North Dakota 2008 Presidential Election Analysis

It was a close race in North Dakota this year between Barack Obama and John McCain for the presidential election, especially considering North Dakota is traditionally a Republican state. As I mentioned in my pre-election coverage of the polls in North Dakota, the last time North Dakotans voted for a Democratic presidential candidate was when they voted for Lyndon B. Johnson.

John McCain Won North Dakota's Three Electoral Votes

According to the post-election data for North Dakota on WashingtonPost.com, the vote was split 53% - 45% in favor of McCain. It was no shock that John McCain took North Dakota; however, earlier polls at RealClearPolitics.com showed the race between Barack Obama and John McCain was within two percentage points.

According to RasmussenReports.com, Sarah Palin caused the increase in McCain support. In a September 10, 2008 article, a Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of North Dakota voters showed McCain with a 14-point percentage lead against Obama (55% - 41%). Earlier, in July, the article said the two candidates were tied. 58% of North Dakotans polled favored John McCain's choice for vice president.

Past Elections in North Dakota

North Dakota has only voted once for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1936. In 2004, George W. Bush led by 27 points over John Kerry and 28 points four years earlier in the race against Al Gore. John McCain's eight-point lead demonstrates just how close North Dakota came to voting Democrat.

Voter Turnout in North Dakota

One disappointment for me was how many North Dakotans didn't vote for either candidate. John McCain gained 168,523 votes in North Dakota; Barack Obama had 141,113. The total population for North Dakota is 693,715. According to North Dakota demographics, only 45% (309,636) of the age-eligible voters (588,536) cast their ballots in this presidential election.

Campaign Funding in North Dakota

One thing I found interesting was that Barack Obama raised more money in North Dakota than did John McCain. According to WashingtonPost.com, Barack Obama's North Dakota receipts totaled $27,802, whereas John McCain's campaign dollars were just $9,500. Barack Obama's presence in North Dakota and his Internet campaigning played major rolls in the amount of fundraising he was able to do.

The top contributing cities in North Dakota for both parties were Fargo with $11,725, Bismarck with $8,724, and Grand Forks with $4,110. Barack Obama's campaign raised almost three-quarters of that $37,302.

Presidential Candidates Presence in North Dakota

John McCain did not come to North Dakota during his presidential campaign. Barack Obama did not shrug off North Dakota and its three electoral votes. Obama visited the state twice, once in Fargo and once in Grand Forks. Barack Obama also set up campaign offices throughout North Dakota.

Sources:

"Presidential Polls in North Dakota", AssociatedContent.com

"North Dakota Presidential Election", WashingtonPost.com

"Election 2008: North Dakota Presidential Election", RasmussenReports.com

"North Dakota Democrats: Go Vote", AssociatedContent.com