The 2016 United States presidential election in Kansas was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated. Kansas voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Kansas has six electoral votes in the Electoral College.
Trump carried the state with 56.65 percent of the vote, while Clinton received 36.05 percent. Kansas was among eleven states (and the District of Columbia) in which Clinton improved on Barack Obama's margin from 2012 (though her vote share was lower than Obama's 38 percent), largely due to a significant shift towards Democrats in Johnson County.
This was the final election of Johnson County's 104-year streak of voting Republican, as in the next election Joe Biden would become the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the county since 1916.
This is the most recent election as of the 2024 election where Johnson County, Riley County, or Shawnee County has voted Republican. This is also the last time the Democratic nominee won less than 40% of the vote in Kansas.
Caucuses
Democratic caucuses
Bernie Sanders visited Kansas during the primary season, while Hillary Clinton did not herself and instead sent her daughter Chelsea Clinton to hold a rally in Johnson County.
Republican caucuses
Delegates were awarded to candidates at the statewide and congressional district level who got 10% or more of the vote proportionally. The 3 RNC delegates were awarded to the winner.
General election
Voting history
Kansas has given its electoral votes to the Republican ticket since 1968, and only once to the Democrats (1964) since 1940. At the time, all current statewide officials were Republicans, as were all four members of the state's U.S. House delegation. Mitt Romney defeated Barack Obama by a margin of 60 percent to 38 percent in 2012. A poll conducted by John Zogby found Clinton leading Trump by 7 points in June. In addition, an internal poll for Representative Kevin Yoder, a Republican from Kansas' 3rd congressional district, released an internal poll showing Clinton leading Trump by 6 points in his district. This district voted for Mitt Romney by a 10-point margin in 2012 and has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+6. This result, coupled with Clinton's gains in national polls, caused Sabato's Crystal Ball to move the Kansas race from "Safe Republican" to "Likely Republican" on August 18.
Candidates
Minor candidates
The following received write-in status:
- President: Andrew D. Basiago; Vice President: Karen D. Kinnison
- President: Darrell L Castle; Vice President: Scott N. Bradley
- President: "Rocky" Roque De La Fuente, Vice President: Michael Steinberg
- President: Rocky Giordani; Vice President: Farley M Anderson
- President: James A Hedges; Vice President: Bill V Bayes
- President: Tom Hoefling; Vice President: Steve Schulin
- President: Lynn Kahn; Vice President: Kathy Monahan
- President: Gloria La Riva; Vice President: Eugene Puryer
- President: Michael S. Levinson; Vice President: Perry E. Wharton, II
- President: Michael A Maturen; Vice President: Juan A Munoz
- President: Evan McMullin; Vice President: Nathan D Johnson
- President: Monica G. Moorehead; Vice President: Lamont G. Lilly
- President: Darryl Perry; Vice President: Conan Salada
- President: Marshall R. Schoenke; Vice President: James C. Mitchell, Jr.
- President: Joe C Schriner; Vice President: Joe Moreaux
- President: Mike Smith; Vice President: Daniel White
- President: Timothy Cook; Vice President: John Stein
Results
By congressional district
Trump won three of four congressional districts, Clinton winning the remaining one, which elected a Republican.