Try looking online for statistics on voter turnout in urban areas for the 2008 presidential primaries. It’s harder than you think. The following list was compiled from the official Associated Press primary voting results for metropolitan areas. John Edwards did not win a single major U.S. city. For the Republicans, we chose the top two candidates based on votes accumulated.

Los Angeles – (D) Clinton 55% Obama 42% ® McCain 44% Romney 35%
San Francisco – (D) Clinton 44% Obama 52% ® McCain 49% Romney 28%
Seattle – (D) Clinton 27% Obama 72% ® McCain 32% Huckabee 19%
Portland – (D) Clinton 34% Obama 66% ® McCain 84% Paul 16%
Las Vegas – (D) Clinton 54% Obama 44% ® Romney 58% Paul 12%
Phoenix – (D) Clinton 49% Obama 43% ® McCain 48% Romney 34%
Denver – (D) Clinton 30% Obama 69% ® McCain 26% Romney 55%
Dallas – (D) Clinton 38% Obama 62% ® McCain 51% Huckabee 40%
Minneapolis – (D) Clinton 28% Obama 71% ® McCain 24% Romney 46%
New Orleans – (D) Clinton 23% Obama 75% ® McCain 59% Huckabee 22%
Kansas City – (D) Clinton 43% Obama 56% ® McCain 34% Romney 35%
Chicago – (D) Clinton 29% Obama 69% ® McCain 52% Romney 28%
Milwaukee – (D) Clinton 35% Obama 64% ® McCain 62% Huckabee 29%
Detroit – (D) Clinton 50 “Uncommitted” 46 ® McCain 26% Romney 44%
Nashville – (D) Clinton 38% Obama 59% ® McCain 32% Romney 34%
Atlanta – (D) Clinton 24% Obama 75% ® McCain 37% Romney 41%
Miami – (D) Clinton 52% Obama 40% ® McCain 49% Giuliani 26%
Charlotte – (D) Clinton 29% Obama 71% ® McCain 73% Paul 9%
Richmond – (D) Clinton 27% Obama 72% ® McCain 58% Huckabee 32%
Baltimore – (D) Clinton 23% Obama 75% ® McCain 49% Huckabee 25%
Washington D.C. – (D) Clinton 24% Obama 75% ® McCain 68% Huckabee 17%
Philadelphia – (D) Clinton 35% Obama 65% ® McCain 80% Paul 14%
Pittsburg – (D) Clinton 54% Obama 46% ® McCain 75% Paul 16%
New York City – (D) Clinton 54% Obama 44% ® McCain 59% Romney 21%
Hartford – (D) Clinton 47% Obama 51% ® McCain 47% Romney 38%
Boston – (D) Clinton 48% Obama 50% ® McCain 46% Romney 45%
Providence – (D) Clinton 60% Obama 39% ® McCain 62% Huckabee 24%

Cities won: (D) Obama – 19 Clinton – 8 ® McCain – 21 Other – 6

Democrats drew more voters than Republicans in all of these listed cities. Some of this success can be attributed to the fact that McCain wrapped up the nomination in March. “The Economy” was the most important issue for city dwellers according to exit polls, followed by “The War in Iraq.” A majority (54% of the urban vote) favors an immediate withdraw from the war.

“Voter excitement, always up before a presidential election, is pushing registration through the roof so far this year — with more than 3.5 million people rushing to join in the historic balloting, according to an Associated Press survey that offers the first national snapshot. Figures are up for blacks, women and young people. Rural and city. South and North. Overall, the AP found that nearly one in 65 adult Americans signed up to vote in just the first three months of the year. And in the 21 states that were able to provide comparable data, new registrations have soared about 64 percent from the same three months in the 2004 campaign.” -Associated Press