Elections in New England
Elections inNew Englandhave been defined by the region's political and cultural history, demographics, economy, and its loyalty to particular U.S. political parties. Within theelections in the United States,New England is sometimes viewed in terms of a single voting bloc.
Presidential[edit]
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| Nonpartisan | Federalist | Democratic-Republican | National Republican | Democratic | Anti-Masonic | Whig | Republican |
- Bolddenotes election winner.
In the2000 presidential election,Democratic candidateAl Gorecarried all of the New England states except forNew Hampshire,and in2004,John Kerry,a New Englander himself, won all six New England states.[1]In both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, every congressional district with the exception ofNew Hampshire's 1st districtwere won by Gore and Kerry respectively. During the 2008 Democratic primaries,Hillary Clintonwon the three New England states containingGreater Boston(Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire), whileBarack Obamawon the three that did not (Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont). In the2008 presidential election,Obama carried all six states by 9 percentage points or more.[2]He carried every county in New England except forPiscataquis County,Maine,which he lost by 4% to SenatorJohn McCain(R-AZ). As of the 2010 census, New England collectively has 33electoral votes.
The six states of New England voted for the DemocraticPresidential nomineein the 1992, 1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012 elections, and every state but New Hampshire voted forAl Gorein thepresidential election of 2000.In the113th CongresstheHouse delegationsfrom all six states of New England are all Democratic. New England is home to the only two independent politicians currently serving in the U.S. Senate:Angus King,who represents Maine andBernie Sanders,who represents Vermont.
New Hampshire primary[edit]
Historically, theNew Hampshire primaryhas been the first in a series of nationwide political partyprimary electionsheld in the United States every four years. Held in the state ofNew Hampshire,it usually marks the beginning of theU.S. presidential electionprocess. Even though few delegates are chosen from New Hampshire, the primary has always been pivotal to both New England and American politics. One college in particular,Saint Anselm College,has been home to numerous national presidential debates and visits by candidates to its campus.[3]
Local factories and diners are valuable photo opportunities for candidates, who hope to use this quintessential New England image to their advantage by portraying themselves as sympathetic to blue collar workers. Media coverage of the primary enables candidates low on funds to "rally back"; an example of this was PresidentBill Clintonwho referred to himself as "The Comeback Kid" following the 1992 primary. National media outlets have converged on small New Hampshire towns, such as during the 2007 and 2008 national presidential debates held at Saint Anselm College in the town ofGoffstown.[4][5]Goffstown and other towns in New Hampshire have been experiencing this influx of national media since the 1950s.
Political party strength[edit]
Judging purely by party registration rather than voting patterns, New England today is one of the most Democratic regions in the U.S.,[6][7][8]with four of the six states considered among the most solidly Democratic in the country. New Hampshire and Maine are generally swing states in federal elections.[9]Republicans in New England are considered by both liberals and conservatives to be more moderate (even socially liberal) compared to Republicans in other parts of the U.S.[10]
| State | Governor | Senior U.S. Senator | Junior U.S. Senator | U.S. House Delegation | Upper House Majority | Lower House Majority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT | N. Lamont | R. Blumenthal | C. Murphy | Democratic 5–0 | Democratic 23–13 | Democratic 97–54 |
| ME | J. Mills | S. Collins | A. King[‡] | Democratic 2–0 | Democratic 22-13 | Democratic 80–65-4-1-1 |
| MA | M. Healey | E. Warren | E. Markey | Democratic 9–0 | Democratic 37-3 | Democratic 129–31 |
| NH | C. Sununu | J. Shaheen | M. Hassan | Democratic 2–0 | Republican 14–10 | Republican 208–187 |
| RI | D. McKee | J. Reed | S. Whitehouse | Democratic 2–0 | Democratic 33–5 | Democratic 65-10 |
| VT | P. Scott | P. Leahy | B. Sanders[‡] | Democratic 1–0 | Democratic 21–7–2 | Democratic 92–46–7–5 |
See also[edit]
- Politics of New England
- Elections in Vermont
- Elections in New Hampshire
- Elections in Maine
- Elections in Massachusetts
- Elections in Connecticut
- Elections in Rhode Island
Notes[edit]
- †Clinton and Biden won the overall state, butDonald TrumpwonMaine's 2nd congressional districtin the2016and2020elections.
- ‡Elected as an independent, but caucuses with the Democratic Party.
References[edit]
- ^"2006 Political Party Breakdown by State".The Green Papers.RetrievedJuly 19,2006.
- ^"Election Center 2008".CNN.RetrievedOctober 4,2008.
- ^"Mike Huckabee: Mike Huckabee's Weekly Schedule for Sept. 24".All American Patriots website.September 25, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon March 21, 2012.RetrievedMarch 21,2012.
- ^"Candidates Face Off At St. Anselm's College".CBS News.January 7, 2008.
- ^"Election Center 2008 - Election & Politics News from CNN".CNN.RetrievedMay 20,2010.
- ^Salzman, Avi (December 18, 2005)."A Laboratory For Liberals?".New York Times.RetrievedJuly 20,2010.
- ^"New England grapples with first execution".Concord Monitor. May 13, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon May 15, 2011.RetrievedJuly 20,2010.
- ^Grynbaum, Michael M. (June 8, 2006)."Gregg cites states' rights in voting against amendment".Boston Globe.RetrievedJuly 20,2010.
- ^"Number of Solidly Democratic States Cut in Half From '08 to '10".Gallup. February 21, 2011.RetrievedJune 22,2012.
- ^Purple, Matt (April 10, 2010)."No More 'New England Republicans'".The American Spectator.Archived fromthe originalon December 15, 2013.RetrievedDecember 15,2013.
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