Hail To The Chief: Alabama's Choice For President Over The Years

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Presidents Day celebrates the men who have led the country during its history, although the holiday began by just honoring George Washington, as the holiday was traditionally celebrated on Washington's birthday, Feb. 22. Over the years, the day has evolved to celebrate all presidents, and in Alabama, the current president is as popular as any in recent memory.

Alabama's support of Pres. Donald Trump was evident in the 2016 election as Trump received almost twice as many votes as Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton (taking 62.08 percent of the votes).

As overwhelming a victory that was for Trump, his win in Alabama in 2016 was not the most lopsided win in the state. George W. Bush received 62.46 percent of the vote in 2004, George Wallace received 65.86 percent of the vote in 1968, and Richard Nixon received a whopping 72.43 percent of the vote in 1972 over George McGovern.

Winning Alabama is hardly an indicator for a candidate on how well he or she will do nationally. In fact the winner in Alabama has gone on to win the presidential election just 10 times out of the last 20 elections, dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1944 election.

Here are some other interesting facts about how Alabama has voted in presidential elections:

• The last Democrat to win Alabama was Jimmy Carter in 1976. Carter won Alabama with 55.73 percent of the votes over Gerald Ford.
• Three times since the two-party system has been prevalent in national elections, an independent party candidate has received the most votes in the presidential election in Alabama. Wallace in 1968, Harry Byrd in 1960 and Strom Thurmond in 1948.
• An incumbent president has won Alabama just four times in the last 20 elections (Roosevelt in 1944, Nixon in 1972, Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Bush in 2004).
• Alabama has 9 electoral votes, but has had as many as 12.
• Alabama has 3.5 million registered voters, 2.1 million voted in the last presidential election.

The primaries for the 2020 election are March 3 in Alabama.