The 2004 United States presidential election in North Dakota took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose three representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
North Dakota was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 27.36% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. The state has voted Republican in all but six presidential elections since statehood. In 2004, George W. Bush defeated John Kerry with 62.86% of the vote, even as incumbent Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan overwhelmingly won re-election to the senate on the same ballot. The state's population of about 650,000 is little changed from what it was 80 years ago, as North Dakota is one of seven states with the minimum of three electoral votes.
Caucuses
- 2004 North Dakota Democratic presidential caucuses
- 2004 North Dakota Republican presidential caucuses
Campaign
Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.
Polling
Bush won both pre-election polls with a double-digit margin.
Fundraising
Bush raised $135,493. Kerry raised $36,600.
Advertising and visits
Neither campaign visited or advertised in this state during the fall campaign.
Analysis
In 2000, Al Gore won two counties, compared to Kerry who won four counties in the state, including his best performance in Sioux County, where he won with seventy percent of the vote. Overall, Bush dominated the state, winning a wide majority of the state's counties, and with large margins. In just two counties – both majority Native American – did Bush obtain less than 44 percent of the vote. This was the last election in which the Republican nominee won Cass County by majority until 2024.
Results
Results by county
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Benson (largest CDP: Fort Totten)
- Steele (largest city: Finley)
By congressional district
Due to the state's low population, only one congressional district is allocated. This district is an at-large district, because it covers the entire state, and thus is equivalent to the statewide election results.
Electors
Technically the voters of ND cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. ND is allocated three electors because it has one congressional district and two senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of three electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and their running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all three electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than their candidate is known as a faithless elector.
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead, the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for Bush and Cheney:
- Betsy Dalrymple (wife of Jack Dalrymple)
- Ben Clayburgh
- Jackie Williams