1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
The 1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1896 as part of the 1896 United States presidential election. State voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
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County Results
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Background
Wisconsin during the Third Party System was a Republican-leaning but competitive state whereby historically anti-Civil War German Catholic counties stood opposed to highly pro-war and firmly Republican Yankee areas.[1] The German Catholics’ Democratic loyalties were related to their opposition to Republican pietism and to the fact that during the Civil War they had been extremely hostile to Abraham Lincoln’s wartime draft policies which often singled them out.[1]
Four year prior had seen, aided by favorable demographic shifts,[2] opposition to the notorious “Bennett Law” requiring attendance at public schools,[3] and a shift of some GOP voters to Prohibition Party nominee John Bidwell, Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland carry the state for the first time since before the Republican Party was formed. However, expectations that demographic shifts would favour the Democrats were rudely crushed in 1894, when the Republicans took every Congressional seat in the state. President Cleveland became extremely unpopular and the Democratic Party turned towards the Populist movement active in the West in order to revive its fortunes.
Whilst the Populist movement would gain almost universal acceptance in the silver mining West, its inflationary monetary policies were opposed by almost all urban classes and viewed as dangerously radical by rural German Catholics,[4] with free silver being condemned by the Church hierarchy.[5]
Vote
Early polls always had Wisconsin strong for Republican nominee William McKinley, with his supporters saying it would be one of the most Republican states despite voting Democratic in 1892.[6] During his fall tour of the Midwest, Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan made fifteen speeches, but was disturbed by a member of McKinley’s club,[7] who attempted to mob Bryan in Janesville.[8]
As it turned out, McKinley would carry Wisconsin handsomely by over one hundred thousand votes and almost twenty-three percentage points. Wisconsin would be McKinley’s strongest state outside the Northeast.[9]
Results
| 1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[10] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | William McKinley | 268,135 | 59.93% | 12 | |
| Democratic | William Jennings Bryan | 165,523 | 37.00% | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Joshua Levering | 7,507 | 1.68% | 0 | |
| National Democratic | John M. Palmer | 4,584 | 1.02% | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor | Charles H. Matchett | 1,314 | 0.29% | 0 | |
| National Prohibition | Charles E. Bentley | 346 | 0.08% | 0 | |
| Totals | 447,409 | 100.0% | 12 | ||
Results by county
| County | William McKinley Republican | William Jennings Bryan Democratic | Joshua Levering Prohibition | John McAuley Palmer National Democratic | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast[11] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,432 | 76.74% | 391 | 20.95% | 27 | 1.45% | 16 | 0.86% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,041 | 55.79% | 1,866 |
| Ashland | 2,738 | 59.70% | 1,743 | 38.01% | 60 | 1.31% | 26 | 0.57% | 19 | 0.41% | 995 | 21.70% | 4,586 |
| Barron | 2,772 | 64.74% | 1,324 | 30.92% | 155 | 3.62% | 27 | 0.63% | 4 | 0.09% | 1,448 | 33.82% | 4,282 |
| Bayfield | 2,244 | 72.57% | 770 | 24.90% | 59 | 1.91% | 13 | 0.42% | 6 | 0.19% | 1,474 | 47.67% | 3,092 |
| Brown | 5,436 | 57.51% | 3,841 | 40.64% | 88 | 0.93% | 69 | 0.73% | 18 | 0.19% | 1,595 | 16.87% | 9,452 |
| Buffalo | 2,301 | 61.89% | 1,302 | 35.02% | 61 | 1.64% | 51 | 1.37% | 3 | 0.08% | 999 | 26.87% | 3,718 |
| Burnett | 800 | 67.51% | 349 | 29.45% | 28 | 2.36% | 4 | 0.34% | 4 | 0.34% | 451 | 38.06% | 1,185 |
| Calumet | 1,547 | 44.53% | 1,869 | 53.80% | 28 | 0.81% | 27 | 0.78% | 3 | 0.09% | -322 | -9.27% | 3,474 |
| Chippewa | 3,601 | 54.09% | 2,929 | 44.00% | 84 | 1.26% | 35 | 0.53% | 8 | 0.12% | 672 | 10.09% | 6,657 |
| Clark | 3,328 | 69.41% | 1,318 | 27.49% | 97 | 2.02% | 39 | 0.81% | 13 | 0.27% | 2,010 | 41.92% | 4,795 |
| Columbia | 4,845 | 63.57% | 2,380 | 31.23% | 280 | 3.67% | 108 | 1.42% | 9 | 0.12% | 2,465 | 32.34% | 7,622 |
| Crawford | 2,323 | 59.61% | 1,509 | 38.72% | 38 | 0.98% | 24 | 0.62% | 3 | 0.08% | 814 | 20.89% | 3,897 |
| Dane | 9,080 | 56.10% | 6,521 | 40.29% | 410 | 2.53% | 159 | 0.98% | 16 | 0.10% | 2,559 | 15.81% | 16,186 |
| Dodge | 5,610 | 51.55% | 4,900 | 45.03% | 120 | 1.10% | 236 | 2.17% | 16 | 0.15% | 710 | 6.52% | 10,882 |
| Door | 2,402 | 71.30% | 895 | 26.57% | 49 | 1.45% | 21 | 0.62% | 2 | 0.06% | 1,507 | 44.73% | 3,369 |
| Douglas | 4,274 | 61.45% | 2,527 | 36.33% | 96 | 1.38% | 48 | 0.69% | 10 | 0.14% | 1,747 | 25.12% | 6,955 |
| Dunn | 3,370 | 67.94% | 1,418 | 28.59% | 131 | 2.64% | 33 | 0.67% | 8 | 0.16% | 1,952 | 39.35% | 4,960 |
| Eau Claire | 4,522 | 63.42% | 2,364 | 33.16% | 186 | 2.61% | 52 | 0.73% | 6 | 0.08% | 2,158 | 30.27% | 7,130 |
| Florence | 488 | 78.08% | 129 | 20.64% | 6 | 0.96% | 2 | 0.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 359 | 57.44% | 625 |
| Fond du Lac | 6,174 | 54.15% | 4,933 | 43.27% | 157 | 1.38% | 128 | 1.12% | 9 | 0.08% | 1,241 | 10.89% | 11,401 |
| Forest | 406 | 68.01% | 172 | 28.81% | 15 | 2.51% | 2 | 0.34% | 2 | 0.34% | 234 | 39.20% | 597 |
| Grant | 5,315 | 57.40% | 3,683 | 39.77% | 188 | 2.03% | 67 | 0.72% | 7 | 0.08% | 1,632 | 17.62% | 9,260 |
| Green | 3,093 | 54.72% | 2,339 | 41.38% | 158 | 2.80% | 53 | 0.94% | 9 | 0.16% | 754 | 13.34% | 5,652 |
| Green Lake | 2,103 | 55.69% | 1,568 | 41.53% | 61 | 1.62% | 32 | 0.85% | 12 | 0.32% | 535 | 14.17% | 3,776 |
| Iowa | 3,115 | 57.42% | 2,060 | 37.97% | 174 | 3.21% | 61 | 1.12% | 15 | 0.28% | 1,055 | 19.45% | 5,425 |
| Iron | 1,288 | 72.04% | 472 | 26.40% | 26 | 1.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.11% | 816 | 45.64% | 1,788 |
| Jackson | 2,710 | 74.57% | 778 | 21.41% | 98 | 2.70% | 39 | 1.07% | 9 | 0.25% | 1,932 | 53.16% | 3,634 |
| Jefferson | 4,344 | 52.61% | 3,504 | 42.44% | 138 | 1.67% | 263 | 3.19% | 8 | 0.10% | 840 | 10.17% | 8,257 |
| Juneau | 2,832 | 61.49% | 1,671 | 36.28% | 59 | 1.28% | 35 | 0.76% | 9 | 0.20% | 1,161 | 25.21% | 4,606 |
| Kenosha | 2,827 | 60.54% | 1,732 | 37.09% | 40 | 0.86% | 62 | 1.33% | 9 | 0.19% | 1,095 | 23.45% | 4,670 |
| Kewaunee | 1,835 | 51.11% | 1,649 | 45.93% | 14 | 0.39% | 91 | 2.53% | 1 | 0.03% | 186 | 5.18% | 3,590 |
| La Crosse | 6,297 | 64.58% | 3,058 | 31.36% | 161 | 1.65% | 225 | 2.31% | 10 | 0.10% | 3,239 | 33.22% | 9,751 |
| Lafayette | 2,919 | 54.74% | 2,236 | 41.94% | 114 | 2.14% | 59 | 1.11% | 4 | 0.08% | 683 | 12.81% | 5,332 |
| Langlade | 1,457 | 58.80% | 956 | 38.58% | 23 | 0.93% | 38 | 1.53% | 4 | 0.16% | 501 | 20.22% | 2,478 |
| Lincoln | 1,706 | 47.69% | 1,802 | 50.38% | 44 | 1.23% | 21 | 0.59% | 4 | 0.11% | -96 | -2.68% | 3,577 |
| Manitowoc | 4,430 | 51.57% | 3,919 | 45.62% | 62 | 0.72% | 164 | 1.91% | 16 | 0.19% | 511 | 5.95% | 8,591 |
| Marathon | 3,958 | 49.62% | 3,829 | 48.00% | 70 | 0.88% | 87 | 1.09% | 33 | 0.41% | 129 | 1.62% | 7,977 |
| Marinette | 4,277 | 68.26% | 1,867 | 29.80% | 81 | 1.29% | 29 | 0.46% | 12 | 0.19% | 2,410 | 38.46% | 6,266 |
| Marquette | 1,476 | 62.84% | 827 | 35.21% | 25 | 1.06% | 20 | 0.85% | 1 | 0.04% | 649 | 27.63% | 2,349 |
| Milwaukee | 35,939 | 55.85% | 26,536 | 41.24% | 640 | 0.99% | 520 | 0.81% | 709 | 1.10% | 9,403 | 14.61% | 64,344 |
| Monroe | 3,683 | 59.46% | 2,361 | 38.12% | 103 | 1.66% | 35 | 0.57% | 12 | 0.19% | 1,322 | 21.34% | 6,194 |
| Oconto | 2,836 | 67.08% | 1,290 | 30.51% | 59 | 1.40% | 35 | 0.83% | 8 | 0.19% | 1,546 | 36.57% | 4,228 |
| Oneida | 1,453 | 70.64% | 563 | 27.37% | 27 | 1.31% | 14 | 0.68% | 0 | 0.00% | 890 | 43.27% | 2,057 |
| Outagamie | 5,433 | 55.42% | 4,096 | 41.78% | 139 | 1.42% | 106 | 1.08% | 30 | 0.31% | 1,337 | 13.64% | 9,804 |
| Ozaukee | 1,535 | 42.79% | 1,947 | 54.28% | 30 | 0.84% | 62 | 1.73% | 13 | 0.36% | -412 | -11.49% | 3,587 |
| Pepin | 1,301 | 72.48% | 436 | 24.29% | 37 | 2.06% | 19 | 1.06% | 2 | 0.11% | 865 | 48.19% | 1,795 |
| Pierce | 3,724 | 69.79% | 1,412 | 26.46% | 156 | 2.92% | 38 | 0.71% | 6 | 0.11% | 2,312 | 43.33% | 5,336 |
| Polk | 2,861 | 74.56% | 891 | 23.22% | 61 | 1.59% | 23 | 0.60% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,970 | 51.34% | 3,837 |
| Portage | 3,537 | 53.81% | 2,890 | 43.97% | 82 | 1.25% | 54 | 0.82% | 10 | 0.15% | 647 | 9.84% | 6,573 |
| Price | 1,448 | 70.22% | 550 | 26.67% | 37 | 1.79% | 19 | 0.92% | 8 | 0.39% | 898 | 43.55% | 2,062 |
| Racine | 5,849 | 57.61% | 3,975 | 39.15% | 213 | 2.10% | 104 | 1.02% | 12 | 0.12% | 1,874 | 18.46% | 10,153 |
| Richland | 2,636 | 54.03% | 2,098 | 43.00% | 129 | 2.64% | 16 | 0.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 538 | 11.03% | 4,879 |
| Rock | 8,282 | 67.46% | 3,655 | 29.77% | 237 | 1.93% | 86 | 0.70% | 17 | 0.14% | 4,627 | 37.69% | 12,277 |
| Sauk | 4,623 | 60.95% | 2,611 | 34.42% | 242 | 3.19% | 97 | 1.28% | 12 | 0.16% | 2,012 | 26.53% | 7,585 |
| Sawyer | 514 | 56.30% | 369 | 40.42% | 28 | 3.07% | 2 | 0.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 145 | 15.88% | 913 |
| Shawano | 3,035 | 64.16% | 1,594 | 33.70% | 54 | 1.14% | 32 | 0.68% | 15 | 0.32% | 1,441 | 30.47% | 4,730 |
| Sheboygan | 6,644 | 62.50% | 3,327 | 31.30% | 90 | 0.85% | 247 | 2.32% | 323 | 3.04% | 3,317 | 31.20% | 10,631 |
| St. Croix | 3,462 | 56.38% | 2,475 | 40.31% | 158 | 2.57% | 38 | 0.62% | 7 | 0.11% | 987 | 16.07% | 6,140 |
| Taylor | 1,387 | 64.51% | 710 | 33.02% | 20 | 0.93% | 27 | 1.26% | 6 | 0.28% | 677 | 31.49% | 2,150 |
| Trempealeau | 3,306 | 67.66% | 1,394 | 28.53% | 152 | 3.11% | 24 | 0.49% | 10 | 0.20% | 1,912 | 39.13% | 4,886 |
| Vernon | 4,393 | 71.35% | 1,627 | 26.43% | 102 | 1.66% | 28 | 0.45% | 7 | 0.11% | 2,766 | 44.92% | 6,157 |
| Vilas | 754 | 62.01% | 443 | 36.43% | 8 | 0.66% | 9 | 0.74% | 2 | 0.16% | 311 | 25.58% | 1,216 |
| Walworth | 5,347 | 70.41% | 1,894 | 24.94% | 282 | 3.71% | 57 | 0.75% | 14 | 0.18% | 3,453 | 45.47% | 7,594 |
| Washburn | 771 | 73.29% | 250 | 23.76% | 21 | 2.00% | 8 | 0.76% | 2 | 0.19% | 521 | 49.52% | 1,052 |
| Washington | 2,877 | 53.19% | 2,404 | 44.44% | 31 | 0.57% | 86 | 1.59% | 11 | 0.20% | 473 | 8.74% | 5,409 |
| Waukesha | 5,411 | 60.93% | 3,192 | 35.95% | 162 | 1.82% | 108 | 1.22% | 7 | 0.08% | 2,219 | 24.99% | 8,880 |
| Waupaca | 5,472 | 75.19% | 1,577 | 21.67% | 129 | 1.77% | 65 | 0.89% | 35 | 0.48% | 3,895 | 53.52% | 7,278 |
| Waushara | 3,210 | 84.36% | 456 | 11.98% | 102 | 2.68% | 27 | 0.71% | 10 | 0.26% | 2,754 | 72.38% | 3,805 |
| Winnebago | 7,898 | 59.23% | 5,089 | 38.17% | 211 | 1.58% | 101 | 0.76% | 35 | 0.26% | 2,809 | 21.07% | 13,334 |
| Wood | 2,839 | 58.99% | 1,877 | 39.00% | 54 | 1.12% | 31 | 0.64% | 12 | 0.25% | 962 | 19.99% | 4,813 |
| Totals | 268,135 | 59.93% | 165,523 | 37.00% | 7,507 | 1.68% | 4,584 | 1.02% | 1,660 | 0.37% | 102,612 | 22.93% | 447,409 |
See also
References
- ^ a b Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 381-382, 414 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
- ^ Kleppner, Paul; The Third Electoral System, 1853-1892: Parties, Votes and Political Cultures, pp. 198-207 ISBN 0807813281
- ^ Hill, Perry C.; ‘Wisconsin Votes for President’, The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. 36, No. 1 (Autumn, 1952), pp. 11-16
- ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 384
- ^ Harpine, William D.; From the Front Porch to the Front Page: McKinley and Bryan in the 1896 Presidential Campaign, pp. 166-167 ISBN 9781585444502
- ^ ‘ Good News for McKinley Leaders: Strong in the Great West – Wisconsin Solid for the Ohio Man’; San Francisco Chronicle, August 13, 1896, p. 5
- ^ ‘Bryan in Wisconsin: Fifteen Short Speeches to the Badger State Voters’; The Washington Post, October 31, 1896, p. 3
- ^ ‘Men Almost Mobbed: Bryan in Wisconsin, Palmer and Buckner in Missouri’; Boston Daily Globe, October 31, 1896, p. 3
- ^ "1896 Presidential General Election Data – National by State". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
- ^ "1896 Presidential General Election Results – Wisconsin". Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1896 (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)