Wilmington, NC Politics: Is It Liberal or Conservative?

Election Results and Trends in Wilmington, NC

In the last Presidential election, Wilmington, NC voted predominantly Democrat, with 50.2% of voters casting their ballot for Biden, while 48.0% of voters in Wilmington voted for Trump, and other parties voting 1.8%. Based on these voting patterns, Wilmington is considered a slightly leaning liberal city. Specifically, it ranks 90th out of the most populated 333 cities in the United States in terms of conservatism based on the 2020 Presidential election results. Conversely, when looking at the liberal voting patterns in the 2020 election, Wilmington ranks 251st out of the 333 most populated cities, indicating a relatively low liberal vote.

Presidential Elections Voting Trend

The last six Presidential election results (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) for Wilmington, NC are: R R R R R D

Wilmington, North Carolina, has shown a mixed voting pattern in presidential elections over the last 25 years. Historically leaning conservative, the city voted for Republican candidates such as Bob Dole in 1996, George W. Bush (2000 and 2004), John McCain (2008), and Mitt Romney in 2012. However, there has been a gradual shift towards the Democrat Party recently, as evidenced by closer races in 2016 with Donald Trump and 2020 with Joe Biden. The changing demographics and growing urbanization may account for this trend.

Local Elections

In Wilmington's city-level elections, there has been a balance between conservative and liberal candidates over the past 25 years. While the City Council has seen members from both parties, there has been a slight inclination towards moderate or conservative leaders, especially in mayoral races. This dynamic has focused on business development, public safety, and fiscal responsibility in local governance, reflecting the city's nuanced political landscape.

The assessments presented on this website, including those related to crime, safety, cost of living, and other location characteristics (e.g., states, cities, towns, villages, neighborhoods, areas, landmarks), are based on various sources and our internal research methods. These assessments are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete and should not be used as the sole basis for making any decisions.