United States presidential election in Colorado, 2004

United States presidential election in Colorado, 2004
Colorado
November 2, 2004
 
Nominee George W. Bush John Kerry
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Texas Massachusetts
Running mate Dick Cheney John Edwards
Electoral vote 9 0
Popular vote 1,101,255 1,001,000
Percentage 51.7% 47.0%

County Results
  Kerry—70-80%
  Kerry—60-70%
  Kerry—50-60%
  Kerry—<50%
  Bush—<50%
  Bush—50-60%
  Bush—60-70%
  Bush—70-80%
  Bush—80-90%
President before election

George W. Bush
Republican

 Elected President

George W. Bush
Republican

The 2004 United States presidential election in Colorado took place on November 2, 2004 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 9 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.

Colorado was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 4.67% margin of victory. Prior to the election, 10 of 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a red state. Although, both campaigns targeted it. On election day, Bush did carry Colorado, but only about half the 9% margin he won over Al Gore in 2000. Additionally, Colorado voters decided not to pass a referendum that would have split their electoral vote for this and future presidential elections.

Primaries

Campaign

Predictions

There were 12 news organizations who made state by state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.[1]

  1. D.C. Political Report: Slight Republican
  2. Associated Press: Leans Bush
  3. CNN: Bush
  4. Cook Political Report: Leans Republican
  5. Newsweek: Leans Bush
  6. New York Times: Leans Bush
  7. Rasmussen Reports: Bush
  8. Research 2000: Leans Bush
  9. Washington Post: Battleground
  10. Washington Times: Leans Bush
  11. Zogby International: Kerry
  12. Washington Dispatch: Bush

Polling

Although considered a battleground state, Bush won every single pre-election poll in the state. The final 3 polls averaged Bush leading with 51% to 44%.[2]

Fundraising

Bush raised $2,598,226.[3] Kerry raised $3,229,631.[4]

Advertising and visits

In the fall election campaign, the Republican ticket visited Colorado 5 times. The Democratic ticket visited 7 times.[5] Bush and Kerry also heavily advertised each week. Bush spent just over $400,000 each week. Kerry spent over $500,000 each week.[6]

Analysis

The key to Bush's victory in the state was winning the largely populated counties such as Jefferson County, Douglas County, El Paso County, and Arapahoe County. Although nationally Bush did better, his results in Colorado were lower than in 2000.

Results

United States presidential election in Colorado, 2004[7]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican George W. Bush 1,101,255 51.69% 9
Democratic John Kerry 1,001,732 47.02% 0
Independent Ralph Nader 12,718 0.60% 0
Libertarian Michael Badnarik 7,664 0.36% 0
Constitution Michael Peroutka 2,562 0.12% 0
Green David Cobb 1,591 0.07% 0
Independent Stanford Andress 804 0.04% 0
Independent Write-Ins 700 0.03% 0
Concerns of People Gene Amondson 378 0.02% 0
Socialist Equality Bill Van Auken 329 0.02% 0
Socialist Workers Roger Calero 241 0.01% 0
Socialist Walt Brown 216 0.01% 0
Prohibition Earl Dodge 140 0.01% 0
Totals 2,130,330 100.00% 9
Voter turnout (Voting Age) 62.7%

Results breakdown

By county

County Kerry% Kerry# Bush% Bush# Others% Others#
Adams 50.6% 69,122 48.2% 65,912 1.2% 1643
Alamosa 48.0% 3,017 50.6% 3,179 1.3% 83
Arapahoe 47.5% 110,262 51.4% 119,475 1.1% 2628
Archuleta 36.7% 2,141 61.7% 3,601 1.7% 97
Baca 22.1% 483 76.9% 1,680 1.1% 23
Bent 36.4% 785 62.1% 1,338 1.5% 32
Boulder 66.3% 105,564 32.4% 51,586 1.3% 2109
Broomfield 47.1% 10,935 51.7% 12,007 1.3% 293
Chaffee 42.9% 3,766 55.6% 4,875 1.5% 129
Cheyenne 17.5% 198 81.4% 923 1.1% 13
Clear Creek 53.3% 2,989 44.9% 2,522 1.8% 102
Conejos 49.8% 1,894 49.0% 1,864 1.2% 45
Costilla 66.5% 1,170 32.2% 566 1.4% 24
Crowley 32.0% 478 67.4% 1,006 0.6% 9
Custer 30.4% 739 68.2% 1,657 1.3% 32
Delta 29.8% 4,224 68.7% 9,722 1.5% 213
Denver 69.6% 166,135 29.3% 69,903 1.2% 2788
Dolores 29.1% 333 68.5% 785 2.4% 28
Douglas 32.7% 39,661 66.5% 80,651 0.7% 889
Eagle 52.6% 9,744 46.1% 8,533 1.3% 234
El Paso 32.1% 77,648 66.7% 161,361 1.1% 2779
Elbert 24.9% 2,834 73.8% 8,389 1.2% 141
Fremont 32.0% 5,933 66.5% 12,313 1.5% 280
Garfield 44.7% 9,228 53.9% 11,123 1.4% 296
Gilpin 56.5% 1,807 41.6% 1,329 1.9% 60
Grand 42.6% 3,243 56.0% 4,260 1.4% 106
Gunnison 56.8% 4,782 41.3% 3,479 1.9% 159
Hinsdale 39.2% 236 59.0% 355 1.8% 11
Huerfano 48.9% 1,663 50.0% 1,700 1.1% 39
Jackson 22.5% 210 76.0% 710 1.5% 14
Jefferson 46.6% 126,558 51.8% 140,644 1.6% 4366
Kiowa 19.3% 172 79.8% 712 0.9% 8
Kit Carson 20.8% 729 77.7% 2,721 1.5% 52
La Plata 52.6% 13,409 45.9% 11,704 1.6% 400
Lake 55.0% 1,623 42.8% 1,261 2.2% 65
Larimer 46.6% 68,266 51.8% 75,884 1.6% 2286
Las Animas 50.1% 3,300 48.5% 3,196 1.5% 96
Lincoln 21.5% 503 77.8% 1,819 0.6% 15
Logan 28.4% 2,491 70.4% 6,168 1.2% 107
Mesa 31.6% 19,564 67.1% 41,539 1.3% 782
Mineral 36.7% 227 61.9% 383 1.5% 9
Moffat 23.7% 1,355 74.2% 4,247 2.1% 123
Montezuma 35.1% 3,867 63.4% 6,988 1.5% 160
Montrose 29.4% 4,776 69.2% 11,218 1.4% 225
Morgan 30.6% 3,039 68.3% 6,787 1.1% 110
Otero 38.7% 3,164 60.5% 4,947 0.8% 69
Ouray 47.0% 1,278 51.5% 1,402 1.5% 41
Park 41.2% 3,445 57.2% 4,781 1.6% 131
Phillips 25.0% 582 73.8% 1,717 1.1% 26
Pitkin 68.4% 6,335 30.1% 2,784 1.5% 137
Prowers 27.6% 1,308 71.5% 3,392 0.9% 45
Pueblo 52.6% 35,369 46.3% 31,117 1.0% 701
Rio Blanco 18.8% 566 80.0% 2,403 1.1% 34
Rio Grande 36.3% 2,006 62.4% 3,448 1.3% 72
Routt 54.3% 6,392 44.2% 5,199 1.5% 171
Saguache 56.9% 1,594 41.5% 1,163 1.6% 46
San Juan 52.1% 253 44.4% 216 3.5% 17
San Miguel 71.6% 2,876 26.8% 1,079 1.6% 64
Sedgwick 27.5% 374 71.4% 971 1.1% 15
Summit 59.3% 8,144 39.1% 5,370 1.6% 221
Teller 30.0% 3,556 68.3% 8,094 1.6% 192
Washington 18.0% 455 81.0% 2,050 1.0% 25
Weld 35.9% 31,868 62.7% 55,591 1.3% 1194
Yuma 23.3% 1,064 75.8% 3,456 0.9% 39

By congressional district

Bush won 4 of 7 congressional districts.[8]

District Bush Kerry Representative
1st 31% 68% Diana DeGette
2nd 41% 58% Mark Udall
3rd 55% 44% Scott McInnis
John Salazar
4th 58% 41% Marilyn Musgrave
5th 66% 33% Joel Hefley
6th 60% 39% Tom Tancredo
7th 48% 51% Bob Beauprez

Electors

Technically the voters of Colorado cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Colorado is allocated 9 electors because it has seven congressional districts and two senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of nine electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all nine electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for President and Vice President. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004 to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.[9]

  1. Theodore S. Halaby
  2. Robert A. Martinez
  3. Lilly Y. Nunez
  4. Cynthia H. Murphy
  5. Sylvia Morgan-Smith
  6. Diane B. Gallagher
  7. Vicki A. Edwards
  8. Frances W. Owens
  9. Booker T. Graves

Failed election reform

There was a Constitutional amendment put on the ballot in the state to alter the way the state's electors would be distributed among presidential candidates, but was rejected by the voters in 2004.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.dcpoliticalreport.com/members/2004/Pred2.htm#NW[]
  2. ↑ http://uselectionatlas.org/USPRESIDENT/GENERAL/CAMPAIGN/2004/polls.php?fips=8
  3. ↑ http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/campaigns/george_w_bush.asp?cycle=04
  4. ↑ http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/campaigns/john_f_kerry.asp?cycle=04
  5. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/showdown/CO/
  6. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/campaign.ads/
  7. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/CO/
  8. ↑ http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/4161/
  9. ↑ http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2004_certificates/
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