Missouri Democratic primary, 2008
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The Missouri Democratic Presidential Primary took place on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008, with 72 delegates at stake. The winner in each of Missouri's nine congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, which totaled 47. Another 25 delegates were awarded to the statewide winner, Barack Obama. The 72 delegates represented Missouri at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Sixteen other unpledged delegates, known as superdelegates, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.
Clinton had a large initial lead as the rural precincts began reporting, leading several news groups to call the primary for her. However, Obama rallied from behind as the numbers began to come in from the heavily African American precincts in and around St. Louis to win by just under 12,000 votes. The pledged delegates were evenly split between the two candidates. Geographically, Clinton won 109 of the 115 counties in the state, while Obama carried St. Louis, Kansas City and the areas around the college towns of Columbia and Maryville.
Elections in Missouri have historically always been rather close, and the Democratic Primary of 2008 proved no exception to that trend as Barack Obama of neighboring Illinois just barely nipped Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has roots in neighboring Arkansas, by fewer than 12,000 votes. The popular vote was so close, however, that both candidates ended up evenly splitting the state’s 72 delegates. According to exit polls, 76 percent of voters in the Missouri Democratic Primary were Caucasians and they opted for Clinton by a margin of 57-39 compared to the 17 percent of African Americans who backed Obama by a margin of 84-15. Regarding age, Obama won younger voters under the age of 40 by a margin of 64-32; Clinton won voters ages 40–49 by a margin of 52-47 and tied Obama among voters 50-64, and she won senior citizens ages 65 and over by a margin of 63-32. Pertaining to socioeconomic class, Clinton won extremely poor voters making less than $15,000 a year by a margin of 52-45 while Obama won voters making $15,000-$30,000 by a margin of 55-42. Clinton won middle class voters making $30,000-$50,000 by a margin of 49-48, while Obama won upper middle class and more affluent voters making over $50,000 by a margin of 54-43. As it relates to educational attainment, Clinton won less educated voters (those who did not graduate high school backed her by a margin of 55-42 compared to those who at least graduated high school who went for her 53-44) while Obama won more educated voters (those who had some college and/or an associate’s degree backed him 52-45; college graduates went for him 64-30, and those who had a postgraduate degree supported him 67-32). Self-identified Democrats, who made up 73 percent of the total turnout in the Democratic Primary, backed Clinton by a margin of 50-47 compared to the 22 percent of Independents who supported Obama by a margin of 67-30 and self-identified Republicans, who comprised 6 percent of the electorate, who supported Obama by a margin of 75-21. Obama won self-identified liberals by a margin of 58-39 and self-identified conservatives by a margin of 58-38 while Clinton won moderates by a margin of 49-48. Regarding religion, Obama won almost all major denominations – other Christians backed him by a margin of 63-33; other religions supported him by a margin of 61-36; and atheists/agnostics went for him by a margin of 51-46. Ironically, Roman Catholics in Missouri also supported Obama by a margin of 50-46; this religious bloc solidly favored Clinton nationwide. Conversely, Clinton won Protestants by a margin of 55-43, again ironic seeing as how most Protestants favored Obama nationwide.
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