Election Results and Trends in San Diego, CA
In the last Presidential election, San Diego, CA voted predominantly Democrat, with 60.2% of voters casting their ballot for Biden, while 37.5% of voters in San Diego voted for Trump, and other parties voting 2.3%. Based on these voting patterns, San Diego is considered a moderately liberal city. Specifically, it ranks 118th 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, San Diego ranks 218th out of the 333 most populated cities, indicating a relatively low conservative vote.
Presidential Elections Voting Trend
San Diego has seen a shift from a more conservative-leaning city to one with a stronger liberal preference in Presidential elections. The trend began with Bob Dole in 1996 but shifted towards the Democrat side with Al Gore in 2000. Since then, Democrat candidates including John Kerry (2004), Barack Obama (2008 and 2012), Hillary Clinton (2016), and Joe Biden (2020) have carried the city. Growing urbanization and changing demographics have contributed to this liberal shift in the city's Presidential voting patterns.
Local Elections
City-level elections in San Diego have also trended more liberal over the last 25 years, though they have been competitive. Mayors like Susan Golding were more conservative, while recent mayors like Todd Gloria have had liberal stances. Even Republican mayors like Kevin Faulconer were considered moderate. The shift has been influenced by local issues, particularly around development, environment, and social policy, reflecting the broader political changes in California.