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Presidential election

2016 presidential election

Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, winning 304 of 538 electoral votes and 46.1% of the popular vote.

November 8, 2016

Donald Trump

Republican

Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election with 304 of 538 electoral votes, and 46.1% of the popular vote. Running mate: Mike Pence.

304
of 538 electoral votes
46.1%
popular vote
59.2%
turnout

Results

Vote breakdown
Donald TrumpRepublican
46.1%(63.0M votes)
304 EV
Hillary ClintonDemocratic
48.2%(65.9M votes)
227 EV
Gary JohnsonLibertarian
3.3%(4.5M votes)
0 EV
Jill SteinGreen
1.1%(1.5M votes)
0 EV
Voter turnout

59.2%

Turnout rate

136.7M

Total votes cast

231.0M

Eligible voters

State results
StateElectoral votesWinnerMargin
Pennsylvania(PA)20
RepublicanTrump
+0.7%
Michigan(MI)16
RepublicanTrump
+0.2%
Wisconsin(WI)10
RepublicanTrump
+0.8%
Florida(FL)29
RepublicanTrump
+1.2%
North Carolina(NC)15
RepublicanTrump
+3.7%
Ohio(OH)18
RepublicanTrump
+8.1%
Iowa(IA)6
RepublicanTrump
+9.4%
New Hampshire(NH)4
DemocraticClinton
+0.4%
Minnesota(MN)10
DemocraticClinton
+1.5%
Swing states
Michigan
Flipped
Electoral votes:16
Margin:0.2%
Previous:Obama
Pennsylvania
Flipped
Electoral votes:20
Margin:0.7%
Previous:Obama
Wisconsin
Flipped
Electoral votes:10
Margin:0.8%
Previous:Obama
Florida
Flipped
Electoral votes:29
Margin:1.2%
Previous:Obama
North Carolina
Held
Electoral votes:15
Margin:3.7%
Previous:Romney

Candidates

Donald Trump
Winner

Party

Republican

Running mate

Mike Pence

Home state

New York

Age at election

70

Previous position

Business Executive, TV Personality

Campaign slogan

"Make America Great Again"

Popular vote

63.0M

(46.1%)

Electoral votes

304

Hillary Clinton

Party

Democratic

Running mate

Tim Kaine

Home state

New York

Age at election

69

Previous position

67th Secretary of State

Campaign slogan

"Stronger Together"

Popular vote

65.9M

(48.2%)

Electoral votes

227

Voting demographics

Men

Trump

53%

Women

Clinton

54%

White Voters

Trump

58%

Black Voters

Clinton

88%

Hispanic/Latino

Clinton

66%

18-29 Age

Clinton

55%

65+ Age

Trump

53%

College Graduates

Clinton

52%

Non-College White

Trump

67%

Key events

Campaign timeline
major
June 16, 2015

Trump Announces Campaign

Escalator ride announcement shocked political establishment

major
July 5, 2016

FBI Clears Clinton

Comey announced no charges but criticized Clinton as 'extremely careless'

major
October 7, 2016

Access Hollywood Tape

Trump caught on tape making vulgar comments about women

major
October 28, 2016

Comey Letter

FBI announced review of new Clinton emails 11 days before election

Presidential debates

Issues & context

Key campaign issues
Immigration and Border Wall
Trade and Manufacturing Jobs
Email Controversy
Supreme Court Vacancy
Obamacare
Terrorism and ISIS
Historical context

First major party female presidential nominee. Trump was first president without government or military experience. Rise of populism on both left (Sanders) and right (Trump).

Economic conditions

Steady recovery from 2008 recession. Unemployment at 4.9%. Manufacturing job losses in Midwest became major issue. Income inequality concerns.

Incumbent factors

Obama's relatively high approval ratings should have helped Clinton. But desire for change after 8 years. Clinton carried baggage from email controversy.

Legacy and impact

Fifth election where popular vote winner lost. Sparked discussions about Electoral College reform. Russian interference confirmed by intelligence agencies. Trump's unexpected victory reshaped GOP.

Did you know?

  • 1.Clinton won popular vote by nearly 3 million
  • 2.Trump won with smallest Electoral College margin since 2000
  • 3.Seven faithless electors - most since 1872
  • 4.Clinton spent more than twice as much as Trump
  • 5.Trump won 2,600 counties to Clinton's 500

This site explains the structure and history of U.S. federal elections and is not an official government resource. All data shown is for educational purposes only.