1908 United States presidential election in Tennessee

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1908 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Flag of Tennessee.svg
  1904 November 3, 1908 1912  
  Unsuccessful 1908.jpg William Howard Taft, Bain bw photo portrait, 1908.jpg
Nominee William Jennings Bryan William Howard Taft
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Nebraska Ohio
Running mate John W. Kern James S. Sherman
Electoral vote120
Popular vote135,608117,977
Percentage52.73%45.87%

Tennessee Presidential Election Results 1908.svg
County results

President before election

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Elected President

William Howard Taft
Republican

The 1908 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 3, 1908. All contemporary 46 states were part of the 1908 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Contents

For over a century after the Civil War, Tennessee was divided according to political loyalties established in that war. Unionist regions covering almost all of East Tennessee, Kentucky Pennyroyal-allied Macon County, and the five West Tennessee Highland Rim counties of Carroll, Henderson, McNairy, Hardin and Wayne [1] voted Republican – generally by landslide margins – as they saw the Democratic Party as the “war party” who had forced them into a war they did not wish to fight. [2] Contrariwise, the rest of Middle and West Tennessee who had supported and driven the state’s secession was equally fiercely Democratic as it associated the Republicans with Reconstruction. [3] After the disfranchisement of the state’s African-American population by a poll tax was largely complete in the 1890s, [4] the Democratic Party was certain of winning statewide elections if united, [5] although unlike the Deep South Republicans would almost always gain thirty to forty percent of the statewide vote from mountain and Highland Rim support.

Tennessee was won by the Democratic nominees, former Representative William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska and his running mate John W. Kern of Indiana. They defeated the Republican Party nominees, William Howard Taft and his running mate James S. Sherman of New York. Bryan won the state by a margin of 6.86%.

In October of 1908, Taft would in October become the first Republican candidate to tour the South, visiting Tennessee and North Carolina [6] Aided by opposition by developing manufacturers to Bryan’s populism, [6] and by his willingness to accept black disfranchisement [7] Taft gained noticeably given the extremely deep-rooted partisan loyalties established by the Civil War. Whereas Theodore Roosevelt had lost Tennessee by 10.83 percent in 1904, Taft, although doing worse nationally, lost only by 6.86 percentage points.

Bryan had previously won Tennessee against William McKinley in both 1896 and 1900.

Results

1908 United States presidential election in Tennessee [8]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 135,60852.73%12
Republican William Howard Taft 117,97745.87%0
Social Democratic Eugene V. Debs 1,8700.73%0
Populist Thomas E. Watson 1,0920.42%0
Independence Thomas L. Hisgen 3320.13%0
Prohibition Eugene W. Chafin 3010.12%0
Totals257,180100.00%12
Voter turnout

Results by county

1908 United States presidential election in Tennessee by county [9]
CountyWilliam Jennings Bryan
Democratic
William Howard Taft
Republican
Eugene Victor Debs
Socialist
Thomas Edward Watson
Populist
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %# %
Anderson 63223.64%2,02275.65%150.56%20.07%20.07%-1,390-52.00%2,673
Bedford 1,99657.91%1,44641.95%30.09%20.06%00.00%55015.96%3,447
Benton 1,22157.06%86040.19%60.28%532.48%00.00%36116.87%2,140
Bledsoe 29540.75%42558.70%10.14%30.41%00.00%-130-17.96%724
Blount 84724.67%2,56874.80%00.00%00.00%180.52%-1,721-50.13%3,433
Bradley 62036.17%1,06362.02%181.05%90.53%40.23%-443-25.85%1,714
Campbell 53021.99%1,80674.94%301.24%60.25%381.58%-1,276-52.95%2,410
Cannon 90457.18%67242.50%00.00%40.25%10.06%23214.67%1,581
Carroll 1,80243.10%2,29054.77%180.43%711.70%00.00%-488-11.67%4,181
Carter 45912.70%3,15287.19%00.00%00.00%40.11%-2,693-74.50%3,615
Cheatham 1,20669.55%52630.33%20.12%00.00%00.00%68039.22%1,734
Chester 70350.79%57741.69%100.72%946.79%00.00%1269.10%1,384
Claiborne 97136.96%1,63762.31%00.00%140.53%50.19%-666-25.35%2,627
Clay 76454.07%63444.87%40.28%100.71%10.07%1309.20%1,413
Cocke 68827.93%1,74971.01%60.24%110.45%90.37%-1,061-43.08%2,463
Coffee 1,65470.50%65627.96%301.28%10.04%50.21%99842.54%2,346
Crockett 1,22650.43%1,20549.57%00.00%00.00%00.00%210.86%2,431
Cumberland 47932.17%1,01067.83%00.00%00.00%00.00%-531-35.66%1,489
Davidson 8,30973.98%2,72124.23%1571.40%180.16%270.24%5,58849.75%11,232
DeKalb 1,28446.66%1,46453.20%20.07%10.04%10.04%-180-6.54%2,752
Decatur 84546.87%95853.13%00.00%00.00%00.00%-113-6.27%1,803
Dickson 1,49960.76%89936.44%562.27%110.45%20.08%60024.32%2,467
Dyer 1,78671.87%67227.04%200.80%70.28%00.00%1,11444.83%2,485
Fayette 1,84998.88%40.21%30.16%140.75%00.00%1,835 [lower-alpha 1] 98.13%1,870
Fentress 33226.95%89472.56%60.49%00.00%00.00%-562-45.62%1,232
Franklin 2,16874.71%71624.67%150.52%10.03%20.07%1,45250.03%2,902
Gibson 3,17369.39%1,36929.94%30.07%260.57%20.04%1,80439.45%4,573
Giles 3,04265.87%1,57134.02%00.00%50.11%00.00%1,47131.85%4,618
Grainger 67333.77%1,30965.68%00.00%50.25%60.30%-636-31.91%1,993
Greene 1,88648.08%2,02751.67%10.03%20.05%70.18%-141-3.59%3,923
Grundy 57658.72%26126.61%13413.66%101.02%00.00%31532.11%981
Hamblen 79544.34%99155.27%10.06%30.17%30.17%-196-10.93%1,793
Hamilton 4,56450.08%4,25046.64%2082.28%120.13%790.87%3143.45%9,113
Hancock 37020.95%1,39679.05%00.00%00.00%00.00%-1,026-58.10%1,766
Hardeman 1,56872.32%55325.51%140.65%331.52%00.00%1,01546.82%2,168
Hardin 72037.72%1,13259.30%90.47%422.20%60.31%-412-21.58%1,909
Hawkins 1,15240.49%1,69359.51%00.00%00.00%00.00%-541-19.02%2,845
Haywood 1,21584.91%18913.21%271.89%00.00%00.00%1,02671.70%1,431
Henderson 90043.48%1,14855.46%00.00%00.00%221.06%-248-11.98%2,070
Henry 2,36968.15%1,06930.75%180.52%100.29%100.29%1,30037.40%3,476
Hickman 1,28554.15%1,06544.88%180.76%40.17%10.04%2209.27%2,373
Houston 66568.00%28829.45%252.56%00.00%00.00%37738.55%978
Humphreys 1,30165.25%67934.05%140.70%00.00%00.00%62231.19%1,994
Jackson 1,40459.14%96640.69%20.08%20.08%00.00%43818.45%2,374
James 21726.27%60873.61%10.12%00.00%00.00%-391-47.34%826
Jefferson 66225.00%1,96274.09%00.00%40.15%200.76%-1,300-49.09%2,648
Johnson 2329.74%2,14890.21%00.00%00.00%10.04%-1,916-80.47%2,381
Knox 4,09039.77%5,81756.56%1591.55%390.38%1801.75%-1,727-16.79%10,285
Lake 46471.27%17827.34%91.38%00.00%00.00%28643.93%651
Lauderdale 1,31570.85%51927.96%221.19%00.00%00.00%79642.89%1,856
Lawrence 1,59147.78%1,72551.80%120.36%00.00%20.06%-134-4.02%3,330
Lewis 46556.64%35443.12%20.24%00.00%00.00%11113.52%821
Lincoln 2,31175.03%69222.47%40.13%642.08%90.29%1,61952.56%3,080
Loudon 44430.62%98668.00%50.34%50.34%100.69%-542-37.38%1,450
Macon 68429.67%1,59469.15%30.13%241.04%00.00%-910-39.48%2,305
Madison 2,40961.98%1,35734.91%451.16%751.93%10.03%1,05227.06%3,887
Marion 84243.18%1,07455.08%291.49%30.15%20.10%-232-11.90%1,950
Marshall 1,54474.77%44021.31%40.19%713.44%60.29%1,10453.46%2,065
Maury 2,32477.91%62020.78%110.37%220.74%60.20%1,70457.12%2,983
McMinn 92640.90%1,32058.30%00.00%130.57%50.22%-394-17.40%2,264
McNairy 1,05744.10%1,30054.23%00.00%371.54%30.13%-243-10.14%2,397
Meigs 46450.16%45749.41%00.00%40.43%00.00%70.76%925
Monroe 1,40643.38%1,82756.37%80.25%00.00%00.00%-421-12.99%3,241
Montgomery 2,96160.17%1,90338.67%170.35%280.57%120.24%1,05821.50%4,921
Moore 67786.35%10313.14%00.00%30.38%10.13%57473.21%784
Morgan 49628.54%1,23671.12%10.06%00.00%50.29%-740-42.58%1,738
Obion 2,25875.52%71123.78%100.33%00.00%110.37%1,54751.74%2,990
Overton 1,40156.63%1,00840.74%652.63%00.00%00.00%39315.89%2,474
Perry 75652.28%67846.89%120.83%00.00%00.00%785.39%1,446
Pickett 39143.06%51756.94%00.00%00.00%00.00%-126-13.88%908
Polk 74738.87%1,17561.13%00.00%00.00%00.00%-428-22.27%1,922
Putnam 1,63253.35%1,41946.39%50.16%00.00%30.10%2136.96%3,059
Rhea 88346.74%99552.67%40.21%20.11%50.26%-112-5.93%1,889
Roane 59526.23%1,52467.20%1134.98%180.79%180.79%-929-40.96%2,268
Robertson 2,41875.85%75523.68%60.19%70.22%20.06%1,66352.16%3,188
Rutherford 2,76469.27%1,22630.73%00.00%00.00%00.00%1,53838.55%3,990
Scott 1908.85%1,93289.99%251.16%00.00%00.00%-1,742-81.14%2,147
Sequatchie 39461.28%24938.72%00.00%00.00%00.00%14522.55%643
Sevier 2918.50%3,13091.44%20.06%00.00%00.00%-2,839-82.94%3,423
Shelby 7,41168.90%3,06928.53%2392.22%140.13%230.21%4,34240.37%10,756
Smith 1,63859.13%1,05638.12%00.00%692.49%70.25%58221.01%2,770
Stewart 1,47564.49%71531.26%974.24%00.00%00.00%76033.23%2,287
Sullivan 2,39356.16%1,83643.09%20.05%110.26%190.45%55713.07%4,261
Sumner 2,34376.97%67322.11%110.36%120.39%50.16%1,67054.86%3,044
Tipton 1,66260.99%1,04138.20%30.11%180.66%10.04%62122.79%2,725
Trousdale 47670.00%19829.12%00.00%60.88%00.00%27840.88%680
Unicoi 677.23%86092.77%00.00%00.00%00.00%-793-85.54%927
Union 49622.72%1,68477.14%30.14%00.00%00.00%-1,188-54.42%2,183
Van Buren 32964.64%17634.58%40.79%00.00%00.00%15330.06%509
Warren 1,57367.51%72931.29%190.82%20.09%70.30%84436.22%2,330
Washington 1,57441.04%2,25458.77%40.10%10.03%20.05%-680-17.73%3,835
Wayne 45124.21%1,41175.74%00.00%00.00%10.05%-960-51.53%1,863
Weakley 2,97661.42%1,81237.40%170.35%290.60%110.23%1,16424.02%4,845
White 1,57264.88%83534.46%160.66%00.00%00.00%73730.42%2,423
Williamson 1,92875.28%60523.62%50.20%230.90%00.00%1,32351.66%2,561
Wilson 2,21270.99%90228.95%00.00%20.06%00.00%1,31042.04%3,116
Totals135,60452.73%117,97745.87%1,8700.73%1,0920.42%6330.25%17,6276.85%257,176

See also

Notes

  1. In this county where Watson ran second ahead of Taft, margin given is Bryan vote minus Watson vote and percentage margin Bryan percentage minus Watson percentage.

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References

  1. Wright, John K.; ‘Voting Habits in the United States: A Note on Two Maps’; Geographical Review, vol. 22, no. 4 (October 1932), pp. 666-672
  2. Key (Jr.), Valdimer Orlando; Southern Politics in State and Nation (New York, 1949), pp. 282-283
  3. Lyons, William; Scheb (II), John M. and Stair Billy; Government and Politics in Tennessee, pp. 183-184 ISBN   1572331410
  4. Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 208, 210 ISBN   9780691163246
  5. Grantham, Dewey W.; ‘Tennessee and Twentieth-Century American Politics’; Tennessee Historical Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Fall 1995), pp. 210-229
  6. 1 2 Tindall, George B.; ‘Southern Strategy: A Historical Perspective’; North Carolina Historical Review; vol. 48, no. 2 (April 1971), pp. 126-141
  7. de Santis, Vincent P.; ‘Republican Efforts to “Crack” the Democratic South’; The Review of Politics, vol. 14, no. 2 (April 1952), pp. 244-264
  8. Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee
  9. "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1908". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)