Despite strong GOP showings at off-year elections, like Scott Brown's Massachusetts victory, a new poll shows most states favor Democratic candidates. Poll: Most states remain blue

Despite strong Republican performances in recent off-year elections, most states still favor Democratic candidates, according to a new survey by Gallup.

The compiled results of Gallup’s year-long polling of more than 353,849 adults in all 50 states last year and the District of Columbia, found that far more states are safe havens for Democrats than for the GOP.


Democrats can count 24 states solidly in their column, according to Gallup, as they have more than a 10 percentage point party affiliation advantage there. Another 10 can be counted as “lean” Democratic, with a 5 percentage point advantage.

Republicans, meanwhile, can only point to four “solid” states and only one state leaning Republican.

Gallup identified 12 states as competitive with no clear advantage for either party.

Democrats have lost some ground nationally as 49 percent of those polled said they “lean” Democratic, compared to 52 percent who said the same in 2008. The share of Republican-leaning voters, meanwhile, has only nudged up 1 percentage point, from 40 percent to 41 percent.

Only 2 states have gone from the “solid” or “lean” Democratic column to “competitive.” And Republicans have not added a state to their columns.

“Despite the modest shift toward a decreased affiliation with the Democratic Party and an increased affiliation with the Republican Party in 2009 compared to 2008, the United States remained a Democratically oriented nation last year,” said Gallup pollster Jeffrey Jones.

The District of Columbia remains the strongest Democratic territory, with a 66 percentage point advantage for the party.

The other nine most Democratic states are Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, Hawaii, New York, Illinois, Connecticut and Delaware. Each of the top 10 Democratic states had more than a 22 percentage point party affiliation advantage for the Democrats.

The 10 most Republican states are Wyoming, Utah, Alaska, Idaho, Alabama, Montana, Nebraska, Mississippi, Texas, North Dakota and Kansas. Only Wyoming, Utah, Alaska and Idaho favor Republicans by at least double digits in party affiliation.