If you’ve ever looked at an electoral map on election night, there’s always that tiny, bright blue dot nestled between Maryland and Virginia. That’s Washington, D.C. Honestly, the Washington DC presidential results are usually the most predictable part of the entire night. While pundits lose their minds over Pennsylvania or Arizona, the District just does its thing.
But 2024 was a bit different. Not because the winner changed—Kamala Harris swept all three electoral votes, obviously—but because of the subtle shifts under the surface. Even in the deepest blue stronghold in the country, things aren't exactly frozen in time.
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Breaking Down the 2024 Numbers
Let's get into the weeds. Kamala Harris pulled in 294,185 votes, which is about 90.28% of the total. Donald Trump, on the other hand, got 21,076 votes, or roughly 6.47%.
Wait, 6%? That sounds tiny. And it is. But for Trump, this was actually his best performance in the District across all three of his runs. In 2016, he barely cracked 4%. In 2020, he was at 5.4%. To see a sitting Republican pick up even a couple of percentage points in a place where "Republican" is almost a dirty word is, well, interesting.
You've also got the "other" guys. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (who had withdrawn but was still on some ballots) took 0.85%. Write-ins actually accounted for 2.4% of the vote. People in D.C. love a good protest vote, especially when they feel like the main candidates aren't quite hitting the mark on local issues like statehood or crime.
The Ward-by-Ward Reality
D.C. isn't a monolith. If you live in Ward 3 (Upper Northwest), your politics probably look different than if you're in Ward 8 (Anacostia).
- Ward 5 was the most loyal to the Democratic ticket, giving Harris 91.80%.
- Ward 3 and Ward 2 (the wealthier, more "establishment" areas) gave Trump his highest percentages, hitting nearly 8%.
- Ward 8 saw Harris win big with 90.90%, but it’s worth noting the turnout here is often lower than in the more affluent parts of the city.
Why Does DC Always Vote This Way?
It's a question people from the Midwest or the South ask all the time. "How can a place be 90% one party?" Basically, D.C. is 100% urban. There are no rural pockets to balance things out. Historically, the District has a massive population of federal workers, civil rights activists, and a Black population that, while shrinking as a percentage of the total, remains a powerhouse of Democratic loyalty.
Actually, the history of the Washington DC presidential results only goes back to 1964. Before the 23rd Amendment was ratified in 1961, residents couldn't vote for President at all. Crazy, right? Since they got the right, they have never voted for a Republican. Not once. Not for Reagan in his 1984 landslide. Not for Nixon.
The closest a Republican ever got was Richard Nixon in 1972, and even then, he only managed about 21%. Since then, the GOP has struggled to even stay in double digits.
The "Red Shift" Myth vs. Reality
People saw the 2024 results and started talking about a "rightward shift" in D.C. because Harris's margin was about 1.8 points lower than Biden's in 2020.
Is D.C. becoming a swing state? No. Don't be ridiculous.
What's actually happening is a mix of things. First, there's a growing frustration with local crime and the economy. Even though the President doesn't manage the D.C. police, the "incumbent vibe" can hurt the top of the ticket. Second, D.C. is gentrifying. Newer residents might be liberal, but they aren't always "dyed-in-the-wool" Democrats. They might be independents who lean left but are willing to flirt with third parties or just skip the top of the ticket.
The Impact of Initiative 83
You can't talk about the 2024 results without mentioning Initiative 83. This was the ballot measure to bring Ranked Choice Voting and semi-open primaries to the District. It passed with about 73% of the vote.
This is huge. It suggests that even though D.C. voters are Democrats, they are bored—or frustrated—with the status quo. They want more choices. They want a system where the "real" election isn't just a closed June primary where 15% of the city decides everything.
How to Read the Results Like a Pro
If you're looking at these numbers to understand where the country is going, you’re looking at the wrong place. D.C. is an outlier. It’s a "company town" where the company is the federal government.
When you see the Washington DC presidential results, look for the margins in the Wards. If Ward 7 and 8 start showing significant shifts, it means the Democratic Party is losing its grip on its most reliable base. If Ward 3 shifts, it means the "professional class" is getting restless. In 2024, we saw a tiny bit of both.
What Happens Next?
If you want to dive deeper into how your specific neighborhood voted, the DC Board of Elections (DCBOE) has a precinct-level map that is honestly addictive if you’re a data nerd. You can see exactly how many people in your apartment building or on your block voted for a write-in candidate for "Batman" instead of the actual nominees.
Actionable Steps for the Politically Curious:
- Check the Precinct Map: Go to the DCBOE website and look at the "Certified Results" for 2024. See how your specific precinct (the place you actually go to vote) compared to the city average.
- Watch the RCV Implementation: Since Initiative 83 passed, keep an eye on how the City Council handles the rollout. It will completely change how we vote in the 2026 local elections.
- Support Statehood Efforts: If the lack of a "real" vote in Congress bothers you more than the presidential results, look into groups like DC Shadow Delegation or 51 for 51.
The District might be small, and its three electoral votes might be a foregone conclusion, but the way the city votes tells a story of a population that is highly educated, deeply engaged, and—as of late—ready for a little bit of change in how the gears of democracy actually turn.