The Green Papers
2008 Presidential Primaries at a Glance


 

This "at a glance" look at the Presidential Primaries simply lists the winner (and, in many cases, the candidate who came in second) in each Primary in chronological order. It seems a quick method of discerning the progress of the eventual presidential nominee of the given Major Party (along with that of any significant challengers to that nominee) as the Primaries have progressed through time.

In fact, [presidential] primaries have been much more likely to sow division than unity, and most likely to leave things as they are [re: a potential consensus nominee identified prior to the earliest presidential primaries and caucuses]--
William R. Keech and Donald R. Matthews: The Party's Choice: Studies in Presidential Selection (Brookings Institution, 1977)

 
2008 Presidential Primaries at a Glance
Date State Democrat
Democrat
Republican
Republican
 Link  Type Winner % Second %  Link  Type Winner % Second %
Tuesday 8 January 2008 New Hampshire NH-D   Clinton 39 Obama 36 NH-R   McCain 37 Romney 32
Tuesday 15 January 2008 Michigan MI-D   Clinton D Uncommitted   MI-R   Romney 39 McCain 30
Saturday 19 January 2008 South Carolina             SC-R PR McCain 33 Huckabee 30
Saturday 26 January 2008 South Carolina SC-D PR Obama D Clinton              
Tuesday 29 January 2008 Florida FL-D   Clinton 50 Obama 33 FL-R   McCain 36 Romney 31
Tuesday 5 February 2008 Alabama AL-D   Obama D Clinton   AL-R   Huckabee 41 McCain 38
Arizona AZ-D   Clinton N Obama   AZ-R   McCain 47 Romney 34
Arkansas AR-D   Clinton L Obama   AR-R   Huckabee L McCain  
California CA-D   Clinton N Obama   CA-R   McCain 42 Romney 35
Connecticut CT-D   Obama N Clinton   CT-R   McCain N Romney  
Delaware DE-D   Obama D Clinton   DE-R   McCain 45 Romney 32
Georgia GA-D   Obama L Clinton   GA-R   Huckabee 34 McCain 32
Illinois IL-D   Obama L Clinton   IL-R   McCain 47 Romney 29
Massachusetts MA-D   Clinton D Obama   MA-R   Romney N McCain  
Missouri MO-D   Obama 49 Clinton 48 MO-R   McCain 33 Huckabee 32
New Jersey NJ-D   Clinton D Obama   NJ-R   McCain D Romney  
New Mexico NM-D PR Clinton 49 Obama 48            
New York NY-D   Clinton D Obama   NY-R   McCain N Romney  
Oklahoma OK-D   Clinton D Obama   OK-R   McCain 37 Huckabee 33
Tennessee TN-D   Clinton D Obama   TN-R   Huckabee 35 McCain 32
Utah UT-D   Obama D Clinton   UT-R   Romney      
Saturday 9 February 2008 Louisiana LA-D   Obama D Clinton   LA-R   Huckabee 43 McCain 42
Tuesday 12 February 2008 District of Columbia DC-D   Obama L Clinton   DC-R   McCain L Huckabee  
Maryland MD-D   Obama L Clinton   MD-R   McCain D Huckabee  
Virginia VA-D   Obama L Clinton   VA-R   McCain N Huckabee  
Tuesday 19 February 2008 Washington WA-D   Obama N Clinton   WA-R   McCain 50 Huckabee 24
Wisconsin WI-D   Obama D Clinton   WI-R   McCain D Huckabee  
Sunday 24 February 2008 Puerto Rico             PR-R          
Tuesday 4 March 2008 Ohio OH-D   Clinton D Obama   OH-R   McCain D Huckabee  
Rhode Island RI-D   Clinton D Obama   RI-R   McCain L Huckabee  
Texas TX-D   Clinton N Obama   TX-R   McCain N Huckabee  
Vermont VT-D   Obama L Clinton   VT-R   McCain L Huckabee  
Tuesday 11 March 2008 Mississippi MS-D   Obama L Clinton   MS-R   McCain      
Tuesday 22 April 2008 Pennsylvania PA-D   Clinton D Obama   PA-R   McCain L Paul  
Saturday 3 May 2008 Guam GU-D PR Obama N Clinton              
Tuesday 6 May 2008 Indiana IN-D   Clinton N Obama   IN-R   McCain      
North Carolina NC-D   Obama D Clinton   NC-R   McCain L Huckabee  
Tuesday 13 May 2008 Nebraska NE-D   Obama 49 Clinton 47 NE-R   McCain      
West Virginia WV-D   Clinton L Obama   WV-R   McCain      
Tuesday 20 May 2008 Kentucky KY-D   Clinton L Obama   KY-R   McCain L Huckabee  
Oregon OR-D   Obama D Clinton   OR-R   McCain      
Tuesday 27 May 2008 Idaho ID-D   Obama D Clinton   ID-R   McCain L Paul  
Sunday 1 June 2008 Puerto Rico PR-D   Clinton L Obama              
Tuesday 3 June 2008 Montana MT-D   Obama D Clinton   MT-R   McCain      
New Mexico             NM-R   McCain      
South Dakota SD-D   Clinton D Obama   SD-R   McCain L Paul  
 
 

Link

  • state-party. T indicates a tentative date.

Type

  • PR indicates a Party-run Primary.

% Key

  • If a presidential contender wins 75.5% or more of the primary vote, the second place finisher is not listed.
  • U means that this presidential contender- or his/her delegate slate [depending on the type of Primary]- ran in the Primary unopposed (that is, with no other presidential contenders appearing on the ballot but him/her). Please note that write-ins do NOT count as such "other presidential contenders on the ballot" but the appearance of "Uncommitted" (or equivalent, such as "None of the Above") on a ballot DOES.
  • L indicates a landslide majority [60.5 to 75.4% of the primary vote] for the winner.
  • D indicates a decisive majority [52.5 to 60.4% of the primary vote] for the winner.
  • N indicates a narrow majority [50.0(+1 vote) to 52.4% of the primary vote] for the winner.
  • Where a winning presidential contender has failed to gain at least a majority of the primary vote, the winner of the primary and the contender who came in second are both listed with their respective percentages of the primary vote rounded up or down to the nearest whole integer.
  • P indicates Primary cancelled / nomination by default because nominee was the only presidential contender to have filed for this Party's Primary for this office. P also applies to nominees-to-be by apparent Party consensus (i.e. no opposition at an ensuing Convention).
 


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  Historical Analysis of the Presidential Nominating Process  
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