This chart lists the 113 counties where a majority of urban voters supported one party in the 2004 presidential election and a different party in 2008. All but one of these counties — Beaver County, Pennsylvania — flipped from Republican to Democratic.
The chart shows total votes for McCain and Obama and the percentage of the vote received by President-elect Obama.
The chart also lists when the county last switched its political allegiance in a presidential race. For example, the first county on the list, Jefferson in Alabama, had voted for the Republican nominee in every election since 1972, until switching its support to the Democrat this year.
STATE | COUNTY | COUNTY SEAT | VOTED IN ’08 | HAD BEEN UNCHANGED SINCE | OBAMA VOTE | MCCAIN VOTE | % VOTE FOR OBAMA |
AL | Jefferson | Birmingham | Democratic | 1972 | 166,015 | 149,843 | 52.25% |
CA | Butte | Oroville | Democratic | 1996 | 41,474 | 39,954 | 50.23% |
CA | Fresno | Fresno | Democratic | 1996 | 123,132 | 122,255 | 49.73% |
CA | Merced | Merced | Democratic | 2000 | 32,535 | 27,988 | 53.27% |
CA | Riverside | Riverside | Democratic | 1996 | 210,905 | 197,517 | 51.13% |
CA | San Bernardino | San Bernardino | Democratic | 2000 | 279,507 | 252,716 | 51.89% |
CA | San Diego | San Diego | Democratic | 1996 | 632,207 | 520,030 | 54.33% |
CA | San Joaquin | Stockton | Democratic | 2000 | 90,851 | 74,318 | 54.46% |
CA | San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Democratic | 1996 | 66,978 | 60,253 | 51.99% |
CA | Stanislaus | Modesto | Democratic | 2000 | 75,106 | 74,025 | 49.82% |
CA | Ventura | Ventura | Democratic | 2000 | 159,915 | 126,614 | 55.22% |
CO | Arapahoe | Littleton | Democratic | 1968 | 128,366 | 100,409 | 55.44% |
CO | Broomfield | Broomfield | Democratic | 2004 | 16,031 | 12,675 | 53.80% |
CO | Jefferson | Golden | Democratic | 1968 | 155,020 | 129,291 | 54.24% |
CO | Larimer | Fort Collins | Democratic | 1996 | 84,461 | 68,932 | 54.76% |
DE | Kent | Dover | Democratic | 2000 | 36,392 | 29,827 | 54.26% |
FL | Hillsborough | Tampa | Democratic | 2000 | 272,461 | 235,819 | 53.38% |
FL | Osceola | Kissimmee | Democratic | 2004 | 59,081 | 39,489 | 59.69% |
FL | Pinellas | Clearwater | Democratic | 2004 | 248,050 | 209,912 | 53.87% |
GA | Chattahoochee | Cusseta | Democratic | 2004 | 830 | 811 | 49.97% |
GA | Douglas | Douglasville | Democratic | 1980 | 27,825 | 26,812 | 50.52% |
GA | Rockdale | Conyers | Democratic | 1980 | 20,526 | 16,921 | 54.29% |
IL | Boone | Belvidere | Democratic | 1948 | 11,324 | 10,396 | 51.69% |
IL | DeKalb | Sycamore | Democratic | 2000 | 25,765 | 18,260 | 58.01% |
IL | DuPage | Wheaton | Democratic | 1948 | 227,416 | 182,860 | 55.06% |
IL | Kane | Geneva | Democratic | 1948 | 105,592 | 84,223 | 55.27% |
IL | Kankakee | Kankakee | Democratic | 2000 | 24,719 | 22,508 | 51.98% |
IL | Kendall | Yorkville | Democratic | 1948 | 23,529 | 20,675 | 52.96% |
IL | Lake | Waukegan | Democratic | 2000 | 111,051 | 85,284 | 56.23% |
IL | McHenry | Woodstock | Democratic | 1948 | 71,976 | 64,595 | 52.33% |
IL | McLean | Bloomington | Democratic | 1968 | 37,551 | 36,657 | 50.18% |
IL | Macon | Decatur | Democratic | 2004 | 25,419 | 24,901 | 50.23% |
IL | Sangamon | Springfield | Democratic | 1996 | 51,176 | 46,857 | 51.82% |
IL | Vermilion | Danville | Democratic | 2000 | 16,228 | 16,046 | 49.94% |
IL | Will | Joliet | Democratic | 2000 | 154,691 | 119,049 | 56.22% |
IL | Winnebago | Rockford | Democratic | 2000 | 69,903 | 53,806 | 56.04% |
IN | Delaware | Muncie | Democratic | 2000 | 28,356 | 20,904 | 56.90% |
IN | Madison | Anderson | Democratic | 2000 | 30,152 | 26,403 | 52.58% |
IN | Porter | Valparaiso | Democratic | 2000 | 39,046 | 33,796 | 52.98% |
IN | St. Joseph | South Bend | Democratic | 2004 | 68,708 | 48,510 | 58.04% |
IN | Tippecanoe | Lafayette | Democratic | 1968 | 37,709 | 29,789 | 55.24% |
IN | Vanderburgh | Evansville | Democratic | 2000 | 39,368 | 37,449 | 50.75% |
IN | Vigo | Terre Haute | Democratic | 2000 | 25,023 | 18,111 | 57.15% |
KY | Fayette | Lexington | Democratic | 2000 | 66,042 | 59,884 | 52.00% |
LA | Caddo | Shreveport | Democratic | 2004 | 55,536 | 52,228 | 50.93% |
LA | East Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge | Democratic | 2000 | 99,652 | 95,390 | 48.20% |
MI | Berrien | St. Joseph | Democratic | 1968 | 40,376 | 36,128 | 52.25% |
MI | Calhoun | Marshall | Democratic | 2004 | 34,550 | 28,538 | 54.03% |
MI | Kent | Grand Rapids | Democratic | 1968 | 149,855 | 148,305 | 49.68% |
STATE | COUNTY | COUNTY SEAT | VOTED IN ’08 | HAD BEEN UNCHANGED SINCE | OBAMA VOTE | MCCAIN VOTE | % VOTE FOR OBAMA |
MI | Macomb | Mount Clemens | Democratic | 2004 | 223,754 | 187,645 | 53.78% |
MI | Monroe | Monroe | Democratic | 2004 | 39,180 | 35,858 | 51.64% |
MN | Clay | Moorhead | Democratic | 2000 | 16,666 | 11,978 | 57.35% |
MN | Dakota | Hastings | Democratic | 2000 | 116,778 | 104,365 | 52.17% |
MN | Olmsted | Rochester | Democratic | 1968 | 38,711 | 36,202 | 51.08% |
MN | Washington | Stillwater | Democratic | 2000 | 70,281 | 64,335 | 51.69% |
MO | Boone | Columbia | Democratic | 2004 | 46,960 | 36,803 | 55.47% |
MO | Buchanan | St. Joseph | Democratic | 2004 | 19,157 | 19,110 | 49.54% |
MT | Cascade | Great Falls | Democratic | 2000 | 17,486 | 16,675 | 50.33% |
NC | Buncombe | Asheville | Democratic | 2000 | 69,415 | 52,236 | 56.33% |
NC | Cumberland | Fayetteville | Democratic | 2004 | 73,926 | 51,596 | 58.56% |
NC | Forsyth | Winston-Salem | Democratic | 1980 | 90,712 | 73,304 | 54.85% |
NC | Pitt | Greenville | Democratic | 1996 | 39,763 | 33,429 | 54.00% |
NC | Wake | Raleigh | Democratic | 1996 | 247,914 | 183,291 | 56.93% |
ND | Cass | Fargo | Democratic | 1968 | 37,577 | 32,515 | 53.14% |
ND | Grand Forks | Grand Forks | Democratic | 1968 | 16,079 | 14,498 | 51.44% |
NE | Douglas | Omaha | Democratic | 1968 | 112,460 | 104,030 | 50.20% |
NE | Lancaster | Lincoln | Democratic | 1968 | 63,464 | 57,925 | 51.53% |
NH | Hillsborough | Manchester & Nashua | Democratic | 2000 | 104,516 | 97,331 | 51.33% |
NH | Rockingham | Brentwood | Democratic | 2000 | 83,673 | 82,102 | 50.04% |
NJ | Somerset | Somerville | Democratic | 1968 | 73,785 | 67,221 | 52.00% |
NM | Sandoval | Bernalillo | Democratic | 2000 | 32,451 | 25,097 | 56.01% |
NM | Valencia | Los Lunas | Democratic | 2000 | 15,255 | 13,094 | 53.47% |
NV | Washoe | Reno | Democratic | 1968 | 99,395 | 76,743 | 55.53% |
NV | Carson City | Carson City | Democratic | 1968 | 11,622 | 11,419 | 49.40% |
NY | Dutchess | Poughkeepsie | Democratic | 2000 | 64,759 | 55,601 | 53.65% |
NY | Orange | Goshen | Democratic | 2000 | 73,299 | 68,896 | 51.42% |
NY | Rockland | New CIty | Democratic | 2004 | 65,134 | 58,199 | 52.71% |
NY | Saratoga | Ballston Spa | Democratic | 2000 | 51,932 | 49,734 | 50.95% |
OH | Hamilton | Cincinnati | Democratic | 1968 | 208,802 | 187,862 | 52.33% |
OH | Lake | Painesville | Democratic | 2000 | 54,786 | 54,441 | 49.69% |
OH | Wood | Bowling Green | Democratic | 2000 | 32,956 | 28,819 | 52.87% |
OR | Clackamas | Oregon City | Democratic | 2000 | 102,647 | 82,974 | 54.35% |
OR | Marion | Salem | Democratic | 2000 | 61,241 | 58,625 | 50.00% |
PA | Berks | Reading | Democratic | 1968 | 92,852 | 76,044 | 54.60% |
PA | Cambria | Ebensburg | Democratic | 2004 | 30,697 | 29,981 | 50.31% |
PA | Chester | West Chester | Democratic | 1968 | 135,150 | 112,266 | 54.43% |
PA | Dauphin | Harrisburg | Democratic | 1968 | 69,588 | 58,114 | 54.26% |
PA | Beaver | Beaver | Republican | 1976 | 39,738 | 42,358 | 48.12% |
SC | Charleston | Charleston | Democratic | 1980 | 82,698 | 69,822 | 53.68% |
SD | Minnehaha | Sioux Falls | Democratic | 2000 | 39,831 | 39,241 | 49.36% |
TX | Bexar | San Antonio | Democratic | 2000 | 275,023 | 245,932 | 52.42% |
TX | Cameron | Brownsville | Democratic | 2004 | 48,401 | 26,641 | 64.09% |
TX | Dallas | Dallas | Democratic | 1968 | 424,468 | 309,477 | 57.49% |
TX | Harris | Houston | Democratic | 1968 | 588,611 | 570,143 | 50.46% |
VA | Henrico | Richmond | Democratic | 1952 | 86,262 | 67,340 | 55.82% |
VA | Loudoun | Leesburg | Democratic | 1968 | 74,607 | 63,328 | 53.65% |
VA | Montgomery | Christiansburg | Democratic | 2000 | 21,028 | 19,027 | 51.64% |
VA | Prince William | Manassas | Democratic | 1968 | 93,385 | 73,087 | 55.85% |
VA | Chesapeake city | Chesapeake | Democratic | 1980 | 53,993 | 52,624 | 48.91% |
VA | Harrisonburg city | Harrisonburg | Democratic | 1948 | 8,444 | 6,048 | 57.46% |
VA | Hopewell city | Hopewell | Democratic | 1956 | 5,285 | 4,149 | 54.26% |
VA | Manassas city | Manassas | Democratic | 1976 | 7,518 | 5,975 | 54.82% |
VA | Manassas Park city | Manassas Park | Democratic | 1980 | 2,460 | 1,634 | 55.62% |
VA | Radford city | Radford | Democratic | 2000 | 2,930 | 2,418 | 53.52% |
VA | Suffolk city | Suffolk | Democratic | 2004 | 22,233 | 18,592 | 53.98% |
VA | Winchester city | Winchester | Democratic | 1968 | 5,268 | 4,725 | 51.47% |
WA | Clark | Vancouver | Democratic | 2000 | 94,120 | 83,190 | 52.58% |
WA | Skagit | Mount Vernon | Democratic | 2000 | 29,414 | 24,202 | 54.02% |
WI | Brown | Green Bay | Democratic | 2000 | 67,241 | 55,827 | 54.37% |
WI | Outagamie | Appleton | Democratic | 2000 | 50,255 | 39,641 | 55.52% |
WI | Racine | Racine | Democratic | 2000 | 53,405 | 45,941 | 53.53% |
WI | Winnebago | Oshkosh | Democratic | 2000 | 48,156 | 37,943 | 55.59% |
WV | Monongalia | Morgantown | Democratic | 2000 | 16,853 | 15,612 | 51.57% |