Portage County · Presidential elections
Portage County in presidential elections, 1852-2024
Portage County has voted in 44 presidential elections in this record, from 1852 to 2024. It went Republican 27 times and Democratic 17 times. It has voted Republican in every presidential election since 2016, 3 in a row; the last Democrat to carry it was Barack Obama in 2012, by 5.5 points. In 2024 Donald J Trump won it with 57.29% of the vote, a 15.5-point margin over Kamala D Harris. Measured as the Republican share minus the Democratic share, the county was 4.3 points more Republican than Ohio, and it ranked 75th of 88 counties from most Republican to most Democratic.
What 44 elections add up to
Each line is worked out from the table further down. "Margin" there is the winner's share minus the runner-up's; "lean" is the Republican share minus the Democratic share.
- With the nation
- Portage County voted for the candidate who won the presidency in 36 of 44 elections, 1st among Ohio's 88 counties by that count. The most recent miss was 2020, when it voted for Donald J Trump and the country elected Joe Biden.
- With Ohio
- It voted the same way as Ohio as a whole in 40 of 44 elections. The last time it parted from the state was 2004: John Kerry carried the county, George W. Bush carried Ohio.
- Years it changed sides
- The party carrying the county changed 11 times: in 1856, 1912, 1920, 1932, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1992 and 2016.
- Closest result
- 1932: Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) over Herbert Hoover by 0.38 points, 76 votes.
- Widest result
- 1928: Herbert Hoover (Republican) with 71.31%, 43.2 points ahead of Al Smith.
- Biggest move toward the Republicans
- From 1916 to 1920 the margin moved 34.9 points toward the Republicans, from D+14.7 to R+20.2.
- Biggest move toward the Democrats
- From 1928 to 1932 the margin moved 43.6 points toward the Democrats, from R+43.2 to D+0.4.
- Outside the two parties
- Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive) took 34.97% in 1912, 2,583 votes, the largest share any candidate outside the two major parties has won in the county.
- Where it stands among the 88
- Ranked by margin each year, from most Republican (1st) to most Democratic, the county stood highest in 1856 (18th of 88, R+18.0) and lowest in 1972 (83rd of 88, R+5.6). Since 2000 it has moved from 78th to 75th.
- Votes and turnout
- 4,854 votes were counted for president in 1852 and 83,226 in 2024. Turnout in 2024 was 75.78% of registered voters, 27th among the 88 counties (Ohio: 71.71%).
Every election at a glance
One bar per election, oldest at the left; bar height is the winning margin, color the winner's party. The dot rows mark the years the county matched Ohio's winner and the nation's. Each bar opens that year's full count.
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Year | Winner | Party | Margin | Matched Ohio's winner | Matched the nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1852 | Franklin Pierce | D | 9.4 points | matched | matched |
| 1856 | John C. Frémont | R | 18.0 points | matched | missed |
| 1860 | Abraham Lincoln | R | 21.2 points | matched | matched |
| 1864 | Abraham Lincoln | NU | 28.8 points | matched | matched |
| 1868 | Ulysses S. Grant | R | 20.8 points | matched | matched |
| 1872 | Ulysses S. Grant | R | 17.4 points | matched | matched |
| 1876 | Rutherford B. Hayes | R | 10.5 points | matched | matched |
| 1880 | James A. Garfield | R | 11.6 points | matched | matched |
| 1884 | James G. Blaine | R | 8.7 points | matched | missed |
| 1888 | Benjamin Harrison | R | 8.4 points | matched | matched |
| 1892 | Benjamin Harrison | R | 5.3 points | matched | missed |
| 1896 | William McKinley | R | 1.0 points | matched | matched |
| 1900 | William McKinley | R | 8.1 points | matched | matched |
| 1904 | Theodore Roosevelt | R | 29.5 points | matched | matched |
| 1908 | William Howard Taft | R | 6.2 points | matched | matched |
| 1912 | Woodrow Wilson | D | 3.7 points | matched | matched |
| 1916 | Woodrow Wilson | D | 14.7 points | matched | matched |
| 1920 | Warren G. Harding | R | 20.2 points | matched | matched |
| 1924 | Calvin Coolidge | R | 40.6 points | matched | matched |
| 1928 | Herbert Hoover | R | 43.2 points | matched | matched |
| 1932 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | D | 0.4 points | matched | matched |
| 1936 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | D | 25.7 points | matched | matched |
| 1940 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | D | 3.7 points | matched | matched |
| 1944 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | D | 1.0 points | missed | matched |
| 1948 | Harry S. Truman | D | 1.5 points | matched | matched |
| 1952 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | R | 11.8 points | matched | matched |
| 1956 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | R | 18.1 points | matched | matched |
| 1960 | Richard Nixon | R | 2.9 points | matched | missed |
| 1964 | Lyndon B. Johnson | D | 36.5 points | matched | matched |
| 1968 | Hubert Humphrey | D | 3.5 points | missed | missed |
| 1972 | Richard Nixon | R | 5.6 points | matched | matched |
| 1976 | Jimmy Carter | D | 14.8 points | matched | matched |
| 1980 | Ronald Reagan | R | 4.7 points | matched | matched |
| 1984 | Ronald Reagan | R | 15.1 points | matched | matched |
| 1988 | George H.W. Bush | R | 1.4 points | matched | matched |
| 1992 | Bill Clinton | D | 12.7 points | matched | matched |
| 1996 | Bill Clinton | D | 18.0 points | matched | matched |
| 2000 | Al Gore | D | 5.0 points | missed | missed |
| 2004 | John Kerry | D | 6.6 points | missed | missed |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | D | 9.0 points | matched | matched |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | D | 5.5 points | matched | matched |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | R | 10.0 points | matched | matched |
| 2020 | Donald J Trump | R | 12.5 points | matched | missed |
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | R | 15.5 points | matched | matched |
Year by year, 1852 to 2024
Newest first. Rank is the county's place among Ohio's counties that year from most Republican (1) to most Democratic, by lean. Lincoln's 1864 National Union ticket is counted as Republican and Horace Greeley's 1872 Liberal Republican ticket, which the Democrats also nominated, as Democratic; 1852 had no Republican ticket, so it has no lean or rank.
| Year | Carried by | Party | Share | Runner-up | Margin | Lean | Ohio | Rank | With Ohio | With the nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 57.29% | Kamala D Harris | 15.5 | R+15.5 | R+11.2 | 75 | Yes | Yes |
| 2020 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 55.5% | Joseph R Biden Jr. | 12.5 | R+12.5 | R+8.0 | 75 | Yes | No |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | Republican | 52.5% | Hillary Clinton | 9.9 | R+9.9 | R+8.1 | 76 | Yes | Yes |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 51.75% | Mitt Romney | 5.5 | D+5.5 | D+3.0 | 77 | Yes | Yes |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 53.52% | John McCain | 9.0 | D+9.0 | D+4.6 | 77 | Yes | Yes |
| 2004 | John Kerry | Democratic | 53.07% | George W. Bush | 6.6 | D+6.6 | R+2.1 | 77 | No | No |
| 2000 | Al Gore | Democratic | 49.99% | George W. Bush | 5.0 | D+5.0 | R+3.5 | 78 | No | No |
| 1996 | Bill Clinton | Democratic | 50.55% | Robert Dole | 18.0 | D+18.0 | D+6.4 | 78 | Yes | Yes |
| 1992 | Bill Clinton | Democratic | 42.37% | George H.W. Bush | 12.7 | D+12.7 | D+1.8 | 78 | Yes | Yes |
| 1988 | George H.W. Bush | Republican | 50.18% | Michael Dukakis | 1.4 | R+1.4 | R+10.8 | 75 | Yes | Yes |
| 1984 | Ronald Reagan | Republican | 57.14% | Walter F. Mondale | 15.1 | R+15.1 | R+18.8 | 72 | Yes | Yes |
| 1980 | Ronald Reagan | Republican | 47.37% | Jimmy Carter | 4.7 | R+4.7 | R+10.6 | 75 | Yes | Yes |
| 1976 | Jimmy Carter | Democratic | 55.72% | Gerald Ford | 14.8 | D+14.8 | D+0.2 | 78 | Yes | Yes |
| 1972 | Richard Nixon | Republican | 51.76% | George McGovern | 5.6 | R+5.6 | R+21.6 | 83 | Yes | Yes |
| 1968 | Hubert Humphrey | Democratic | 44.78% | Richard Nixon | 3.5 | D+3.5 | R+2.3 | 77 | No | No |
| 1964 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Democratic | 68.25% | Barry Goldwater | 36.5 | D+36.5 | D+25.9 | 80 | Yes | Yes |
| 1960 | Richard Nixon | Republican | 51.45% | John F. Kennedy | 2.9 | R+2.9 | R+6.6 | 77 | Yes | No |
| 1956 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Republican | 59.07% | Adlai E. Stevenson | 18.1 | R+18.1 | R+22.2 | 78 | Yes | Yes |
| 1952 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Republican | 55.88% | Adlai Stevenson | 11.8 | R+11.8 | R+13.5 | 73 | Yes | Yes |
| 1948 | Harry S. Truman | Democratic | 50.21% | Thomas E. Dewey | 1.5 | D+1.5 | D+0.2 | 68 | Yes | Yes |
| 1944 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democratic | 50.5% | Thomas E. Dewey | 1.0 | D+1.0 | R+0.4 | 76 | No | Yes |
| 1940 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democratic | 51.86% | Wendell Willkie | 3.7 | D+3.7 | D+4.4 | 72 | Yes | Yes |
| 1936 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democratic | 61.43% | Alf Landon | 25.7 | D+25.7 | D+20.6 | 77 | Yes | Yes |
| 1932 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democratic | 48.36% | Herbert Hoover | 0.4 | D+0.4 | D+2.9 | 34 | Yes | Yes |
| 1928 | Herbert Hoover | Republican | 71.31% | Al Smith | 43.2 | R+43.2 | R+30.4 | 33 | Yes | Yes |
| 1924 | Calvin Coolidge | Republican | 62.43% | John W. Davis | 40.6 | R+40.6 | R+34.6 | 20 | Yes | Yes |
| 1920 | Warren G. Harding | Republican | 58.99% | James M. Cox | 20.2 | R+20.2 | R+19.9 | 41 | Yes | Yes |
| 1916 | Woodrow Wilson | Democratic | 55.56% | Charles Evans Hughes | 14.7 | D+14.7 | D+7.7 | 61 | Yes | Yes |
| 1912 | Woodrow Wilson | Democratic | 38.65% | Theodore Roosevelt | 3.7 | D+22.9 | D+14.1 | 64 | Yes | Yes |
| 1908 | William Howard Taft | Republican | 51.16% | William Jennings Bryan | 6.2 | R+6.2 | R+6.2 | 41 | Yes | Yes |
| 1904 | Theodore Roosevelt | Republican | 62.49% | Alton B. Parker | 29.5 | R+29.5 | R+25.4 | 33 | Yes | Yes |
| 1900 | William McKinley | Republican | 52.68% | William Jennings Bryan | 8.1 | R+8.1 | R+6.6 | 42 | Yes | Yes |
| 1896 | William McKinley | Republican | 50.01% | William Jennings Bryan | 1.0 | R+1.0 | R+4.8 | 51 | Yes | Yes |
| 1892 | Benjamin Harrison | Republican | 48.83% | Grover Cleveland | 5.3 | R+5.3 | R+0.1 | 35 | Yes | No |
| 1888 | Benjamin Harrison | Republican | 52.36% | Grover Cleveland | 8.4 | R+8.4 | R+2.3 | 32 | Yes | Yes |
| 1884 | James G. Blaine | Republican | 52.11% | Grover Cleveland | 8.7 | R+8.7 | R+4.0 | 35 | Yes | No |
| 1880 | James A. Garfield | Republican | 54.97% | Winfield Scott Hancock | 11.6 | R+11.6 | R+4.7 | 30 | Yes | Yes |
| 1876 | Rutherford B. Hayes | Republican | 54.92% | Samuel J. Tilden | 10.4 | R+10.4 | R+1.1 | 31 | Yes | Yes |
| 1872 | Ulysses S. Grant | Republican | 58.03% | Horace Greeley | 17.4 | R+17.4 | R+7.1 | 30 | Yes | Yes |
| 1868 | Ulysses S. Grant | Republican | 60.41% | Horatio Seymour | 20.8 | R+20.8 | R+8.0 | 26 | Yes | Yes |
| 1864 | Abraham Lincoln | National Union | 64.4% | George B. McClellan | 28.8 | R+28.8 | R+12.7 | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| 1860 | Abraham Lincoln | Republican | 59.34% | Stephen A. Douglas | 21.2 | R+21.2 | R+10.0 | 24 | Yes | Yes |
| 1856 | John C. Frémont | Republican | 58.94% | James Buchanan | 18.0 | R+18.0 | R+4.3 | 18 | Yes | No |
| 1852 | Franklin Pierce | Democratic | 41.35% | Winfield Scott | 9.4 | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
Turnout, 1996-2024
Ballots cast in the November general election per registered voter, as the Ohio Secretary of State reports them. This record holds county turnout from 1996 on.
| Year | Registered | Ballots cast | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 111,132 | 84,211 | 75.78% |
| 2020 | 108,884 | 83,475 | 76.66% |
| 2016 | 107,183 | 77,602 | 72.4% |
| 2012 | 108,154 | 76,776 | 70.99% |
| 2008 | 109,626 | 78,990 | 72.05% |
| 2004 | 109,565 | 77,634 | 70.86% |
| 2000 | 100,554 | 64,026 | 63.67% |
| 1996 | 88,129 | 59,303 | 67.29% |
Sources
Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: 1852 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1856 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1860 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1864 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1868 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1872 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1876 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1880 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1884 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1888 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1892 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1896 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1900 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1904 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1908 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1912 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1916 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1920 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1924 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1928 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1932 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1936 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1940 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1944 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1948 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1952 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1956 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1960 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1964 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1968 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1972 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1976 United States presidential election in Ohio · 1980 United States presidential election in Ohio
- oh_1984_general_president_county.xlsx -- Ohio Secretary of State Past Election Results portal · Ohio Secretary of State · 1984-11-06 · accessed 2026-09-17
- County Presidential Election Returns 2000-2024 (V20) · MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL), Harvard Dataverse · 2000-11-07 · accessed 2026-09-17
- U.S. Electoral College results by year · National Archives and Records Administration
Cite and data
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Portage County in presidential elections, 1852-2024", https://crackedbuckeye.com/county/portage/president/, built 2026-10-20, accessed [date].
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