1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

← 1904 November 3, 1908 1912 →
 
Nominee William Howard Taft William Jennings Bryan Eugene V. Debs
Party Republican Democratic Socialist
Home state Ohio Nebraska Indiana
Running mate James S. Sherman John W. Kern Ben Hanford
Electoral vote 13 0 0
Popular vote 247,747 166,662 28,147
Percentage 54.52% 36.67% 6.19%

County Results

President before election

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Elected President

William Howard Taft
Republican

The 1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1908 as part of the 1908 United States presidential election. State voters chose 13 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Ever since the decline of the Populist movement, Wisconsin had become almost a one-party state dominated by the Republican Party.[1] The Democratic Party became entirely uncompetitive outside certain German Catholic counties adjoining Lake Michigan as the upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, completely fled from William Jennings Bryan’s agrarian and free silver sympathies.[2] As Democratic strength weakened severely after 1894 – although the state did develop a strong Socialist Party to provide opposition to the GOP – Wisconsin developed the direct Republican primary in 1903 and this ultimately created competition between the “League” under Robert M. La Follette, and the conservative “Regular” faction.[3]

When William Jennings Bryan was nominated for a third presidential bid, he visited Wisconsin in early August to urge the Democrats in the state legislature to support his state policies.[4] An earlier poll had suggest Bryan gaining a substantial part of the radical La Follette following,[5] and Bryan would ridicule new Republican nominee William Howard Taft in Milwaukee during the last week of September.[6]

Despite Bryan’s campaigns, October polls by the Chicago Record-Herald said that Wisconsin was certain to vote for Taft,[7] As things turned out, the Record-Herald polls were accurate, with Taft winning by eighty-one thousand votes, and carrying all but six counties.

Bryan had previously lost Wisconsin to William McKinley in both 1896 and 1900.

Results[edit]

1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[8]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican William Howard Taft 247,747 54.52% 13
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 166,662 36.67% 0
Socialist Eugene V. Debs 28,147 6.19% 0
Prohibition Eugene W. Chafin 11,565 2.54% 0
Socialist Labor August Gillhaus 318 0.07% 0
Write-ins 2 0.00% 0
Totals 454,121 100.0% 13

Results by county[edit]

1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin by county[9]
County William Howard Taft
Republican
William Jennings Bryan
Democratic
Eugene Victor Debs
Socialist
Eugene Wilder Chafin
Prohibition
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 1,167 68.97% 436 25.77% 32 1.89% 56 3.31% 1 0.06% 731 43.20% 1,692
Ashland 2,259 54.21% 1,582 37.96% 213 5.11% 110 2.64% 3 0.07% 677 16.25% 4,167
Barron 3,247 66.46% 1,266 25.91% 128 2.62% 243 4.97% 2 0.04% 1,981 40.54% 4,886
Bayfield 1,957 70.27% 579 20.79% 174 6.25% 72 2.59% 3 0.11% 1,378 49.48% 2,785
Brown 4,947 55.25% 3,354 37.46% 516 5.76% 129 1.44% 8 0.09% 1,593 17.79% 8,954
Buffalo 1,937 63.72% 1,027 33.78% 20 0.66% 56 1.84% 0 0.00% 910 29.93% 3,040
Burnett 1,181 72.19% 296 18.09% 65 3.97% 93 5.68% 1 0.06% 885 54.10% 1,636
Calumet 1,576 46.33% 1,711 50.29% 85 2.50% 30 0.88% 0 0.00% -135 -3.97% 3,402
Chippewa 3,526 59.07% 2,203 36.91% 90 1.51% 148 2.48% 2 0.03% 1,323 22.16% 5,969
Clark 3,491 65.73% 1,576 29.67% 92 1.73% 152 2.86% 0 0.00% 1,915 36.06% 5,311
Columbia 4,072 60.12% 2,363 34.89% 140 2.07% 198 2.92% 0 0.00% 1,709 25.23% 6,773
Crawford 2,041 54.25% 1,586 42.16% 63 1.67% 72 1.91% 0 0.00% 455 12.09% 3,762
Dane 9,441 52.42% 7,818 43.41% 256 1.42% 489 2.72% 5 0.03% 1,623 9.01% 18,009
Dodge 4,015 39.66% 5,883 58.12% 63 0.62% 162 1.60% 0 0.00% -1,868 -18.45% 10,123
Door 2,463 73.92% 778 23.35% 37 1.11% 53 1.59% 1 0.03% 1,685 50.57% 3,332
Douglas 3,509 55.88% 1,715 27.31% 653 10.40% 257 4.09% 146 2.32% 1,794 28.57% 6,280
Dunn 3,297 74.39% 914 20.62% 119 2.69% 102 2.30% 0 0.00% 2,383 53.77% 4,432
Eau Claire 3,981 64.50% 1,859 30.12% 158 2.56% 174 2.82% 0 0.00% 2,122 34.38% 6,172
Florence 541 81.11% 102 15.29% 5 0.75% 19 2.85% 0 0.00% 439 65.82% 667
Fond du Lac 5,872 50.86% 5,194 44.99% 230 1.99% 244 2.11% 5 0.04% 678 5.87% 11,545
Forest 1,023 71.69% 324 22.70% 46 3.22% 31 2.17% 3 0.21% 699 48.98% 1,427
Grant 4,989 55.09% 3,696 40.81% 83 0.92% 288 3.18% 0 0.00% 1,293 14.28% 9,056
Green 2,617 54.48% 1,856 38.63% 122 2.54% 209 4.35% 0 0.00% 761 15.84% 4,804
Green Lake 2,094 55.15% 1,608 42.35% 32 0.84% 63 1.66% 0 0.00% 486 12.80% 3,797
Iowa 2,986 56.18% 2,077 39.08% 12 0.23% 238 4.48% 2 0.04% 909 17.10% 5,315
Iron 1,134 73.92% 314 20.47% 42 2.74% 43 2.80% 1 0.07% 820 53.46% 1,534
Jackson 2,603 77.91% 631 18.89% 40 1.20% 65 1.95% 2 0.06% 1,972 59.02% 3,341
Jefferson 3,207 40.43% 4,492 56.63% 70 0.88% 161 2.03% 2 0.03% -1,285 -16.20% 7,932
Juneau 2,454 57.59% 1,691 39.69% 37 0.87% 77 1.81% 2 0.05% 763 17.91% 4,261
Kenosha 3,409 54.50% 2,006 32.07% 601 9.61% 239 3.82% 0 0.00% 1,403 22.43% 6,255
Kewaunee 1,590 46.48% 1,731 50.60% 63 1.84% 37 1.08% 0 0.00% -141 -4.12% 3,421
La Crosse 4,382 50.15% 4,054 46.40% 112 1.28% 189 2.16% 0 0.00% 328 3.75% 8,737
Lafayette 2,832 55.96% 2,100 41.49% 24 0.47% 105 2.07% 0 0.00% 732 14.46% 5,061
Langlade 1,921 57.21% 1,340 39.90% 33 0.98% 64 1.91% 0 0.00% 581 17.30% 3,358
Lincoln 2,308 53.89% 1,813 42.33% 99 2.31% 63 1.47% 0 0.00% 495 11.56% 4,283
Manitowoc 4,126 45.39% 3,952 43.47% 947 10.42% 61 0.67% 5 0.05% 174 1.91% 9,091
Marathon 5,258 50.62% 4,722 45.46% 275 2.65% 133 1.28% 0 0.00% 536 5.16% 10,388
Marinette 3,454 63.45% 1,597 29.34% 154 2.83% 235 4.32% 4 0.07% 1,857 34.11% 5,444
Marquette 1,555 64.42% 798 33.06% 17 0.70% 44 1.82% 0 0.00% 757 31.36% 2,414
Milwaukee 28,625 38.97% 26,000 35.40% 17,496 23.82% 1,278 1.74% 57 0.08% 2,625 3.57% 73,456
Monroe 3,304 58.11% 2,155 37.90% 91 1.60% 136 2.39% 0 0.00% 1,149 20.21% 5,686
Oconto 3,020 64.77% 1,453 31.16% 114 2.44% 75 1.61% 1 0.02% 1,567 33.60% 4,663
Oneida 1,536 58.92% 688 26.39% 354 13.58% 28 1.07% 1 0.04% 848 32.53% 2,607
Outagamie 5,079 52.34% 4,286 44.17% 118 1.22% 209 2.15% 12 0.12% 793 8.17% 9,704
Ozaukee 1,216 38.48% 1,856 58.73% 60 1.90% 27 0.85% 1 0.03% -640 -20.25% 3,160
Pepin 1,010 67.42% 447 29.84% 5 0.33% 36 2.40% 0 0.00% 563 37.58% 1,498
Pierce 2,988 71.62% 978 23.44% 56 1.34% 150 3.60% 0 0.00% 2,010 48.18% 4,172
Polk 2,788 72.02% 816 21.08% 121 3.13% 146 3.77% 0 0.00% 1,972 50.94% 3,871
Portage 3,269 56.42% 2,362 40.77% 50 0.86% 112 1.93% 1 0.02% 907 15.65% 5,794
Price 1,738 65.26% 609 22.87% 236 8.86% 79 2.97% 1 0.04% 1,129 42.40% 2,663
Racine 5,490 52.77% 3,688 35.45% 794 7.63% 429 4.12% 3 0.03% 1,802 17.32% 10,404
Richland 2,464 54.83% 1,689 37.58% 51 1.13% 289 6.43% 1 0.02% 775 17.25% 4,494
Rock 7,839 66.81% 3,227 27.50% 265 2.26% 391 3.33% 12 0.10% 4,612 39.30% 11,734
Rusk 1,431 67.82% 532 25.21% 96 4.55% 48 2.27% 3 0.14% 899 42.61% 2,110
Sauk 3,854 57.06% 2,571 38.07% 35 0.52% 294 4.35% 0 0.00% 1,283 19.00% 6,754
Sawyer 815 70.81% 299 25.98% 19 1.65% 18 1.56% 0 0.00% 516 44.83% 1,151
Shawano 3,349 63.90% 1,750 33.39% 40 0.76% 102 1.95% 0 0.00% 1,599 30.51% 5,241
Sheboygan 5,948 52.40% 4,405 38.81% 752 6.62% 245 2.16% 1 0.01% 1,543 13.59% 11,351
St. Croix 3,228 62.29% 1,773 34.21% 83 1.60% 98 1.89% 0 0.00% 1,455 28.08% 5,182
Taylor 1,627 60.80% 924 34.53% 82 3.06% 42 1.57% 1 0.04% 703 26.27% 2,676
Trempealeau 3,733 75.31% 1,085 21.89% 22 0.44% 117 2.36% 0 0.00% 2,648 53.42% 4,957
Vernon 4,114 69.71% 1,561 26.45% 39 0.66% 188 3.19% 0 0.00% 2,553 43.26% 5,902
Vilas 794 71.73% 278 25.11% 17 1.54% 18 1.63% 0 0.00% 516 46.61% 1,107
Walworth 4,151 62.21% 1,960 29.37% 73 1.09% 487 7.30% 2 0.03% 2,191 32.83% 6,673
Washburn 1,114 69.02% 396 24.54% 69 4.28% 35 2.17% 0 0.00% 718 44.49% 1,614
Washington 2,588 48.54% 2,625 49.23% 77 1.44% 41 0.77% 1 0.02% -37 -0.69% 5,332
Waukesha 4,758 55.91% 3,206 37.67% 197 2.31% 346 4.07% 3 0.04% 1,552 18.24% 8,510
Waupaca 4,785 71.93% 1,483 22.29% 143 2.15% 239 3.59% 2 0.03% 3,302 49.64% 6,652
Waushara 2,820 79.73% 507 14.33% 82 2.32% 114 3.22% 14 0.40% 2,313 65.39% 3,537
Winnebago 6,797 52.24% 5,511 42.36% 288 2.21% 412 3.17% 3 0.02% 1,286 9.88% 13,011
Wood 3,013 50.92% 2,498 42.22% 274 4.63% 132 2.23% 0 0.00% 515 8.70% 5,917
Totals 247,747 54.52% 166,662 36.67% 28,147 6.19% 11,565 2.54% 318 0.07% 81,085 17.84% 454,439

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179 ISBN 0313213798
  2. ^ Sundquist, James; Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years, p. 526 ISBN 0815719094
  3. ^ Hansen, John Mark; Shigeo Hirano, and Snyder, James M. Jr.; ‘Parties within Parties: Parties, Factions, and Coordinated Politics, 1900-1980’; in Gerber, Alan S. and Schickler, Eric; Governing in a Polarized Age: Elections, Parties, and Political Representation in America, pp. 165-168 ISBN 978-1-107-09509-0
  4. ^ ‘LaFollette Country!’; The Idaho Recorder, August 6, 1908, p. 7
  5. ^ ‘La Follette’s Part in the Coming Campaign: Looks like a Case of Bob and Bryan’; The Indianapolis News, July 18, 1908, p. 12
  6. ^ ‘Bryan Ridivules Taft in Milwaukee: Says Republican Candidate Is not in Sympathy with Convention Principles’; The Gazette (York, Pennsylvania), September 27, 1908, p. 1
  7. ^ ‘Wisconsin for Taft: The Record-Herald Poll Suggests a Majority of 87,000’; The Hutchinson News, October 20, 1908, p. 1
  8. ^ "1908 Presidential General Election Results – Wisconsin". Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  9. ^ "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1908". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)