Minnesota Poised to Set Democratic Presidential Winning Streak for Non-Southern States

A Barack Obama victory in Minnesota in 2012 will give the Gopher State the longest all-time Democratic winning streak in presidential elections outside of the south at 10 in a row

Although it is admittedly shaded on the bluish side of purple, Minnesota seems to have fallen off the lists of most analysts for battleground states in the current presidential election cycle.

The historic Republican takeover of both chambers of the state legislature in 2010 as well as knocking off the state’s longest ever serving U.S. Representative in Democrat Jim Oberstar, puts the Gopher State in play in 2012, although certainly Democratic favored at the starting line.

Minnesota, of course, holds the longest current streak in the nation for the most consecutive Democratic victories in presidential elections at nine cycles dating back to Jimmy Carter’s win in 1976.

And now the state may make history in 2012.

A Smart Politics analysis finds a Barack Obama victory in Minnesota in 2012 would give the Gopher State the longest consecutive Democratic winning streak in presidential elections outside of the south at 10 cycles since the founding of the modern Democratic Party in 1828.

Minnesota is currently tied with Missouri for non-southern states, which also recorded nine consecutive victories for the Democratic Party from 1828 to 1860, voting twice for Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, as well as James Polk, Lewis Cass, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Stephen Douglas.

After voting for Republicans Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and Ulysses Grant in 1868, the Show-Me State gave the Democratic Party another eight consecutive wins from 1872 through 1900.

The Top 11 all-time longest periods of consecutive Democratic victories in presidential elections stretch across the nation’s southern region, with Georgia notching the longest period of 24 cycles from 1868 to 1960, followed by Arkansas at 23 (1876-1964), Alabama and Mississippi at 18 (1876-1944), Louisiana and South Carolina at 17 (1880-1944), and Texas at 13 (1872-1924).

The Midwest has generally not been receptive to Democratic presidential nominees over long periods of time.

The Democratic Party has failed to record victories in five or more consecutive cycles in only 10 states, with seven of these coming from the 12-state Midwest region:

· North Dakota (1912-1916 & 1932-1936), Kansas (1912-1916 & 1932-1936), and South Dakota (1932-1936) at two in a row.

· Nebraska (1908-1916) and Ohio (1932-1940) at three in a row.

· Indiana (1844-1856) and Iowa (1988-2000) at four in a row.

A total of 16 states are currently in the midst of their longest ever period of voting for Democratic presidential candidates.

Minnesota leads the way at nine straight cycles (1976-2008), followed by Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin with six (1988-2008), and California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont with five (1992-2008).

Massachusetts and Rhode Island also voted six times in a row for Democratic candidates from 1928-1948 while California (1932-1948), Delaware (1876-1892), and New Jersey (1852-1868; 1876-1892) each had previously voted Democratic in five straight cycles.

Minnesota has voted Democratic in 12 of the last 13 presidential elections dating back to 1960 and 17 of 20 since 1932.

From statehood until 1928, however, the Gopher State voted Republican in 17 of 18 cycles, with Progressive nominee Teddy Roosevelt in 1912 the only deviation during this 68-year span.

Longest Democratic Party Winning Streak in Presidential Elections by State

Table compiled by Smart Politics.

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