Both Republicans and Democrats established party organizations early in the 20th century when Hawaii was still a territory. Before statehood, the Republican Party dominated the political scene; since the 1960s, however, Hawaii was solidly Democratic.
Democrat Al Gore won 56% of the vote in the presidential election in 2000, while Republican George W. Bush garnered 38%, and Green Party candidate Ralph Nader took 6%. Democrat Daniel K Inouye first won election to the US Senate in 1962, he was reelected in 1968, 1974, 1980, 1986, 1992, and 1998. Democratic Senator Daniel K. Akaka, first appointed in 1990 and elected to a full term in 1994, was reelected in 2000. In 2002 there were 676,242 registered voters; there is no party registration in the state. The state had four electoral votes in the 2000 presidential election.
Hawaii Presidential Vote by Major Political Parties, 1960–2000
YEAR | ELECTORAL VOTE | HAWAII WINNER | DEMOCRAT | REPUBLICAN |
*Won US presidential election. | ||||
**Independent candidate Ross Perot received 53,003 votes in 1992 and 27,358 votes in l996. | ||||
***Green Party candidate Ralph Nader received 21,623 votes in 2000. | ||||
1960 | 3 | *Kennedy (D) | 92,410 | 92,295 |
1964 | 4 | *Johnson (D) | 163,249 | 44,022 |
1968 | 4 | Humphrey (D) | 141,324 | 91,425 |
1972 | 4 | *Nixon (R) | 101,433 | 168,933 |
1976 | 4 | *Carter (D) | 147,375 | 140,003 |
1980 | 4 | Carter (D) | 135,879 | 130,112 |
1984 | 4 | *Reagan (R) | 147,154 | 185,050 |
1988 | 4 | Dukakis (D) | 192,364 | 158,625 |
1992** | 4 | *Clinton (D) | 179,310 | 136,822 |
1996** | 4 | *Clinton (D) | 205,012 | 113,943 |
2000*** | 4 | Gore (D) | 205,286 | 137,845 |