2016 United States presidential election in California

2016 United States presidential election in California

← 2012 November 8, 2016 2020 →
Turnout75.27% (of registered voters) Increase 2.91 pp
58.74% (of eligible voters) Increase 3.27 pp[1]
 
Nominee Hillary Clinton Donald Trump
Party Democratic Republican
Alliance American Independent
Home state New York New York
Running mate Tim Kaine Mike Pence
Electoral vote 55 0
Popular vote 8,753,788 4,483,810
Percentage 61.73% 31.62%


President before election

Barack Obama
Democratic

Elected President

Donald Trump
Republican

Treemap of the popular vote by county

The 2016 United States presidential election in California was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. California voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. California had 55 electoral votes in the Electoral College, the most of any state.[2]

Clinton won the state with 61.73 percent of the vote and a 30.11 percent margin. Despite being the largest state by population in the country, California only delivered Trump his third largest vote count, behind Florida and Texas. Even though Clinton lost the presidency, her victory margin in California was the largest of any Democrat since 1936. She also was the first Democrat to win Orange County since that same year, making Trump the first ever Republican to win the presidency without winning the county. Trump's 31.62% vote share remains the worst performance by a Republican presidential nominee since 1856. The state was one of 11 (along with the District of Columbia) that shifted towards the Democrats.

  1. ^ "Historical Voter Registration and Participation in Statewide General Elections 1910-2018" (PDF). California Secretary of State.
  2. ^ "Distribution of Electoral Votes". National Archives and Records Administration. September 19, 2019. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2020.