2008 United States presidential election in Missouri

2008 United States presidential election in Missouri

← 2004 November 4, 2008 2012 →

Nominee John McCain Barack Obama Party Republican Democratic Home state Arizona Illinois Running mate Sarah Palin Joe Biden Electoral vote 11 0 Popular vote 1,445,814 1,441,911 Percentage 49.36% 49.23%

County Results Congressional District Results Precinct results McCain   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80-90% Obama   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   80-90%   90-100% Tie/No Data

President before election George W. Bush Republican Elected President Barack Obama Democratic

Elections in Missouri
Federal government Presidential elections 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Missouri bellwether Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate 1821 1825 1827 1830 1833 1836 1839 1842 1843 sp 1845 1849 1851 1857 1857 sp 1861 1863 1863 sp 1868 1871 sp 1874 1879 1879 sp 1881 1885 1887 1891 1893 1897 1899 1903 1905 1909 1911 1911 1914 1916 1918 sp 1920 1922 1926 1926 sp 1928 1932 1934 1938 1940 1944 1946 1950 1952 1956 1958 1960 sp 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 sp 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024 2028 U.S. House of Representatives 1820 1822 1824 1826 1828 1831 1832–33 1835 1836 1838 1839 AL sp 1840 1842 1844 1846 AL sp 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1st sp 1862 1864 1866 1867 3rd sp 1868 5th sp 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 7th sp 1882 2nd sp 1884 1886 1888 1889 4th sp 1890 14th sp 1892 1894 1896 1897 1st sp 1898 1899 8th sp 1900 1902 12th sp 1904 1906 1908 1910 6th sp 1912 1914 1916 1918 10th sp 1920 1921 4th sp 1922 1924 1926 11th sp 1928 1929 4th sp 1930 1931 7th sp 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1943 6th sp 1944 1946 1948 10th sp 1950 1951 11th sp 1952 1954 1956 1958 1959 4th sp 1960 1962 1964 9th sp 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 6th sp 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 8th sp 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2013 8th sp 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government State elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 Gubernatorial elections 1820 1824 1825 sp 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1857 sp 1860 1864 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Secretary of State elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 Attorney General elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 State Treasurer elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 State Auditor elections 2010 2014 2018 2022 Senate elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Representatives elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures 1999 Proposition B 2004 Amendment 2 2006 Amendment 2 2018 Proposition A 2020 Amendment 2 2022 Amendment 3
Columbia Mayoral elections 2016 2019 2022
Kansas City Mayoral elections 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Springfield Mayoral elections 2021
St. Louis Mayoral elections 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 Board of Aldermen elections 2023
v t e

The 2008 United States presidential election in Missouri was held on November 4, 2008, and was part of the 2008 United States presidential election, which took place throughout all 50 states and D.C. Voters chose 11 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Missouri was won by Republican nominee John McCain by 3,903 votes, a 0.13% margin of victory. Prior to the election, most news organizations considered this state a toss-up, or a swing state. On election day, Missouri was the closest state in 2008, with most news organizations not calling the state until two weeks after the election.^[1] A high turnout of voters in the GOP strongholds of Greene County (Springfield) and St. Charles County, combined with Democrat Barack Obama's lackluster performance in the more rural parts of the state, gave the edge to McCain. Since the margin of victory was less than 1%, Obama could have legally called for a recount at no expense to himself, but he ultimately chose not to do so. This was likely because he had already received enough electoral votes to win the presidency which rendered Missouri's 11 electoral votes inconsequential and a recount would have been unlikely to change the outcome.^[2]

Obama became the first Democrat to ever win the presidency without carrying Missouri, and McCain the first Republican to carry Missouri without winning the presidency.

Combined with the state's swing to the right in 2000 and 2004 and the further bleeding of Democratic support in white, rural areas, this would be the last time when Missouri was seriously contested and considered to be a swing/bellwether state. The state continued moving deeper and safer into the Republican side four years later and onward, and as such, this is the most recent election when the Republican candidate won less than 50% of the state's popular vote. As of 2020, this is the last time that Iron County, Jefferson County, Washington County, Ste. Genevieve County, and Buchanan County voted for the Democratic candidate. Despite losing, Obama's 1,441,911 votes are the most received by a Democratic presidential candidate in the state's history. This remains the last election where Missouri voted to the left of Georgia and Arizona.