Blue Wall States 2025
- The “blue wall” is a term used to refer to states that have historically voted for the Democratic party during the presidential elections since 1992.
- In 2016, Republican candidate Donald Trump won the presidency by breaching the blue wall with victories in the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. All three were reclaimed in 2020 by the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden.
California
California is the largest of the “Blue Wall” states, which are states that voted Democratic in presidential elections from 1992 to 2012. California has 54 electoral votes, which is the most of any state. Unlike some of the other Blue Wall states, it did not switch sides in the 2016 election.
New York
New York is the second-largest Blue Wall state. It has 28 electoral votes. Like California, New York stayed with the Democratic party in the 2016 election.
Illinois
Illinois is the final member of the “big three” states within the Blue Wall. These are the most populous traditionally Democratic states. Illinois has 19 electoral college votes.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is traditionally a Democratic state, but it has voted Republican on several occasions. It most recently voted Republican for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, though Joe Biden won it in 2020.
Michigan
Michigan is another traditional member of the Blue Wall that voted Republican in 2016. Like Pennsylvania, it reverted to Democratic control in 2020. Michigan has 15 electoral college votes.
New Jersey
New Jersey is one of many Blue Wall states in the northeastern United States. It stayed Democratic in the 2016 election. New Jersey has 14 electoral college votes.
Washington
Washington state is one of two Blue Wall states in the Pacific Northwest. It voted Democratic in 2016. Washington has 12 electoral votes.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is a solidly Democratic state and a stalwart of the Blue Wall. It did not switch sides in 2016. Its 11 electoral votes stayed with the Democrats.
Maryland
Maryland is considered to be part of the Blue Wall, though the Republican Party is gaining momentum in the state. Some experts thought that Maryland’s 10 electoral votes might head to the Republicans in 2016, but this was not the case.
Minnesota
Minnesota also has 10 electoral college votes. It stayed Democratic in 2016, though only barely. However, Joe Biden won it relatively comfortably in 2020.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin was one of several states that flipped from the Democrats to the Republicans in 2016. Its 10 electoral votes helped Donald Trump win the presidency. It reverted to the Democrats in 2020.
Oregon
Oregon is considered to be a committed member of the Blue Wall. It did not change sides in 2016. Oregon’s eight electoral votes also went to the Democrats in 2020.
Connecticut
Connecticut has seven electoral votes. It stayed Democratic throughout 2016 and 2020. Most experts do not feel that Connecticut will switch sides in the near future.
Hawaii
Hawaii has an overwhelming Democratic majority among voters. It didn’t come close to going to the Republicans in 2016 or 2020. However, it only has four electoral votes.
Maine
Maine also has only four electoral votes. Unlike Hawai’i, however, it is moving toward the Republicans. The Republican candidate won Maine one electoral vote in both 2016 and 2020.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island is a small state with only four electoral votes. However, it is an integral part of the Blue Wall. It stayed solidly Democratic throughout both 2016 and 2020.
Delaware
Delaware has been a solidly Democratic state for decades. Its three electoral votes did not switch sides in 2016 or 2020.
Vermont
Vermont is well-known to be one of the most heavily Democratic states in the country. It remained part of the Blue Wall in 2016 and 2020. It has only three electoral votes.
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. has three electoral votes, though it is not a state. It remains part of the Blue Wall. In fact, Washington D.C. has voted Democratic in every presidential election since its introduction to the electoral process in 1964.
