Although three of the five state with the most similar presidential preferences are in the Northeast region, the top two are actually in other parts of the country. In the last two decades, New Jersey has voted for Democratic candidates in all presidential elections. The five states with the least similar presidential voting preferences are all located in the South. This is because they used to vote for Democrats but now prefer Republicans. New Jersey is the opposite.
5 States with similar presidential preferences to New Jersey
- Illinois and New Jersey are not neighbors, but they have voted for the same presidential candidates in every election since 1952. The last time they did not prefer the same ticket was in 1948. In that year New Jersey voted for the Republican Thomas Dewey, while Illinois voted for the Democrat Harry S. Truman.
- California is on the opposite side of the country, but it has voted for the same candidates in presidential elections as New Jersey since 1952, with the exception of 1960. In that election, Richard Nixon, who represented California, won the state, while John F. Kennedy won New Jersey. Since Bill Clinton won in 1992, Democrats have won these states in every election.
- Delaware is located just to the south of New Jersey. These states have voted similarly in presidential elections as well. Since 1960, these states have preferred the same presidential ticket in every election, except for the 1976 contest. In that year, Delaware voted for Jimmy Carter, while New Jersey voted for Gerald Ford.
- Connecticut is another state in the Northeast region that borders New York. Since 1960, the states have voted for the same ticket in every election, with the exception of 1968. In that year, Connecticut voted for the Democrat, Hubert Humphrey. In contrast, New Jersey voted for Richard Nixon.
- Vermont is another state in New England, although it has vastly different demographics from other states on this list. Vermont and New Jersey have voted for the same presidential candidate in every election since 1964. However, in 1960, Vermont preferred Richard Nixon, while New Jersey preferred John F. Kennedy.
5 States with least similar presidential preferences to New Jersey
New Jersey 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: George H.W. Bush (R)
1984: Ronald Reagan (R)
1980: Ronald Reagan (R)
1976: Gerald Ford (R)
1972: Richard Nixon (R)
1968: Richard Nixon (R)
1964: Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
1960: John F. Kennedy (D)