Delaware before 1992

[The Arizonan]

I've noticed that Delaware voted Republican almost every time between 1964 and 1992. Was it a swing state before 1992 until the Wilmington area grew large enough?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Delaware and Missouri were bellwether states for most of the 20th century before they went opposite ways in the 21st century.

[Skunk]

Delaware always voted for the winner of the election from 1952 to 1996, where it was a Dem-leaning swing state for the most part.

[TDAS04]

Delaware votes a lot like New Jersey in presidential elections.

[RINO Tom]

Again, at least a very significant part of the trend can be explained by the state becoming less White.  If Whites in DE even become 3-4% less Republican (which might not have been enough to flip the state by itself) over the years, it wouldn't take that much for the state to change demographically for it to flip, assuming minority support remains with the Democrats.

2010: 68.9% White
2000: 74.6% White
1990: 80.3% White
1980: 82.1% White
1970: 85.1% White
1960: 86.2% White

The Delaware that voted for Ronald Reagan doesn't even kind of exist anymore, let alone the one that voted for Richard Nixon.

[Skill and Chance]

Again, at least a very significant part of the trend can be explained by the state becoming less White.  If Whites in DE even become 3-4% less Republican (which might not have been enough to flip the state by itself) over the years, it wouldn't take that much for the state to change demographically for it to flip, assuming minority support remains with the Democrats.

2010: 68.9% White
2000: 74.6% White
1990: 80.3% White
1980: 82.1% White
1970: 85.1% White
1960: 86.2% White

The Delaware that voted for Ronald Reagan doesn't even kind of exist anymore, let alone the one that voted for Richard Nixon.

I agree with you here.  Delaware is a lesser known but canonical case of a state going from Lean R to Safe D because of a single large city with changing demographics.  Because of the state's size, there simply weren't enough rural areas to swing to counteract this.  This is why Georgia and Arizona Republicans need to be sleeping with one eye open right now. 

[The Arizonan]

Unlike Carter, Mondale and Dukakis, Clinton and Gore were perfect fits for suburban areas in the Northeast, which is where the GOP collapsed in the 90s.

Jimmy Carter actually won Delaware, for what it's worth.

Again, at least a very significant part of the trend can be explained by the state becoming less White.  If Whites in DE even become 3-4% less Republican (which might not have been enough to flip the state by itself) over the years, it wouldn't take that much for the state to change demographically for it to flip, assuming minority support remains with the Democrats.

2010: 68.9% White
2000: 74.6% White
1990: 80.3% White
1980: 82.1% White
1970: 85.1% White
1960: 86.2% White

The Delaware that voted for Ronald Reagan doesn't even kind of exist anymore, let alone the one that voted for Richard Nixon.

People actually say that it's hard to find a black person or other minority in Delaware even though it is a historically southern state. All you have to do is drive to Wilmington and look in any direction.

[Plankton5165]

In 2008, it voted for Obama by 25 points!