Editing Grand Traverse County, Michigan (section)

== Politics ==
Historically, Grand Traverse County has been a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]-leaning county, like most of northern Michigan. It has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since the [[American Civil War|Civil War]],<ref>{{cite book |last = Menendez |first = Albert J. |title = The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868–2004 |publisher = McFarland & Company |year = 2005 |isbn = 0786422173 |location = Jefferson, North Carolina |pages = 222–227 }}</ref> except for four: [[1912 United States presidential election|1912]], [[1932 United States presidential election|1932]], [[1936 United States presidential election|1936]], and [[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]. In 1912, it supported [[Bull Moose Party|Bull Moose]] candidate [[Theodore Roosevelt]] as the GOP was mortally divided. The only other times it has not supported a Republican saw 400-vote and 40-state national [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] landslides.

Since 2008, the county has become more politically competitive; with Democrats managing at least 40 percent of the vote in the last five presidential elections after not having done so since carrying the county in 1964. Traverse City leans Democratic while the rest of the county leans Republican.

In the [[2022 Michigan gubernatorial election]], Democrat [[Gretchen Whitmer]] received 27,396 votes (52.38%), making it the first time a Democratic gubernatorial candidate has carried the county since [[1986 Michigan gubernatorial election|1986]].<ref>{{Cite web |date = November 8, 2022 |title = Grand Traverse County General Election |url = https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/MI/Grand_Traverse/115411/web.307039/#/summary |access-date = November 9, 2022 |publisher = County of Grand Traverse, MI }}</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Grand Traverse County, Michigan|source=<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |title = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections }}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|31,423|30,339|1,125|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|30,502|28,683|1,168|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|27,413|20,965|3,607|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|26,534|20,875|788|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|24,716|23,258|869|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|27,446|18,256|489|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|22,358|14,371|1,500|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|16,355|12,987|3,987|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|13,629|11,148|9,684|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|17,191|10,098|236|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|18,036|7,271|157|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|14,484|7,150|3,072|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|13,505|7,263|382|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|11,421|5,810|390|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|8,960|4,741|866|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|6,198|7,475|20|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|8,618|4,886|36|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|9,102|3,256|30|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|9,034|2,639|38|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|5,473|2,365|177|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|5,413|2,607|55|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|5,620|3,095|30|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|3,676|3,827|477|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|3,442|3,907|182|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|4,429|1,489|22|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|4,011|558|789|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|4,056|1,158|264|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|1,917|1,848|420|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|899|937|2,031|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|2,811|1,289|167|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|3,383|594|179|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|3,127|1,286|160|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|2,533|1,745|150|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|1,734|924|512|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|1,859|925|162|Michigan}}
{{PresFoot|1884|Republican|1,645|808|94|Michigan}}

In the 2020 presidential election, [[Donald Trump]] carried the county, despite losing the state of Michigan. In 2020, he won the county with 50.54% (30,502 votes), and in 2016, won with 52.73% (27,413 votes).<ref>{{Cite web |title = 2020 Presidential General Election Results |work = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url = https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |access-date = December 19, 2020 }}</ref> Despite Trump's relatively similar percentage, his margin was massively decreased due to the lack of third party options in 2020 as well as a higher turnout for Democrats. In the 2024 election, despite being carried by Trump, Grand Traverse County was one of two counties in Michigan where Trump's percentage of votes decreased, along with neighboring [[Leelanau County, Michigan|Leelanau County]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levin |first=Scott |date=2024-11-07 |title=Almost every Michigan county got more Republican in 2024 |url=https://www.mlive.com/politics/2024/11/almost-every-michigan-county-got-more-republican-in-2024.html |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=mlive |language=en}}</ref>

In 2008, Republican candidate [[John McCain]] received 24,716 votes in the county (50.60% of the total) to [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidate [[Barack Obama]]'s 23,258 (47.62%), even as Obama carried the state of Michigan by a double-digit margin.<ref>{{cite web |work = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |title = State Data |url = http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/statesub.php?year=2008&fips=26055&off=0&elect=0&f=0 }}</ref> McCain's margin of victory was narrower than usual for a Republican candidate in the county.

In 2004, Republican president [[George W. Bush]] received 27,446 votes in the county (59.42%) to Democrat [[John Kerry]]'s 18,256 (39.52%).<ref>{{cite web |work = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |title = State Data |url = http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/statesub.php?year=2004&fips=26055&off=0&elect=0&f=0 }}</ref>

In 2000, Bush received 22,358 votes in the county (58.48%) to Democrat [[Al Gore]]'s 14,371 (37.59%).<ref>{{cite web |work = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |title = State Data |url = http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/statesub.php?year=2000&fips=26055&off=0&elect=0&f=0 }}</ref>