1956 - last election where republicans were competitive in cities

[freepcrusher]

I found a book at a library called "America Votes" by Congressional Quarterly. Here are certain cities voted in 1956:

Chicago 51.1% Eisenhower
Detroit 61.7% Stevenson
Minneapolis 51.5% Eisenhower
Buffalo 57.7% Eisenhower
Cincinnati 62.5% Eisenhower
Cleveland 54.6% Stevenson
Pittsburgh 52.2% Stevenson
Milwaukee 52.3% Eisenhower

Ike also got at least 40% in cities coterminous with counties. He won San Francisco, and got around 45% in Manhattan, Philadelphia and Boston. He also won Baltimore.

In 1960 however, the cities swung heavily back to the democrats and this time for good
Chicago 63.4% Kennedy
Detroit 70.7% Kennedy
Minneapolis 52.3% Kennedy
Buffalo 64.9% Kennedy
Cincinnati 50.4% Kennedy
Cleveland 70.9% Kennedy
Pittsburgh 66.8% Kennedy
Milwaukee 61.6% Kennedy
Suffolk County (Boston) 74.4% Kennedy
New York 65.3% Kennedy
Philadelphia 68% Kennedy
San Francisco 57.8% Kennedy
Baltimore 63.9% Kennedy

[freepcrusher]

Great find.  



Do you have the Seattle numbers for back then?

no, the only cities it lists not coterminous with a county are Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis.

My guess is that Seattle was easily won by Eisenhower. Remember that King County used to be a somewhat GOP leaning county. LBJ only got 59% of the vote there in 1964.

[freepcrusher]

I think Ike also came within 1,000 votes of carrying New York City in 1956.  Of course, he was immensely popular east of the Mississippi River that year and New York seems to favor incumbents more than many other states.

I don't consider the outer boroughts part of New York City. When I watched documentaries on New York, they only discussed Manhattan, which Stevenson won 55-44. Ike may have been the last president to win the old silk stocking district with 58%. Of course it was also enlarged over several redistrictings so its possible Nixon or Reagan won the 50s version of it.

[freepcrusher]

here are the results by districts for some of the metro area seats in 1976

Phoenix
Arizona 1 59-37 Ford

Bay Area
CA 6 54-40 Carter
CA 8 57-39 Carter


Los Angeles
CA 21 51-47 Carter
CA 23 52-46 Carter
CA 24 56-44 Carter
CA 25 62-36 Carter
CA 28 70-29 Carter
CA 29 80-19 Carter
CA 31 65-34 Carter
CA 32 54-44 Carter

San Diego
CA 41 56-42 Ford
CA 42 52-46 Carter

Denver
CO 1 48-48 Carter

Jacksonville
FL 3 51-64-35 Carter

Tampa
FL 7 54-45 Carter

Miami
FL 13 66-33 Carter
FL 14 56-43 Carter
FL 15 53-45 Carter

Atlanta
GA 5 68-32 Carter

Chicago
IL 1 90-10 Carter
IL 2 83-17 Carter
IL 5 67-33 Carter
IL 7 81-19 Carter
IL 8 70-30 Carter
IL 9 58-42 Carter
IL 11 52-48 Ford

Indianapolis
IN 11 55-45 Ford
IN 6 58-41 Ford

New Orleans
LA 1 50-47 Carter
LA 2 55-43 Carter

Baltimore
MD 7 82-18 Carter
MD 3 52-48 Carter

Boston
MA 8 65-35 Carter
MA 9  56-44 Carter
MA 11 59-41 Carter

Detroit
MI 1 89-10 Carter
MI 13 86-13 Carter
MI 14 51-48 Ford
MI 17 50-49 Ford

Twin Cities
MN 4 59-38 Carter
MN 5 61-35 Carter


St Louis
MO 1 72-28 Carter
MO 3 51-49 Ford

Kansas City
MO 5 58-41 Carter

New York
NY 7 73-27 Carter
NY 8 67-33 Carter
NY 9 54-46 Ford
NY 10 57-43 Carter
NY 11 70-30 Carter
NY 12 82-18 Carter
NY 13 72-28 Carter
NY 14 78-22 Carter
NY 15 50-50 Ford
NY 16 71-29 Carter
NY 17 55-45 Carter
NY 18 63-37 Carter
NY 19 87-13 Carter
NY 20 77-23 Carter
NY 21 91-9 Carter
NY 22 77-23 Carter

Charlotte
NC 9 52-48 Carter

Cleveland
OH 20 60-36 Carter
OH 21 84-14 Carter

Cincinnati
OH 1 58-40 Ford 
OH 2 62-36 Ford

Philadelphia
PA 1 70-29 Carter
PA 2  79-19 Carter
PA 3 67-31 Carter
PA 4 56-42 Carter

Pittsburgh
PA 14 58-40 Carter

Nashville
TN 5 63-36 Carter

Houston
TX 7 73-26 Ford !!
TX 8 63-36 Carter
TX 18 75-24 Carter
TX 22 50-49 Ford

DFW Metroplex
24 55-44 Carter
5 53-47 Carter
12 55-44 Carter
3 72-27 Ford !!

Seattle
WA 1 52-43 Carter
WA 7 48-48 Carter