California

California is a constituent state of the United States, situated on the western side of the country. It joined the Union on 9 September 1850, during a time when many people moved there for the Gold Rush.

Over the years, the population has rapidly increased, and California has gained more electoral votes. These votes play a crucial role in helping elect the president. By 1972, California had the most electoral votes of any state, with 45, surpassing New York.

Despite losing one electoral vote after the 2020 Census, California still carries 54 electoral votes, which is more than 10% of the 538 total votes in the Electoral College.

Earlier, California was a Republican stronghold. From 1952 to 1988, Republicans won every presidential election in the state except for a loss in 1964 when Barry Goldwater was defeated by Lyndon B. Johnson.

Recently, California has become a stronghold for the Democratic Party, largely due to the growing Latino population. The 2020 presidential election was the fourth consecutive election in which the Democratic candidate received more than 60% of the vote in California. Joe Biden, representing the Democratic Party, defeated Donald Trump (Republican candidate) by nearly 30 percentage points.