Political party strength in California

Common card · No. 370452

California was a former Republican leaning state until the 1990s, but since then has become a stronghold of the Democratic and considered to be one of the "Big Three" Democratic strongholds alongside New York and Illinois. Originally a swing state following statehood, California began regularly supporting Republicans for the first half of the 20th century. Republican dominance waned with demographic change, accelerating with increased immigration beginning in the 1980s. The party remained competitive with Democratic candidates until 1992. This changed amidst a struggling economy, when California flipped from Republican to elect Democrat Bill Clinton as President. Republicans still won statewide contests in the state until the late 2000s, with Arnold Schwarzenegger elected governor.

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