11. Hawaii
>Bluest county: Hawaii County
Obama received almost three-fourths of the votes in Hawaii County, his birthplace, the highest share of any county in Hawaii. Hawaii is a traditionally blue state, and even its reddest county cast 68.9% of its votes for Obama. Like in many predominantly Democratic-leaning areas, the 30.8% of residents who identify as white in Hawaii County is a smaller share than the 62.8% of Americans who do overall.
12. Idaho
>Bluest county: Latah County
Idaho is one of the reddest states in the country, with 65.0% of votes going for Romney in 2012. Political leanings are not uniform across the state, however. Latah County cast only 45.3% of its votes for Romney, helping make it the bluest county in the state. The county has been represented by both Democrats and Republicans over the past decade. Currently, Rep. Raul Labrador, a Republican, occupies the seat of Idaho’s 1st Congressional District.
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13. Illinois
>Bluest county: Cook County
Obama started his political career as a community organizer in Chicago, the seat of Cook County. He went on to be elected to the Illinois Senate by the largest margin in state’s history. In the 2012 election, Obama received nearly three-quarters of votes in Cook County, the bluest in Illinois. While Cook overwhelmingly favored a Democrat in the presidential election, in the past five years both Democrats and Republicans have won House seats in the county’s congressional districts.
14. Indiana
>Bluest county: Lake County
Obama won 64.9% of the votes in Lake County, which borders Illinois on Lake Michigan, under an hour by car from Chicago. This was the highest share of any county in Indiana. In addition to sending a Democrat to the White House, the county voted to send a Democrat — Pete Visclosky — to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections.
15. Iowa
>Bluest county: Johnson County
Obama won 66.9% of the votes in Johnson County, the highest share of any county in Iowa. Communities with high education levels tend to be relatively left-leaning. In Johnson County, 94.8% of adults have a high school diploma and 51.7% have at least a bachelor’s degree, each higher than the respective national shares of 86.3% and 29.3%. In addition to sending a Democrat to the White House, the county has sent a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections.
