Politics in America feels like a game of musical chairs where the music never actually stops. You’ve probably seen the maps by now. Bright red swaths covering the middle of the country, with pockets of deep blue clinging to the coasts and a few islands in between. But if you’re trying to figure out exactly what states are blue 2024, the answer isn't just a list. It’s a story of a shifting "Blue Wall" and a map that looked a lot more sparse for Democrats than it did four years ago.
Honestly, the 2024 election was a bit of a shock for people who thought the 2020 coalition was the new normal.
It wasn't.
While the Democratic ticket, led by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, held onto many of the traditional strongholds, the "Blue Wall"—that famous trio of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin—crumbled. When the dust finally settled and the Electoral College votes were certified, the blue list was shorter than many expected.
The Final List: What States Are Blue 2024?
So, let's get right to it. If we define a "blue state" as one where the Democratic candidate won the state's electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, the list is exactly 19 states plus the District of Columbia.
Here is the breakdown of the states that went blue:
- California (54 electoral votes)
- New York (28 electoral votes)
- Illinois (19 electoral votes)
- New Jersey (14 electoral votes)
- Virginia (13 electoral votes)
- Washington (12 electoral votes)
- Massachusetts (11 electoral votes)
- Maryland (10 electoral votes)
- Minnesota (10 electoral votes)
- Colorado (10 electoral votes)
- Oregon (8 electoral votes)
- Connecticut (7 electoral votes)
- New Mexico (5 electoral votes)
- New Hampshire (4 electoral votes)
- Rhode Island (4 electoral votes)
- Hawaii (4 electoral votes)
- Delaware (3 electoral votes)
- Vermont (3 electoral votes)
- Maine (Harris won the statewide vote and the 1st District, taking 3 out of 4 electoral votes)
There’s also Washington, D.C., which is technically a federal district, but it gave its 3 electoral votes to Harris with a staggering margin—over 90%. Additionally, Nebraska splits its electoral votes by congressional district. Harris managed to snag Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District (the "Blue Dot" around Omaha), adding one more vote to her column even though the rest of the state was deep red.
The Cracks in the Blue Wall
You can't talk about what states are blue 2024 without mentioning the ones that weren't.
For decades, Democrats relied on Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. They called it the "Blue Wall" because, for a long time, it seemed impenetrable. Donald Trump broke it in 2016. Joe Biden rebuilt it in 2020. In 2024, Trump broke it again.
It wasn't just a narrow loss. Trump won all seven of the major battleground states. That includes the "Sun Belt" prizes of Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Why does this matter? Because it means the "blue" footprint is shrinking back to the coasts. Outside of Illinois and Minnesota, the entire Midwest and the industrial heartland turned red. Even in states that stayed blue, like New Jersey and New York, the margins were a lot tighter than they’ve been in years.
Take New York, for example. Harris won it, sure. But the margin was about 11 points. Compare that to 2020, when Biden won it by 23 points. That’s a massive swing. It suggests that even the "safest" blue states are seeing a shift in voter sentiment, particularly among working-class voters and in suburban enclaves.
Why Some States Stayed Blue (And Some Barely Did)
Vermont ended up being the "bluest" state in the country if you look at the percentage of the vote, with Harris winning by about 32 points. Maryland and Massachusetts weren't far behind. These are states with high levels of education and deep-rooted Democratic infrastructures.
But look at Virginia or New Hampshire.
In the lead-up to the election, there were whispers that Virginia might actually be in play for Republicans. It stayed blue, but the comfortable cushions of the past are thinning out. The same goes for New Mexico.
What we're seeing is a geographic consolidation. The Democratic base is increasingly concentrated in high-density urban centers and highly educated coastal suburbs. If you live in a city like Seattle, San Francisco, or Boston, the world looks very blue. But once you move a few miles outside those city limits, the map changes fast.
The "Blue Dot" Phenomenon
One of the weirdest quirks of the 2024 map was Nebraska.
Most states are "winner-take-all." If you win the popular vote by one person, you get all the electoral votes. Nebraska and Maine don't play by those rules. They give votes to the winner of each congressional district.
In Nebraska, the 2nd District—which includes Omaha—has become a legendary "blue dot." Residents there actually organized a grassroots campaign involving blue yard signs to show their defiance against the sea of red surrounding them. Harris won that dot. It gave her one electoral vote. In an election this lopsided, one vote didn't change the outcome, but it shows how localized "blue" pockets can be.
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Looking Ahead: Is the Map Permanent?
Political maps are never permanent. They’re more like weather patterns.
Right now, the Democratic Party is doing some serious soul-searching about why the 2024 map shrank. They still hold the heavy hitters: California's 54 votes and New York's 28 votes are massive prizes. But without the Rust Belt or the Sun Belt, the math for winning the White House becomes nearly impossible.
The 19 states that remained blue in 2024 represent a very specific slice of America: mostly coastal, mostly urban, and mostly higher-income.
Actionable Takeaways for Following the Map
If you’re tracking these shifts for future elections or just trying to understand the current political climate, keep these points in mind:
- Watch the Margins, Not Just the Color: A state staying blue doesn't mean it stayed the same. Shifts in states like New York and New Jersey suggest that the "safe" map might be smaller in 2028.
- Follow the Demographics: The exit polls from 2024 showed significant shifts among Latino men and young voters toward the GOP. If this trend continues, states like New Mexico and Virginia could become true toss-ups.
- The Census Factor: Remember that electoral votes are based on population. Some blue states, like California and New York, actually lost electoral votes after the 2020 Census because people are moving to redder states like Florida and Texas. This means even if the "blue" list stays the same, its total power in the Electoral College might decrease.
The 2024 results confirmed that the American electorate is more fluid than we think. While the 19 blue states provide a solid foundation for the Democratic Party, the walls are definitely leaning. Understanding what states are blue 2024 is just the starting point for seeing where the country is headed next.