Record vote shares for president by state (from 1836)

These are the record-high vote shares in every state (and the District of Columbia) for president, after every election in which the record changed in any state. In the accompanying maps, a state is shaded in pale blue or pale red if the record was 'weakly set', i.e., if it was set in the first election in which the state had a popular vote for president, and if it was broken in the immediately following election.

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The consideration of when to begin is important, because some states held a popular vote for president from quite early on, and in the cases of most such states, their record-high vote shares would have been set quite early (even if we exclude elections in which someone received 100% of the vote in a state). For example, Thomas Jefferson received 99.86% of the vote in New Jersey, 99.42% in Virginia, and 94.69% in Pennsylvania, in 1804. While not quite as Soviet-style, his 87.69% in Ohio and 76.09% in Maryland would also outpace any later nominee in those states (one of which--Ohio--has never seen anyone exceed 2/3 of the vote in it since the end of the First Party System). In 1808, Madison got 98.02% in Kentucky; in 1816, Monroe received 99.94% in Virginia, 98.37% in North Carolina, 98.02% in New Jersey, and 84.87% in Ohio; and in 1820, he received 99.88%, 99.53% in Ohio, 99.11% in North Carolina, 98.86% in New Hampshire, 95.83% in Maine, 94.12% in Pennsylvania, 84.17% in Connecticut, and 82.61% in Maryland.

In 1824, Jackson received 97.45% in Tennessee. This would still stand as the record vote share in Tennessee. One of his rivals, John Quincy Adams, did much better in some states than any subsequent nominee would do in them (93.59% in New Hampshire, 91.47% in Rhode Island, 81.50% in Maine), but, except in Rhode Island, even these fell short of earlier performances.

In all, as far as I can tell, the record-high vote share in 12 states would have been set before 1828, if we counted elections before 1828. These are all the states that appear to have had a popular vote for president before 1828 save Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Missouri. Of these six exceptions, three (Alabama, Indiana, and Missouri) appear to have held their first popular vote for president in 1824.

More importantly, the record-high vote shares in these states would be extreme outliers, both relative to those in most other states and relative to the highest vote shares achieved in these states outside the First Party System.

One might say they were not unusual relative to Democratic vote shares in the Solid South. And indeed, from 1836 on, the highest vote share achieved by any nominee in any state is 98.57%, by FDR in South Carolina in 1936. From 1896 through 1944, the Democrat regularly won at least two Southern states by better than 5:1 (or with at least 83.3% of the vote)--5:1 being the strongest majority achieved by any nominee in any state outside the South from 1836 on--except in 1928, when Al Smith dipped slightly below this level in Mississippi.

However, from 1896 through 1928, the Democrat never won any more than three states in the South by better than 5:1. And the two-to-three states were always the same (South Carolina in every election, Mississippi in every election save 1928, and Louisiana in 1904, 1908, and 1916). But for FDR's landslides in 1932 and 1936, and his decisive, near-ten-point win in 1940--and Harrison's being off the ballot in Florida in 1892--these three would be the only states in which anyone had ever achieved a post-1832 vote share higher than Bryan's 84.95% in Colorado (the highest vote share anyone has achieved in any state outside the South from 1836 on). (Strom Thurmond in 1948, and Goldwater in 1964, also got a higher vote share in Mississippi than Bryan got in Colorado; these are the only two instances since 1944 of anyone winning any state by better than 5:1.)

In other words, the idea of the 'Solid South' somewhat obscures the quite disparate discrepancies between support for the Democracy in various Southern states. The Old Confederate states were generally all reliably Democratic, but their percentages of support for the Democracy varied wildly. Only South Carolina and Mississippi consistently showed Soviet-style near-unanimous support for the Democracy on a regular basis, and only Louisiana additionally occasionally did. Other Southern states' level of support for the Democracy was not particularly unusual compared to other partisanly-inclined states.

So we could begin in 1828. This 'was the first in which non-property-holding white males could vote in the vast majority of states'. However, both 1828 and 1832 saw Jackson (and, to a lesser extent, his major party opponent in 1828) notch state vote shares atypical of elections from 1836 on, but typical of the First Party System (where there was a popular vote for president). This is, again, disregarding Jackson's three 100%'s in 1832. The most blatant outlier is Alabama in 1832, where apparently one could vote for Clay, but Jackson got 99.97% of the vote (and Clay got five raw votes).

The other instances would not have been unheard-of at certain points since 1832: Jackson's 96.79% in Georgia, 95.19% in Tennessee, and 89.89% in Alabama in 1828; his 95.42% in Tennessee and 84.77% in North Carolina in 1832; and John Quincy Adams' 82.22% in Massachusetts in 1828. However, from 1832 through 1852, no National Republican or Whig would win any state by so much as 2:1 (John Quincy Adams also won three other New England states by better than 2.25:1 in 1828); and no nominee full stop would win any state by better than 4:1 (i.e., with over 80% of the vote) between 1836 and 1884 (inclusive). The best vote share any nominee received in any state between 1836 and 1884 (inclusive) was Grant's 78.57% in Vermont in 1868.

Furthermore, amongst Jackson's best states, Georgia and North Carolina would go on to be swing states between the Whigs and Democrats (and their only losing votes in the 1836-52 elections would be for Whigs: for Hugh White in 1836 in Georgia's case, and for Clay in 1844 in North Carolina's). Tennessee would go on to be one of the most solidly Whig states, voting Whig in every election from 1836 through 1852. None of the states J. Q. Adams won by better than 2.25:1 in 1828 would go on to be a Democratic state in the 1836-52 period, but, if we started in 1828, his '28 vote share in Maine would have stood as the record in the state until 1856, even though it would go on to vote Democratic in every election from 1832 through 1852 save 1840.

Just because some vote shares are atypical doesn't mean we should dismiss them. But it doesn't seem like it would serve the purposes of this exercise to include 1828 and 1832. There is a basis for starting with 1836. As Harvey Schantz observes,

Our analysis is in general accord with commentaries on presidential elections during the second party system that find a sectional (1824-1832) and national (1840-1852) period, with 1836 frequently cited as the transitional election. As Shade wrote, "The presidential elections from 1824 to 1852 fall into two groups...the election of 1836 was a transitional one...The elections of the first phase were distinctly sectional...while Phase II witnessed a uniformity of voter behavior throughout the country."
Our calculations differ from earlier ones, though, in that we find 1840, rather than 1836, to be the beginning of the national vote pattern...But all analysts agree that 1836 was a midway point, from a personalized multicandidate politics to an organized two-party presidential contest.

Hence, here are the record vote shares by state over time, from 1836 on:

Between 1844 and 1848

Alabama: Polk, 1844 (58.99%)
Arkansas: van Buren, 1836 (64.08%)
Connecticut: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (55.55%)
Delaware: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.99%)
Georgia: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (55.78%)
Illinois: van Buren, 1836 (54.69%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Kentucky: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (64.20%)
Louisiana: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (59.73%)
Maine: van Buren, 1836 (58.92%)
Maryland: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (53.83%)
Massachusetts: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.44%)
Michigan: van Buren, 1836 (56.22%)
Mississippi: Polk, 1844 (57.43%)
Missouri: van Buren, 1836 (59.98%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (51.74%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.10%)
Pennsylvania: van Buren, 1836 (51.18%)
Rhode Island: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (61.22%)
Tennessee: Hugh White, 1836 (57.92%)
Vermont: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (63.90%)
Virginia (pre-1863): van Buren, 1836 (56.64%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Polk, 1844

Between 1848 and 1852

Alabama: Polk, 1844 (58.99%)
Arkansas: van Buren, 1836 (64.08%)
Connecticut: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (55.55%)
Delaware: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.99%)
Florida: Taylor, 1848 (57.20%)
Georgia: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (55.78%)
Illinois: van Buren, 1836 (54.69%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Cass, 1848 (50.46%)
Kentucky: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (64.20%)
Louisiana: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (59.73%)
Maine: van Buren, 1836 (58.92%)
Maryland: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (53.83%)
Massachusetts: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.44%)
Michigan: van Buren, 1836 (56.22%)
Mississippi: Polk, 1844 (57.43%)
Missouri: van Buren, 1836 (59.98%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (51.74%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.10%)
Pennsylvania: van Buren, 1836 (51.18%)
Rhode Island: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (61.22%)
Tennessee: Hugh White, 1836 (57.92%)
Texas: Cass, 1848 (70.29%)
Vermont: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (63.90%)
Virginia (pre-1863): van Buren, 1836 (56.64%)
Wisconsin: Cass, 1848 (38.30%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Polk, 1844
Cass, 1848
Taylor, 1848

Taylor and Cass each set record vote shares only in states for which 1848 was their first participating election. However, only in Cass' case did one of these records (his record in Iowa) survive the immediately following election. (There aren't any shades of yellow, but Taylor set the record vote share in newly-participating Florida only 'weakly'.)

Between 1852 and 1856

Alabama: Pierce, 1852 (60.89%)
Arkansas: van Buren, 1836 (64.08%)
California: Pierce, 1852 (53.02%)
Connecticut: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (55.55%)
Delaware: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.99%)
Florida: Pierce, 1852 (60.03%)
Georgia: Pierce, 1852 (64.70%)
Illinois: van Buren, 1836 (54.69%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Cass, 1848 (50.46%)
Kentucky: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (64.20%)
Louisiana: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (59.73%)
Maine: van Buren, 1836 (58.92%)
Maryland: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (53.83%)
Massachusetts: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.44%)
Michigan: van Buren, 1836 (56.22%)
Mississippi: Pierce, 1852 (60.50%)
Missouri: van Buren, 1836 (59.98%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Pierce, 1852 (53.24%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.10%)
Pennsylvania: Pierce, 1852 (51.20%)
Rhode Island: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (61.22%)
Tennessee: Hugh White, 1836 (57.92%)
Texas: Pierce, 1852 (73.07%)
Vermont: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (63.90%)
Virginia (pre-1863): van Buren, 1836 (56.64%)
Wisconsin: Pierce, 1852 (52.04%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Cass, 1848
Pierce, 1852

One noticeable thing after the 1852 election is that no Whig nominee since 1840 had set a new record in any state (except Taylor weakly in Florida), whereas every successive Democratic nominee in the last three elections had 'strongly' set at least one new record. Anti-slavery sentiment in Whig strongholds in the North seemed to depress Whig vote shares there in particular.

Between 1856 and 1860

Alabama: Buchanan, 1856 (62.08%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Pierce, 1852 (53.02%)
Connecticut: Frémont, 1856 (53.18%)
Delaware: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.99%)
Florida: Pierce, 1852 (60.03%)
Georgia: Pierce, 1852 (64.70%)
Illinois: van Buren, 1836 (54.69%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Cass, 1848 (50.46%)
Kentucky: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (64.20%)
Louisiana: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (59.73%)
Maine: Frémont, 1856 (61.34%)
Maryland: Fillmore, 1856 (54.63%)
Massachusetts: Frémont, 1856 (63.61%)
Michigan: Frémont, 1856 (57.15%)
Mississippi: Pierce, 1852 (60.50%)
Missouri: van Buren, 1836 (59.98%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Pierce, 1852 (53.24%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.10%)
Pennsylvania: Pierce, 1852 (51.20%)
Rhode Island: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (61.22%)
Tennessee: Hugh White, 1836 (57.92%)
Texas: Pierce, 1852 (73.07%)
Vermont: Frémont, 1856 (77.96%)
Virginia (pre-1863): Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)
Wisconsin: Frémont, 1856 (55.30%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Cass, 1848
Pierce, 1852
Buchanan, 1856
Fillmore, 1856
Frémont, 1856

For the first time since 1840, the opposition party to the Democracy was able to set a number of record-high vote shares in the North, perhaps retroactively indicating the inevitability of the rise of a new opposition party to the Whigs who would be able to mobilise opposition to the Democracy in the North in a way the Whigs had manifestly been unable to since 1840. The only two states outside New England in which Frémont set the new record were Michigan and Wisconsin.

The former Whig president, Millard Fillmore, now running as the nominee of the American Party, was, ironically, able to do what no Whig nominee since 1840 (including the person he had been passed over in favour of in 1852, Winfield Scott) had been able to do, by (strongly) setting a new vote share record in a state.

Between 1860 and 1864

Alabama: Buchanan, 1856 (62.08%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Pierce, 1852 (53.02%)
Connecticut: Lincoln, 1860 (53.86%)
Delaware: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.99%)
Florida: Breckinridge, 1860 (62.23%)
Georgia: Pierce, 1852 (64.70%)
Illinois: van Buren, 1836 (54.69%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1860 (54.61%)
Kentucky: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (64.20%)
Louisiana: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (59.73%)
Maine: Lincoln, 1860 (62.24%)
Maryland: Fillmore, 1856 (54.63%)
Massachusetts: Frémont, 1856 (63.61%)
Michigan: Lincoln, 1860 (57.23%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Pierce, 1852 (60.50%)
Missouri: van Buren, 1836 (59.98%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Pierce, 1852 (53.24%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.10%)
Oregon: Lincoln, 1860 (36.20%)
Pennsylvania: Lincoln, 1860 (56.26%)
Rhode Island: Lincoln, 1860 (61.37%)
Tennessee: Hugh White, 1836 (57.92%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Vermont: Frémont, 1856 (77.96%)
Virginia (pre-1863): Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)
Wisconsin: Lincoln, 1860 (56.59%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Pierce, 1852
Buchanan, 1856
Fillmore, 1856
Frémont, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1860

A map of the states where Lincoln set the all-time (post-1832) vote share record in 1860 would not have been bad at forecasting the relative political tendencies of states as late as 2016. He set the record in Pennsylvania (where someone since Jackson finally won a landslide), Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa; as of October 2016, three of these four were Blue Wall states that Trump either narrowly carried or narrowly lost, and the fourth, Iowa, had voted Democratic in five of the last six presidential elections. In Ohio--which voted easily for Trump in 2016--along with long-solidly-red Indiana (and Illinois, where the Democrat has owed his or her margin of victory to Cook County in five of the last six elections)--the record stayed with someone else after 1860.

Between 1864 and 1868

Alabama: Buchanan, 1856 (62.08%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Connecticut: Lincoln, 1860 (53.86%)
Delaware: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (54.99%)
Florida: Breckinridge, 1860 (62.23%)
Georgia: Pierce, 1852 (64.70%)
Illinois: van Buren, 1836 (54.69%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: McClellan, 1864 (69.83%)
Louisiana: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (59.73%)
Maine: Lincoln, 1860 (62.24%)
Maryland: Lincoln, 1864 (55.09%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Lincoln, 1860 (57.23%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Pierce, 1852 (60.50%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Nevada: Lincoln, 1864 (59.84%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Pierce, 1852 (53.24%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Lincoln, 1864 (53.90%)
Pennsylvania: Lincoln, 1860 (56.26%)
Rhode Island: Lincoln, 1864 (62.24%)
Tennessee: Hugh White, 1836 (57.92%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Vermont: Frémont, 1856 (77.96%)
Virginia (post-1863): n/a
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Lincoln, 1860 (56.59%)

Virginia (pre-1863): Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Pierce, 1852
Buchanan, 1856
Frémont, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1860
Lincoln, 1864
McClellan, 1864

Between 1868 and 1872

Alabama: Buchanan, 1856 (62.08%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Connecticut: Lincoln, 1860 (53.86%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Breckinridge, 1860 (62.23%)
Georgia: Pierce, 1852 (64.70%)
Illinois: Grant, 1868 (55.69%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Seymour, 1868 (70.69%)
Maine: Grant, 1868 (62.41%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Lincoln, 1860 (57.23%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Pierce, 1852 (60.50%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1868 (63.91%)
Nevada: Lincoln, 1864 (59.84%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Pierce, 1852 (53.24%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Lincoln, 1864 (53.90%)
Pennsylvania: Lincoln, 1860 (56.26%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1868 (66.49%)
South Carolina: Grant, 1868 (57.93%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Vermont: Grant, 1868 (78.57%)
Virginia (post-1863): n/a
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Lincoln, 1860 (56.59%)

Virginia (pre-1863): Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Pierce, 1852
Buchanan, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1860
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868

(But Maryland's not a Southern state.)

Between 1872 and 1876

Alabama: Buchanan, 1856 (62.08%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Connecticut: Lincoln, 1860 (53.86%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Breckinridge, 1860 (62.23%)
Georgia: Pierce, 1852 (64.70%)
Illinois: Grant, 1872 (56.27%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Seymour, 1868 (70.69%)
Maine: Grant, 1872 (67.86%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Grant, 1872 (62.66%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Grant, 1872 (63.48%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Lincoln, 1864 (59.84%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Grant, 1872 (54.52%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Grant, 1872 (58.66%)
Pennsylvania: Grant, 1872 (62.07%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Grant, 1872 (75.73%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Vermont: Grant, 1868 (78.57%)
Virginia (post-1863): Grant, 1872 (50.57%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Lincoln, 1860 (56.59%)

Virginia (pre-1863): Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Pierce, 1852
Buchanan, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1860
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872

Between 1876 and 1880

Alabama: Buchanan, 1856 (62.08%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Connecticut: Lincoln, 1860 (53.86%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Breckinridge, 1860 (62.23%)
Georgia: Tilden, 1876 (72.03%)
Illinois: Grant, 1872 (56.27%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Seymour, 1868 (70.69%)
Maine: Grant, 1872 (67.86%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Grant, 1872 (62.66%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Tilden, 1876 (68.08%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Lincoln, 1864 (59.84%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Grant, 1872 (54.52%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Grant, 1872 (58.66%)
Pennsylvania: Grant, 1872 (62.07%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Grant, 1872 (75.73%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Vermont: Grant, 1868 (78.57%)
Virginia (post-1863): Tilden, 1876 (59.58%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Lincoln, 1860 (56.59%)

Virginia (pre-1863): Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Buchanan, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1860
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Tilden, 1876

Tilden set record vote shares in two or three states (depending on how you count things), and Hayes did so in none; but Hayes won the election.

Between 1880 and 1884

Alabama: Buchanan, 1856 (62.08%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Colorado: Garfield, 1880 (51.26%)
Connecticut: Lincoln, 1860 (53.86%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Breckinridge, 1860 (62.23%)
Georgia: Tilden, 1876 (72.03%)
Illinois: Grant, 1872 (56.27%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Seymour, 1868 (70.69%)
Maine: Grant, 1872 (67.86%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Grant, 1872 (62.66%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Tilden, 1876 (68.08%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Lincoln, 1864 (59.84%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Grant, 1872 (54.52%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Grant, 1872 (58.66%)
Pennsylvania: Grant, 1872 (62.07%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Grant, 1872 (75.73%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Vermont: Grant, 1868 (78.57%)
Virginia: Hancock, 1880 (60.53%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Lincoln, 1860 (56.59%)

Virginia (pre-1863): Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Buchanan, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1860
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Tilden, 1876
Garfield, 1880
Hancock, 1880

In 1880, Hancock strongly set the post-1832 record in Virginia (regardless of whether one regards Virginia before and after the separation of West Virginia separately), whereas Garfield only weakly set one record (in Colorado); but Garfield won the election.

Between 1884 and 1888

Alabama: Buchanan, 1856 (62.08%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Colorado: Blaine, 1884 (54.25%)
Connecticut: Lincoln, 1860 (53.86%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Breckinridge, 1860 (62.23%)
Georgia: Tilden, 1876 (72.03%)
Illinois: Grant, 1872 (56.27%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Seymour, 1868 (70.69%)
Maine: Grant, 1872 (67.86%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Grant, 1872 (62.66%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Tilden, 1876 (68.08%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Lincoln, 1864 (59.84%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Grant, 1872 (54.52%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Grant, 1872 (58.66%)
Pennsylvania: Grant, 1872 (62.07%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Grant, 1872 (75.73%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Vermont: Grant, 1868 (78.57%)
Virginia: Hancock, 1880 (60.53%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Lincoln, 1860 (56.59%)

Virginia (pre-1863): Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Buchanan, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1860
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Tilden, 1876
Hancock, 1880
Blaine, 1884

This was, until 2020, the only true instance of one nominee 'strongly' setting a record-high vote share in at least one state, at the same time as his opponent did not do so, but nevertheless losing to his opponent--although Blaine's record in Colorado was not all that 'strong' (it was Colorado's second election using a popular vote; Blaine did not win a landslide; and his record would be broken in the immediately following election).

Between 1888 and 1892

Alabama: Cleveland, 1888 (67.00%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Colorado: Harrison, 1888 (55.22%)
Connecticut: Lincoln, 1860 (53.86%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Breckinridge, 1860 (62.23%)
Georgia: Tilden, 1876 (72.03%)
Illinois: Grant, 1872 (56.27%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Cleveland, 1888 (73.37%)
Maine: Grant, 1872 (67.86%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Grant, 1872 (62.66%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Cleveland, 1888 (73.80%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Lincoln, 1864 (59.84%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Grant, 1872 (54.52%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Grant, 1872 (58.66%)
Pennsylvania: Grant, 1872 (62.07%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Cleveland, 1888 (82.28%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Vermont: Grant, 1868 (78.57%)
Virginia: Hancock, 1880 (60.53%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Lincoln, 1860 (56.59%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
W. H. Harrison, 1840
Buchanan, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1860
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Tilden, 1876
Hancock, 1880
Cleveland, 1888
Harrison, 1888

Grant's 1868 record in Tennessee would eventually be broken by a Democrat, but Lincoln's 1864 record in Missouri stands today, the only quirky postbellum Reconstruction-era GOP state vote share record in the South that was never broken by a Democrat. The next two highest vote shares ever obtained in Missouri since 1832 both belong to Democrats (Lyndon Johnson's 64.05% in 1964 and Franklin Roosevelt's 63.69% in 1932), with Nixon's 1972 62.29% coming in fourth.

Between 1892 and 1896

Alabama: Cleveland, 1888 (67.00%)
Arkansas: Buchanan, 1856 (67.12%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Colorado: Weaver, 1892 (57.07%)
Connecticut: Lincoln, 1860 (53.86%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Tilden, 1876 (72.03%)
Idaho: Weaver, 1892 (54.21%)
Illinois: Grant, 1872 (56.27%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Cleveland, 1892 (76.53%)
Maine: Grant, 1872 (67.86%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Grant, 1872 (62.66%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Cleveland, 1892 (76.22%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Harrison, 1892 (42.44%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Weaver, 1892 (66.78%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Grant, 1872 (54.52%)
New York: van Buren, 1836 (54.63%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
North Dakota: Weaver, 1892 (49.01%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Grant, 1872 (58.66%)
Pennsylvania: Grant, 1872 (62.07%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Cleveland, 1888 (82.28%)
South Dakota: Harrison, 1892 (49.48%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Vermont: Grant, 1868 (78.57%)
Virginia: Hancock, 1880 (60.53%)
Washington: Harrison, 1892 (41.45%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Lincoln, 1860 (56.59%)
Wyoming: Harrison, 1892 (50.52%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

(blue used for Weaver for the sake of showing which of his records were 'strongly' or 'weakly' set.)

Between 1896 and 1900

Alabama: Cleveland, 1888 (67.00%)
Arkansas: Bryan, 1896 (73.72%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Tilden, 1876 (72.03%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Grant, 1872 (56.27%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Cleveland, 1892 (76.53%)
Maine: McKinley, 1896 (67.90%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Grant, 1872 (62.66%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Bryan, 1896 (91.04%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: McKinley, 1896 (59.68%)
New York: McKinley, 1896 (57.58%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
North Dakota: McKinley, 1896 (55.57%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Grant, 1872 (58.66%)
Pennsylvania: Grant, 1872 (62.07%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Bryan, 1896 (85.30%)
South Dakota: Bryan, 1896 (49.78%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Hancock, 1880 (60.53%)
Washington: Bryan, 1896 (56.97%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: McKinley, 1896 (59.93%)
Wyoming: Bryan, 1896 (51.49%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

McKinley broke van Buren's record in the country's largest state, New York--the first time any nominee had set a new record high vote share in any of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Illinois since 1872. Aside from 1836 and 1896, the only times the record has been broken in the country's largest state has been landslides (in New York again in 1920 and 1964; the record in California has not been broken since it became the largest state).

Between 1900 and 1904

Alabama: Cleveland, 1888 (67.00%)
Arkansas: Bryan, 1896 (73.72%)
California: Lincoln, 1864 (58.60%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Tilden, 1876 (72.03%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Grant, 1872 (56.27%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Bryan, 1900 (79.03%)
Maine: McKinley, 1896 (67.90%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Grant, 1872 (62.66%)
Minnesota: Lincoln, 1860 (63.53%)
Mississippi: Bryan, 1896 (91.04%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: McKinley, 1896 (59.68%)
New York: McKinley, 1896 (57.58%)
North Carolina: W. H. Harrison, 1840 (57.68%)
North Dakota: McKinley, 1900 (62.12%)
Ohio: Lincoln, 1864 (56.37%)
Oregon: Grant, 1872 (58.66%)
Pennsylvania: Grant, 1872 (62.07%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Bryan, 1900 (92.96%)
South Dakota: McKinley, 1900 (56.73%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Hancock, 1880 (60.53%)
Washington: Bryan, 1896 (56.97%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: McKinley, 1900 (60.06%)
Wyoming: McKinley, 1900 (58.66%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

This was the first point at which every state had voted over 55.5% (or over 55%) for at least one nominee.

Between 1904 and 1908

Alabama: Parker, 1904 (73.35%)
Arkansas: Bryan, 1896 (73.72%)
California: Roosevelt, 1904 (61.84%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Tilden, 1876 (72.03%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Roosevelt, 1904 (58.77%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Parker, 1904 (88.50%)
Maine: McKinley, 1896 (67.90%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.51%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Parker, 1904 (91.07%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: McKinley, 1896 (59.68%)
New York: McKinley, 1896 (57.58%)
North Carolina: Parker, 1904 (59.71%)
North Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (75.12%)
Ohio: Roosevelt, 1904 (59.75%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Parker, 1904 (95.36%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Parker, 1904 (61.84%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Roosevelt, 1904 (63.21%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
Buchanan, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Tilden, 1876
Cleveland, 1892
Bryan, 1896
McKinley, 1896
Parker, 1904
Theodore Roosevelt, 1904

Between 1908 and 1912

Alabama: Parker, 1904 (73.35%)
Arkansas: Bryan, 1896 (73.72%)
California: Roosevelt, 1904 (61.84%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Tilden, 1876 (72.03%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Roosevelt, 1904 (58.77%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Parker, 1904 (88.50%)
Maine: McKinley, 1896 (67.90%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.51%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Parker, 1904 (91.07%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: McKinley, 1896 (59.68%)
New York: McKinley, 1896 (57.58%)
North Carolina: Parker, 1904 (59.71%)
North Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (75.12%)
Ohio: Roosevelt, 1904 (59.75%)
Oklahoma: Bryan, 1908 (48.22%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Parker, 1904 (95.36%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Parker, 1904 (61.84%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Roosevelt, 1904 (63.21%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

I suppose I might have miswritten in the entry under 1884, because, technically, Bryan did 'strongly' set a record in Oklahoma in its first participating election--Wilson would get 46.95% in Oklahoma in 1912--whereas Taft set no state vote share records at all. Given that Bryan got merely a plurality in Oklahoma, that seems like a technicality.

Between 1912 and 1916

Alabama: Parker, 1904 (73.35%)
Arkansas: Bryan, 1896 (73.72%)
Arizona: Wilson, 1912 (43.52%)
California: Roosevelt, 1904 (61.84%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Wilson, 1912 (76.63%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Roosevelt, 1904 (58.77%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Parker, 1904 (88.50%)
Maine: McKinley, 1896 (67.90%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.51%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Parker, 1904 (91.07%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: McKinley, 1896 (59.68%)
New Mexico: Wilson, 1912 (41.39%)
New York: McKinley, 1896 (57.58%)
North Carolina: Parker, 1904 (59.71%)
North Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (75.12%)
Ohio: Roosevelt, 1904 (59.75%)
Oklahoma: Bryan, 1908 (48.22%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Wilson, 1912 (95.94%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Breckinridge, 1860 (75.47%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Wilson, 1912 (65.95%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Roosevelt, 1904 (63.21%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
Buchanan, 1856
Breckinridge, 1860
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Cleveland, 1892
Bryan, 1896
McKinley, 1896
Parker, 1904
Theodore Roosevelt, 1904
Bryan, 1908
Wilson, 1912

Between 1916 and 1920

Alabama: Wilson, 1916 (76.04%)
Arizona: Wilson, 1916 (57.17%)
Arkansas: Bryan, 1896 (73.72%)
California: Roosevelt, 1904 (61.84%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Wilson, 1916 (79.51%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Roosevelt, 1904 (58.77%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Lincoln, 1864 (64.12%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Parker, 1904 (88.50%)
Maine: McKinley, 1896 (67.90%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.51%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Wilson, 1916 (92.78%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: McKinley, 1896 (59.68%)
New Mexico: Wilson, 1916 (50.20%)
New York: McKinley, 1896 (57.58%)
North Carolina: Parker, 1904 (59.71%)
North Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (75.12%)
Ohio: Roosevelt, 1904 (59.75%)
Oklahoma: Wilson, 1916 (50.59%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Wilson, 1916 (96.71%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Wilson, 1916 (76.92%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Wilson, 1916 (66.99%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Roosevelt, 1904 (63.21%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
Buchanan, 1856
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Cleveland, 1892
Bryan, 1896
McKinley, 1896
Parker, 1904
Theodore Roosevelt, 1904
Wilson, 1916

Between 1920 and 1924

Alabama: Wilson, 1916 (76.04%)
Arizona: Wilson, 1916 (57.17%)
Arkansas: Bryan, 1896 (73.72%)
California: Harding, 1920 (66.20%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Wilson, 1916 (79.51%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Parker, 1904 (88.50%)
Maine: Harding, 1920 (68.92%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Harding, 1920 (72.76%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Wilson, 1916 (92.78%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Harding, 1920 (54.68%)
New York: Harding, 1920 (64.56%)
North Carolina: Parker, 1904 (59.71%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Roosevelt, 1904 (59.75%)
Oklahoma: Wilson, 1916 (50.59%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Wilson, 1916 (96.71%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Wilson, 1916 (76.92%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Wilson, 1916 (66.99%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Whigs, 1836
Buchanan, 1856
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Cleveland, 1892
Bryan, 1896
McKinley, 1896
Parker, 1904
Theodore Roosevelt, 1904
Wilson, 1916
Harding, 1920

Between 1924 and 1928

Alabama: Wilson, 1916 (76.04%)
Arizona: Wilson, 1916 (57.17%)
Arkansas: Bryan, 1896 (73.72%)
California: Harding, 1920 (66.20%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Seymour, 1868 (59.00%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Wilson, 1916 (79.51%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: W. H. Harrison, 1836 (55.97%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Parker, 1904 (88.50%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Wilson, 1916 (92.78%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Harding, 1920 (54.68%)
New York: Harding, 1920 (64.56%)
North Carolina: Parker, 1904 (59.71%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Roosevelt, 1904 (59.75%)
Oklahoma: Wilson, 1916 (50.59%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Wilson, 1916 (96.71%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Wilson, 1916 (76.92%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Wilson, 1916 (66.99%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

Aside from the four years between 1960 and 1964 (and just in the two states for whom 1960 was their first participating election, Alaska and Hawaii), this was the last occasion on which there was any states (New Mexico and Oklahoma) in which no-one had gotten over 55.5% of the vote (or over 55% of the vote).

Between 1928 and 1932

Alabama: Wilson, 1916 (76.04%)
Arizona: Hoover, 1928 (57.57%)
Arkansas: Bryan, 1896 (73.72%)
California: Harding, 1920 (66.20%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Wilson, 1916 (79.51%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Hoover, 1928 (59.68%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Parker, 1904 (88.50%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Wilson, 1916 (92.78%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Hoover, 1928 (59.01%)
New York: Harding, 1920 (64.56%)
North Carolina: Parker, 1904 (59.71%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Hoover, 1928 (63.72%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Wilson, 1916 (96.71%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Wilson, 1916 (76.92%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Wilson, 1916 (66.99%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Buchanan, 1856
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Cleveland, 1892
Bryan, 1896
McKinley, 1896
Parker, 1904
Theodore Roosevelt, 1904
Wilson, 1916
Harding, 1920
Coolidge, 1924
Hoover, 1928

From this election onward, van Buren's one remaining record in New Hampshire is going to increasingly come across as an outlier, espeically since Buchanan remains on the list only because he is the record-holder in pre-1863 Virginia, which there have obviously not been any opportunities to improve on Buchanan in since 1863. To this day, van Buren's vote share in New Hampshire is the record for that state since 1832.

It may be recalled that Harvey Schantz implies he sees 1836 as still belonging to the era of the sectional vote pattern (although he also implies this is contrary to earlier analyses). Had we started in 1840, then Democrats Polk, Cass, and Pierce would have set the record-high vote share in the state in rapid succession in 1844, 1848, and 1852. Thereafter, Lincoln's 56.90% in 1860 would have stood until 1896; McKinley's 68.655% in 1896 would have stood until 1984; and Reagan's 68.659% in 1984 would be the current standing record in the state.

Between 1932 and 1936

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1932 (84.74%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1932 (67.03%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Harding, 1920 (66.20%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Hoover, 1928 (59.68%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1932 (95.98%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Harding, 1920 (64.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1932 (69.93%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Roosevelt, 1932 (73.30%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1932 (98.03%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Grant, 1868 (68.43%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1932 (68.46%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Buchanan, 1856
Lincoln, 1864
Grant, 1868
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Cleveland, 1892
Bryan, 1896
McKinley, 1896
Theodore Roosevelt, 1904
Harding, 1920
Coolidge, 1924
Hoover, 1928
Roosevelt, 1932

FDR wiped out the considerable number of Wilson 1916 records (as well as the two remaining Parker records). Grant's Reconstruction-era record in Tennessee (set in 1868, not 1872) would stand for one more election; after that, every candidacy that was responsible for at least one record vote share in a state after the 1936 election, still is today. And only three candidacies have subsequently set a record in a state (or state-equivalent) but is currently no longer responsible for the record high vote share in any state or state-equivalent: Eisenhower in 1956, Kerry in 2004, and Trump in 2016.

Florida might appear as a conpsicuous outlier on the last map. FDR's 74.68% in 1932 was the second-highest vote share ever achieved by a presidential nominee in Florida since statehood as of 1933--after Cleveland's 85.01% in 1892, when Benjamin Harrison was not on the ballot in the state. FDR would later surpass his '32 vote share in 1936, when he got 76.10% in Florida (which still stands as the second-highest vote share ever achieved for president in Florida).

Between 1936 and 1940

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1936 (86.38%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.85%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Roosevelt, 1936 (66.95%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Hoover, 1928 (59.68%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1936 (97.06%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Harding, 1920 (64.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (73.40%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Roosevelt, 1932 (73.30%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (98.57%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Roosevelt, 1936 (68.85%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1936 (70.23%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

van Buren, 1836
Buchanan, 1856
Lincoln, 1864
Seymour, 1868
Grant, 1872
Cleveland, 1892
Bryan, 1896
McKinley, 1896
Theodore Roosevelt, 1904
Harding, 1920
Coolidge, 1924
Hoover, 1928
Roosevelt, 1932
Roosevelt, 1936

Between 1940 and 1956

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1936 (86.38%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.85%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Roosevelt, 1936 (66.95%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: McKinley, 1896 (63.24%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Hoover, 1928 (59.68%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1936 (97.06%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Harding, 1920 (64.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1940 (74.03%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Roosevelt, 1932 (73.30%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (98.57%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Roosevelt, 1936 (68.85%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1936 (70.23%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

In 1944, for the first time (from 1836 on), no nominee set the record high vote share in any state, which also happened in 1948 and 1952. From here on out, it would not be unusual for an election to see no new record vote shares set in any state.

Between 1956 and 1960

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1936 (86.38%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.85%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Roosevelt, 1936 (66.95%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: Eisenhower, 1956 (63.72%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Eisenhower, 1956 (59.90%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1936 (97.06%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Harding, 1920 (64.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1940 (74.03%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Roosevelt, 1932 (73.30%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (98.57%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Roosevelt, 1936 (68.85%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1936 (70.23%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

Eisenhower set the record-high vote share in no state in 1952, unless I missed something. I believe this makes him the best-performing nominee (with 55.18% of the national vote) not to have done so.

One common feature of landslides is that landslide-winners generally set a number of record state vote shares, and at least a couple of them stand for several decades. (This is so whether we use the 55% definition of landslide, or the 55.5% definition, which I prefer.) This is not exclusive to landslide-winners, although, after the 1932 election, the list of nominees who are responsible for a record vote share in at least one state has continued to read largely like a list (or even the list) of landslide winners.

Eisenhower is a somewhat puzzling exception. Even in 1956--when he won the national vote by better than 1.25:1--he set records in only two states, Indiana and Connecticut. That might still be interesting if they had lasted a long time (Reagan, after all, set records in only two states in 1984, both of them small). But his record in Connecticut survived only one election, and his record in Indiana, only three. Particularly in Indiana's case, this could have been somewhat predicted by the fact that between 1956 and 1960 (Hawaii's and Alaska's first participating election), and then again between 1964 and 1972, Indiana was the only state in which no nominee (since 1832) had ever reached 60% of the vote. Reagan in 1984 and even George W. Bush in 2004 would go on to do better in Eisenhower (although not better than Nixon) in Indiana. Even in the case of Connecticut, if Eisenhower's record there still stood, that would have made it one of just six states where no nominee since 1832 would have reached 2/3 of the vote (although LBJ does remain the only nominee to have topped Eisenhower's vote share in that state--Reagan got 60.72% in 1984, and Obama, 60.59% in 2008).

With the fall of McKinley's record in Connecticut, the only state in which he remained the top performer ever was Vermont (where he remains so today) (although, as noted above, New Hampshire would have shared this distinction with Vermont until 1984, if we had begun in 1840). Vermont seems to have a somewhat odd tendency to enthuse more than other like-minded parts of the country over certain candidacies, and less than other like-minded parts of the country over certain other candidacies. It was also the last (Northern) state in which a record set by Grant in 1868 (when he did considerably less well nationally than in 1872) survived; and it was the last state in which a vote-share record set by Frémont in 1856 survived.

Between 1960 and 1964

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1936 (86.38%)
Alaska: Nixon, 1960 (50.94%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.85%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Roosevelt, 1936 (66.95%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: Eisenhower, 1956 (63.72%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Hawaii: Kennedy, 1960 (50.03%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Eisenhower, 1956 (59.90%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Lincoln, 1864 (72.22%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1936 (97.06%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Harding, 1920 (64.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1940 (74.03%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Roosevelt, 1932 (73.30%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Grant, 1872 (71.94%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (98.57%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Roosevelt, 1936 (68.85%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1936 (70.23%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

Between 1964 and 1972

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1936 (86.38%)
Alaska: Johnson, 1964 (65.91%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.85%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Roosevelt, 1936 (66.95%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: Johnson, 1964 (67.81%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Hawaii: Johnson, 1964 (78.76%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Eisenhower, 1956 (59.90%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Johnson, 1964 (76.19%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1936 (97.06%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Johnson, 1964 (68.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1940 (74.03%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Roosevelt, 1932 (73.30%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Johnson, 1964 (80.87%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (98.57%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Roosevelt, 1936 (68.85%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1936 (70.23%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Roosevelt, 1904 (66.72%)

District of Columbia: Johnson, 1964 (85.50%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

Since it became a state, the vote share record in West Virginia has always been held by Republicans. A Democrat came closest in 1964, when Lyndon Johnson got 67.94% in the state.

This was the last period in which there was a state (Indiana) in which no-one (since 1832) had gotten over 60%.

Between 1972 and 1984

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1936 (86.38%)
Alaska: Johnson, 1964 (65.91%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.85%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Roosevelt, 1936 (66.95%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: Johnson, 1964 (67.81%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Hawaii: Johnson, 1964 (78.76%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Nixon, 1972 (66.11%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Johnson, 1964 (76.19%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1936 (97.06%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Johnson, 1964 (68.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1940 (74.03%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Nixon, 1972 (73.70%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Johnson, 1964 (80.87%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (98.57%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Roosevelt, 1936 (68.85%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1936 (70.23%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Nixon, 1972 (69.01%)

District of Columbia: Johnson, 1964 (85.50%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

Between 1984 and 2004

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1936 (86.38%)
Alaska: Reagan, 1984 (66.65%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.85%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Roosevelt, 1936 (66.95%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: Johnson, 1964 (67.81%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Hawaii: Johnson, 1964 (78.76%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Nixon, 1972 (66.11%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Johnson, 1964 (76.19%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1936 (97.06%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Johnson, 1964 (68.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1940 (74.03%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Nixon, 1972 (73.70%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Johnson, 1964 (80.87%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (98.57%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Roosevelt, 1936 (68.85%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1936 (70.23%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Lincoln, 1864 (68.24%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Reagan, 1984 (70.51%)

District of Columbia: Johnson, 1964 (85.50%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

Most landslide winners have a specific area where they are particularly strong; for Reagan, this was the Mountain West, but he was unable to break Bryan's records in any states where Bryan still held them. Reagan's 1984 vote share remains the second-highest ever attained in Utah and Idaho (not necessarily a comprehensive list). (FDR in '36 remains second in Nevada and Montana, and of course, FDR in either '32 or '36 holds the record in Arizona and New Mexico, which were not states in 1896. Hoover in '28 remains second in Colorado, with Reagan third.)

Interestingly, three of the five states in which Bryan still holds the record-high vote share are 'Bryan-only-Dem-loser' states (and until 2016, when Colorado voted for Hillary Clinton, four were).

Between 2004 and 2008

District of Columbia: Kerry, 2004 (89.18%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

Between 2008 and 2016

District of Columbia: Obama, 2008 (92.46%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

Between 2016 and 2020

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1936 (86.38%)
Alaska: Reagan, 1984 (66.65%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.85%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Roosevelt, 1936 (66.95%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: Johnson, 1964 (67.81%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Hawaii: Johnson, 1964 (78.76%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Nixon, 1972 (66.11%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Johnson, 1964 (76.19%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1936 (97.06%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Johnson, 1964 (68.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1940 (74.03%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Nixon, 1972 (73.70%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Johnson, 1964 (80.87%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (98.57%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Roosevelt, 1936 (68.85%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1936 (70.23%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Trump, 2016 (68.50%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Reagan, 1984 (70.51%)

District of Columbia: Obama, 2008 (92.46%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

Between 2020 and ?

Alabama: Roosevelt, 1936 (86.38%)
Alaska: Reagan, 1984 (66.65%)
Arizona: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.85%)
Arkansas: Roosevelt, 1932 (85.96%)
California: Roosevelt, 1936 (66.95%)
Colorado: Bryan, 1896 (84.95%)
Connecticut: Johnson, 1964 (67.81%)
Delaware: Hoover, 1928 (65.03%)
Florida: Cleveland, 1892 (85.01%)
Georgia: Roosevelt, 1932 (91.60%)
Hawaii: Johnson, 1964 (78.76%)
Idaho: Bryan, 1896 (78.12%)
Illinois: Harding, 1920 (67.81%)
Indiana: Nixon, 1972 (66.11%)
Iowa: Harding, 1920 (70.91%)
Kansas: Lincoln, 1864 (79.19%)
Kentucky: Seymour, 1868 (74.55%)
Louisiana: Roosevelt, 1932 (92.79%)
Maine: Coolidge, 1924 (72.03%)
Maryland: Seymour, 1868 (67.20%)
Massachusetts: Johnson, 1964 (76.19%)
Michigan: Coolidge, 1924 (75.37%)
Minnesota: Roosevelt, 1904 (73.98%)
Mississippi: Roosevelt, 1936 (97.06%)
Missouri: Lincoln, 1864 (69.72%)
Montana: Bryan, 1896 (79.93%)
Nebraska: Grant, 1872 (70.68%)
Nevada: Bryan, 1896 (81.21%)
New Hampshire: van Buren, 1836 (75.01%)
New Jersey: Harding, 1920 (67.65%)
New Mexico: Roosevelt, 1932 (62.72%)
New York: Johnson, 1964 (68.56%)
North Carolina: Roosevelt, 1940 (74.03%)
North Dakota: Harding, 1920 (77.79%)
Ohio: Hoover, 1928 (64.89%)
Oklahoma: Nixon, 1972 (73.70%)
Oregon: Roosevelt, 1904 (67.06%)
Pennsylvania: Roosevelt, 1904 (68.00%)
Rhode Island: Johnson, 1964 (80.87%)
South Carolina: Roosevelt, 1936 (98.57%)
South Dakota: Roosevelt, 1904 (71.09%)
Tennessee: Roosevelt, 1936 (68.85%)
Texas: Roosevelt, 1932 (88.06%)
Utah: Bryan, 1896 (82.73%)
Vermont: McKinley, 1896 (80.08%)
Virginia: Roosevelt, 1936 (70.23%)
Washington: Roosevelt, 1904 (69.95%)
West Virginia: Trump, 2020 (68.62%)
Wisconsin: Harding, 1920 (71.10%)
Wyoming: Reagan, 1984 (70.51%)

District of Columbia: Obama, 2008 (92.46%)

pre-1863 Virginia: Buchanan, 1856 (59.96%)

There remain five states in which no-one has received over 2/3 of the vote (and in fact, 1964 was the last time in which a nominee received over 2/3 of the vote in a state where no nominee ever had before). The lowest all-time high vote share in a state is FDR's 1932 62.72% in New Mexico.

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Anomalies

There are some anomalous records amongst those still standing.

-van Buren is (and has been since 1928) the only antebellum nominee to still hold the record-high vote share in a state. His record vote share (75.01%, in New Hampshire) is 6.35% better than anyone else has ever done in the state. (And, from 1856 until 1964, it made New Hampshire the only state in New England in which the record-high vote share belonged to a Democrat--although van Buren did also hold the record in neighbouring Maine until 1856.)

-In 1864, 1868, and 1872 (the election during the War of Sections, and the two Reconstruction-era elections), major nominees of both parties set a number of somewhat idiosyncratic vote share records in Southern states. For example, Grant's record in Tennessee in 1868 was the only one, other than that in Vermont, to so much as survive the 1872 election (in which Grant did considerably better nationally). In 1864, opposing nominees Lincoln and McClellan simultaneously set the all-time vote share record in the neighbouring loyal border states of Missouri and Kentucky, respectively. In 1872, Grant set the record in Mississippi, which would be immediately outdone in 1876 by the nominee of the opposition party, Tilden.

I suspect that these records had mostly to do with rapidly shifting and inconsistent protocols about who could and could not vote. For example, as Kleppner notes of Missouri,

[W]ith the enforcement of [the test oath] relaxed somewhat after the 1870 enfranchisement of blacks, [white voters in the southeastern counties and Little Dixie] went to the polls in virtually unprecedented numbers and gave disproportionate support to the Democrats.

(Which likely also explains why Grant's defeat in Missouri in 1872 still stands as the worst defeat suffered by any successfully re-elected president in a state he had carried the first time--narrowly edging Obama's defeat in Indiana in 2012.)

Most of these records have since been topped, but a few remain: Lincoln's 69.72% in Missouri in 1864 (in the same election as which McClellan set a then-record 69.83% in Kentucky), and Seymour's 67.20% in Maryland and 74.55% in Kentucky in 1868 (which make Seymour the only nationally-losing nominee, other than Bryan in 1896 and Trump in 2020, who is currently responsible for the record-high vote share in any state). (In addition, Lincoln's 79.19% in Kansas in 1864 remains substantially higher than what anyone else has ever received in the state--Hoover's 72.02% in 1928. Until 1928, no nominee--not even Grant or TR--got so much as within ten points of matching Lincoln's 1864 share. And, while Lincoln's 68.24% in West Virginia in 1864 is no longer the record in that state, it took until 2016 for a nominee to outdo it--between 1864 and 1936, no-one managed to do so much as any better than 60% in the state.)

If we discounted records set in the South in 1864 and 1868, then the antebellum record in Missouri (van Buren's 59.98% in 1836) would have stood until FDR's 63.69% in 1932, which itself would have stood until Lyndon Johnson's 64.05% in 1964, which would still be the record today.

The antebellum record in Maryland (Fillmore's 54.63% in 1856) would have stood until Tilden's 56.05% in 1876, with successive records being Hoover's 57.06% in 1928, FDR's 61.50% in 1932 and 62.35% in 1936, and, finally, LBJ's 65.47% in 1964 (which remains just barely ahead of Biden's 65.36% in 2020).

The antebellum record in Kentucky (W. H. Harrison's 64.20% in 1840) would, somewhat incredibly, still stand today. However, unlike van Buren's record in New Hampshire in 1836, it would not be an outlier vis-à-vis other vote shares earned in the state. For example, the #2 vote share in Kentucky would be LBJ's 64.01% in 1964, followed by Nixon's 63.37% in 1972 and Trump's 62.52% in 2016. (If we wanted to simply remove all antebellum elections from consideration, as well as 1864 and 1868, then Tilden, with 61.41%, would have held the record until LBJ.)

And, of course, there would be no 'antebellum record' in West Virginia, but, excluding 1864 and 1868, Tilden's 56.75% would have stood as the record until Hoover's 58.43% in 1928, with successive records being FDR's 60.56% in 1936, LBJ's 67.94% in 1964, and then Trump in 2016 and 2020.

In all these cases, we can see that the record vote shares set in 1864 or 1868 were substantially higher than anyone else had done in the state, and remained substantially higher than anyone else would do in the state for decades or even over a century (in some cases, to the present day). (In Kentucky's case, it is also much higher than anyone has ever received in neighbouring--but more southerly--Tennessee, and would have made Kentucky a geographic outlier in terms of states in which anyone had ever achieved a particularly high vote share. Even after the FDR landslides, for example, these were the states that had ever been won by better than 2.5:1. Between 1928 and 1932, these would have been those states.) In fact, but for 1864 and 1868, Missouri, Maryland, and Kentucky would join the club of states in which no-one has ever gotten 2/3 of the vote (and West Virginia would have been in said club until 1964). Furthermore, in the cases of Missouri and West Virginia, the states would shortly embark on a steady streak of voting consistently for the opposition party to the party that had just set the record vote share in them (with Missouri voting Democratic in every election from 1876 through 1900, and West Virginia, in every election from 1876 through 1892).

(In the case of Kansas, incidentally--which was obviously not a border state, but whose immediate pre- and post-statehood history was uniquely [and violently] bound up with the sectional crisis--if we exclude 1864 but not 1868, then Grant's 68.82% in 1868 would have stood as the record in the state until 1928. Not only would Vermont have had company as a state with a longstanding record set by Grant in 1868, but Kansas would actually have outdone Vermont. And Grant's 1868 vote share in Kansas was not an outlier; he himself got 66.46% in 1872; Hayes [in a nationally close election] got 63.10% in 1876; and Eisenhower in 1952, Nixon in 1972, and Reagan in 1984 got 68.77%, 67.66%, and 66.27%, respectively.)

-Apart from Nevada, no-one (including himself in 1900 and 1908) had come within so much as 10% of matching William Jennings Bryan's 1896 vote share in the five states in which his vote share is still the highest ever, until 1980. (In Nevada, Franklin Roosevelt managed to do 'just' 8.40% worse than Bryan in his national landslide in 1936.) In Montana and Colorado, this is still the case; in Colorado, no-one has managed to come within 20% of Bryan's '96 vote share.

These are the Bryan-record-vote-share states by who got the second-highest vote share in them:

Colorado: Hoover, 1928 (64.72%)
Idaho: Reagan, 1984 (72.36%)
Montana: Roosevelt, 1936 (69.28%)
Nevada: Roosevelt, 1936 (72.81%)
Utah: Reagan, 1984 (74.50%)

In Colorado (the only one of these where the runner-up is neither FDR nor Reagan), Reagan's 63.44% in 1984 is the third-highest vote share ever achieved. (Notice that Colorado--which is actually one of the handful of states that has been won by better than 5:1 at least once--would, but for 1896, join the club of states in which no-one has ever gotten 2/3 of the vote.)

It's also worth pointing out that, between December 1936 and October 1980, the record in Utah would have been FDR's 69.34% in 1936. (The record in Idaho would have been TR's 65.84% until 1980. But for Bryan, Reagan would actually have set the record vote share in two states [Idaho and Utah] in his first run, in 1980--immediately breaking his own records in 1984 in both, of course.)

-And, of course, there is Cleveland's record in Florida. But for that, the record would be FDR's 76.10% in 1936.

If we discounted all the anomalies listed above (including all antebellum elections, even though W. H. Harrison's Kentucky record is not actually anomalous in the context of Kentucky), then

-These would have been the states in which FDR in '36 had set the record between December 1940 and October 1964; these, between December 1964 and October 1980; and these would be the FDR '36-record states today.

-These would be the Reagan '84-record states today.

-These would have been the Reagan '80-record states between the 1980 and 1984 elections.

-These would have been the LBJ '64-record states between December 1964 and October 1984; these, between December 1984 and October 2004; these, betwen December 2004 and October 2016; and these, today.

-These would have been the McKinley '96-record states between December 1956 and October 1984.

-These would be the Hoover '28-record states today.

-These would have been the Tilden '76-record states between December 1904 and October 1912; these, between December 1912 and October 1928; these, between December 1928 and October 1932; and this, between December 1932 and October 1964. (It's worth keeping in mind that Tilden was the only Democrat to win a majority of the national popular vote between Pierce in 1852 and FDR in 1932. Kentucky going until 1964 would have been a bit anomalous, but arguably not as much so as van Buren in New Hampshire or Seymour in Maryland or Kentucky--not only because his 'record' would have at least been broken by now, but also because his vote share was less of an outlier vis-à-vis that earned by others in Kentucky, even before 1964: Hoover, who would have broken Tilden's 'record' in two other states, got 59.33% in the state; FDR got 59.06% in 1932 and 58.51% in 1936. It was also less anomalous relative to his own national vote share: van Buren got 50.83% nationally in 1836 and was outdone by a fellow Democrat [albeit barely] just 16 years later; Seymour got 47.34%. Tilden got 50.92%, the sole Democratic majority between 1852 and 1932.)

-And these would have been the FDR '32-record states between December 1936 and October 1964.

-And, finally, these would be the (nine) states where no-one would have gotten over 2/3 of the vote.

None of this is to say that the vote share records discounted for the sake of making the above maps should be discounted. Anomalies happen, and certainly (for example) there was nothing illegimate about Bryan's vote shares in the Mountain states in 1896.

But discounting these anomalies arguably makes this a more helpful exercise for grasping more general trends. For example, it would give a fuller picture of both Reagan's and FDR's strength in the Mountain West at their respective electoral peaks (and also of the specific parts of the Mountain West where each was particularly strong). It would show LBJ to have been especially strong, not simply in the Northeast (north of the Route 30 states, or 'Northern border states') and Hawaii, but also in the border South--states which have (apart from Maryland) since become powerfully Republican, but, counterintuitively, not only did not vote for Goldwater, but, unlike the Old Confederate states Johnson carried (LBJ's home state of Texas excepted), showed less support for Goldwater than the nation overall. (It was in this same region--where, perhaps, disenfranchisement either never became as complete as farther south, and/or did not affect outcomes as much--where Tilden's hypothetical vote share records, in this scenario, would have stood the longest.)

It would also show (or argue for) Missouri's apparent belonging to the 'southwestern frontier' region (where, apart from Georgia, the states in which FDR set a record in 1932 that survived his nationally superior performance in 1936 were clustered), and subtly distinguish Wyoming (in which Reagan did not set the record high vote share in 1980) from Utah and Idaho. (And it would also show Reagan as becoming the first Republican nominee to show really particular strength in the Mountain West, and the first landslide nominee of either party to do so since FDR, as, even in this scenario, none of Eisenhower, LBJ, or Nixon would have set any record vote shares in the region, apart from Nixon in Wyoming.)

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The highest vote share ever achieved by a Democrat in a state is FDR's 98.57% in South Carolina in 1936. (This is even if we include DC as a state.) This was in the state which has been the Most Democratic State the largest number of times and on the most consistent basis.

Until 1964, the highest vote share ever achieved by a Republican in a state had been McKinley's 80.08% in Vermont in 1896, which, likewise, was (and still is) the state which had been the Most Republican State the largest number of times and on the most consistent basis. Now, however, Goldwater's 87.14% in Mississippi is the highest vote share ever achieved by a Republican in any state.

This is a map of all the states by the party of the nominee who has received the highest vote share in each state. (If we eliminated the aforementioned anomalies, that map would look like this--which goes some way to demonstrating Bryan's truly unique impact on US politics, but at the same time also serves as a reminder even today of the generic, or at least not-strictly-Bryan-dependent, support the Democracy once enjoyed in the Mountain West.) With or without the anomalies, the GOP holds the record in every Route 30 state (Harding in New Jersey and Illinois, TR in Pennsylvania, Hoover in Ohio, and Nixon in Indiana).

Disregarding the aforementioned anomalies, these are maps of the states that have ever voted for anyone by better than: 5:1, 4:1, 3.5:1, 3:1, 2.75:1, 2.5:1, and 2.25:1. (These maps arguably tell us more than would similar maps that did not disregard the aforementioned anomalies.)

Between the 1928 and 1932 elections, incidentally, these same maps (again, disregarding the aforementioned anomalies) would have looked like this:

5:1; 4:1; 3.5:1, 3:1, 2.75:1, 2.5:1, 2.25:1

Franklin Roosevelt's 1936 candidacy is the one responsible for the most state vote share records (seven), followed by a five-way tie amongst Bryan in 1896, Theodore Roosevelt in 1904, Harding in 1920, Franklin Roosevelt in 1932, and Lyndon Johnson in 1964 (with five each). As an individual, Franklin Roosevelt is, by far, responsible for the largest number of state vote share records (13, across all his candidacies).

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Record vote shares for president by state (from 1836)

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