Which States Are Swing States?

A swing state is a term used in American politics to refer to any given state that could be easily won by a Republican or a Democratic presidential candidate. Otherwise, if the state leans on a single party regularly, then it is referred to as a safe state. In contrast to the swing states, the safe states are known to rally their support on one particular party irrespective of the presidential candidate. However, swing states are known to vote in different patterns which cannot be easily predicted. Due to this factor, the presidential candidates are identified to campaign more on these competitive states. According to the previous presidential elections, the states of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota among others were analyzed as the swing states that have regularly experienced stiff competition over the presidential candidates.

The Swing States

Colorado

The state of Colorado is classified as one of the mountain states; this is mainly because the state encompasses the majority of the southern Rocky Mountains. The name of this state was derived from the Colorado River which was named by the Spanish travelers as Rio Colorado. It was given this name due to the ruddy silt that this river obtains from the surrounding mountains. According to the 2016 presidential elections, 48.2% of the citizens of Colorado voted in favor of Hillary Clinton while 43.3% voted in favor of Donald Trump. This exercise marked the third time in a row whereby a president wins without winning in Colorado. Since 1908, there had never been a Republican who has won the presidency without winning in Colorado.

Florida

The state of Florida is generally referred to as the Sunshine State and is mainly focused on promoting tourism. It has some of the most fabulous tourist destinations in the world. The most famous theme parks in this state include Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios. Following the 2016 presidential elections, this state voted in favor Donald Trumps with a popularity of 49% while Hilary Clinton managed to gather 47% of the total votes. According to this figures, it is quite clear that Florida had no preferred presidential candidate since the figures are so close.

Iowa

The state of Iowa is mostly famous for its large corn harvest; this is why it is sometimes referred to as the corn state. This state is positioned in the Midwestern United States bordering the Mississippi River to the east. Iowa has also been classified as a swing state which attracts presidential aspirants who camp here to try and boost their support. In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump managed to gather 51.1%, while Hilary Clinton managed to acquire 41.7% of the total votes.

Michigan

Among the 50 states of the US, Michigan is ranked as the tenth most populated state with a population of around 9.96 million people. The state is also a significant swing state in United States politics. The state has been known to be a key figure determining the presidential winner. In 2016, Donald Trump managed to win in this state with the popularity of 47.6% while Hilary Clinton acquired 47.3%. It was the first Republican to succeed in this state since George Bush won in 1988.

Minnesota

The state of Minnesota was registered as the 32nd state of the US in 1858. In the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton managed to win in this state with the popularity of 46.44% being ahead of her closest competitor, Donald Trump by 2.46%.

Why Are Swing States Important?

The swing states are essential in any presidential election of the United States. Various factors are known to cause the change in the voting pattern. Therefore, it is necessary for the presidential candidate to analyze these patterns thoroughly.