Presidential election in Colorado, 2016

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Colorado
2020
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General election in Colorado
  Date: November 8, 2016
2016 winner: Hillary Clinton
Electoral votes: Nine
2012 winner: Barack Obama (D)
Democratic Caucuses
  Date: March 1, 2016
Winner: Bernie Sanders
Republican Primary
  Date: March 1, 2016
Winner: -
Down ballot races in Colorado
  U.S. Senate
U.S. House
Colorado State Senate
Colorado House of Representatives
Colorado judicial elections
Colorado local judicial elections
State ballot measures
Recalls
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See also: Presidential battleground states, 2016

Colorado held an election for the president of the United States on November 8, 2016. Democratic and Republican caucuses took place on March 1, 2016, though Republicans did not hold a presidential preference poll with their caucuses. Colorado was considered a key battleground state in the 2016 general election.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Hillary Clinton won Colorado in the general election.
  • In 2016, Colorado had nine electoral votes, which was 1.7 percent of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs and 3.3 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the general election.
  • Between 1900 and 2016, Colorado cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 73.33 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Colorado supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 63.33 to 36.67 percent. In presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Colorado was accurate in voting for a winning president 80 percent of the time.
  • Presidential caucuses in Colorado took place on March 1, 2016. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic caucuses with 59 percent of the vote. Republicans in Colorado did not hold a presidential preference poll in 2016, but, at the Colorado district and state GOP conventions in April, Ted Cruz won 30 delegates who pledged their support to him on their intent-to-run forms.
  • General election candidates and results

    See also: Ballot access for presidential candidates

    The candidate list below is based on an official list on the Colorado secretary of state website. The candidate names below appear in the order in which they were listed on the official list—not necessarily the order in which they appeared on the ballot in November. Write-in candidates were not included in the list below.

    Presidential candidates on the ballot in Colorado

    Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine (Democratic)
    Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican)
    Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley (American Constitution)
    Gary Johnson/Bill Weld (Libertarian)
    Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka (Green)
    Frank Atwood/Blake Huber (Approval Voting)
    Roque De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg (American Delta)
    Jim Hedges/Bill Bayes (Prohibition)
    Tom Hoefling/Steve Schulin (America's)
    Chris Keniston/Deacon Taylor (Veterans)
    Alyson Kennedy/Osborne Hart (Socialist Workers)
    Kyle Kenley Kopitke/Nathan R. Sorenson (Independent American)
    Laurence Kotlikoff/Edward Lea (Kotlikoff for President)
    Gloria Estela La Riva/Dennis J. Banks (Socialism and Liberation)
    Bradford Lyttle/Hannah Walsh (Nonviolent Resistance/Pacifist)
    Joseph A. Maldonado/Douglass K. Terranova (Independent People of Colorado)
    Michael A. Maturen/Juan Munoz (American Solidarity)
    Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson (Unaffiliated)[1]
    Ryan Alan Scott/Bruce Kendall Barnard (Unaffiliated)
    Rod Silva/Richard C. Silva (Nutrition)
    Mike Smith/Daniel White (Unaffiliated)
    Emidio Soltysik/Angela Nicole Walker (Socialist Party USA)

    Results

    U.S. presidential election, Colorado, 2016
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngHillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 48.2% 1,338,870 9
         Republican Donald Trump/Mike Pence 43.3% 1,202,484 0
         American Constitution Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley 0.4% 11,699 0
         Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 5.2% 144,121 0
         Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 1.4% 38,437 0
         Approval Voting Frank Atwood/Blake Huber 0% 337 0
         American Delta Roque De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg 0% 1,255 0
         Prohibition Jim Hedges/Bill Bayes 0% 185 0
         America's Tom Hoefling/Steve Schulin 0% 710 0
         Veterans Chris Keniston/Deacon Taylor 0.2% 5,028 0
         Socialist Workers Alyson Kennedy/Osborne Hart 0% 452 0
         Independent American Kyle Kenley Kopitke/Nathan R. Sorenson 0% 1,096 0
         Kotlikoff for President Laurence Kotlikoff/Edward Lea 0% 392 0
         Socialism and Liberation Gloria Estela La Riva/Dennis J. Banks 0% 531 0
         Nonviolent Resistance/Pacifist Bradford Lyttle/Hannah Walsh 0% 382 0
         Independent People of Colorado Joseph A. Maldonado/Douglass K. Terranova 0% 872 0
         American Solidarity Michael A. Maturen/Juan Munoz 0% 862 0
         Unaffiliated Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson 1% 28,917 0
         Unaffiliated Ryan Alan Scott/Bruce Kendall Barnard 0% 749 0
         Nutrition Rod Silva/Richard C. Silva 0% 751 0
         Unaffiliated Mike Smith/Daniel White 0.1% 1,819 0
         Socialist Party USA Emidio Soltysik/Angela Nicole Walker 0% 271 0
         - Other/Write-in 0% 27 0
    Total Votes 2,780,247 9
    Election results via: Federal Election Commission

    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties: The counties that voted Obama-Obama-Trump from 2008-2016

    Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012, in 34 states.[2] Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes, and had an average margin of victory of 11.45 percent. The political shift in these counties could have a broad impact on elections at every level of government for the next four years.

    Historical election trends

    See also: Presidential election accuracy

    Below is an analysis of Colorado's voting record in presidential elections. The state's accuracy is based on the number of times a state has voted for a winning presidential candidate. The majority of statistical data is from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled, here, by Ballotpedia, unless otherwise noted.

    Presidential election voting record in Colorado, 1900-2016

    Between 1900 and 2016:

    • Colorado participated in 30 presidential elections.
    • Colorado voted for the winning presidential candidate 73.33 percent of the time. The average accuracy of voting for winning presidential candidates for all 50 states in this time frame was 72.31 percent.[3]
    • Colorado voted Democratic 36.67 percent of the time and Republican 63.33 percent of the time.

    Presidential election voting record in Colorado, 2000-2016

    *An asterisk indicates that that candidate also won the national electoral vote in that election.

    Election results

    2012

    2008

    Polling

    Ballotpedia's battleground state polling averages were based on polls that came out over a 20- to 30-day period. For example, an average might have covered all polls that were released for a state between September 1, 2016, and September 30, 2016. They were not weighted. Polling averages were checked and updated daily.

    Electoral votes

    See also: Electoral College

    The president of the United States is not elected by popular vote but rather by electors in the Electoral College. In fact, when Americans vote for president, they are actually voting for a slate of electors selected by members of Democratic and Republican state parties or nominated in some other fashion. Under this system, which is laid out in Article 2, Section 1, of the Constitution, each state is allocated one electoral vote for every member of their congressional delegation, meaning one for each member of the U.S. House and one for each of their two Senators.

    Colorado electors

    In 2016, Colorado had nine electoral votes. Colorado's share of electoral votes represented 1.7 percent of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs in the general election and 3.3 percent of the 270 votes needed to be elected president. Democratic and Republican electors in Colorado were selected at state party conventions.

    "Faithless electors"

    The U.S. Constitution does not dictate how presidential electors are to cast their votes, but, in general, electors are expected to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state or the candidates of the party that nominated them to serve as electors. Electors who choose not to vote for the winner of the popular vote or the candidates of the party that nominated them are known as "faithless electors." Faithless electors are rare. Between 1900 and 2012, there were only eight known instances of faithless electors.

    Several states have passed laws against faithless electors and require electors to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state, for the candidate of the party that nominated them to serve as electors, or in accordance with any pledge they may have been required to make at the time of their nomination. In states with these types of laws, faithless electors can be fined or replaced, or their votes can be nullified.[5][6]

    Colorado was one of 31 states in 2016—including the District of Columbia—with a law seeking to bind the votes of presidential electors.

    State campaign staff

    Prior to the November 8, 2016, election, each campaign put in place paid staff, volunteers, and political operatives in each state in efforts to gain votes and influence voter turnout on election day. The following details some of the key staff for each campaign in Colorado.

    Hillary Clinton

    For Hillary Clinton's campaign, state operations nationwide were overseen by Marlon Marshall, the campaign's director of state campaigns and political engagement. The key staff in Colorado consisted of:

    Hillary for America 2016 Logo.png

    Emmy Ruiz, State director: Ruiz was named state director in April 2016. During the 2016 primary election, she was Clinton's state director for the Nevada caucus. Prior to working on Clinton's 2016 campaign, Ruiz was involved in Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama's 2012 campaign, and was the political director for Annie's List, an organization that recruits Democratic women to run for office in Texas.[7]
    Lisa Changadveja, Coordinated campaign director: Changadveja directed coordinated efforts for Clinton's efforts during the Nevada caucuses. Prior to working with Clinton in 2016, she worked with the Democratic Party of Colorado and on Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.[8]

    Donald Trump

    For Donald Trump's campaign, state operations nationwide were overseen by Michael Biundo, the campaign's senior political advisor. The key staff in Colorado consisted of:

    Trump-Pence 2016.svg

    Patrick Davis, State director: Davis joined the Trump campaign in April 2016 when the Republican Party of Colorado was selecting its delegates for the Republican National Convention. He formerly directed the Republican Party of South Dakota and worked as the political director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Davis is the owner of a national consulting firm, Patrick Davis Consulting, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.[9]


    Down ballot races

    See also: Colorado elections, 2016

    Below is a list of down ballot races in Colorado covered by Ballotpedia in 2016.

    Primary election

    Quick facts

    Democrats: Republicans:
    • 2016 Republican winner: Ted Cruz
    • 2012 Republican winner: Rick Santorum
    • Type: Caucus
    • Delegate allocation: -
    • Pledged delegates at stake: 34

    Democrats

    Bernie Sanders won the 2016 Colorado Democratic caucus. Sanders swept nearly all western and central counties and urban areas of the state.[10] In 2008, Barack Obama won the Colorado Democratic caucus with 67 percent of the vote. In 2008, Hillary Clinton came in second with 32 percent, and in 2016, Clinton finished second with 40 percent.[11] A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in Colorado in November 2015 showed Clinton leading the Democratic field with 55 percent. The same poll found that Clinton had the lowest favorability rating of any top candidate in Colorado, but was rated highest for having the right experience to be president.[12]

    Republicans

    At the district and state GOP conventions in Colorado in April, Ted Cruz won 30 delegates who pledged their support to him on their intent-to-run forms, while four others, who were elected as uncommitted delegates, verbally pledged their support for Cruz.[13]

    In August 2015, the Colorado GOP cancelled its presidential preference poll, which was scheduled to coincide with the Republican caucuses on March 1, 2016. According to The Denver Post, the Republican executive committee "voted to cancel the traditional presidential preference poll after the national party changed its rules to require a state's delegates to support the candidate that wins the caucus vote." Colorado Republicans still sent delegates to the Republican National Convention in July 2016. District-level and at-large delegates (34) were bound according to the preferred candidates indicated on their intent-to-run forms. RNC delegates (3) were unbound, meaning that they did not have to pledge their support to a given candidate.[14] Though Republican precinct caucuses were held on March 1 in Colorado, Colorado Republican National Convention delegates were chosen at district conventions and the Colorado state GOP convention in April.[15] Colorado Republican Party rules required participants in the district conventions and statewide convention to have participated in the precinct caucuses.[13]

    2016 primary results

    Democrats

    Colorado Democratic Caucus, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngBernie Sanders 59% 72,846 41
    Hillary Clinton 40.3% 49,789 25
    Other 0.7% 822 0
    Totals 123,457 66
    Source: Colorado Democratic Party and CNN

    Republicans

    The Colorado GOP did not hold a presidential preference poll in 2016. Delegates to the national convention were elected at district conventions and the state convention in April. Ted Cruz won 30 delegates who pledged their support for him on their intent-to-run forms. Four other delegates verbally pledged their support for Cruz. Precinct caucuses were held on March 1, 2016.[13]

    Delegates

    Delegate selection

    See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

    Democratic Party

    Democratic Party Logo.png

    Colorado had 78 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 66 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide caucus results.[16][17]

    Twelve party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[16][18]

    Colorado superdelegates

    See also: Superdelegates from Colorado, 2016 and Superdelegates and the 2016 Democratic National Convention

    Republican Party

    Logo-GOP.png

    Colorado had 37 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 21 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's seven congressional districts). Thirteen delegates served at large. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as delegates to the Republican National Convention.[19][20]

    In 2015, the Republican Party of Colorado decided not to conduct a presidential preference poll in 2016. As a result, according to the Republican National Committee, all delegates were bound according to the preferred candidates indicated on their intent-to-run forms. RNC delegates were unbound, meaning that they did not have to pledge their support to a given candidate.[19][21]

    Republican delegates

    See also: Republican delegates from Colorado, 2016 and RNC delegate guidelines from Colorado, 2016

    Polls

    Democratic primary

    Democratic Party Democratic Party presidential primary polling (Colorado)
    Poll Hillary Clinton Bernie SandersMartin O'MalleyUnsure or OtherMargin of ErrorSample Size
    Quinnipiac University
    November 11-15, 2015
    55%27%2%15%+/-4.9404
    Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

    Republican primary

    Republican Party Republican Party presidential primary polling (Colorado)
    Poll Ben Carson Marco RubioDonald TrumpTed CruzCarly FiorinaRand PaulJeb BushChris ChristieMike HuckabeeJohn KasichUnsure or OtherMargin of ErrorSample Size
    Quinnipiac University
    November 11-15, 2015
    25%19%17%14%5%3%2%1%1%1%12%+/-4.5474
    Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

    Presidential voting history

    Colorado presidential election results (1900-2020)

    • 13 Democratic wins
    • 18 Republican wins
    Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
    Winning Party D R D D D R R R D D R R D R R R D R R R R R R D R R R D D D D

    State profile

    Demographic data for Colorado
     ColoradoU.S.
    Total population:5,448,819316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):103,6423,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:84.2%73.6%
    Black/African American:4%12.6%
    Asian:2.9%5.1%
    Native American:0.9%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
    Two or more:3.5%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:21.1%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:90.7%86.7%
    College graduation rate:38.1%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$60,629$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:13.5%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Colorado.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    Presidential voting pattern

    See also: Presidential voting trends in Colorado

    Colorado voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

    Pivot Counties (2016)

    Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in Colorado, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.[22]

    Pivot Counties (2020)

    In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Colorado had three Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.66 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

    More Colorado coverage on Ballotpedia

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. On October 6, 2016, Evan McMullin announced Mindy Finn as his official running mate. As of October 10, 2016, Ballotpedia was not aware of any changes to this state's official list of certified presidential candidates.
    2. The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
    3. This average includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which did not participate in all 30 presidential elections between 1900 and 2016. It does not include Washington, D.C., which cast votes for president for the first time in 1964, or Alaska and Hawaii, which cast votes for president for the first time in 1960.
    4. This number refers to the number of times that the state voted for the winning presidential candidate between 2000 and 2016.
    5. Archives.gov, "About the Electors," accessed July 28, 2016
    6. Congressional Research Service, "The Electoral College: How it works in contemporary presidential elections," April 13, 2016
    7. LinkedIn, "Emmy Ruiz," accessed May 6, 2016
    8. LinkedIn, "Lisa Changadveja," accessed August 1, 2016
    9. Donald J. Trump for President, "Donald J. Trump For President Announces Expansion Of National Political Team," July 18, 2016
    10. The New York Times, "Colorado Caucus Results," March 1, 2016
    11. The New York Times, “Primary Season Election Results,” accessed February 29, 2016
    12. Quinnipiac University Poll, "Carson is Top Doc in Colorado Republican Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; All Top GOP Candidates Lead Clinton by Double-Digits," November 18, 2015
    13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Wall Street Journal, "Ted Cruz Collects All Colorado Delegates," April 8, 2016
    14. The Denver Post, "Colorado Republicans cancel presidential vote at 2016 caucus," August 25, 2015
    15. Colorado GOP, "Caucus/Assembly/Convention 2016," January 19, 2016
    16. 16.0 16.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
    17. The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
    18. Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
    19. 19.0 19.1 Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 6, 2015
    20. CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
    21. The Denver Post, "Colorado Republicans cancel presidential vote at 2016 caucus," August 25, 2015
    22. The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.