Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Metro Area — Elections 1892–2024

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How it voted

Share of the 2024 vote

Kamala Harris ✓Democratic	75.3%	100,998
Donald TrumpRepublican	20.9%	27,978
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.American Independent	3.8%	5,159

D+60

R+60

A single county, filled by its 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover it for the full result.

County-level results (1 county) — table

2024 presidential result by county for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, CA — winner and D-vs-R margin.
County	Winner	Margin
Santa Cruz County, CA	Democratic	D+54.4

34 presidential elections

Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
Year	Won	Democratic	Republican	Other	Margin	Total
2024	D	75.3%Harris100,998	20.9%Trump27,978	3.8%Kennedy5,159	+54.4%	134,135
2020	D	78.4%Biden114,246	18.5%Trump26,937	3.1%Jorgensen4,466	+59.9%	145,649
2016	D	73.3%Clinton95,249	17.3%Trump22,438	9.5%Johnson12,325	+56.0%	130,012
2012	D	75.4%Obama90,805	20.0%Romney24,047	4.6%Johnson5,533	+55.5%	120,385
2008	D	77.3%Obama98,745	19.8%McCain25,244	2.9%Nader3,747	+57.5%	127,736
2004	D	73.0%Kerry89,102	24.9%Bush30,354	2.2%Badnarik2,628	+48.1%	122,084
2000	D	61.5%Gore66,618	27.3%Bush29,627	11.2%Nader12,105	+34.1%	108,350
1996	D	56.5%Clinton58,250	26.9%Dole27,766	16.5%Perot17,046	+29.6%	103,062
1992	D	58.1%Clinton66,183	21.9%Bush24,916	20.1%Perot22,893	+36.2%	113,992
1988	D	61.5%Dukakis63,133	36.8%Bush37,728	1.7%Paul1,750	+24.8%	102,611
1984	D	53.3%Mondale49,091	45.2%Reagan41,652	1.5%Bergland1,404	+8.1%	92,147
1980	R	37.7%Carter32,346	43.5%Reagan37,347	18.8%Anderson16,111	−5.8%	85,804
1976	D	51.1%Carter37,772	43.1%Ford31,872	5.8%Macbride4,325	+8.0%	73,969
1972	R	46.4%McGovern32,336	49.9%Nixon34,799	3.8%Schmitz2,624	−3.5%	69,759
1968	R	41.0%Humphrey20,492	50.8%Nixon25,365	8.2%Wallace4,087	−9.8%	49,944
1964	D	58.5%Johnson26,714	41.3%Goldwater18,836	0.2%Hass94	+17.3%	45,644
1960	R	39.9%Kennedy16,659	59.6%Nixon24,858	0.4%Byrd187	−19.7%	41,704
1956	R	36.2%Stevenson12,574	63.6%Eisenhower22,109	0.3%Andrews93	−27.4%	34,776
1952	R	32.2%Stevenson11,080	66.7%Eisenhower22,910	1.1%Hallinan371	−34.4%	34,361
1948	R	37.0%Truman9,862	57.7%Dewey15,395	5.4%Thurmond1,433	−20.7%	26,690
1944	R	45.3%Roosevelt9,357	53.8%Dewey11,102	0.9%Thomas178	−8.5%	20,637
1940	R	47.5%Roosevelt10,683	50.9%Willkie11,453	1.6%Thomas350	−3.4%	22,486
1936	D	52.1%Roosevelt9,326	46.1%Landon8,260	1.8%Lemke322	+6.0%	17,908
1932	D	55.0%Roosevelt8,246	40.1%Hoover6,005	4.9%Thomas739	+14.9%	14,990
1928	R	30.5%Smith3,688	68.5%Hoover8,275	0.9%Thomas112	−38.0%	12,075
1924	R	9.0%Davis801	60.8%Coolidge5,402	30.1%La Follette2,676	−51.8%	8,879
1920	R	24.5%Cox1,957	66.3%Harding5,285	9.2%Debs732	−41.7%	7,974
1916	D	47.8%Wilson4,511	44.8%Hughes4,228	7.5%Benson707	+3.0%	9,446
1912	O	40.2%Wilson2,875	0.0%Taft0	59.8%Roosevelt4,277	Roosevelt +19.6	7,152
1908	R	31.1%Bryan1,643	54.7%Taft2,886	14.1%Debs746	−23.6%	5,275
1904	R	25.5%Parker1,105	60.7%Roosevelt2,626	13.8%Debs598	−35.1%	4,329
1900	R	40.0%Bryan1,635	53.2%McKinley2,173	6.8%Woolley277	−13.2%	4,085
1896	R	48.0%Bryan1,960	48.2%McKinley1,969	3.7%Palmer153	−0.2%	4,082
1892	R	36.8%Cleveland1,512	44.8%Harrison1,843	18.4%Weaver757	−8.0%	4,112

presidential history

Presidential margin, 1892–2024

Democratic minus Republican, by election

Presidential margin over time
Year	Margin (D minus R)
1892	−8.0%
1896	−0.2%
1900	−13.2%
1904	−35.1%
1908	−23.6%
1912	+40.2%
1916	+3.0%
1920	−41.7%
1924	−51.8%
1928	−38.0%
1932	+14.9%
1936	+6.0%
1940	−3.4%
1944	−8.5%
1948	−20.7%
1952	−34.4%
1956	−27.4%
1960	−19.7%
1964	+17.3%
1968	−9.8%
1972	−3.5%
1976	+8.0%
1980	−5.8%
1984	+8.1%
1988	+24.8%
1992	+36.2%
1996	+29.6%
2000	+34.1%
2004	+48.1%
2008	+57.5%
2012	+55.5%
2016	+56.0%
2020	+59.9%
2024	+54.4%

DemocraticRepublican

voter registration

Registered voters

By party of registration, over time

DemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther parties

Voter registration in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Year	Total registered	Democratic	Republican	Unaffiliated	Other
2022	166,928	100,125	22,817	33,598	10,388
2024	168,185	99,936	24,330	31,992	11,927

Source: California Secretary of State

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA sits in the Pacific Coast. In 2024 it voted Democratic.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 59.9 points in 2020 and a Republican high of 51.8 points in 1924. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 5.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 54.4 points.

A population of 264,926, a 54% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $111,093 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA and Napa, CA.

Political twins — metros

The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.

Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA

2016–2024 trajectorymedian income≠ 2004 margin

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

92.7twin score

2004–2024 trajectory≠ % Asian

Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

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All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/42100/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.

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Places within Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

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Santa Cruz County

Frequently asked questions

How did Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California vote in 2024?

In 2024, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California voted Democratic by 54.4 points (D+54.4), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 134,135 votes cast, 100,998 went Democratic and 27,978 went Republican.

When did Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California last vote Republican?

The most recent presidential election in which Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California voted Republican was 1980.

How many people live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California?

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California has a population of 264,926 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.

What is the median household income in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California?

Median household income in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California is $111,093 — above the national median of $80,734. The California state median is $99,122.

What is the political history of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California?

Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, California from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 16 went Democratic and 17 went Republican.