Since the second half of the 20th century, New York State has generally supported candidates belonging to the Democratic Party in national elections. Democratic presidential candidaten Barack Obama won New York State by over 25 percentage points in both 2012 and 2008. New York City is a major Democratic stronghold with liberal politics. Many of the state's other urban areas, such as Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse are also Democratic. Rural upstate New York, however, is generally more conservative than the cities and tends to favor Republicans. Heavily populated suburban areas downstate, such as Westchester County and Long Island, have swung between the major parties over the past 25 years, but more often than not support Democrats.