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2004 United States presidential election in Kansas

← 2000 November 2, 2004 2008 →
Turnout70.1% (of registered voters)
58.6% (of voting age population)
 
Nominee George W. Bush John Kerry
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Texas Massachusetts
Running mate Dick Cheney John Edwards
Electoral vote 6 0
Popular vote 736,456 434,993
Percentage 62.00% 36.62%

County Results

President before election

George W. Bush
Republican

Elected President

George W. Bush
Republican

The 2004 United States presidential election in Kansas took place on November 2, 2004, as part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose six representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Kansas was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 25.4% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. On election day, it trended Republican from the 2000 election by a swing margin of almost 5%. He won every single congressional district and county, excluding two: Wyandotte County and Douglas County.

Caucuses

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]

Source Ranking
D.C. Political Report Solid R
Cook Political Report Solid R
Research 2000 Solid R
Zogby International Likely R
Washington Post Likely R
Washington Dispatch Likely R
Washington Times Solid R
The New York Times Solid R
CNN Likely R
Newsweek Solid R
Associated Press Solid R
Rasmussen Reports Likely R

Polling

Bush won every single pre-election poll, and won each by a double-digit margin of victory and with at least 56% of the vote. The final 3 polls averaged Bush leading 58% to 37% for Kerry and 3% for Nader.[2]

Fundraising

Bush raised $980,035.[3] Kerry raised $387,484.[4]

Advertising and visits

Neither presidential candidate advertised or visited this state. However, John Edwards visited the city of Lawrence in Douglas County briefly.[5][6]

Analysis

Apart from its flirtation with William Jennings Bryan and Woodrow Wilson, Kansas has always been a Republican stronghold at the presidential level, voting for GOP nominees in all but seven elections since statehood. The last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Kansas was Lyndon B. Johnson in his landslide in 1964. A combination of rural counties embedded with deep pockets of evangelical Christianity/social conservatism and moderate, fiscally conservative residents in Johnson County, Kansas nearly always votes Republican.

Results

2004 United States presidential election in Kansas[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican George W. Bush (Inc.) 736,456 62.00% 6
Democratic John Kerry 434,993 36.62% 0
Reform Ralph Nader 9,348 0.79% 0
Libertarian Michael Badnarik 4,013 0.34% 0
Independent Michael Peroutka 2,899 0.24% 0
Write In David Cobb 33 0.00% 0
Write In John Joseph Kennedy 5 0.00% 0
Write In Bill Van Auken 5 0.00% 0
Write In Walt Brown 4 0.00% 0
Totals 1,187,756 100.00% 6
Voter turnout (Voting age population) 58.6%

Results by county

County[9] George W. Bush
Republican
John Kerry
Democratic
Ralph Nader
Reform
Michael James Badnarik
Libertarian
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Allen 3,867 65.84% 1,922 32.73% 53 0.90% 20 0.34% 11 0.19% 1,945 33.11% 5,873
Anderson 2,500 64.72% 1,295 33.52% 40 1.04% 13 0.34% 15 0.39% 1,205 31.20% 3,863
Atchison 3,880 54.51% 3,120 43.83% 65 0.91% 29 0.41% 24 0.34% 760 10.68% 7,118
Barber 1,782 74.16% 588 24.47% 19 0.79% 4 0.17% 10 0.42% 1,194 49.69% 2,403
Barton 8,666 74.03% 2,874 24.55% 106 0.91% 30 0.26% 30 0.26% 5,792 49.48% 11,706
Bourbon 4,372 65.39% 2,216 33.14% 64 0.96% 23 0.34% 11 0.16% 2,156 32.25% 6,686
Brown 3,092 69.99% 1,268 28.70% 35 0.79% 12 0.27% 11 0.25% 1,824 41.29% 4,418
Butler 18,438 70.16% 7,495 28.52% 174 0.66% 92 0.35% 81 0.31% 10,943 41.64% 26,280
Chase 1,055 70.29% 418 27.85% 12 0.80% 9 0.60% 7 0.47% 637 42.44% 1,501
Chautauqua 1,529 78.01% 404 20.61% 10 0.51% 10 0.51% 7 0.36% 1,125 57.40% 1,960
Cherokee 6,083 61.36% 3,726 37.59% 69 0.70% 23 0.23% 12 0.12% 2,357 23.77% 9,913
Cheyenne 1,353 79.96% 320 18.91% 9 0.53% 7 0.41% 3 0.18% 1,033 61.05% 1,692
Clark 1,014 78.54% 257 19.91% 8 0.62% 4 0.31% 8 0.62% 757 58.63% 1,291
Clay 3,174 79.15% 793 19.78% 22 0.55% 12 0.30% 9 0.22% 2,381 59.37% 4,010
Cloud 3,221 71.53% 1,210 26.87% 42 0.93% 17 0.38% 13 0.29% 2,011 44.66% 4,503
Coffey 3,259 73.93% 1,093 24.80% 33 0.75% 12 0.27% 11 0.25% 2,166 49.13% 4,408
Comanche 770 78.49% 200 20.39% 3 0.31% 4 0.41% 4 0.41% 570 58.10% 981
Cowley 9,407 65.11% 4,818 33.35% 121 0.84% 60 0.42% 41 0.28% 4,589 31.76% 14,447
Crawford 8,626 52.19% 7,617 46.09% 181 1.10% 60 0.36% 43 0.26% 1,009 6.10% 16,527
Decatur 1,355 77.87% 355 20.40% 20 1.15% 8 0.46% 2 0.11% 1,000 57.47% 1,740
Dickinson 6,295 71.61% 2,364 26.89% 72 0.82% 35 0.40% 25 0.28% 3,931 44.72% 8,791
Doniphan 2,491 69.14% 1,065 29.56% 25 0.69% 14 0.39% 8 0.22% 1,426 39.58% 3,603
Douglas 20,544 41.00% 28,634 57.14% 624 1.25% 209 0.42% 100 0.20% -8,090 -16.14% 50,111
Edwards 1,084 72.46% 386 25.80% 19 1.27% 3 0.20% 4 0.27% 698 46.66% 1,496
Elk 1,119 73.86% 369 24.36% 17 1.12% 2 0.13% 8 0.53% 750 49.50% 1,515
Ellis 7,891 64.75% 4,033 33.09% 158 1.30% 61 0.50% 44 0.36% 3,858 31.66% 12,187
Ellsworth 2,259 72.82% 801 25.82% 23 0.74% 13 0.42% 6 0.19% 1,458 47.00% 3,102
Finney 7,479 75.29% 2,351 23.67% 64 0.64% 18 0.18% 21 0.21% 5,128 51.62% 9,933
Ford 6,632 73.56% 2,286 25.35% 61 0.68% 17 0.19% 20 0.22% 4,346 48.21% 9,016
Franklin 7,391 64.40% 3,921 34.17% 106 0.92% 31 0.27% 27 0.24% 3,470 30.23% 11,476
Geary 4,703 64.18% 2,531 34.54% 58 0.79% 21 0.29% 15 0.20% 2,172 29.64% 7,328
Gove 1,196 81.53% 247 16.84% 12 0.82% 5 0.34% 7 0.48% 949 64.69% 1,467
Graham 1,082 75.14% 334 23.19% 10 0.69% 6 0.42% 8 0.56% 748 51.95% 1,440
Grant 2,169 78.64% 561 20.34% 11 0.40% 11 0.40% 6 0.22% 1,608 58.30% 2,758
Gray 1,816 80.89% 408 18.17% 17 0.76% 4 0.18% 0 0.00% 1,408 62.72% 2,245
Greeley 584 79.46% 138 18.78% 9 1.22% 3 0.41% 1 0.14% 446 60.68% 735
Greenwood 2,282 70.35% 911 28.08% 30 0.92% 8 0.25% 13 0.40% 1,371 42.27% 3,244
Hamilton 888 78.58% 229 20.27% 5 0.44% 7 0.62% 1 0.09% 659 58.31% 1,130
Harper 2,154 73.52% 727 24.81% 30 1.02% 9 0.31% 10 0.34% 1,427 48.71% 2,930
Harvey 9,534 63.10% 5,331 35.28% 171 1.13% 46 0.30% 28 0.19% 4,203 27.82% 15,110
Haskell 1,356 84.80% 227 14.20% 10 0.63% 5 0.31% 1 0.06% 1,129 70.60% 1,599
Hodgeman 953 80.56% 223 18.85% 6 0.51% 1 0.08% 0 0.00% 730 61.71% 1,183
Jackson 3,730 63.35% 2,064 35.05% 44 0.75% 21 0.36% 29 0.49% 1,666 28.30% 5,888
Jefferson 5,408 61.50% 3,253 37.00% 79 0.90% 32 0.36% 21 0.24% 2,155 24.50% 8,793
Jewell 1,495 78.07% 385 20.10% 13 0.68% 10 0.52% 12 0.63% 1,110 57.97% 1,915
Johnson 158,103 61.12% 97,866 37.83% 1,420 0.55% 992 0.38% 306 0.12% 60,237 23.29% 258,687
Kearny 1,177 80.89% 272 18.69% 4 0.27% 1 0.07% 1 0.07% 905 62.20% 1,455
Kingman 2,801 74.42% 904 24.02% 27 0.72% 14 0.37% 18 0.48% 1,897 50.40% 3,764
Kiowa 1,275 81.47% 256 16.36% 19 1.21% 5 0.32% 10 0.64% 1,019 65.11% 1,565
Labette 5,400 59.09% 3,615 39.56% 76 0.83% 28 0.31% 20 0.22% 1,785 19.53% 9,139
Lane 823 81.16% 181 17.85% 4 0.39% 3 0.30% 3 0.30% 642 63.31% 1,014
Leavenworth 15,949 58.35% 11,039 40.39% 191 0.70% 86 0.31% 66 0.24% 4,910 17.96% 27,331
Lincoln 1,368 76.00% 391 21.72% 23 1.28% 11 0.61% 7 0.39% 977 54.28% 1,800
Linn 3,048 64.29% 1,631 34.40% 37 0.78% 14 0.30% 11 0.23% 1,417 29.89% 4,741
Logan 1,255 82.40% 248 16.28% 13 0.85% 3 0.20% 4 0.26% 1,007 66.12% 1,523
Lyon 7,951 59.16% 5,234 38.94% 154 1.15% 48 0.36% 53 0.39% 2,717 20.22% 13,440
Marion 4,516 73.32% 1,536 24.94% 69 1.12% 14 0.23% 24 0.39% 2,980 48.38% 6,159
Marshall 3,261 63.84% 1,789 35.02% 39 0.76% 6 0.12% 13 0.25% 1,472 28.82% 5,108
McPherson 9,595 71.78% 3,589 26.85% 114 0.85% 44 0.33% 25 0.19% 6,006 44.93% 13,367
Meade 1,748 82.41% 356 16.78% 12 0.57% 3 0.14% 2 0.09% 1,392 65.63% 2,121
Miami 9,013 64.31% 4,838 34.52% 90 0.64% 30 0.21% 45 0.32% 4,175 29.79% 14,016
Mitchell 2,609 77.90% 693 20.69% 26 0.78% 10 0.30% 11 0.33% 1,916 57.21% 3,349
Montgomery 9,598 67.99% 4,338 30.73% 98 0.69% 44 0.31% 38 0.27% 5,260 37.26% 14,116
Morris 1,961 66.79% 931 31.71% 28 0.95% 6 0.20% 10 0.34% 1,030 35.08% 2,936
Morton 1,287 81.66% 276 17.51% 5 0.32% 4 0.25% 4 0.25% 1,011 64.15% 1,576
Nemaha 4,027 73.71% 1,355 24.80% 39 0.71% 19 0.35% 23 0.42% 2,672 48.91% 5,463
Neosho 4,705 65.07% 2,424 33.52% 69 0.95% 19 0.26% 14 0.19% 2,281 31.55% 7,231
Ness 1,407 77.39% 382 21.01% 17 0.94% 4 0.22% 8 0.44% 1,025 56.38% 1,818
Norton 2,092 80.49% 473 18.20% 21 0.81% 8 0.31% 5 0.19% 1,619 62.29% 2,599
Osage 4,800 64.32% 2,537 33.99% 77 1.03% 27 0.36% 22 0.29% 2,263 30.33% 7,463
Osborne 1,587 76.48% 454 21.88% 25 1.20% 5 0.24% 4 0.19% 1,133 54.60% 2,075
Ottawa 2,333 78.53% 595 20.03% 26 0.88% 8 0.27% 9 0.30% 1,738 58.50% 2,971
Pawnee 2,172 72.69% 773 25.87% 26 0.87% 8 0.27% 9 0.30% 1,399 46.82% 2,988
Phillips 2,256 79.24% 557 19.56% 20 0.70% 6 0.21% 8 0.28% 1,699 59.68% 2,847
Pottawatomie 6,326 71.70% 2,176 24.66% 91 1.03% 30 0.34% 200 2.27% 4,150 47.04% 8,823
Pratt 3,121 71.19% 1,200 27.37% 38 0.87% 18 0.41% 7 0.16% 1,921 43.82% 4,384
Rawlins 1,414 82.21% 289 16.80% 9 0.52% 6 0.35% 2 0.12% 1,125 65.41% 1,720
Reno 17,748 64.95% 9,114 33.36% 275 1.01% 91 0.33% 96 0.35% 8,634 31.59% 27,324
Republic 2,238 77.47% 607 21.01% 20 0.69% 11 0.38% 13 0.45% 1,631 56.46% 2,889
Rice 3,182 72.71% 1,130 25.82% 41 0.94% 3 0.07% 20 0.46% 2,052 46.89% 4,376
Riley 12,672 60.60% 7,908 37.82% 224 1.07% 63 0.30% 44 0.21% 4,764 22.78% 20,911
Rooks 2,121 78.27% 534 19.70% 37 1.37% 6 0.22% 12 0.44% 1,587 58.57% 2,710
Rush 1,226 68.53% 517 28.90% 27 1.51% 9 0.50% 10 0.56% 709 39.63% 1,789
Russell 2,671 75.77% 810 22.98% 24 0.68% 8 0.23% 12 0.34% 1,861 52.79% 3,525
Saline 15,111 65.58% 7,524 32.65% 251 1.09% 78 0.34% 77 0.33% 7,587 32.93% 23,041
Scott 1,924 83.69% 347 15.09% 17 0.74% 5 0.22% 6 0.26% 1,577 68.60% 2,299
Sedgwick 110,381 62.12% 64,839 36.49% 1,345 0.76% 695 0.39% 419 0.24% 45,542 25.63% 177,679
Seward 4,272 78.54% 1,122 20.63% 24 0.44% 8 0.15% 13 0.24% 3,150 57.91% 5,439
Shawnee 44,188 54.17% 36,264 44.45% 687 0.84% 236 0.29% 202 0.25% 7,924 9.72% 81,577
Sheridan 1,144 81.37% 239 17.00% 13 0.92% 2 0.14% 8 0.57% 905 64.37% 1,406
Sherman 2,088 75.60% 632 22.88% 25 0.91% 13 0.47% 4 0.14% 1,456 52.72% 2,762
Smith 1,803 76.08% 540 22.78% 17 0.72% 4 0.17% 6 0.25% 1,263 53.30% 2,370
Stafford 1,649 75.43% 506 23.15% 20 0.91% 4 0.18% 7 0.32% 1,143 52.28% 2,186
Stanton 796 82.40% 165 17.08% 4 0.41% 1 0.10% 0 0.00% 631 65.32% 966
Stevens 1,936 85.47% 310 13.69% 12 0.53% 4 0.18% 3 0.13% 1,626 71.78% 2,265
Sumner 7,092 67.62% 3,217 30.67% 92 0.88% 38 0.36% 49 0.47% 3,875 36.95% 10,488
Thomas 3,007 77.70% 816 21.09% 28 0.72% 6 0.16% 13 0.34% 2,191 56.61% 3,870
Trego 1,225 72.66% 434 25.74% 21 1.25% 4 0.24% 2 0.12% 791 46.92% 1,686
Wabaunsee 2,531 70.23% 1,001 27.77% 36 1.00% 10 0.28% 26 0.72% 1,530 42.46% 3,604
Wallace 742 84.70% 112 12.79% 13 1.48% 6 0.68% 3 0.34% 630 71.91% 876
Washington 2,498 78.31% 643 20.16% 31 0.97% 6 0.19% 12 0.38% 1,855 58.15% 3,190
Wichita 869 81.83% 183 17.23% 6 0.56% 4 0.38% 0 0.00% 686 64.60% 1,062
Wilson 3,263 74.19% 1,060 24.10% 41 0.93% 13 0.30% 21 0.48% 2,203 50.09% 4,398
Woodson 1,204 68.29% 530 30.06% 19 1.08% 3 0.17% 7 0.40% 674 38.23% 1,763
Wyandotte 17,919 33.56% 34,923 65.40% 331 0.62% 123 0.23% 105 0.20% -17,004 -31.84% 53,401
Totals 736,456 62.00% 434,993 36.62% 9,348 0.79% 4,013 0.34% 2,946 0.25% 301,463 25.38% 1,187,756

Results by congressional district

Bush won all four congressional districts, including one held by a Democrat.[10]

District Bush Kerry Representative
1st 72% 26% Jerry Moran
2nd 59% 39% Jim Ryun
3rd 55% 44% Dennis Moore
4th 64% 34% Todd Tiahrt

Electors

Technically the voters of Kansas cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Kansas is allocated 6 electors because it has 4 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 6 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 6 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 6 were pledged to Bush/Cheney.[11]

  1. Ruth Garvey Fink
  2. Bud Hentzen
  3. Dennis Jones
  4. Wanda Konold
  5. Jack Ranson
  6. Patricia Pitney Smith

See also

References