Record-holders by state after recent elections

2020

Democrats

Biden, 2020: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington (map)

Obama, 2012: Mississippi

Obama, 2008: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Clinton, 1996: Louisiana

Clinton, 1992: Arkansas

Carter, 1976: Oklahoma 

Johnson, 1964: Rhode Island, West Virginia

Roosevelt, 1932: North Dakota, South Dakota (map of pre-2000 record states)

Republicans

Trump, 2020: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

McCain, 2008: Alaska

Bush, 2004: Maryland 

Reagan, 1984: Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont

Nixon, 1972: Illinois

Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island (map of pre-2000 record states)

2016

Democrats

Hillary Clinton, 2016: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia (map)

Barack Obama, 2012: Mississippi, South Carolina, Washington

Barack Obama, 2008: Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Bill Clinton, 1996: Louisiana

Bill Clinton, 1992: Arkansas

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Oklahoma 

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: New York, Rhode Island, West Virginia

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota (map of pre-2000 record states)

Republicans

Donald Trump, 2016: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wyoming (map)

Mitt Romney, 2012: Idaho, Utah, Virginia

John McCain, 2008: Alaska, Mississippi, Oklahoma

George W. Bush, 2004: California, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin (map)

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Vermont

Richard Nixon, 1972: Illinois

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa (map of pre-2000 record states)

2012

Democrats

Barack Obama, 2012: Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington (map)

Barack Obama, 2008: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Bill Clinton, 1996: Louisiana

Bill Clinton, 1992: Arkansas

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Oklahoma 

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: New York, Rhode Island, West Virginia

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

(The only change between 2012 and 2016 was that Hillary Clinton broke Obama's vote total record in most of the states in which he himself had set a new record in 2012, apart from Mississippi, South Carolina, and Washington.

Republicans

Mitt Romney, 2012: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming (map)

John McCain, 2008: Alabama, Alaska, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee

George W. Bush, 2004: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin (map)

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, North Dakota, Vermont

Richard Nixon, 1972: Illinois, West Virginia

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa (map of pre-2000 record states)

2008

Democrats

Barack Obama, 2008: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Bill Clinton, 1996: Louisiana

Bill Clinton, 1992: Arkansas

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Oklahoma 

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: New York, Rhode Island, West Virginia

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

(All the states in which Obama went on to set a new record in 2012, were ones in which he had already set a record in 2008.

Republicans

John McCain, 2008: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia (map)

George W. Bush, 2004: California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, North Dakota, Vermont

Richard Nixon, 1972: Illinois, West Virginia

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa

2004

Democrats

John Kerry, 2004: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin (map)

Bill Clinton, 1996: Louisiana

Bill Clinton, 1992: Arkansas

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Oklahoma

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Wyoming (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Kansas

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Republicans

George W. Bush, 2004: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, North Dakota, Vermont (map)

Richard Nixon, 1972: Illinois, West Virginia

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa 

2000

Democrats

Al Gore, 2000: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin (map)

Bill Clinton, 1996: Alaska, Idaho, Louisiana, Texas, Utah (map)

Bill Clinton, 1992: Arkansas

Michael Dukakis, 1988: Montana

Jimmy Carter, 1980: Mississippi

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Oklahoma

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Wyoming (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Kansas

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Republicans

George W. Bush, 2000: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

George H. W. Bush, 1988: New Hampshire 

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Vermont (map)

Richard Nixon, 1972: Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa, South Dakota

1996

Democrats

Bill Clinton, 1996: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington (map)

Bill Clinton, 1992: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee (map)

Michael Dukakis, 1988: Montana, Wisconsin

Jimmy Carter, 1980: Mississippi

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Oklahoma

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Wyoming (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Kansas

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Republicans

Bob Dole, 1996: (none)

George H. W. Bush, 1988: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire (map) 

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Richard Nixon, 1972: Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa, South Dakota

(All the states in which George W. Bush set a record in 2000 were states in which either Reagan in 1984 or George H. W. Bush in 1988 had set the previous record.

1992

Democrats

Bill Clinton, 1992: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington (map)

Michael Dukakis, 1988: Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, Texas, Wisconsin (map)

Jimmy Carter, 1980: Mississippi

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Oklahoma

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Kansas

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Republicans

George H. W. Bush, 1992: (none)

George H. W. Bush, 1988: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire (map) 

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Richard Nixon, 1972: Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa, South Dakota

1988

Democrats

Michael Dukakis, 1988: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin (map)

Jimmy Carter, 1980: Mississippi

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee (map)

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Kansas

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Republicans

George H. W. Bush, 1988: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire (map) 

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Richard Nixon, 1972: Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa, South Dakota

1984

Democrats

Walter Mondale, 1984: Alaska, Arizona, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington (map)

Jimmy Carter, 1980: Louisiana, Mississippi

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia (map)

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Kansas

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Republicans

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Richard Nixon, 1972: Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa, South Dakota

(All the states in which George H. W. Bush set a new record in 1988 were ones in which Reagan had set the previous record in 1984.

1980

Republicans

Ronald Reagan, 1980: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Richard Nixon, 1972: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota (map)

1976

Democrats

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia (map)

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Kansas

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

(The only difference in 1980 is that Carter set a new record in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Republicans

Gerald Ford, 1976: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin (map)

Richard Nixon, 1972: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota (map)

1968

Republicans

Richard Nixon, 1968: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Virginia (map)

Barry Goldwater, 1964: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina (map)

Richard Nixon, 1960: Hawaii, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

1964

Democrats

Lyndon Johnson, 1964: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

John Kennedy, 1960: Alabama, Louisiana

Adlai Stevenson, 1952: Mississippi

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Kansas

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Republicans

Barry Goldwater, 1964: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Virginia (map)

Richard Nixon, 1960: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Washington (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

1960

Democrats

John Kennedy, 1960: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Adlai Stevenson, 1952: Arkansas, Mississippi

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, West Virginia (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota (map)

Republicans

Richard Nixon, 1960: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1956: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia (map)

Dwight Eisenhower, 1952: Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

1956

Democrats

Adlai Stevenson, 1956: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington (map)

Adlai Stevenson, 1952: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia (map)

Harry Truman, 1948: Massachusetts

Franklin Roosevelt, 1944: New York

Franklin Roosevelt, 1940: Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota (map)

1952

Democrats

Adlai Stevenson, 1952: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington (map)

Harry Truman, 1948: Massachusetts

Franklin Roosevelt, 1944: New York

Franklin Roosevelt, 1940: Idaho, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1936: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

Franklin Roosevelt, 1932: Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota (map)

1948

Republicans

Thomas Dewey, 1948: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Washington (map)

Thomas Dewey, 1944: Michigan

Wendell Willkie, 1940: Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Wisconsin (map)

Herbert Hoover, 1928: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming (map)

Warren Harding, 1920: Iowa, North Dakota, Tennessee (map)

Rutherford Hayes, 1876: Louisiana, South Carolina

Ulysses Grant, 1872: Mississippi

1928

Democrats

Al Smith, 1928: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming (map)

John Davis, 1924: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas (map)

James Cox, 1920: Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee (map)

Woodrow Wilson, 1916: Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington (map)

Grover Cleveland, 1892: Virginia

Winfield Scott Hancock, 1880: South Carolina 

Samuel Tilden, 1876: Georgia

1916

Republicans

Charles Evans Hughes, 1916: Arizona, California, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming (map)

William Howard Taft, 1908: Connecticut, North Dakota, Oklahoma

Theodore Roosevelt, 1904: Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin (map)

William McKinley, 1896: Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont (map)

Benjamin Harrison, 1888: Arkansas, Virginia

James Blaine, 1884: Florida

Rutherford Hayes, 1876: Louisiana, South Carolina

Ulysses Grant, 1872: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi

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Longest-standing records broken by recent/miscellaneous nominees

Joe Biden, 2020: Nebraska (1932; 88 years), New York (1964; 56 years)

Donald Trump, 2020: Iowa (1952; 68 years), Maine (1984; 36 years)

Hillary Clinton, 2016: All the states in which Hillary Clinton got the most votes of any Democrat were ones in which the record had previously been held by Obama in 2012.

Donald Trump, 2016: West Virginia (1972; 44 years), North Dakota (1984; 32 years)

Barack Obama, 2012: All the states in which Barack Obama got the most votes of any Democrat in 2012 were ones in which he had already done so in 2008.

Mitt Romney, 2012: Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Wyoming (2004; 8 years)

Barack Obama, 2008: Kansas (1936; 72 years), Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wyoming (1964; 44 years)

John McCain, 2008: All the states in which McCain got the most votes of any Republican were ones in which Bush had done so in 2004.

John Kerry, 2004: Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio (1964; 40 years), Mississippi (1980; 24 years), Montana (1988; 16 years)

George W. Bush, 2004: South Dakota (1952; 52 years), Indiana, Pennsylvania (1972; 32 years), Arkansas, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma (1984; 20 years)

Al Gore, 2000: Michigan (1964; 36 years), Wisconsin (1988; 12 years)

George W. Bush, 2000: In 2000, Bush set the record for most votes won by a Republican in 21 states, of which 18 were states in which Ronald Reagan in 1984 had previously held the record, and three were states in which George H. W. Bush in 1988 had previously held the record.

Bill Clinton, 1996: Idaho, Utah (1964; 32 years), Hawaii, Minnesota, Texas (1988; 8 years)

Bill Clinton, 1992: Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire (1964; 28 years)

Michael Dukakis, 1988: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Vermont, Wisconsin (1964; 24 years)

George H. W. Bush, 1988: All the states Bush Sr set the record for most Republican votes won in, were states in which Reagan had done so in 1984

Walter Mondale, 1984: Alaska, Oregon, Washington (1964; 20 years)

Ronald Reagan, 1984: Nebraska (1952; 32 years)

Jimmy Carter, 1980: Both of the states in which Carter set the record for most votes won by a Democrat in 1980 were states in which he had done so in 1976.

Ronald Reagan, 1980: North Dakota (1952; 28 years) 

Jimmy Carter, 1976: Mississippi (1952; 24 years), Alabama, Louisiana (1960; 16 years)

Gerald Ford, 1976: All the states in which Ford set the record for most Republican votes won in 1976 were ones in which Nixon had done so in 1972.

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This helps show more clearly how surprisingly few states in which Johnson held the record for most votes won by a Democrat, Clinton set the new record in in 1992. (And there were many such states in 1992, as attested by Kerry in 2004.) Not only Kerry but Michael Dukakis and, arguably, Al Gore (who broke Johnson's record in only one state--but it was a large state) were more successful than Clinton in this regard.

It also shows that, perhaps more unusual than simply the fact that Trump set new records in a majority of states in 2020, is that he broke records of up to 68 and 36 years in doing so. In 1976 and 1980, the incumbent president set new records only in states where the previous record had been set in the immediately previous election (which was also true of the in-party nominees in the open elections of 2016, 2008, and 1988; in 1968 and 1992, the incumbent party's nominee set no new records at all). However, there is one other election since 1968 in which the in-party's nominee broke a longstanding record and still lost: in 2000, Al Gore broke Lyndon Johnson's record for most votes won by a Democrat in Michigan (as well as Dukakis' in Wisconsin), and still lost the election.

Breaking longstanding vote total records seems correlated, at least in recent decades, with electoral success. (As one gets closer to the 1950s, there are fewer 'longstanding records', as, at one point, Eisenhower was responsible for the record for most Republican votes won in every state, and FDR, for the record for most Democratic votes won in every state.) Every incumbent who has won reelection from (at least) Nixon onward has, in his reelection campaign, set a record in at least one state in which he hadn't set the record in his first campaign (with one exception--Obama in 2012). Every non-incumbent nominee who has won in the 21st century has set a record for most votes won by a nominee of his or her party in a state where the record was previously held by a nominee from the 20th century. Of course, so did Al Gore and John Kerry. John McCain did not, but that would be hard to expect given that he was running as the nominee of a party that had won two elections in a row (albeit narrowly)--the same would go a fortiori for Hillary Clinton in 2016. The main outlier in the 21st century is Mitt Romney; even though he set a new record in a fair number of states, in none of them was he breaking a record any older than eight years.

(It is somewhat trivial to say that George W. Bush in 2000 set records for most votes won by a nominee of his party in a state where the record was previously held by a nominee from the 20th century, of course. It was somewhat surprising to me that all the states in which he set such a record in 2000 [although not in 2004] were states in which either Reagan in 1984 or Bush Sr in 1988 had previously held the record [these two being the most recent Republican nominees to have set any such records at all]. Making up for this, perhaps, after 2000, Bush held the record in a plurality of states [21 to 19 for Reagan], probably also representing a plurality of the electoral votes [232, by 2012-2020 figures, vs. 190]. In contrast, after 2012, Mitt Romney held the record in 17 states representing 194 electoral votes, vs. 17 states representing 199 electoral votes in which George W. Bush in 2004 still did so.)

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The District of Columbia

I have not been counting the District of Columbia as a 'state', not only because it's not technically one (which may change), but because, as Akhil Rajasekar wrote in March 2019, DC 'was never supposed to resemble a state in any way — not in government, not in jurisdiction, and certainly not in electoral behavior’; and, as Jeff Jacoby wrote in August 2019, ‘Washington doesn’t resemble a state in any way, and was never supposed to.' These things are true independent of whether one thinks DC should be a state or not, I think. 

If DC became a state, it would automatically become the Most Democratic State and would likely hold that title in perpetuity (and would have done so from any election in which it has participated thus far on); Carter's relatively weak 74.89% in 1980 (the only time a Democrat has ever gone below 75%) was still in excess of Obama's 71.85% in Hawaii in 2008, the highest vote share a Democrat has gotten in any single state since 1964 (and was also in excess of LBJ's vote share in all but three states--Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Massachusetts--in his national landslide in 1964).

Be that as it may, it is still worth noting the records set for most Republican and Democratic votes won in DC as well. The Democratic Party has broken its record for most votes won in DC in 1984, 1992, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020 (making it the only electoral entity in which Mondale set the record for most votes won by a Democrat but Dukakis failed to surpass him in 1988). The Republican Party, on the other hand, has broken its record for most votes won in DC only in 1968 and 1972. To overtake Nixon's '72 vote total in the district, Reagan would have needed to exceed 16.67% in 1984 (he actually got 13.73%); Bush would have needed to exceed 17.45% in 2000 and 15.48% in 2004 (he actually got 8.95% and 9.34% in those two elections, respectively); Romney would have needed to exceed 11.99% (he actually got 7.28%); and Trump would have needed to exceed 11.32% in 2016 and 10.23% in 2020 (he actually got 4.09% and 5.40% in those two elections, respectively). (Nixon's actual '72 vote share was 21.56%.)

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Since the 19th Amendment, there have been twelve major-party nominees who set at least one intra-party state-level vote total record, but none of which survived the next election:

Hillary Clinton, 2016
Donald Trump, 2016
John Kerry, 2004
George W. Bush, 2000
Al Gore, 2000
Walter Mondale, 1984
Ronald Reagan, 1980
Gerald Ford, 1976
Richard Nixon, 1968
Adlai Stevenson, 1956
Thomas Dewey, 1948
Al Smith, 1928

That is, for example, Hillary Clinton held the record for the most votes won by a Democrat in some states after the 2016 election, but in none after the 2020 election. (Again, if DC is counted, Mondale would not be on this list.)

2020 shares with 2004 that every state-level vote total record won by each major nominee in the previous election was surpassed. These are the only two elections since the 19th Amendment of which this was the case. 

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Beginning in 1960, these are instances of a single nominee being responsible for a majority of his or her party's state-level vote total records:

Joe Biden, 2020: 35 after 2020
Donald Trump, 2020: 41 after 2020
Barack Obama, 2008: 41 after 2008, 33 after 2012, 27 after 2016
George W. Bush, 2004: 39 after 2004, 26 after 2008
John Kerry, 2004: 37 after 2004
Ronald Reagan, 1984: 41 after 1984, 37 after 1988, 37 after 1992, 37 after 1996
Richard Nixon, 1972: 43 after 1972, 37 after 1976, 26 after 1980
Lyndon Johnson, 1964: 43 after 1964, 43 after 1968, 43 after 1972, 29 after 1976, 29 after 1980, 26 after 1984
John Kennedy, 1960: 38 after 1960

After the 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000 elections, no single Democrat was responsible for a majority of the Democratic state-level vote-total records; after the 1960, 1964, 1968, 2000, 2012, and 2016 elections, no single Republican was responsible for the majority of Republican ones. From Kennedy on, elected presidents who were never responsible for a majority of their party's vote total records were Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton (which, incidentally, distinguishes Carter and Clinton from the other 20th-century nominees who set longstanding intra-party state-level vote total records). (After 1996, if one combines the records set by Clinton in '92 and those set by him in '96, they do constitute a majority [27], but I am considering these to be separate candidacies; after all, any records set in '92 that still stood after '96 meant that Clinton failed to surpass his own record in those states in '96--in marked contrast with Bush in '04 and Trump in '20.)

Again, 2020 shares with 2004 the distinctive trait that, after both elections, each party's most recent nominee was responsible for a majority of his party's state-level vote total records--something that is not true of any other election in this period. 

Johnson ('64) held the majority of Democratic vote total records for six elections; Reagan ('84), the majority of Republican ones for four; Nixon ('72), the majority of Republican ones for three; Obama ('08), the majority of Democratic ones for three; and Bush ('04), the majority of Republican ones for two.

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