The 2000 United States presidential election in Arizona took place on November 7, 2000, and was part of the 2000 United States presidential election. Voters chose eight representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Arizona was won by Governor George W. Bush by a 6.3 point margin of victory. Ralph Nader received 3%, whilst all of the other candidates received a combined 1%. Pre-election polling showed that Bush had a solid lead over Gore. Bush won all the congressional districts, except Arizona's 2nd congressional district. The key for Bush's victory was Maricopa County, which has by far the highest population in the state. After breaking the longest Republican streak in the last election, last voting Democratic in 1948 prior to 1996, Arizona made a return to the Republican column in 2000. Bush made history by winning Greenlee County, the first Republican presidential candidate to ever do so.Menendez Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868–2004, p. 121 This thinly populated working class county, which has been dependent on copper mining as the basis for its economy, had previously voted Democratic in every election since Arizona achieved statehood in 1912, but has not done so since.

Bush became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Coconino or Pima Counties since Arizona statehood, as well as the first to do so without carrying Santa Cruz County since Herbert Hoover in 1928.

Results 2000 United States presidential election in ArizonaPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican George W. Bush 781,652 51.0% 8 Democratic Al Gore 685,341 44.7% 0 Green Ralph Nader 45,645 3.0% 0 Reform Patrick Buchanan 12,373 0.8% 0 Libertarian L. Neil Smith 5,775 0.4% 0 Write-ins Various candidates 2,097 0.1% 0 Natural Law John Hagelin 1,120 0.1% 0 Constitution Howard Phillips 110 0.0% 0 Totals 1,534,113 100.0% 8 Voter turnout 40%

By county County George W. BushOur campaigns; AZ US President Race, November 07, 2000Republican Al GoreDemocratic Ralph NaderGreen Pat BuchananReform Various candidatesOther parties Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # %Apache 5,947 30.57% 13,025 66.95% 245 1.26% 135 0.69% 104 0.54% -7,078 -36.38% 19,456Cochise 18,180 54.69% 13,360 40.19% 1,113 3.35% 315 0.95% 273 0.82% 4,820 14.50% 33,241Coconino 17,562 42.96% 20,280 49.60% 2,478 6.06% 244 0.60% 319 0.78% -2,718 -6.64% 40,883Gila 9,158 51.64% 7,700 43.41% 497 2.80% 227 1.28% 154 0.87% 1,458 8.23% 17,736Graham 6,007 62.16% 3,355 34.73% 144 1.49% 131 1.36% 27 0.28% 2,652 27.43% 9,664Greenlee 1,619 54.70% 1,216 41.08% 68 2.30% 42 1.42% 15 0.51% 403 13.62% 2,960La Paz 2,543 56.73% 1,769 39.46% 91 2.03% 53 1.18% 27 0.61% 774 17.27% 4,483Maricopa 479,967 53.23% 386,683 42.88% 22,465 2.49% 7,156 0.79% 5,428 0.60% 93,284 10.35% 901,699Mohave 24,386 55.25% 17,470 39.58% 1,323 3.00% 622 1.41% 340 0.77% 6,916 15.67% 44,141Navajo 12,386 49.25% 11,794 46.90% 517 2.06% 266 1.06% 184 0.73% 592 2.35% 25,147Pima 124,579 43.31% 147,688 51.34% 12,355 4.30% 1,731 0.60% 1,287 0.44% -23,109 -8.03% 287,640Pinal 20,122 48.73% 19,650 47.59% 904 2.19% 442 1.07% 172 0.42% 472 1.14% 41,290Santa Cruz 3,344 37.60% 5,233 58.84% 217 2.44% 44 0.49% 55 0.62% -1,889 -21.24% 8,893Yavapai 40,144 58.84% 24,063 35.27% 2,733 4.01% 749 1.10% 539 0.79% 16,081 23.57% 68,228Yuma 15,708 54.82% 12,055 42.07% 495 1.73% 216 0.75% 178 0.63% 3,653 12.75% 28,652Total781,65250.95%685,34144.67%45,6452.98%12,3730.81%9,1020.60%96,3116.28%1,534,113 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Gila (Largest city: Payson) Greenlee (Largest city: Clifton) La Paz (Largest city: Parker) Navajo (Largest city: Show Low) Pinal (Largest city: San Tan Valley)

By congressional district Bush won five of six congressional districts. District Bush Gore Representative51%44%Matt SalmonJeff Flake 34% 62%Ed Pastor 56% 40%Bob Stump 52% 44%John Shadegg 49% 46%Jim Kolbe 54% 42%J.D. Hayworth

Electors

Technically the voters of Arizona cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Arizona is allocated eight electors because it has 6 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 8 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and their running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 8 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 their candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 18, 2000 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 were pledged to and voted for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney: Joe Arpaio Linda Barber Dennis Booth Webb Crockett Paul Robert Fannin LaVelle McCoy Susan Minnaugh Frank Straka

References