Rochester, MN Politics: Is It Liberal or Conservative?

Election Results and Trends in Rochester, MN

In the last Presidential election, Rochester, MN voted predominantly Democrat, with 54.2% of voters casting their ballot for Biden, while 43.4% of voters in Rochester voted for Trump, and other parties voting 2.4%. Based on these voting patterns, Rochester is considered a slightly leaning liberal city. Specifically, it ranks 154th out of the most populated 333 cities in the United States in terms of conservatism based on the 2020 Presidential election results. Conversely, when looking at the liberal voting patterns in the 2020 election, Rochester ranks 189th out of the 333 most populated cities, indicating a relatively low liberal vote.

Presidential Elections Voting Trend

The last six Presidential election results (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) for Rochester, MN are: R R D D D D

In Rochester, Minnesota, the voting trend in the last 25 years for Presidential elections has mainly favored Democrat candidates. Residents of Rochester voted for Bill Clinton in 1996, Al Gore (2000), John Kerry (2004), Barack Obama (2008 and 2012), Hillary Clinton (2016), and Joe Biden in 2020. Though in a traditionally conservative state, the city's support for liberal policies and candidates in national elections is a distinctive pattern.

Local Elections

Local/City level elections in Rochester have also tended to support candidates leaning towards progressive or liberal policies. While local elections are often nonpartisan, many of the elected officials, including mayors and City Council members, have shown alignment with Democrat values and have advocated for issues like affordable housing, education, healthcare, and the environment.

The assessments presented on this website, including those related to crime, safety, cost of living, and other location characteristics (e.g., states, cities, towns, villages, neighborhoods, areas, landmarks), are based on various sources and our internal research methods. These assessments are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete and should not be used as the sole basis for making any decisions.