2008 United States presidential election in Florida

2008 United States presidential election in Florida

November 4, 2008
Turnout75%
 
Nominee Barack Obama John McCain
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Illinois Arizona
Running mate Joe Biden Sarah Palin
Electoral vote 27 0
Popular vote 4,282,074 4,045,624
Percentage 51.03% 48.22%


President before election

George W. Bush
Republican

Elected President

Barack Obama
Democratic

The 2008 United States presidential election in Florida took place on November 4, as part of the 2008 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Florida voters chose 27 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Florida was won by Democratic nominee Barack Obama by a 2.8% margin of victory. Prior to the election, most news organizations considered this state a toss-up, or swing state, as polls went back and forth between Obama and Republican nominee John McCain and it was heavily targeted by both campaigns. Weeks before the election, Obama experienced a sudden bump in polling and ended up winning the state with 51% of the vote. This marked only the second time since 1976 that the state was won by a Democrat in a presidential election, which also made Obama the first non-incumbent Democrat to win Florida since Jimmy Carter prevailed in 1976.