Major cities' voting trends

[skybridge]

Could somebody who has access to the database list how the major American cities (Boston, NYC, Chicago, etc. etc.)voted prior to 1960 as far back as is traceable?

[semissou]

That would require obtaining old precinct results in many cases.

New York City wouldn't be hard - just combine Kings, Queens, Brooklyn, and Richmond counties.

Boston and Chicago area easy too - they're the entirety of Suffolk and Cook counties, respectively.

Other cities, such as Los Angeles, might be more difficult.

[12th Doctor]

I can tell you that Philadelphia (proper) was a big time Republican city straight through the 1930's.

[Max Power]

I can tell you that Philadelphia (proper) was a big time Republican city straight through the 1930's.

Pittsburgh was very Republican until David Lawrence came along.

[skybridge]

Alright, anyone answer my question in greater detail?

[George W. Bush]

Cincinnati would be hard, its only a smalll % of Hamilton County.

[Alcon]

Cincinnati would be hard, its only a smalll % of Hamilton County.

Not way too hard.  Ohio has townships and generally records are kept by township.  In states that include unincorporated areas or, like South Dakota, have townships but oftentimes precincts that span over multiple townships, it's even harder.

[skybridge]

Okay, to be honest, I'm only truly interested in the first two cities I cited as examples. However, that DOESN'T mean that other cities don't interest me, so I'd be very grateful if someone could provide me with the information. Basically you just have to list the county's results, since an area as densley populated as a city is going to make up the vast majority of that county's voting population.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Boston is basically Suffolk county (although there's three other townships in the county... although they're as good a part of Boston as makes no differance). Data for Boston itself is on the Atlas (for paying members) from 1980.

All of Cook is not in Chicago. Don't have any old data for Chicago (someone else probably does) but I know it went for Stevenson in the '50's even as Cook went for Eisenhower overall.

Philly is Philly County

San Francisco is San Francisco County

NYC is New York (Manhatten), Richmond (Staten Island), Kings (Brooklyn), Bronx and Queens counties.

Dave actually did a list of how certain big cities voted in 2000. Not sure where it is though. Election Info maybe?

[skybridge]

Boston is basically Suffolk county (although there's three other townships in the county... although they're as good a part of Boston as makes no differance). Data for Boston itself is on the Atlas (for paying members) from 1980.

All of Cook is not in Chicago. Don't have any old data for Chicago (someone else probably does) but I know it went for Stevenson in the '50's even as Cook went for Eisenhower overall.

Philly is Philly County

San Francisco is San Francisco County

NYC is New York (Manhatten), Richmond (Staten Island), Kings (Brooklyn), Bronx and Queens counties.

Dave actually did a list of how certain big cities voted in 2000. Not sure where it is though. Election Info maybe?

Yes, but since I'm not a paying member, I hoped a paying member could help me out.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Boston

2004: Kerry 77.26%, Bush 21.38%
2000: Gore 71.72%, Bush 19.71%, Nader 7.36%
1996: Clinton 73.81%, Dole 19.65%, Perot 4.96%
1992: Clinton 62.39%, Bush 22.86%, Perot 13.75%
1988: Dukakis 65.21%, Bush 33.15%
1984: Mondale 63.40%, Reagan 36.24%
1980: Carter 53.30%, Reagan 32.86%, Anderson 12.65%

[skybridge]

Boston

2004: Kerry 77.26%, Bush 21.38%
2000: Gore 71.72%, Bush 19.71%, Nader 7.36%
1996: Clinton 73.81%, Dole 19.65%, Perot 4.96%
1992: Clinton 62.39%, Bush 22.86%, Perot 13.75%
1988: Dukakis 65.21%, Bush 33.15%
1984: Mondale 63.40%, Reagan 36.24%
1980: Carter 53.30%, Reagan 32.86%, Anderson 12.65%

Thanks. And prior to 1960?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Boston data only goes back to 1980... but Suffolk County data goes back to 1892:

1956: D 53.77%, R 45.78%
1952: D 59.51%, R 40.05%
1948: D 68.98%, R 27.44%, P 3.58%
1944: D 62.61%, R 37.19%
1940: D 63.32%, R 36.07%
1936: D 63.92%, R 27.55%, U 7.94%
1932: D 67.14%, R 29.97%, S 2.10%
1928: D 66.84%, R 32.47%
1924: D 35.45%, R 47.14%, P 16.93%
1920: D 36.30%, R 58.08%, S 5.13%
1916: D 58.68%, R 38.93%, S 1.83%
1912: D 47.07%, R 24.71%, P 25.53%, S 2.20%
1908: D 45.82%, R 48.50%, IndLg 3.23%, S 1.63%
1904: D 52.26%, R 44.14%, S 2.41%
1900: D 52.03%, R 44.82%, S 1.51%
1896: D 35.45%, R 59.89%, GD 3.55%
1892: D 54.68%, R 43.38%, Prohib 1.03%, Pop 0.70%

[skybridge]

Boston data only goes back to 1980... but Suffolk County data goes back to 1892:

1956: D 53.77%, R 45.78%
1952: D 59.51%, R 40.05%
1948: D 68.98%, R 27.44%, P 3.58%
1944: D 62.61%, R 37.19%
1940: D 63.32%, R 36.07%
1936: D 63.92%, R 27.55%, U 7.94%
1932: D 67.14%, R 29.97%, S 2.10%
1928: D 66.84%, R 32.47%
1924: D 35.45%, R 47.14%, P 16.93%
1920: D 36.30%, R 58.08%, S 5.13%
1916: D 58.68%, R 38.93%, S 1.83%
1912: D 47.07%, R 24.71%, P 25.53%, S 2.20%
1908: D 45.82%, R 48.50%, IndLg 3.23%, S 1.63%
1904: D 52.26%, R 44.14%, S 2.41%
1900: D 52.03%, R 44.82%, S 1.51%
1896: D 35.45%, R 59.89%, GD 3.55%
1892: D 54.68%, R 43.38%, Prohib 1.03%, Pop 0.70%

Wow! Thanks!

With four exceptions, it looks like a pretty solid Democratic city. But wait a minute? Wasn't the New Deal most unpopular in New England? And yet Roosevelt never got less than 62% of the vote!

Would it be asking too much if I asked you to do the same listing for NYC?

[TeePee4Prez]

I can tell you that Philadelphia (proper) was a big time Republican city straight through the 1930's.

It even voted Hoover in 1932.  The Vare machine was huge, but very corrupt.  FDR did pull off Philadelphia in 1936 though.

[Dave from Michigan]

anyone know how Detroit voted

[bgwah]

anyone know how Detroit voted

I read on another forum that (according to the Wayne County website, supposedly) it voted 94% Kerry.

Boston is a lot more Republican than I thought it would be?

Does anybody have any results for Seattle other than 2004?

[Alcon]

Detroit voted:

Kerry 305,528 (93.6%)
Bush 19,343 (5.9%)
Other 1,360 (0.4%)

[12th Doctor]

Detroit voted:

Kerry 305,528 (93.6%)
Bush 19,343 (5.9%)
Other 1,360 (0.4%)

WOW... Boston was more Bush friendly than Detriot!?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Detroit voted:

Kerry 305,528 (93.6%)
Bush 19,343 (5.9%)
Other 1,360 (0.4%)

WOW... Boston was more Bush friendly than Detriot!?

Even Berkeley was more Bush friendly than Detroit.

[12th Doctor]

Detroit voted:

Kerry 305,528 (93.6%)
Bush 19,343 (5.9%)
Other 1,360 (0.4%)

WOW... Boston was more Bush friendly than Detriot!?

Even Berkeley was more Bush friendly than Detroit.

Well, at least that explains why Michgan is always just out of our grasp.  The rest of the state must acctually be far more Republican friendly than I thought, then.

[nini2287]

Detroit voted:

Kerry 305,528 (93.6%)
Bush 19,343 (5.9%)
Other 1,360 (0.4%)

WOW... Boston was more Bush friendly than Detriot!?

Even Berkeley was more Bush friendly than Detroit.

Well, at least that explains why Michgan is always just out of our grasp.  The rest of the state must acctually be far more Republican friendly than I thought, then.

There's still a fair amount of red on this map though:

[Filuwaúrdjan]

WOW... Boston was more Bush friendly than Detriot!?

Shouldn't be that suprising; Detriot is basically one big ghetto with some tiny, tiny gentrified blobs along the river. Boston on the other hand is a pretty blue collar city for the most part (yes, yes, yes... there are some liberal-yuppy gentrified areas. But they are very much the minority).
Detriot's borders are also pretty weird and it's population has been collapsing in on itself of late...

[skybridge]

WOW... Boston was more Bush friendly than Detriot!?

Shouldn't be that suprising; Detriot is basically one big ghetto with some tiny, tiny gentrified blobs along the river. Boston on the other hand is a pretty blue collar city for the most part (yes, yes, yes... there are some liberal-yuppy gentrified areas. But they are very much the minority).
Detriot's borders are also pretty weird and it's population has been collapsing in on itself of late...

Moreover, it almost has an exclusively black population.

[CARLHAYDEN]

That would require obtaining old precinct results in many cases.

New York City wouldn't be hard - just combine Kings, Queens, Brooklyn, and Richmond counties.

Boston and Chicago area easy too - they're the entirety of Suffolk and Cook counties, respectively.

Other cities, such as Los Angeles, might be more difficult.

Sorry, but much of Cook county is outside Chicago!