Interestingly enough, four of the five states with the most similar voting history to Hawaii in presidential elections are in the Northeast region. These states tend to prefer Democrats. In contrast, the five states with the least similar voting preferences are located in the West region of the United States, in states that have disproportionally rural populations.
5 States with similar presidential preferences to Hawaii
- Rhode Island and Hawaii have voted for the same ticket in every presidential election they have both participated in. These states have only voted for Republicans twice sine 1960. In 1972, they both voted for Richard Nixon. In fact, in 1984, they also both voted for Ronald Reagan.
- Maryland and Hawaii have preferred different candidates in just one election since 1960. Maryland voted for George H.W. Bush, while Maryland voted for Michael Dukakis. Since 1992, these states have voted for Democratic candidates by a 10 percent margin or greater.
- New York and Hawaii are extremely different states, but when it comes to presidential elections, they are remarkably similar. Since 1960, the states have only preferred different candidates in one election. In 1980, Hawaii voted to re-elect Jimmy Carter, while New York voted for Ronald Reagan, like most other states.
- Massachusetts is another liberal state in the Northeast, where Democrats are extremely strong. Since 1960, Hawaii and Massachusetts have voted for different presidential candidates in just two elections. In fact, in 1972, Massachusetts was the only state that preferred George McGovern over Richard Nixon.
- Minnesota is the only state that has preferred Democratic candidates more often than Hawaii, since 1960. In 1984, Minnesota was the only state to vote for Walter Mondale. A big reason for this is that he was from Minnesota.
5 States with least similar presidential preferences to Hawaii
Hawaii Presidential Voting History
2024: Kamala Harris (D)
2020: Joe Biden (D)
2016: Hillary Clinton (D)
2012: Barack Obama (D)
2008: Barack Obama (D)
2004: John Kerry (D)
2000: Al Gore (D)
1996: Bill Clinton (D)
1992: Bill Clinton (D)
1988: Michael Dukakis (D)
1984: Ronald Reagan (R)
1980: Jimmy Carter (D)
1976: Jimmy Carter (D)
1972: Richard Nixon (R)
1968: Hubert Humphrey (D)
1964: Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
1960: John F. Kennedy (D)