2016 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 2016 United States presidential election in Tennessee was held on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 General Election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Tennessee voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.

On March 1, 2016, in the presidential primaries, Tennessee voters expressed their preferences for the Democratic and Republican parties' respective nominees for president. Registered members of each party only voted in their party's primary, while voters who were unaffiliated chose any one primary in which to vote.

Trump won the election in Tennessee with 60.7% of the vote. Clinton received 34.7% of the vote. This is the largest margin of victory for a presidential candidate for either party in the state since 1972 with Richard Nixon, and also the first time since that either party has earned over 60% of the vote in Tennessee. Tennessee was one of eleven states won by Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 but lost by Hillary Clinton.

Democratic primary
Hillary Clinton was challenged by Bernie Sanders, the only other major candidate remaining in the Democratic primaries. Clinton won the state, defeating Sanders by 33.6 points and earning 44 delegates while Sanders earned 23 delegates. [[File:2016 Tennessee Democratic Presidential Primary election by county.svg|alt=Final results by county|thumb|300x300px|Popular vote share by county{{legend|#d4aa00|Clinton}}

{{legend|#faec63|40–50%}}

{{legend|#eccc4b|50–60%}}

{{legend|#cdac39|60–70%}}

{{legend|#a8862b|70–80%}}

{{legend|#684614|80–90%}}{{legend|#228B22|Sanders}}

{{legend|#71bc62|50–60%}}]]

Republican primary
Donald Trump won the primary with a plurality, carrying 38.9% of the vote and all but one county, awarding him 33 delegates.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, came second with 24.7% of the vote and 16 delegates. Florida Senator Marco Rubio came third with 21.2% of the vote and 9 delegates, carrying only the county of Williamson. All other candidates did not receive any delegates. [[File:2016 TN GOP presidential primary.svg|alt=Final results by county|thumb|300x300px|Popular vote share by county{{legend|#283681|Trump}}

{{legend|#c5cbed|20–30%}} {{legend|#9ea8e1|30–40%}} {{legend|#7786d5|40–50%}} {{legend|#5063c9|50–60%}}{{legend|#c60e3b|Rubio}}

{{legend|#f788a3|30–40%}}]]

Voting History
Tennessee has not voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since 1996. In 2012, Republican nominee Mitt Romney won the state by a margin of more than twenty points due to the unpopularity of the Obama administration in the conservative state. Typically Democrats do very well in the urban regions of Memphis and Nashville, while Republicans dominate the rural and suburban areas. Tennessee is considered a safe Republican state. In 2016, it stayed that way, with Trump winning the state with 60.7% of the vote.

Predictions
^Highest rating given

By congressional district
Trump won 7 of 9 congressional districts.

By county
[[File:Tennessee County Flips 2016.svg|thumb|300px|County Flips:

Democratic {{legend|#92c5de|Hold}}

Republican {{legend|#f48882|Hold}} {{legend|#ca0120|Gain from Democratic}} ]]

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Hardeman (largest city: Bolivar)