2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 2004 United States presidential election in Tennessee was held on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Tennessee was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 14.30% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise a red state. In the past 14 presidential elections, the Republican nominee won ten of them. The state trended more Republican by 10.43 points from Bush's performance in 2000. Bush won most of the counties and congressional districts in the state. Third-party and independent candidates made up just 0.68% of the vote.

As of 2024, this is the last time that the following counties have voted Democratic in a presidential election: Trousdale County, Humphreys County, Grundy County, Lake County, Benton County, Overton County, Smith County, Lauderdale County, Van Buren County, Stewart County, Perry County, and Clay County.

Primary elections Democratic primary

The 2004 Tennessee Democratic presidential primary was held on February 10, 2004. John Kerry won with 41.0% of the vote and was awarded 31 delegates. John Edwards came second with 26.5% of the vote and 20 delegates. Wesley Clark came third with 23.1% of the vote and 18 delegates. All other candidates did not receive any delegates

2004 Tennessee Democratic presidential primaryPartyCandidateVotesPercentageDelegatesDemocraticJohn Kerry151,52741.02%31DemocraticJohn Edwards97,91426.51%20DemocraticWesley Clark85,31523.10%18DemocraticHoward Dean (withdrawn)16,1284.37%0DemocraticAl Sharpton6,1071.65%0DemocraticJoe Lieberman3,2130.87%0DemocraticUncommitted2,7270.74%0DemocraticCarol Moseley Braun (withdrawn)2,4900.67%0DemocraticDennis Kucinich2,2790.62%0DemocraticDick Gephardt (withdrawn)1,4020.38%0DemocraticLyndon LaRouche2830.08%0Totals626,738100.00%69

Republican primary

The 2004 Tennessee Republican presidential primary was held on February 10, 2004. Incumbent president George W. Bush won the primary and all of the state's delegates.

2004 Tennessee Republican presidential primaryCandidateVotes%DelegatesGeorge W. Bush (incumbent)94,55795.45%52Write-ins4,5044.55% rowspan="1" Total99,061100.00%52

General election Predictions

There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.

+SourceRankingD.C. Political ReportAssociated PressCNNCook Political ReportNewsweekNew York TimesRasmussen ReportsResearch 2000Washington PostWashington TimesZogby InternationalWashington Dispatch

Polling Bush won every single pre-election poll, and won each with at least 49%. The final 3 polls averaged Bush leading 56% to 40%.

Fundraising Bush raised $4,636,916. Kerry raised $1,187,742.

Advertising and visits Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.

United States presidential election in Tennessee, 2004PartyCandidateRunning mateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican George W. Bush (incumbent) Dick Cheney (incumbent) 1,384,375 56.81% 11 Democratic John Kerry John Edwards 1,036,477 42.51% 0 Independent Ralph Nader Peter Camejo 8,992 0.37% 0 Libertarian Michael Badnarik Richard Campagna 4,866 0.20% 0 Constitution Party Michael Peroutka Chuck Baldwin 2,570 0.11% 0 Green Party David Cobb Pat LaMarche 33 0.00% 0 Socialist Walt Brown Mary Alice Herbert 6 0.00% 0 Totals 2,437,919 100.00% 11 Voter turnout 66.32%

By county CountyGeorge W. BushRepublicanJohn KerryDemocraticVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Anderson18,51058.42%12,89640.70%2760.87%5,61417.72%31,682Bedford8,35160.93%5,26838.44%870.63%3,08322.49%13,706Benton3,16144.58%3,86954.57%600.85%-708-9.99%7,090Bledsoe2,84959.24%1,92740.07%330.69%92219.17%4,809Blount33,24168.24%15,04730.89%4240.88%18,19437.35%48,712Bradley25,95172.82%9,43126.46%2550.72%16,52046.36%35,637Campbell7,85955.67%6,16343.65%960.68%1,69612.02%14,118Cannon2,93153.48%2,51545.89%350.64%4167.59%5,481Carroll6,60556.18%5,07043.12%820.70%1,53513.06%11,757Carter15,76870.67%6,39528.66%1500.67%9,37342.01%22,313Cheatham9,67661.64%5,91837.70%1030.66%3,75823.94%15,697Chester4,08664.28%2,24235.27%290.45%1,84429.01%6,357Claiborne6,44861.18%4,03438.27%580.55%2,41422.91%10,540Clay1,65049.15%1,67549.90%320.96%-25-0.75%3,357Cocke8,29767.40%3,93531.96%790.65%4,36235.44%12,311Coffee11,79358.48%8,24340.87%1310.65%3,55017.61%20,167Crockett3,24256.66%2,45942.97%210.37%78313.69%5,722Cumberland15,14464.07%8,32735.23%1660.70%6,81728.84%23,637Davidson107,83944.51%132,73754.78%1,7260.71%-24,898-10.27%242,302Decatur2,56652.59%2,26846.48%450.92%2986.11%4,879DeKalb3,68551.37%3,44548.03%430.60%2403.34%7,173Dickson10,56754.76%8,59744.55%1340.69%1,97010.21%19,298Dyer8,44761.17%5,28738.29%750.54%3,16022.88%13,809Fayette8,96260.81%5,69638.65%790.53%3,26622.16%14,737Fentress4,29364.07%2,37135.39%360.54%1,92228.68%6,700Franklin9,12953.46%7,80045.68%1480.87%1,3297.78%17,077Gibson10,59655.13%8,51144.28%1140.59%2,08510.85%19,221Giles6,16353.42%5,27345.71%1010.87%8907.71%11,537Grainger4,90765.19%2,56934.13%510.68%2,33831.06%7,527Greene16,38267.71%7,63531.56%1770.73%8,74736.15%24,194Grundy2,10742.75%2,78956.58%330.67%-682-13.83%4,929Hamblen14,74266.05%7,43333.30%1430.64%7,30932.75%22,318Hamilton78,54757.36%57,30241.85%1,0870.79%21,24515.51%136,936Hancock1,75668.84%77730.46%180.69%97938.38%2,551Hardeman4,70444.95%5,68554.32%770.74%-981-9.37%10,466Hardin6,08761.15%3,83438.52%330.33%2,25322.63%9,954Hawkins13,44766.46%6,68433.04%1020.51%6,76333.42%20,233Haywood3,14041.60%4,35957.75%490.65%-1,219-16.15%7,548Henderson6,58565.22%3,44834.15%630.63%3,13731.07%10,096Henry7,34055.70%5,73243.50%1050.80%1,60812.20%13,177Hickman4,35950.26%4,26349.15%510.59%961.11%8,673Houston1,44040.02%2,12659.09%320.89%-686-19.07%3,598Humphreys3,26141.85%4,48557.55%470.60%-1,224-15.70%7,793Jackson2,02640.07%2,99859.30%320.64%-972-19.23%5,056Jefferson11,62567.53%5,46931.77%1210.70%6,15635.76%17,215Johnson4,63471.51%1,81227.96%340.53%2,82243.55%6,480Knox110,80362.10%66,01337.00%1,6030.90%44,79025.10%178,419Lake1,03943.84%1,31755.57%140.59%-278-11.73%2,370Lauderdale4,16447.96%4,47451.53%440.51%-310-3.57%8,682Lawrence9,95959.79%6,59239.57%1070.64%3,36720.22%16,658Lewis2,81955.78%2,19243.37%430.85%62712.41%5,054Lincoln7,82962.85%4,54636.49%820.66%3,28326.36%12,457Loudon14,04170.69%5,70828.74%1150.58%8,33341.95%19,864McMinn11,98066.54%5,89132.72%1320.73%6,08933.82%18,003McNairy5,78758.31%4,10141.32%360.36%1,68616.99%9,924Macon4,67062.83%2,73836.84%250.34%1,93225.99%7,433Madison21,67956.05%16,84043.54%1560.40%4,83912.51%38,675Marion5,86251.01%5,54848.28%820.71%3142.73%11,492Marshall5,82554.88%4,72244.48%680.64%1,10310.40%10,615Maury17,50558.27%12,37941.20%1590.53%5,12617.07%30,043Meigs2,50060.50%1,59538.60%370.90%90521.90%4,132Monroe10,12365.02%5,35434.39%910.58%4,76930.63%15,568Montgomery28,62758.42%20,07040.96%3010.61%8,55717.46%48,998Moore1,66860.13%1,08439.08%220.79%58421.05%2,774Morgan4,40159.80%2,92439.73%350.48%1,47720.07%7,360Obion7,85958.06%5,54941.00%1270.94%2,31017.06%13,535Overton3,94146.31%4,51853.09%510.60%-577-6.78%8,510Perry1,52248.32%1,57950.13%491.55%-57-1.81%3,150Pickett1,60060.49%1,03339.05%120.46%56721.44%2,645Polk3,92458.57%2,72440.66%520.77%1,20017.91%6,700Putnam15,63759.14%10,56639.96%2390.91%5,07119.18%26,442Rhea7,30166.05%3,66533.16%880.79%3,63632.89%11,054Roane14,46761.99%8,70637.30%1650.70%5,76124.69%23,338Robertson15,33160.54%9,86538.96%1270.50%5,46621.58%25,323Rutherford52,20061.84%31,64737.49%5620.67%20,55324.35%84,409Scott4,50959.11%3,08640.46%330.44%1,42318.65%7,628Sequatchie2,95159.22%1,98639.86%460.92%96519.36%4,983Sevier22,14371.50%8,62127.84%2060.67%13,52243.66%30,970Shelby158,13741.91%216,94557.50%2,2000.58%-58,808-15.59%377,282Smith3,73947.76%4,04451.66%450.57%-305-3.90%7,828Stewart2,67547.91%2,86051.23%480.86%-185-3.32%5,583Sullivan42,55567.94%19,63731.35%4470.72%22,91836.59%62,639Sumner40,18164.84%21,45834.63%3290.53%18,72330.21%61,968Tipton14,17865.41%7,37934.04%1200.56%6,79931.37%21,677Trousdale1,31441.18%1,85158.01%260.82%-537-16.83%3,191Unicoi5,03067.40%2,37431.81%590.80%2,65635.59%7,463Union4,14561.77%2,52437.62%410.61%1,62124.15%6,710Van Buren1,12047.72%1,20951.51%180.76%-89-3.79%2,347Warren7,50352.10%6,80847.28%890.62%6954.82%14,400Washington29,73566.07%14,94433.20%3270.73%14,79132.87%45,006Wayne3,99966.83%1,95132.60%340.56%2,04834.23%5,984Weakley7,81757.92%5,58841.40%910.67%2,22916.52%13,496White5,26955.49%4,14743.68%790.84%1,12211.81%9,495Williamson57,45172.13%21,73227.28%4670.59%35,71944.85%79,650Wilson28,92465.07%15,27734.37%2510.56%13,64730.70%44,452Totals1,383,33656.81%1,035,16042.51%16,4530.68%348,17614.30%2,434,949

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Bedford (Largest city: Shelbyville) Campbell (Largest city: LaFollette) Cannon (Largest city: Woodbury) Crockett (Largest city: Bells) Decatur (Largest city: Parsons) DeKalb (Largest city: Smithville) Dickson (Largest city: Dickson) Franklin (Largest city: Winchester) Gibson (Largest city: Humboldt) Giles (Largest city: Pulaski) Henry (Largest city: Paris) Hickman (Largest city: Centerville) Lewis (Largest city: Hohenwald) Marion (Largest city: Jasper) Marshall (Largest city: Lewisburg) Robertson (Largest city: Springfield) Warren (Largest city: McMinnville) White (Largest city: Sparta)

By congressional district Bush won seven of nine congressional districts, including three held by Democrats. District Bush Kerry Representative 68% 31%William L Jenkins 64% 35%John J. Duncan Jr. 61% 38%Zach Wamp 58% 41%Lincoln Davis 48% 52%Jim Cooper 60% 40%Bart Gordon 66% 33%Marsha Blackburn 53% 47%John S. Tanner 30% 70%Harold Ford Jr.

Electors

Technically the voters of Tennessee cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Tennessee is allocated 11 electors because it has 9 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 11 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 11 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 9 were pledged to Bush/Cheney: Susan Anderson Betty Cannon Winfield Dunn Geneva Williams Harrison Brock Hill Bruce Montgomery Claude Ramsey Bob Rial John Ryder Mark Tipps Sally Wall

Analysis While the Republicans control slightly more than half of the state, Democrats have strong support in the cities of Memphis and Nashville and in parts of Middle Tennessee and in West Tennessee north and east of Memphis The latter area includes a large rural African-American population.Tennessee by County - GCT-PL. Race and Hispanic or Latino 2000 U.S. Census Bureau