Which is the least liberal Democratic U.S. state?

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Analogous to the "Is Alaska the least conservative Republican state?" topic.

I define every state that has always voted Democrat since 2008.
I was considering whether to use the 2000 or 2004 result as a benchmark for my definition, but it would seem strange to not include New Hampshire, New Mexico and Virginia on the list of Democratic states.

[OSR stands with Israel]

I would say Virginia but it will soon be easily Georgia

[Xing]

Depends on how you define “liberal”, but I’d say for now either Virgina or New Mexico.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Depends on how you define “liberal”, but I’d say for now either Virgina or New Mexico.

I'll leave this crucial question up to you.

[If my soul was made of stone]

New Hampshire is a cheap, glib, low-hanging answer because of the continued Republican lean of its state politics, but clearly not a substantial, ideological answer; I think it would be fair to call it right-liberal on the whole.

would be safe vvd in the netherlands tbh imo jao

[turfmoor]

I think there's an argument to be made for Illinois. Chicago doesn't have the progressive element other big cities do and downstate is pretty conservative. In 2020 it would flip without Cook (for comparison you could take out NYC, LI and Westchester and Biden still wins by over 100k). Machine politics (and the Madigan era) don't give the most liberal image

[King of Kensington]

Whoever voted for California - good one!

[Del Tachi]

Delaware or Hawaii are solid answers

Virginia at least has bigger cities with some woke, leftist types...does that exist in Delaware?  they're just a shell for credit card companies

[Vice President Christian Man]

Maine for now but there's a chance that Oregon or New Mexico could take that title within the next few election cycles. Oregon seems the most likely in the short term as the Dems in that state are pushing the state to the ground, but they benefit from a GOP that is prone to infighting between the Rockefeller and Ron Paul wings. Drazen could do well as she's somewhere in the middle, but it'll depend on turnout in Multnomah (Portland) and Washington counties. New Mexico is more likely than Oregon, but it'll depend on whether or not the Dem's will be able to win back Latino's, as they are souring on Biden.

Rhode Island is an honorable mention and seems to be shifting due to the state's historic blue dog population either dying out or changing parties. At the same time it seems to be shifting in a similar manner to Maine although for different reasons and while it's more Dem than Maine,  it's unlikely to become the least.

[DPKdebator]

Virginia, since its conservative parts are very conservative, although its urban Democratic areas are very liberal. I would put New Hampshire in second; the national GOP has a 20+ year cold streak on winning presidential elections in the Granite State but the state party is pretty successful electorally and there are only a handful of deep-blue pockets in the state.

[If my soul was made of stone]

Virginia...although its urban Democratic areas are very liberal.

I would only personally say this of its more affluent college towns (i.e. not Blacksburg, Radford, or the one with the Mormon college) and the white bobo core of Richmond (which I once heard described as "Brooklyn with Confederate monuments" before Northam dismantled them). The rest are by and large either less ideological party median types or Gottheimerite/"national security mom" #realigners, as exemplified by their own Reps. Luria and Spanberger.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

I understand why so many people chose Virginia.
But Nevada? Why? I thought it were a pretty libertarian state. Isn't it even the only state where streetwalking is legal?

As to Delaware, this is the only state about whose people I don't even have a vague idea, even though it has made the front pages quite often over the last years owing to the CumEx-Files scandal.
I'm not even as unfamiliar with Rhode Island as I am with Delaware, thanks to Family Guy. Even though it's merely an animated sitcom, it taught me about the characteristics of the state and the nature of its people. But when I think of Delawareans, nothing springs to mind.

[King of Kensington]

As to Delaware, this is the only state about whose people I don't even have a vague idea, even though it has made the front pages quite often over the last years owing to the CumEx-Files scandal. I'm not even as unfamiliar with Rhode Island as I am with Delaware, thanks to Family Guy. Even though it's merely an animated sitcom, it taught me about the characteristics of the state and the nature of its people. But when I think of Delawareans, nothing springs to mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK_FiRm6ZK8

[Bismarck]

I think there's an argument to be made for Illinois. Chicago doesn't have the progressive element other big cities do and downstate is pretty conservative. In 2020 it would flip without Cook (for comparison you could take out NYC, LI and Westchester and Biden still wins by over 100k). Machine politics (and the Madigan era) don't give the most liberal image

Chicago is extremely progressive, what are you talking about? Unlike New York it doesn’t have any kind of a Republican base at all. What issues does the average white person in Lincoln park not lean left on? There is no Staten Island or Suffolk County or Orthodox Jewish equivalent in Chicago.

[King of Kensington]

https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=514865.0

[Skill and Chance]

Virginia...although its urban Democratic areas are very liberal.

I would only personally say this of its more affluent college towns (i.e. not Blacksburg, Radford, or the one with the Mormon college) and the white bobo core of Richmond (which I once heard described as "Brooklyn with Confederate monuments" before Northam dismantled them). The rest are by and large either less ideological party median types or Gottheimerite/"national security mom" #realigners, as exemplified by their own Reps. Luria and Spanberger.

This. VA Dems and Dem leaners aren't super ideological outside of places like Arlington and Charlottesville.  They are mostly people who decided religious conservatives were getting too far into their business in the 2000's, but many of them also evidently think woke activists are getting too far into their business now.   

[GregTheGreat657]

Socially and culturally speaking, New Mexico, but in terms of economics, it is one of Virginia, New Hampshire, or Colorado

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

but in terms of economics, it is one of Virginia, New Hampshire, or Colorado

And what about Hawaii? I heard it's the only U.S. state without a social welfare system whatsoever, thus resulting in having become the state with the highest rate of homelessness per capita nationwide.

[jamestroll]

As someone who has canvassed in Nova and St. Louis suburbia, I can say the former is far more supporting of liberal and most progressive causes.

But I will say say that Virginia Democrats are very lucky that Nova voters are pretty strongly partisan for Democrats now. Otherwise the state Democratic party would be in deep s*** with the current wokeness.

[satsuma]

but in terms of economics, it is one of Virginia, New Hampshire, or Colorado

And what about Hawaii? I heard it's the only U.S. state without a social welfare system whatsoever, thus resulting in having become the state with the highest rate of homelessness per capita nationwide.

I'd think Delaware would be up there for economic right. Homelessness is because the rent is unaffordable. I doubt the importance of other factors, though similar to California, it also has the factor of never freezing outside at night.

As someone who has canvassed in Nova and St. Louis suburbia, I can say the former is far more supporting of liberal and most progressive causes.

But I will say say that Virginia Democrats are very lucky that Nova voters are pretty strongly partisan for Democrats now. Otherwise the state Democratic party would be in deep s*** with the current wokeness.

The dichotomy between NoVa and the rest of Virginia (which has its blue pockets, but so do many red or purple states) is what makes Virginia probably the most conservative blue state but not the least liberal. I think the least liberal state on this list is the one that probably doesn't belong on it, given its purple history and potential to stay swingable: Nevada. It had about zero 2016-to-2020 trend, when Virginia and Minnesota trended left more than the nation. It has less of a reputation for present-day leftist politics than those 2. Gambling and prostitution are not the most culturally-relevant issues of the moment that people choose their votes on.

[King of Kensington]

I voted for Nevada, I think Virginia is in the safe blue camp while Nevada certainly feels like it can fall off the list of blue states.  Particularly with educational attainment polarization growing and race/ethnicity becoming less salient.

[If my soul was made of stone]

I voted for Nevada, I think Virginia is in the safe blue camp while Nevada certainly feels like it can fall off the list of blue states.  Particularly with educational attainment polarization growing and race/ethnicity becoming less salient.

Nevada's Dem base has traditionally been minority-heavy and driven by old-school machine/union politics, though, while Virginia's is much more upscale liberals. Raw partisanship is not a good demonstration of ideology.

[MT Treasurer]

I think a strong case can be made for Maine (in the sense that the less 'ideological' & more conservative-leaning parts of the state combined could - in theory, at least - outvote the reliably liberal towns), which makes it all the more surprising that only one other poster mentioned that state in their answer.

The state's 'reluctance' to send liberal Democrats to Congress and the fact that it’s the only 'blue' state where GOP prospects even at the federal level haven’t yet fallen victim to partisanship makes it even more of a compelling option.

[Sol]

New Hampshire imo; I imagine Democrats and non-affiliated voters in Nevada have generally more left-leaning views while NH is heavy on Tory (or Torie) type Dems.

[Skill and Chance]

New Hampshire imo; I imagine Democrats and non-affiliated voters in Nevada have generally more left-leaning views while NH is heavy on Tory (or Torie) type Dems.

It's an interesting tradeoff between NE suburban states with tons of 6 figure business Dems vs. old school labor machine states with significant social conservative influence.  In any event, I don't get how the answer could be Nevada.  While it's clearly in the second category, social conservatism basically doesn't exist there.