Columbus, OH Politics: Is It Liberal or Conservative?

Election Results and Trends in Columbus, OH

In the last Presidential election, Columbus, OH voted predominantly Democrat, with 59.3% of voters casting their ballot for Biden, while 39.1% of voters in Columbus voted for Trump, and other parties voting 1.6%. Based on these voting patterns, Columbus is considered a moderately liberal city. Specifically, it ranks 132nd 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, Columbus ranks 199th out of the 333 most populated cities, indicating a relatively low conservative vote.

Presidential Elections Voting Trend

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

In Presidential elections over the past 25 years, Columbus has generally favored Democrat candidates. The city supported Bill Clinton (1996), Al Gore (2000), John Kerry (2004), Barack Obama (2008, 2012), Hillary Clinton (2016), and Joe Biden (2020). Franklin County, which encompasses Columbus, has consistently leaned Democrat, reflecting the urban area's support for liberal policies and candidates.

Local Elections

In local/city-level elections, Columbus has primarily been governed by Democrats in the past 25 years. The city's mayors, such as Michael B. Coleman, who served from 2000 to 2015, and Andrew J. Ginther since 2016, are Democrats. The City Council also primarily consists of Democrat members, emphasizing the city's liberal trend.