Politics of Rhode Island

United States presidential election results for Rhode Island[1]
Year Republican / Whig Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 199,922 38.61% 307,486 59.39% 10,349 2.00%
2016 180,543 38.90% 252,525 54.41% 31,076 6.70%
2012 157,204 35.24% 279,677 62.70% 9,168 2.06%
2008 165,391 35.06% 296,571 62.86% 9,804 2.08%
2004 169,046 38.67% 259,760 59.42% 8,328 1.91%
2000 130,555 31.91% 249,508 60.99% 29,049 7.10%
1996 104,683 26.82% 233,050 59.71% 52,551 13.46%
1992 131,601 29.02% 213,299 47.04% 108,578 23.94%
1988 177,761 43.93% 225,123 55.64% 1,736 0.43%
1984 212,080 51.66% 197,106 48.02% 1,306 0.32%
1980 154,793 37.20% 198,342 47.67% 62,937 15.13%
1976 181,249 44.08% 227,636 55.36% 2,285 0.56%
1972 220,383 53.00% 194,645 46.81% 780 0.19%
1968 122,359 31.78% 246,518 64.03% 16,123 4.19%
1964 74,615 19.13% 315,463 80.87% 13 0.00%
1960 147,502 36.37% 258,032 63.63% 1 0.00%
1956 225,819 58.23% 161,970 41.77% 2 0.00%
1952 210,935 50.89% 203,293 49.05% 270 0.07%
1948 135,787 41.44% 188,736 57.59% 3,179 0.97%
1944 123,487 41.26% 175,356 58.59% 433 0.14%
1940 138,653 43.17% 182,182 56.73% 313 0.10%
1936 125,031 40.18% 165,238 53.10% 20,909 6.72%
1932 115,266 43.31% 146,604 55.08% 4,300 1.62%
1928 117,522 49.55% 118,973 50.16% 699 0.29%
1924 125,286 59.63% 76,606 36.46% 8,223 3.91%
1920 107,463 63.97% 55,062 32.78% 5,456 3.25%
1916 44,858 51.08% 40,394 46.00% 2,564 2.92%
1912 27,703 35.56% 30,412 39.04% 19,779 25.39%
1908 43,942 60.76% 24,706 34.16% 3,669 5.07%
1904 41,605 60.60% 24,839 36.18% 2,212 3.22%
1900 33,784 59.74% 19,812 35.04% 2,952 5.22%
1896 37,437 68.33% 14,459 26.39% 2,889 5.27%
1892 26,975 50.71% 24,336 45.75% 1,885 3.54%
1888 21,969 53.88% 17,530 42.99% 1,276 3.13%
1884 19,030 58.07% 12,391 37.81% 1,350 4.12%
1880 18,195 62.24% 10,779 36.87% 261 0.89%
1876 15,787 59.29% 10,712 40.23% 128 0.48%
1872 13,665 71.94% 5,329 28.06% 0 0.00%
1868 12,993 66.49% 6,548 33.51% 0 0.00%
1864 13,962 62.24% 8,470 37.76% 0 0.00%
1860 12,244 61.37% 7,707 38.63% 0 0.00%
1856 11,467 57.85% 6,680 33.70% 1,675 8.45%
1852 7,626 44.85% 8,735 51.37% 644 3.79%
1848 6,779 60.77% 3,646 32.68% 730 6.54%
1844 7,322 59.55% 4,867 39.58% 107 0.87%
1840 5,278 61.22% 3,301 38.29% 42 0.49%
1836 2,710 47.76% 2,964 52.24% 0 0.00%

Since the Great Depression, Rhode Island politics have been dominated by the Rhode Island Democratic Party, and the state is considered part of the Democrats' "Blue Wall." Democrats have won all but four presidential elections since 1928, with the exceptions being 1952, 1956, 1972, and 1984.[2] The Rhode Island Republican Party, although virtually non-existent in the Rhode Island General Assembly, has remained competitive in gubernatorial elections, having won one as recently as 2006. Until 2014, Democrats had not won a gubernatorial election in the state since 1992, and it was not until 2018 that they won one by double digits. The Rhode Island General Assembly has continuously been under Democratic control since 1959.

Democrats hold all statewide and congressional seats including Governor Daniel McKee, Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Secretary of State Gregg Amore, General Treasurer James Diossa, and Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey.

In a 2020 study, Rhode Island was ranked as the 19th easiest state for citizens to vote in.[3]

Party registration as of February 2021[4]
Party Total voters Percentage
Unaffiliated 348,569 43.18%
Democratic 346,320 42.90%
Republican 112,334 13.92%
Total 807,223 100%
  1. ^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Rhode Island". US Election Atlas. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  2. ^ "Rhode Island Presidential Election Voting History - 270toWin".
  3. ^ J. Pomante II, Michael; Li, Quan (December 15, 2020). "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020". Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy. 19 (4): 503–509. doi:10.1089/elj.2020.0666. S2CID 225139517.
  4. ^ Rhode Island Voter Registration