Election Results and Trends in Berkeley, CA
In the last Presidential election, Berkeley, CA voted predominantly Democrat, with 80.2% of voters casting their ballot for Biden, while 17.7% of voters in Berkeley voted for Trump, and other parties voting 2.1%. Based on these voting patterns, Berkeley is considered a very liberal city. Specifically, it ranks 8th out of the most populated 333 cities in the United States in terms of liberalism based on the 2020 Presidential election results. Conversely, when looking at the conservative voting patterns in the 2020 election, Berkeley ranks 324th out of the 333 most populated cities, indicating a relatively low conservative vote.
Presidential Elections Voting Trend
Berkeley, California, has consistently leaned liberal in presidential elections over the last 25 years. It supported Democrat candidates Bill Clinton in 1996, Al Gore (2000), John Kerry (2004), Barack Obama (2008 and 2012), Hillary Clinton (2016), and Joe Biden in 2020. The city's progressive and academic environment has strongly supported liberal policies and candidates, reflecting a long-standing commitment to progressive ideals.
Local Elections
At the city level, Berkeley's elections have primarily been dominated by liberal and progressive candidates over the last 25 years. While nonpartisan, those aligned with progressive values have often occupied the City Council and mayor's office. The political landscape has included debates within the progressive community on key issues but has rarely seen strong conservative contenders.