1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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Main article: 1908 United States presidential election
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 247,747 166,632 28,170
Percentage 54.51% 36.66% 6.20%
County Results
President before election

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Elected President

William Howard Taft
Republican

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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. However, Taft's victory, while still large, was considerably narrower than the Republican victories in the state in the previous three elections.

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

Results

[edit]
General Election Results[8][a]
Party Pledged to Elector Votes
Republican Party William Howard Taft William C. Brumder 247,747
Republican Party William Howard Taft Frank M. Durkee 247,696
Republican Party William Howard Taft John Dengler 247,689
Republican Party William Howard Taft John M. Beffel 247,683
Republican Party William Howard Taft Robert H. DeLap 247,681
Republican Party William Howard Taft W. T. Sarles 247,681
Republican Party William Howard Taft Florian Lampert 247,679
Republican Party William Howard Taft C. F. Greenwood 247,678
Republican Party William Howard Taft Herbert L. Peterson 247,678
Republican Party William Howard Taft John A. Stolper 247,677
Republican Party William Howard Taft William Kohl 247,675
Republican Party William Howard Taft D. E. Riordan 247,668
Republican Party William Howard Taft O. K. Hawley 247,666
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Ernest C. Zimmerman 166,632
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Adolph J. Schmitz 166,603
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Gilbert T. Hodges 166,595
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Edward L. Luckow 166,585
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan W. S. Henry 166,583
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Edward C. Wall 166,583
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan John Toohey 166,574
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Patrick O'Meara 166,571
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Thomas H. Ryan 166,526
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Philip Sheridan 166,503
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Frank J. Egerer 166,488
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Emil Wittzack 166,486
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Thomas Emmerton 166,484
Social Democratic Party[b] Eugene V. Debs C. W. Staples 28,170
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs J. E. Harris 28,168
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs C. I. Sandquist 28,168
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Julius Crary 28,167
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Martin Georgenson 28,167
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Robert Seidel 28,167
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs John C. Boll 28,165
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Walter Ramstack 28,165
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs F. W. Hammond 28,164
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Frank Metcalf 28,164
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Joseph Paul 28,164
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Henry Durham 28,163
Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Arne Peterson 28,161
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Lincoln Abraham 11,572
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Olav Repsdal 11,564
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Truman T. Parker 11,557
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin John W. Evans 11,554
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Richard B. Griggs 11,554
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Dyer Walters 11,554
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Moritz A. Schmoyer 11,552
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Charles L. Allen 11,551
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Will E. Mack 11,550
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin William R. Nethercut 11,550
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Charles W. Lomas 11,548
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin George W. Wilson 11,525
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Henry Jorgenson 11,516
Socialist Labor Party[c] August Gillhaus Fred Bartsch 314
Socialist Labor Party August Gillhaus Carl Schulz 313
Socialist Labor Party August Gillhaus Henry Boll 312
Socialist Labor Party August Gillhaus Fred Kremer 312
Write-in Scattering 99[d]
Votes cast[e] 454,534

Results by county

[edit]
County[8] William Howard Taft
Republican 		William Jennings Bryan
Democratic 		Eugene V. Debs
Socialist 		Eugene W. Chafin
Prohibition 		August Gillhaus
Socialist Labor 		Margin Total votes cast[f]
# % # % # % # % # % # %
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 66.43% 1,266 25.90% 130 2.66% 243 4.97% 2 0.04% 1,981 40.53% 4,888
Bayfield 1,957 70.52% 569 20.50% 174 6.27% 72 2.59% 3 0.11% 1,388 50.02% 2,775
Brown 4,947 55.25% 3,353 37.45% 517 5.77% 129 1.44% 8 0.09% 1,594 17.80% 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 72.14% 296 18.08% 65 3.97% 94 5.74% 1 0.06% 885 54.06% 1,637
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 65.74% 1,576 29.68% 90 1.69% 153 2.88% 0 0.00% 1,915 36.06% 5,310
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% 257 1.43% 488 2.71% 5 0.03% 1,623 9.01% 18,011[g]
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% 52 1.56% 1 0.03% 1,685 50.57% 3,332[h]
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 74.36% 914 20.61% 119 2.68% 104 2.35% 0 0.00% 2,383 53.74% 4,434
Eau Claire 3,980 64.50% 1,859 30.12% 158 2.56% 174 2.82% 0 0.00% 2,121 34.37% 6,171
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% 243 2.10% 5 0.04% 678 5.87% 11,545[h]
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 55.08% 3,696 40.81% 83 0.92% 289 3.19% 0 0.00% 1,293 14.28% 9,057
Green 2,617 54.49% 1,856 38.64% 121 2.52% 209 4.35% 0 0.00% 761 15.84% 4,803
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 73.97% 314 20.48% 42 2.74% 43 2.80% 0 0.00% 820 53.49% 1,533
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 40.41% 4,492 56.60% 71 0.89% 162 2.04% 2 0.03% -1,285 -16.19% 7,936[g]
Juneau 2,454 57.58% 1,691 39.68% 37 0.87% 78 1.83% 2 0.05% 763 17.90% 4,262
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 50.14% 4,054 46.38% 112 1.28% 190 2.17% 2 0.02% 328 3.75% 8,740
Lafayette 2,832 55.92% 2,100 41.47% 24 0.47% 107 2.11% 0 0.00% 732 14.45% 5,064[h]
Langlade 1,921 57.22% 1,340 39.92% 33 0.98% 63 1.88% 0 0.00% 581 17.31% 3,357
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 45.37% 3,952 43.45% 950 10.45% 62 0.68% 5 0.05% 174 1.91% 9,095
Marathon 5,258 50.69% 4,703 45.34% 276 2.66% 133 1.28% 3 0.03% 555 5.35% 10,373
Marinette 3,454 63.49% 1,597 29.36% 154 2.83% 235 4.32% 0 0.00% 1,857 34.14% 5,440
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 38.94% 26,000 35.37% 17,496 23.80% 1,277 1.74% 57 0.08% 2,625 3.57% 73,506[i]
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 64.78% 1,453 31.17% 114 2.45% 74 1.59% 1 0.02% 1,567 33.61% 4,662
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 38.47% 1,856 58.72% 60 1.90% 28 0.89% 1 0.03% -640 -20.25% 3,161
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 71.99% 816 21.07% 124 3.20% 145 3.74% 0 0.00% 1,972 50.92% 3,873
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 52.65% 3,688 35.37% 794 7.61% 429 4.11% 0 0.00% 1,802 17.28% 10,428[j]
Richland 2,464 54.80% 1,689 37.57% 51 1.13% 291 6.47% 1 0.02% 775 17.24% 4,496
Rock 7,839 66.73% 3,227 27.47% 264 2.25% 391 3.33% 12 0.10% 4,612 39.26% 11,747[k]
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 52.41% 4,405 38.81% 752 6.63% 245 2.16% 0 0.00% 1,543 13.59% 11,350
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 69.72% 1,561 26.45% 38 0.64% 188 3.19% 0 0.00% 2,553 43.26% 5,901
Vilas 794 70.70% 278 24.76% 33 2.94% 18 1.60% 0 0.00% 516 45.95% 1,123
Walworth 4,151 62.20% 1,960 29.37% 73 1.09% 488 7.31% 2 0.03% 2,191 32.83% 6,674
Washburn 1,114 69.06% 396 24.55% 69 4.28% 34 2.11% 0 0.00% 718 44.51% 1,613
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% 198 2.33% 345 4.05% 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 2,821 79.73% 507 14.33% 82 2.32% 114 3.22% 14 0.40% 2,314 65.40% 3,538
Winnebago 6,797 52.24% 5,511 42.36% 287 2.21% 413 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
Total 247,747 54.51% 166,632 36.66% 28,170 6.20% 11,572 2.55% 314 0.07% 81,115 17.85% 454,534

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The 1909 Blue Book gives the totals as Taft 247,747; Bryan 166,662; Debs 28,147; Chafin 11,565; Gillhaus 318; Scattering 2. Based on the Board of Canvassers report, with the exception of Taft, these numbers are simply incorrect. For the other parties, no elector on any ticket received those numbers of votes. Indeed, the Blue Book is an unreliable source for Wisconsin election data from about 1890 to 1920 and its figures frequently differ from the figures listed in the Board of Canvassers reports.
  2. ^ In Wisconsin, the Socialist Party was still referred to as the Social Democratic Party in 1908
  3. ^ The Socialist Labor Party ran only 4 electors on its Wisconsin ticket
  4. ^ Includes 39 votes for August Gillhaus and 32 votes for Donald R. Monroe; these were the Socialist Labor nominees for President and Vice President, respectively. Since voters in Wisconsin chose electors directly, these were votes Gillhaus and Monroe as electors, not as presidential candidates.
  5. ^ Based on totals for highest elector on each ticket
  6. ^ Based on highest elector on each ticket
  7. ^ a b Includes 2 Scattering votes
  8. ^ a b c Includes 1 Scattering vote
  9. ^ Includes 51 Scattering votes
  10. ^ Includes 27 Scattering votes
  11. ^ Includes 14 Scattering votes

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. ^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of Canvassers of the State of Wisconsin for General Election held November 3, 1908
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