(Thread) Interesting factoids about presidential elections.

[Schiff for Senate]

Interesting observation I made a while back but I don't think I ever added to this thread.

In both 1848 and 1856, there was a third-party ticket where the presidential nominee was an ex-president and the vice-presidential nominee was a previous president's son.

In 1848, the Free Soil Party's nominee was Martin van Buren (president from 1837 to 1841) and the running mate was Charles Francis Adams, son of John Quincy Adams (president from 1825 to 1829).

In 1856, the Nativist Party's nominee was Millard Fillmore (president from 1850 to 1853) and the running mate was Andrew Jackson Donelson, adoptive son of Andrew Jackson (president from 1829 to 1837).

[Nate Shahidi]

In 1984, Reagan became the first Republican to win the White House without winning Marin County, California.

In 1972, Nixon became the first candidate from either party to carry all 159 counties in Georgia. Just four years later, Jimmy Carter became the first Democrat to do the same thing, flipping all 159 counties.

31 states have a Washington County. In 2020, the most Republican one was in Colorado, and the most Democratic one was in Mississippi.

[Schiff for Senate]

The only time a Republican performed worse in a state than he did in the District of Columbia?  1968. Nixon received only 14% of the vote in Alabama and Mississippi, while obtaining 18% in DC.

If you're looking at in terms of margin, which I think is always a more accurate way of doing so, then this is not true: MS was Humphrey+9.5 and AL was Humphrey+4.7 (over Nixon - both men lost by a lot to Wallace). In contrast, DC was Humphrey+63.6.

[TDAS04]

2016 was the first time since 1952 Nebraska voted to the left of South Dakota or North Dakota.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Since 1964, every time Georgia has voted Democratic, an incumbent president lost the national race, and vice-versa.

I love, love, love those very rare occurrences of equivalences. Thank you for discovering and sharing that example! 🤗

Since 1840, every time an incumbent President has lost, the Democrat won Georgia.

No, that's wrong. Incumbent Democratic President Martin Van Buren lost the election to Whig Party member William Harrison in 1840, who also won Georgia.

[TDAS04]

Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan all voted very close in 2020 to how they voted in 1960.  Nevada too.

[Property Representative of the Harold Holt Swimming Centre]

In Eighty Eight, Kentucky in 1948, the result was Truman 88, Dewey 88.

[Schiff for Senate]

(NOTE: I believe GA06 is the seat that swung most to the left from 2012-2020 and OH06 is the seat that swung hardest rightward in that time, but I may be wrong, and if so, the below fact is incorrect.)

The seat that swung farthest leftward from 2012-2020 (GA06) is the 6th district of a Romney-Biden state, and the hometown of its representative is Marietta.

The seat that swung farthest rightward from 2012-2020 (OH06) is the 6th district of an Obama-Trump stae, and the hometown of its representative is Marietta.

[Nate Shahidi]

Since it became a state in 1912, Arizona has voted for every multi-term US president at least once, with the exception of Barack Obama.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Not directly concerning a general election, but the Democratic primaries of 2016:

We all know that Bernie was the paradigm of a caucus candidate; he was also very successful in winning open and semi-open primaries. On the other hand, he fared quite badly in closed primaries. In fact, he merely managed to win exactly one closed primary (bar Democrats Abroad). Can you figure out which without looking it up?

[Mexican Wolf]

Not directly concerning a general election, but the Democratic primaries of 2016:

We all know that Bernie was the paradigm of a caucus candidate; he was also very successful in winning open and semi-open primaries. On the other hand, he fared quite badly in closed primaries. In fact, he merely managed to win exactly one closed primary (bar Democrats Abroad). Can you figure out which without looking it up?

Rhode Island?

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Not directly concerning a general election, but the Democratic primaries of 2016:

We all know that Bernie was the paradigm of a caucus candidate; he was also very successful in winning open and semi-open primaries. On the other hand, he fared quite badly in closed primaries. In fact, he merely managed to win exactly one closed primary (bar Democrats Abroad). Can you figure out which without looking it up?

Rhode Island?

No, RI held a modified open primary.

[Mr. Smith]

Not directly concerning a general election, but the Democratic primaries of 2016:

We all know that Bernie was the paradigm of a caucus candidate; he was also very successful in winning open and semi-open primaries. On the other hand, he fared quite badly in closed primaries. In fact, he merely managed to win exactly one closed primary (bar Democrats Abroad). Can you figure out which without looking it up?

Oklahoma?

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Not directly concerning a general election, but the Democratic primaries of 2016:

We all know that Bernie was the paradigm of a caucus candidate; he was also very successful in winning open and semi-open primaries. On the other hand, he fared quite badly in closed primaries. In fact, he merely managed to win exactly one closed primary (bar Democrats Abroad). Can you figure out which without looking it up?

Oklahoma?

No. The voter eligibility in OK was modified open.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

I think it was Oregon?

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

I think it was Oregon?

Bravo! 👏🏻
Oregon Democrats are so liberal and progressive that their state was the only one to vote for Bernie in a closed primary even though it was already clear that Hillary was going to grab the nomination.
Oregon 2016 was therefore basically Kentucky/West Virginia 2008 for the Democrats.

[Mr. Smith]

Nebraska was the most Republican state for 60 years, then Trump really killed it in North Dakota.

[Orser67]

Nevada's historical tiny population is fascinating to me. It cast the fewest total votes of any state in each presidential election from its first presidential election in 1864 through 1956 (if not for AK's admission to the union, NV also would've cast the fewest votes in 1960 and 1964). For much of the period from 1884 to 1944, it cast fewer than half as many votes as the next closest state.

In the 1900 presidential election, William Jennings Bryan won Nevada with 6347 votes out of 10196 votes (62% of the vote; all of the remaining votes went to McKinley). There were about 2100 Bryan votes cast for every Bryan elector in Nevada, compared to 22800 McKinley votes cast for every McKinley elector in New York, and about 41000 Bryan votes cast per Bryan elector nationwide. This probably needs a fact check, but from looking at Wikipedia articles I think Bryan won the fewest votes of any state winner since 1860 (when Lincoln won Oregon with 5344 votes - 36% of the vote), and the total votes cast was the fewest in a state since 1852 (FL cast 7193 votes). This despite the country's population more than doubling between 1860 and 1900.

(Note that, for obvious reasons, I'm excluding states that didn't hold a popular vote for president in the preceding paragraph).

[TDAS04]

Idaho has voted Democratic in more presidential elections than Vermont.

[TDAS04]

1996 was the last time the Democratic ticket consisted of two Protestants, but the 2012 GOP ticket was the only ticket ever to pair two non-Protestants.

Even though four of the first five presidents were Virginians, John Tyler was the last president elected from Virginia (and he, of course, was only elected VP).

James Buchanan was the only POTUS from Pennsylvania.

[Mr. Smith]

1996 was the last time the Democratic ticket consisted of two Protestants, but the 2012 GOP ticket was the only ticket ever to pair two non-Protestants.

Even though four of the first five presidents were Virginians, John Tyler was the last president elected from Virginia (and he, of course, was only elected VP).

James Buchanan was the only POTUS from Pennsylvania.

1. What religion was Lieberman?

2. Ike moved to Gettysburg by 1956. If we count Trump as Floridian, it's only fair to include Ike on this too.

[KaiserDave]

1996 was the last time the Democratic ticket consisted of two Protestants, but the 2012 GOP ticket was the only ticket ever to pair two non-Protestants.

Even though four of the first five presidents were Virginians, John Tyler was the last president elected from Virginia (and he, of course, was only elected VP).

James Buchanan was the only POTUS from Pennsylvania.

1. What religion was Lieberman?

2. Ike moved to Gettysburg by 1956. If we count Trump as Floridian, it's only fair to include Ike on this too.

1. Jewish
2. Trump should be counted as a New Yorker for the sake of "what state was this President from?" his self-imposed exile doesn't, doesn't count

[TDAS04]

Okay, I forgot about Ike moving to PA.

[Mr. Smith]

1996 was the last time the Democratic ticket consisted of two Protestants, but the 2012 GOP ticket was the only ticket ever to pair two non-Protestants.

Even though four of the first five presidents were Virginians, John Tyler was the last president elected from Virginia (and he, of course, was only elected VP).

James Buchanan was the only POTUS from Pennsylvania.

1. What religion was Lieberman?

2. Ike moved to Gettysburg by 1956. If we count Trump as Floridian, it's only fair to include Ike on this too.

1. Jewish
2. Trump should be counted as a New Yorker for the sake of "what state was this President from?" his self-imposed exile doesn't, doesn't count

I didn't know he was practicing, I thought he was nominally of some Protestant sect and merely ethnically Jewish.

[KaiserDave]

1996 was the last time the Democratic ticket consisted of two Protestants, but the 2012 GOP ticket was the only ticket ever to pair two non-Protestants.

Even though four of the first five presidents were Virginians, John Tyler was the last president elected from Virginia (and he, of course, was only elected VP).

James Buchanan was the only POTUS from Pennsylvania.

1. What religion was Lieberman?

2. Ike moved to Gettysburg by 1956. If we count Trump as Floridian, it's only fair to include Ike on this too.

1. Jewish
2. Trump should be counted as a New Yorker for the sake of "what state was this President from?" his self-imposed exile doesn't, doesn't count

I didn't know he was practicing, I thought he was nominally of some Protestant sect and merely ethnically Jewish.

I think he's either Conservative or perhaps even Modern Orthodox. Either way, definitely practicing.