DEM Gov candidates 14 vs Obama 12 by county

[Miles]

DEM Gov candidates 14 (red) vs Obama 12 (blue)



As usual, let me know if you find any mistakes.

[ElectionsGuy]

I find it kind of odd that Butch Otter and Matt Mead are somewhat unpopular in their states. In Wyoming, 5% wrote in a candidate, another 5% voted for an independent candidate, and Mead didn't even get 60%. In Idaho, 8% was third party candidates and Otter got a pathetic 53% (and nearly lost a primary!).

[Antonio the Sixth]

This is awesome! I admit I'd rather see these maps on the standard Atlas color scale (with light to dark red or blue, rather than with a continuum going through purple), because it helps distinguish the areas where governors outperformed Obama with those where they underperformed.

[Miles]

^ I actually borrowed the color scheme I use for these maps from DRA.

I could do it the Atlas way, it would just take much longer.

[Antonio the Sixth]

^ I actually borrowed the color scheme I use for these maps from DRA.

I could do it the Atlas way, it would just take much longer.

Don't worry, it's fine.

[muon2]

The map really shows how difficult it is to project federal results to state elections. Too often I read analysis that looks at gubernatorial and other state races as if they should automatically reflect the political disposition of the state at the national level. State races have their own sets of drivers that may not always tie in to the national agendas of the parties. Those differences set the states apart from one another. You generally wouldn't need to see the state lines to know where they are from Miles' map.

[Miles]

^ Going off of muon's idea, here's the same map but with no county/state borders:

[Oldiesfreak1854]

The map really shows how difficult it is to project federal results to state elections. Too often I read analysis that looks at gubernatorial and other state races as if they should automatically reflect the political disposition of the state at the national level. State races have their own sets of drivers that may not always tie in to the national agendas of the parties. Those differences set the states apart from one another. You generally wouldn't need to see the state lines to know where they are from Miles' map.

Indeed.  There's no such thing as a "red state" or "blue state" when you get lower than presidential politics.

[Xing]

This also shows how important turnout can be. Overall, the map makes it look like Crist did slightly better than Obama in Florida, but lower turnout in Miami-Dade/Broward in 2014 made all the difference.

[Miles]

^ And if you look at the swing map of FL-Gov from 2010-2014, the panhandle swung hardest against Crist, yet he still did better than Obama there.