The 1912 United States presidential election in New Mexico was the first Federal Presidential Election in which New Mexico participated. It took place on November 5, 1912, and all 48 States participated in the election. New Mexico voters chose three electors to represent them in the Electoral College, which voted for President and Vice President.
New Mexico was won by New Jersey GovernorWoodrow Wilson, in what was perhaps the most politically diverse election in United States history.[1] Running for reelection against the reformist policies of Wilson was William H. Taft, who secured the Republican nomination over Theodore Roosevelt. To counter not receiving the Republican nomination, Roosevelt then ran for President under his own Bull-Moose Party. New Mexico is indicative of this critical split in the industrialist Republican Party, because Wilson was able to attain victory, both in the State and nationally, with about 40% of the vote. The Socialist Party of America had its best year on record under Socialist Party star Eugene V. Debs, who garnered almost 6% of the electorate in New Mexico, and nationally.
This election is also notable for the State of New Mexico, in that the State was carried by a majority of smaller counties voting for Wilson, against the much larger Bernalillo and Santa Fe Counties, which voted for Roosevelt and Taft, respectively.
