1880 United States presidential election in California
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 County Results
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| Elections in California |
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The 1880 United States presidential election in California was held on November 2, 1880, as part of the 1880 United States presidential election. State voters chose six representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
California narrowly voted for the Democratic nominee, United States Army officer Winfield Hancock, over the Republican nominee, Ohio representative James A. Garfield. The 94-vote margin was the smallest in any statewide presidential election since Henry Clay won Maryland by only four votes in 1832, and as of 2020 it stands as by percentage of the vote the eleventh-closest statewide presidential election result on record – although California would later see even closer results in 1892 and 1912.[c]
At the time, voters in California voted for individual electors, with the top six candidates being elected. One of the electors on the Democratic ticket was David S. Terry, a controversial figure in California politics due to his killing of David C. Broderick in a duel in 1859. As a result, about five hundred Democratic voters scratched Terry's name off of their ballots.[1] Due to the closeness of the election, these lost votes caused Terry to receive fewer votes than the entire Republican ticket and thus a single Republican elector won the sixth-most votes to claim the last elector position. This was the first occasion in which California's electoral vote was split, rather than being awarded to a single candidate. This would subsequently occur in California three additional times in 1892, 1896, and 1912.[2]
This result constituted the first Democratic victory in California since 1856[3] when the Republican Party had only recently formed. It has been argued that the unexpected Democratic win was due almost entirely to Garfield being viewed as weaker than Hancock on the hot-bed issue of controlling immigration from China – which both major parties promised to do and which the California electorate was overwhelmingly in favor of.[4]
As a result of Garfield's loss, he became the first Republican to win the presidency without carrying California. This would not occur again until 120 years later. This was the first time ever that California voted for the losing candidate, which only occurred four times in the next 100 years- in 1884, 1912, 1960, and 1976.
Results
| Party | Pledged to | Elector | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | Winfield Scott Hancock | R. F. Del Valle | 80,442 | |
| Democratic Party | Winfield Scott Hancock | Barclay Henley | 80,428 | |
| Democratic Party | Winfield Scott Hancock | William T. Wallace | 80,426 | |
| Democratic Party | Winfield Scott Hancock | J. C. Shorb | 80,420 | |
| Democratic Party | Winfield Scott Hancock | W. B. C. Brown | 80,413 | |
| Republican Party | James A. Garfield | Henry Edgerton | 80,348 | |
| Republican Party | James A. Garfield | John F. Miller | 80,282 | |
| Republican Party | James A. Garfield | John A. Bauer | 80,281 | |
| Republican Party | James A. Garfield | Thomas R. Bard | 80,253 | |
| Republican Party | James A. Garfield | W. W. McKaig | 80,245 | |
| Republican Party | James A. Garfield | Charles N. Fox | 80,229 | |
| Democratic Party | Winfield Scott Hancock | David S. Terry | 79,885[d] | |
| Greenback Party | James B. Weaver | J. E. Clark | 3,394 | |
| Greenback Party | James B. Weaver | F. P. Dann | 3,381 | |
| Greenback Party | James B. Weaver | James Kidney | 3,378 | |
| Greenback Party | James B. Weaver | Geogre T. Elliott | 3,369 | |
| Greenback Party | James B. Weaver | T. J. McQuiddy | 3,365 | |
| Greenback Party | James B. Weaver | J. H. Redstone | 2,531 | |
| Greenback Party | James B. Weaver | B. K. Lowe | 830[e] | |
| Prohibition Party | Neal S. Dow | M. C. Winchester | 61 | |
| Prohibition Party | Neal S. Dow | G. W. Caldwell | 56 | |
| Prohibition Party | Neal S. Dow | W. O. Clark | 56 | |
| Prohibition Party | Neal S. Dow | John Woods | 56 | |
| Prohibition Party | Neal S. Dow | George Bramall | 54 | |
| Prohibition Party | Neal S. Dow | G. W. Webb | 49 | |
| Anti-Masonic Party | John W. Phelps | Liba Finch | 6 | |
| Anti-Masonic Party | John W. Phelps | M. A. Harrow | 6 | |
| Anti-Masonic Party | John W. Phelps | L. B. Lathrop | 6 | |
| Anti-Masonic Party | John W. Phelps | D. Morrill | 6 | |
| Anti-Masonic Party | John W. Phelps | P. Beck | 5 | |
| Anti-Masonic Party | John W. Phelps | R. Metcalf | 5 | |
| Write-in | Scattering | 70 | ||
| Votes cast[f] | 164,321 | |||
Results by county
| County | Winfield Scott Hancock[6] Democratic |
James Abram Garfield[6] Republican |
James Baird Weaver[6] Greenback |
Neal S. Dow[6] Prohibition |
John W. Phelps[6] Anti-Masonic |
Scattering[6] Write-in |
Margin | Total votes cast[g] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alameda | 3,894 | 39.35% | 5,897 | 59.58% | 81 | 0.82% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 25 | 0.25% | -2,003 | -20.24% | 9,897 |
| Alpine | 41 | 38.32% | 66 | 61.68% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -25 | -23.36% | 107 |
| Amador | 1,411 | 51.12% | 1,345 | 48.73% | 4 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 66 | 2.39% | 2,760 |
| Butte | 1,832 | 50.25% | 1,814 | 49.75% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 18 | 0.49% | 3,646 |
| Calaveras | 1,137 | 49.18% | 1,157 | 50.04% | 18 | 0.78% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -20 | -0.87% | 2,312 |
| Colusa | 1,607 | 64.49% | 882 | 35.39% | 3 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 725 | 29.09% | 2,492 |
| Contra Costa | 1,010 | 43.69% | 1,302 | 56.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -292 | -12.63% | 2,312 |
| Del Norte | 297 | 52.85% | 263 | 46.80% | 2 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 34 | 6.05% | 562 |
| El Dorado | 1,520 | 51.30% | 1,419 | 47.89% | 24 | 0.81% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 101 | 3.41% | 2,963 |
| Fresno | 1,133 | 64.60% | 613 | 34.95% | 8 | 0.46% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 520 | 29.65% | 1,754 |
| Humboldt | 735 | 25.51% | 1,420 | 49.29% | 725 | 25.16% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -685 | -23.78% | 2,881 |
| Inyo | 274 | 46.05% | 321 | 53.95% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -47 | -7.90% | 595 |
| Kern | 661 | 58.44% | 463 | 40.94% | 7 | 0.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 198 | 17.51% | 1,131 |
| Lake | 677 | 59.33% | 454 | 39.79% | 10 | 0.88% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 223 | 19.54% | 1,141 |
| Lassen | 301 | 43.50% | 323 | 46.68% | 64 | 9.25% | 2 | 0.29% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.29% | -22 | -3.18% | 692 |
| Los Angeles | 2,853 | 46.90% | 2,914 | 47.90% | 306 | 5.03% | 10 | 0.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -61 | -1.00% | 6,083 |
| Marin | 561 | 41.71% | 761 | 56.58% | 23 | 1.71% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -200 | -14.87% | 1,345 |
| Mariposa | 598 | 58.06% | 432 | 41.94% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 166 | 16.12% | 1,030 |
| Mendocino | 1,313 | 57.34% | 969 | 42.31% | 4 | 0.17% | 1 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 3 | 0.13% | 344 | 15.02% | 2,290 |
| Merced | 736 | 58.60% | 516 | 41.08% | 4 | 0.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 220 | 17.52% | 1,256 |
| Modoc | 490 | 54.08% | 410 | 45.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 6 | 0.66% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 80 | 8.83% | 906 |
| Mono | 821 | 46.36% | 913 | 51.55% | 22 | 1.24% | 8 | 0.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 8 | 0.45% | -92 | -5.19% | 1,772 |
| Monterey | 1,205 | 48.16% | 1,260 | 50.36% | 37 | 1.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -55 | -2.20% | 2,502 |
| Napa | 1,082 | 46.84% | 1,199 | 51.90% | 26 | 1.13% | 3 | 0.13% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -117 | -5.06% | 2,310 |
| Nevada | 2,029 | 47.27% | 2,241 | 52.21% | 22 | 0.51% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -212 | -4.94% | 4,292 |
| Placer | 1,416 | 45.43% | 1,643 | 52.71% | 58 | 1.86% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -227 | -7.28% | 3,117 |
| Plumas | 645 | 47.99% | 698 | 51.93% | 1 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -53 | -3.94% | 1,344 |
| Sacramento | 2,817 | 41.66% | 3,794 | 56.11% | 150 | 2.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.01% | -977 | -14.45% | 6,762 |
| San Benito | 646 | 59.81% | 429 | 39.72% | 4 | 0.37% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 217 | 20.09% | 1,080 |
| San Bernardino | 711 | 47.81% | 730 | 49.09% | 46 | 3.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -19 | -1.28% | 1,487 |
| San Diego | 546 | 41.74% | 743 | 56.80% | 19 | 1.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -197 | -15.06% | 1,308 |
| San Francisco | 21,471 | 52.06% | 19,080 | 46.27% | 672 | 1.63% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 16 | 0.04% | 2,391 | 5.80% | 41,239 |
| San Joaquin | 2,409 | 48.32% | 2,568 | 51.51% | 7 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | -159 | -3.19% | 4,985 |
| San Luis Obispo | 729 | 41.99% | 830 | 47.81% | 171 | 9.85% | 6 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -101 | -5.82% | 1,736 |
| San Mateo | 720 | 48.32% | 760 | 51.01% | 10 | 0.67% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -40 | -2.68% | 1,490 |
| Santa Barbara | 717 | 37.38% | 907 | 47.29% | 293 | 15.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.05% | -190 | -9.91% | 1,918 |
| Santa Clara | 2,821 | 46.67% | 3,113 | 51.50% | 105 | 1.74% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 6 | 0.10% | -292 | -4.83% | 6,045 |
| Santa Cruz | 1,102 | 44.96% | 1,236 | 50.43% | 110 | 4.49% | 2 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.04% | -134 | -5.47% | 2,451 |
| Shasta | 877 | 49.97% | 868 | 49.46% | 10 | 0.57% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 9 | 0.51% | 1,755 |
| Sierra | 559 | 35.65% | 997 | 63.58% | 12 | 0.77% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -438 | -27.93% | 1,568 |
| Siskiyou | 900 | 52.36% | 800 | 46.54% | 18 | 1.05% | 1 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 100 | 5.82% | 1,719 |
| Solano | 1,959 | 49.70% | 1,963 | 49.80% | 13 | 0.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 7 | 0.18% | -4 | -0.10% | 3,942 |
| Sonoma | 2,628 | 52.14% | 2,290 | 45.44% | 111 | 2.20% | 11 | 0.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 338 | 6.71% | 5,040 |
| Stanislaus | 1,161 | 60.69% | 752 | 39.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 409 | 21.38% | 1,913 |
| Sutter | 591 | 49.33% | 602 | 50.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 5 | 0.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -11 | -0.92% | 1,198 |
| Tehama | 954 | 52.33% | 868 | 47.61% | 1 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 86 | 4.72% | 1,823 |
| Trinity | 457 | 49.14% | 464 | 49.89% | 9 | 0.97% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -7 | -0.75% | 930 |
| Tulare | 1,306 | 55.13% | 917 | 38.71% | 146 | 6.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 389 | 16.42% | 2,369 |
| Tuolumne | 1,001 | 51.65% | 922 | 47.57% | 15 | 0.77% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 79 | 4.08% | 1,938 |
| Ventura | 522 | 46.40% | 599 | 53.24% | 4 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -77 | -6.84% | 1,125 |
| Yolo | 1,374 | 51.83% | 1,256 | 47.38% | 12 | 0.45% | 5 | 0.19% | 4 | 0.15% | 0 | 0.00% | 118 | 4.45% | 2,651 |
| Yuba | 1,185 | 50.28% | 1,165 | 49.43% | 7 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 20 | 0.85% | 2,357 |
| Total | 80,442 | 48.954% | 80,348 | 48.897% | 3,394 | 2.07% | 61 | 0.04% | 6 | 0.00% | 70 | 0.04% | 94 | 0.057% | 164,321 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Butte (largest town: Chico)
- San Francisco (largest city: San Francisco)
- Yuba (largest city: Marysville)
Counties that flipped from Democrat to Republican
- Calaveras (largest community: Angels Camp)
- Inyo (largest community: Bishop)
- Los Angeles (largest city: Los Angeles)
- San Luis Obispo (largest city: San Luis Obispo)
- Sutter (largest community: Yuba City)
- Trinity (largest community: Weaverville)
Notes
- ^ Many sources give the Hancock vote as 80,426, which is the number of votes received by the first Demcratic elector listed, but this figure is not the highest number of votes received by the Democratic ticket
- ^ Many sources give the Garfield vote as 80,282, which is the number of votes received by the first Republican elector listed, but this figure is not the highest number of votes received by the Republican ticket
- ^ Other closer results have been Florida in 2000 (closest), Maryland in 1904 (although voters voted for individual electors), Maryland in 1832, New Mexico in 2000, Kentucky in 1896 and Kentucky in 1952, Hawaii in 1960 and in New Hampshire in 1916.
- ^ The state's official source gives 79,858 but this appears to be a misprint. Newspapers of the time all reported this figure as 79,885 and the county figures add up to the latter total.
- ^ Appears to have replaced J. H. Redstone on some Greenback ballots
- ^ Based on totals for highest elector on each ticket
- ^ Based on the highest elector on each ticket
References
- ^ "The Napa Daily Register". California Digital Newspaper Collection. The Napa Daily Register. November 8, 1880. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ "DIVIDED ELECTORAL VOTES". Newspapers.com. The Boston Globe. November 11, 1912. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; Presidential General Election Results Comparison – California
- ^ Gold, Martin; Forbidden Citizens: Chinese Exclusion and the U.S. Congress: A Legislative History; p. 141 ISBN 1587332353
- ^ State and County Governments, 1881 Executive, Judicial, and Legislative Departments State of California. Sacramento, California: State Printing Office. p. 15. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Original Manuscript Returns, California State Archives
