Clinton Won More Chicago Voters Than Obama, But In Different Wards

By Chris Hagan
Hillary Clinton joins President Obama onstage after he delivers his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.
Hillary Clinton joins President Obama onstage after he delivers his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.
Hillary Clinton joins President Obama onstage after he delivers his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.
Hillary Clinton joins President Obama onstage after he delivers his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.

Clinton Won More Chicago Voters Than Obama, But In Different Wards

By Chris Hagan
WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

More Chicagoans voted for Hillary Clinton Tuesday than President Barack Obama in 2012, but the votes came from very different places.

While South and West Side wards supported the Democratic ticket at much lower levels, that was more than offset but large gains on the North Side.

Difference between Obama vote in 2012 (purple), Clinton vote in 2016 (green)

Even though Chicago turnout for the presidential race was down from 2012, Clinton received 37,000 votes more than Obama. While Clinton and Obama each won about 84 percent of the Chicago vote, an additional 48,000 voters in the city helped push her past Obama’s 2012 reelection total.

Difference in Turnout Percentage, 2012 and 2016

While some of that drop may be population change, those same wards also saw a drop in the percentage of voters supporting the Democratic ticket.

President-elect Donald Trump received around 15,000 fewer votes in Chicago than Mitt Romney four years earlier, though only slightly. Most wards saw similar numbers this year, with big drops in the North Side wards that went heavily for Clinton.