On November 8, 2016, New York voters chose how the state would participate in that year’s presidential contest, ultimately helping Hillary Clinton secure the state’s electoral votes while Donald Trump carried one congressional district in the south-central region. This overview summarizes the statewide and district-level results, turnout patterns, and demographic trends that shaped the outcome, drawing on New York State Board of Elections and other authoritative sources. It explains how the results reflected long-standing party strength, emerging shifts, and structural factors that continue to influence New York elections and political discourse.
2016 Presidential Results in New York at a Glance
In the 2016 general election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton received about 4,556,000 votes in New York, representing roughly 59 percent of the statewide vote share, while Republican Donald Trump received about 2,819,000 votes, or roughly 37 percent. Third-party candidates, including Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, collectively accounted for the remaining share. Clinton’s margin of victory in the state was approximately 1.7 million votes, underscoring New York’s strong lean toward the Democratic candidate in presidential contests. Nationally, Clinton won the popular vote while losing the Electoral College, and New York’s outcome contributed to that result.
At the district level, the state’s 27 congressional districts mostly supported Clinton, with only the 24th district—encompassing portions of south-central New York, including areas around Syracuse—flipped to Trump. This district-level pattern highlights geographic variation within the state, where upstate and rural areas showed stronger Republican performance, while downstate counties such as New York County (Manhattan), Kings County (Brooklyn), and Queens County delivered decisive Democratic margins. The following table summarizes key 2016 New York election metrics.
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide popular vote for Clinton | Approximately 4,556,000 votes | NY State Board of Elections |
| Statewide popular vote for Trump | Approximately 2,819,000 votes | NY State Board of Elections |
| Electoral votes allocated | 29 electoral votes to Clinton | NY State Board of Elections |
| Congressional district won by Trump | 24th district | NY State Board of Elections |
| Clinton’s statewide margin | Approximately 1.7 million votes | NY State Board of Elections |
| Typical voter turnout rate (estimated) | Approximately 55–58 percent of voting-age population | Census voting and registration supplements |
County-Level Breakdown and Geographic Patterns
New York’s counties display pronounced partisan divides that were evident in 2016. The five counties of New York City—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island (Richmond County)—collectively delivered large pluralities for Clinton, with total votes in those counties heavily favoring the Democratic nominee. Outside the city, suburban counties such as Westchester and Nassau showed strong Democratic performance, though with notable Republican pockets. Upstate counties, including those in the Southern Tier and the North Country, leaned Republican, with Trump capturing many of these jurisdictions by wide margins. This geography helps explain the 24th district result and the broader statewide outcome.
Turnout and Participation Factors
Turnout in New York in 2016 reflected both enthusiasm and structural constraints. While the state saw increases in early voting and absentee ballot usage, participation rates remained below their peaks seen in earlier cycles in some localities. Voter registration drives, online registration expansions, and advocacy efforts contributed to higher registration numbers in urban counties, yet barriers such as registration deadlines and limited polling locations in some areas affected participation. Understanding these dynamics is essential for interpreting margin shifts between counties and for comparing 2016 to subsequent elections.
Demographics and Voting Behaviors
Age, Education, and Partisan Alignment
Within New York, as in much of the country, 2016 voting patterns varied by age, educational attainment, and racial or ethnic identity. Clinton performed strongly among younger voters, college-educated white voters, and nonwhite voters across the state, while Trump made gains among older, less college-educated, and noncollege white voters, particularly in upstate regions and smaller cities. These demographic cleavages intersected with local economic conditions, influencing candidate perception and issue salience across diverse communities.
Suburban Shifts and Independent Voters
Suburban areas in New York, including Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties, experienced notable political realignments in 2016. While historically competitive or Republican-leaning suburbs trended more Democratic in this election cycle, some independents and moderate Republicans expressed reservations about the major-party nominees. Nevertheless, the overall suburban outcome in New York reinforced the state’s Democratic lean in presidential contests, even as pockets of Republican support persisted.
Post-Election Changes and Enduring Implications
In the years following 2016, New York implemented reforms aimed at modernizing elections, including expanded early voting, improved voter information, and updated district maps after the 2020 census. The 2016 results reinforced Democratic strongholds in urban centers while highlighting vulnerabilities in certain upstate districts, shaping party strategies, coalition-building, and outreach efforts. For New York voters and officials, the 2016 experience has remained a reference point for discussions about ballot access, campaign infrastructure, and long-term partisan trends.
Key Takeaways and Comparative Context
The 2016 election in New York illustrates how statewide outcomes can mask meaningful geographic and demographic variation. While Clinton’s statewide margin was broad, the distribution of votes across districts and counties carried implications for congressional control, policy priorities, and future electoral strategy. The following concise comparison distills how key regions and groups contributed to the final outcome.
- New York City: Large Democratic pluralities; high turnout and registration.
- Suburban counties (Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk): Democratic gains, but with internal variation.
- Upstate rural and smaller urban counties: Stronger Republican performances, notably in the 24th district.
- Demographic patterns: Younger, college-educated, and nonwhite voters leaned Democratic; older and less college-educated segments leaned Republican.
- Reforms after 2016: Early voting expansion and administrative changes reshaped the state’s electoral infrastructure.
Taken together, these elements highlight how the 2016 election in New York reflected both enduring party strengths and emerging fault lines that continue to influence the state’s political landscape. For researchers, advocates, and practitioners, the election remains a useful baseline for understanding turnout dynamics, geographic coalitions, and the long-term evolution of New York politics.