie County went Whig/Republican on all but four occasions, and three of those were when the anti-Democratic vote was split. It was more reliably GOP/Whig back then than it is reliably Democratic today.

Interesting. I had thought Cleveland had won it given that he was literally from their but your right. Even Cleveland had the same NYC area win Upstate lost map