The 2016 United States presidential election in Rhode Island took place on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Rhode Island voters chose four electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote.
Prior to the election, Rhode Island was considered to be a state Clinton would win or a safe blue state. Rhode Island, like most of New England, is strongly Democratic. Its voters tend to be liberal on social issues, most of its population lives in urban cities, its voting age population skews younger, and the Democratic Party has been regarded as the state's dominant party since the 1930s.
Although Clinton easily won Rhode Island, her 15.5% margin was significantly weaker than Obama's 27% margin 4 years earlier. Trump notably became the first Republican nominee for president to win a county since Reagan won the state in 1984.
Primaries Democratic primary
Four candidates appeared on the Democratic presidential primary ballot: Bernie Sanders Hillary Clinton Rocky De La Fuente Mark Stewart
Republican primary
Three candidates appeared on the Republican presidential primary ballot: Ted Cruz John Kasich Donald Trump
General election Predictions SourceRankingAs ofLos Angeles Times November 6, 2016CNNNovember 4, 2016Cook Political ReportNovember 7, 2016Electoral-vote.comNovember 8, 2016 Rothenberg Political Report November 7, 2016Sabato's Crystal BallNovember 7, 2016RealClearPoliticsNovember 8, 2016Fox NewsNovember 7, 2016
Results
By county County Hillary ClintonDemocratic Donald TrumpRepublican Various candidatesOther parties Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % Bristol 14,609 57.35% 8,965 35.19% 1,901 7.46% 5,644 22.16% 25,475 Kent 37,788 46.05% 38,336 46.72% 5,929 7.23% -548 -0.67% 82,053 Newport 22,851 55.67% 15,077 36.73% 3,117 7.60% 7,774 18.94% 41,045 Providence 142,899 57.51% 90,882 36.58% 14,693 5.91% 52,017 20.93% 248,474 Washington 33,741 50.84% 27,230 41.03% 5,398 8.13% 6,511 9.81% 66,369Totals252,52554.41%180,54338.90%31,0766.69%71,98215.51%464,144
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Kent (largest city: Warwick)
By congressional district Clinton won both congressional districts. District Clinton Trump Representative 59% 34%David Cicilline 50% 43%James Langevin
By municipality
Analysis Donald Trump flipped several municipalities that had not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the 1980s including Burrillville, Coventry, Exeter, Foster, Glocester, Hopkinton, Johnston, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Richmond, Smithfield, and West Warwick. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton was able to flip East Greenwich which voted for Mitt Romney in 2012. This was the worst Democratic performance in Burrillville since 1920 and the worst Democratic performance in Johnston since 1924.
As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the solitary election since 1984 where any county in Rhode Island voted Republican (Kent County narrowly voted for Trump), and the most recent election where Lincoln voted Republican.
See also United States presidential elections in Rhode Island 2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries 2016 Republican Party presidential debates and forums 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries
References
External links RNC 2016 Republican Nominating Process Green papers for 2016 primaries, caucuses, and conventions