1908 United States presidential election in Michigan

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1908 United States presidential election in Michigan
Flag of Michigan (1865-1911, obverse).svg
  1904 November 3, 1908 1912  

All 14 Michigan votes to the Electoral College
  William Howard Taft, Bain bw photo portrait, 1908.jpg Unsuccessful 1908.jpg
Nominee William Howard Taft William Jennings Bryan
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Ohio Nebraska
Running mate James S. Sherman John W. Kern
Electoral vote140
Popular vote335,580175,771
Percentage61.93%32.44%

Michigan Presidential Election Results 1908.svg
County Results
Taft
  50–60%
  60–70%
  70–80%
  80–90%
  90–100%

The 1908 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 3, 1908, as part of the 1908 United States presidential election. Voters chose 14 [1] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Contents

Following the Panic of 1893 and the Populist movement, Michigan would turn from a competitive Republican-leaning state into a rigidly one-party polity dominated by the Republican Party. [2] The dominance of the culture of the Lower Peninsula by anti-slavery Yankees [3] would be augmented by the turn of formerly Democratic-leaning German Catholics away from that party as a result of the remodelled party's agrarian and free silver sympathies, which became rigidly opposed by both the upper class and workers who followed them. [4] The state Democratic Party was further crippled via the Populist movement severing its critical financial ties with business and commerce in Michigan as in other Northern states. [5] A brief turn of the strongly evangelical Cabinet Counties toward the Populist movement in the 1896 presidential election would reverse itself following the return to prosperity under President William McKinley, so that these joined in Republican hegemony until the Great Depression. McKinley would also later beat Bryan in the state again four years later.

In the 1894 elections, the Democratic Party lost all but one seat in the Michigan legislature, [6] and the party would only make minor gains there for the next third of a century. Unlike the other states of the Upper Midwest, the Yankee influence on the culture of the Lower Peninsula was so strong that left-wing third parties did not provide significant opposition to the Republicans, nor was there more than a moderate degree of coordinated factionalism within the hegemonic Michigan Republican Party. [7]

With Michigan's solid one-party GOP status not threatened, neither William Howard Taft nor Bryan campaigned in the state, and the only straw vote suggested that Republican nominee Taft from Ohio would carry the state over third-time Democratic candidate Nebraskan William Jennings Bryan by between fifty and one hundred thousand votes [8] — still a halving of the huge margin Theodore Roosevelt had gained over Alton B. Parker four years previously. However, the Santa Ana Register estimate proved extremely conservative, for the Republican ticket received nearly 62 percent of the vote, while the Democrats received only 32 percent. [9]

With 61.93 percent of the popular vote, Michigan would be Taft's third strongest victory in terms of popular vote percentage after Vermont and Maine. [10] This was the second time, after the previous election, that any party carried every county in the state.

Results

1908 United States presidential election in Michigan
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican William Howard Taft 335,580 61.93%
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 175,77132.44%
Prohibition Eugene W. Chafin 16,9743.13%
Socialist Eugene V. Debs 11,5862.14%
Socialist Labor August Gillhaus 1,0960.20%
Independence Thomas L. Hisgen 7600.14%
United Christian Daniel Turney630.01%
Total votes541,830 100%

Results by county

1908 United States presidential election in Michigan by county
CountyWilliam Howard Taft [11]
Republican
William Jennings Bryan [11]
Democratic
Eugene Wilder Chafin [11]
Prohibition
Eugene Victor Debs [11]
Socialist
Various candidates [11]
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %# %
Alcona 82476.37%17516.22%242.22%545.00%20.19%64960.15%1,079
Alger 99775.59%23117.51%221.67%604.55%90.68%76658.07%1,319
Allegan 5,42267.32%2,18627.14%2853.54%1351.68%260.32%3,23640.18%8,054
Alpena 2,35868.07%94927.40%330.95%1163.35%80.23%1,40940.68%3,464
Antrim 2,02073.21%57420.80%993.59%592.14%70.25%1,44652.41%2,759
Arenac 1,08156.19%71437.11%593.07%673.48%30.16%36719.07%1,924
Baraga 76573.98%23222.44%191.84%141.35%40.39%53351.55%1,034
Barry 3,24757.46%2,12637.62%2444.32%210.37%130.23%1,12119.84%5,651
Bay 6,76058.22%4,22336.37%1801.55%4033.47%450.39%2,53721.85%11,611
Benzie 1,43762.97%55124.15%2058.98%773.37%120.53%88638.83%2,282
Berrien 7,26058.07%4,59836.78%2742.19%2762.21%950.76%2,66221.29%12,503
Branch 3,71557.48%2,40237.17%1872.89%1312.03%280.43%1,31320.32%6,463
Calhoun 6,84855.99%4,24034.67%4733.87%5304.33%1401.14%2,60821.32%12,231
Cass 3,08252.72%2,46642.18%1492.55%1282.19%210.36%61610.54%5,846
Charlevoix 2,53068.92%80121.82%1474.00%1764.79%170.46%1,72947.10%3,671
Cheboygan 2,05358.94%1,20534.60%1263.62%832.38%160.46%84824.35%3,483
Chippewa 2,41864.19%1,17531.19%1293.42%370.98%80.21%1,24333.00%3,767
Clare 1,34568.14%56728.72%361.82%221.11%40.20%77839.41%1,974
Clinton 3,49059.63%2,18837.38%1462.49%230.39%60.10%1,30222.25%5,853
Crawford 59067.82%23727.24%121.38%283.22%30.34%35340.57%870
Delta 3,24371.70%1,09724.25%811.79%801.77%220.49%2,14647.45%4,523
Dickinson 2,50776.18%54416.53%1765.35%441.34%200.61%1,96359.65%3,291
Eaton 4,36455.92%3,13140.12%2042.61%891.14%160.21%1,23315.80%7,804
Emmet 2,31362.08%1,01227.16%2045.48%1844.94%130.35%1,30134.92%3,726
Genesee 7,21164.31%3,23428.84%4373.90%3032.70%280.25%3,97735.47%11,213
Gladwin 1,16871.35%38623.58%472.87%311.89%50.31%78247.77%1,637
Gogebic 2,25672.96%61419.86%1474.75%601.94%150.49%1,64253.10%3,092
Grand Traverse 2,81165.88%1,28930.21%1333.12%270.63%70.16%1,52235.67%4,267
Gratiot 4,15861.65%2,37235.17%1762.61%320.47%60.09%1,78626.48%6,744
Hillsdale 4,46360.98%2,51634.38%2793.81%440.60%170.23%1,94726.60%7,319
Houghton 9,35273.04%2,42418.93%6294.91%3712.90%280.22%6,92854.11%12,804
Huron 3,56567.66%1,47728.03%1613.06%571.08%90.17%2,08839.63%5,269
Ingham 6,72353.69%5,01640.06%5824.65%1571.25%430.34%1,70713.63%12,521
Ionia 4,58454.77%3,23238.61%4505.38%921.10%120.14%1,35216.15%8,370
Iosco 1,22463.03%66834.40%402.06%90.46%10.05%55628.63%1,942
Iron 2,05585.63%26010.83%401.67%220.92%230.96%1,79574.79%2,400
Isabella 3,17163.18%1,65833.03%1322.63%531.06%50.10%1,51330.15%5,019
Jackson 6,77054.12%5,22641.77%3312.65%1611.29%220.18%1,54412.34%12,510
Kalamazoo 6,51154.63%4,47737.57%4483.76%4253.57%570.48%2,03417.07%11,918
Kalkaska 1,15369.33%35621.41%1056.31%462.77%30.18%79747.93%1,663
Kent 16,57655.44%11,44538.28%8482.84%9493.17%830.28%5,13117.16%29,901
Keweenaw 1,02690.56%635.56%161.41%252.21%30.26%96385.00%1,133
Lake 67368.88%25325.90%141.43%313.17%60.61%42042.99%977
Lapeer 3,42663.49%1,64430.47%2885.34%340.63%40.07%1,78233.02%5,396
Leelanau 1,25866.35%56629.85%462.43%231.21%30.16%69236.50%1,896
Lenawee 6,60756.22%4,70440.03%3983.39%280.24%150.13%1,90316.19%11,752
Livingston 2,74050.82%2,41844.84%2184.04%100.19%60.11%3225.97%5,392
Luce 35470.66%10821.56%316.19%40.80%40.80%24649.10%501
Mackinac 1,15658.89%76939.17%221.12%100.51%60.31%38719.71%1,963
Macomb 4,47256.78%3,13839.84%2242.84%340.43%80.10%1,33416.94%7,876
Manistee 2,70656.79%1,79937.75%1092.29%1392.92%120.25%90719.03%4,765
Marquette 5,61374.78%1,27516.99%2593.45%3324.42%270.36%4,33857.79%7,506
Mason 2,57765.71%1,13228.86%1493.80%521.33%120.31%1,44536.84%3,922
Mecosta 2,72365.84%1,17928.51%1493.60%801.93%50.12%1,54437.33%4,136
Menominee 2,84365.00%1,29929.70%1252.86%791.81%280.64%1,54435.30%4,374
Midland 1,98766.97%87529.49%531.79%431.45%90.30%1,11237.48%2,967
Missaukee 1,57074.98%44521.25%502.39%190.91%100.48%1,12553.72%2,094
Monroe 4,20653.07%3,45143.54%2122.67%500.63%70.09%7559.53%7,926
Montcalm 4,55869.05%1,71525.98%1972.98%1161.76%150.23%2,84343.07%6,601
Montmorency 58075.23%17923.22%30.39%81.04%10.13%40152.01%771
Muskegon 5,07069.25%1,79424.50%1492.04%2733.73%350.48%3,27644.75%7,321
Newaygo 2,67769.37%95624.77%1473.81%691.79%100.26%1,72144.60%3,859
Oakland 6,26758.18%3,95036.67%4223.92%1070.99%250.23%2,31721.51%10,771
Oceana 2,44568.51%79922.39%2517.03%571.60%170.48%1,64646.12%3,569
Ogemaw 1,21868.47%45425.52%784.38%251.41%40.22%76442.95%1,779
Ontonagon 1,24971.37%42524.29%181.03%472.69%110.63%82447.09%1,750
Osceola 2,71874.38%76720.99%1433.91%50.14%210.57%1,95153.39%3,654
Oscoda 33172.75%11224.62%91.98%30.66%00.00%21948.13%455
Otsego 86472.48%27623.15%342.85%151.26%30.25%58849.33%1,192
Ottawa 5,64266.25%2,42928.52%2472.90%1641.93%340.40%3,21337.73%8,516
Presque Isle 1,70681.39%30114.36%180.86%572.72%140.67%1,40567.03%2,096
Roscommon 42769.43%14723.90%182.93%182.93%50.81%28045.53%615
Saginaw 9,44754.41%7,01940.42%2441.41%5583.21%960.55%2,42813.98%17,364
Sanilac 4,17368.96%1,47424.36%3565.88%430.71%50.08%2,69944.60%6,051
Schoolcraft 1,36079.44%28916.88%412.39%160.93%60.35%1,07162.56%1,712
Shiawassee 4,19957.96%2,33932.28%5247.23%1712.36%120.17%1,86025.67%7,245
St. Clair 7,28762.23%3,75632.08%3272.79%2952.52%440.38%3,53130.16%11,709
St. Joseph 3,46652.93%2,77042.30%1722.63%1081.65%320.49%69610.63%6,548
Tuscola 4,43068.84%1,56324.29%3886.03%460.71%80.12%2,86744.55%6,435
Van Buren 4,53162.80%2,31332.06%1932.67%1291.79%490.68%2,21830.74%7,215
Washtenaw 5,84554.58%4,44141.47%3052.85%880.82%300.28%1,40413.11%10,709
Wayne 49,58063.69%24,12831.00%1,4011.80%2,4003.08%3310.43%25,45232.70%77,840
Wexford 2,88671.95%83120.72%2385.93%401.00%160.40%2,05551.23%4,011
Totals333,31361.94%174,61932.45%16,7853.12%11,5272.14%1,8910.35%158,69429.49%538,135

See also

References

  1. "1908 Election for the Thirty-First Term (1909-1913)" . Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  2. Burnham, Walter Dean (December 23, 1981). "The System of 1896: An Analysis". The Evolution of American Electoral Systems. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 178–179. ISBN   0313213798.
  3. English, Gustavus P.; Proceedings of the Ninth Republican National Convention (1888), p. 234
  4. Sundquist, James (December 2010). Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years. Brookings Institution Press. p. 526. ISBN   978-0815719090.
  5. Rogowski, Ronald (2020). Commerce and Coalitions: How Trade Affects Domestic Political Alignments. Princeton University Press. ISBN   978-0691219431.
  6. "Swamped! The Democrats Drowned Out by a Tremendous Republican Tidal Wave". The L'Anse Sentinel. L'Anse. November 10, 1894. p. 1.
  7. Hansen, John Mark; Shigeo, Hirano; Snyder Jr, James M. (February 27, 2017). "Parties within Parties: Parties, Factions, and Coordinated Politics, 1900-1980". In Gerber, Alan S.; Schickler, Eric (eds.). Governing in a Polarized Age: Elections, Parties, and Political Representation in America. Cambridge University Press. pp. 165–168. ISBN   978-1-107-09509-0.
  8. "Taft Will Get Michigan". Santa Ana Register . Santa Ana, California. October 22, 1908. p. 1.
  9. "1908 Presidential General Election Results — Michigan" . Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  10. "1908 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1908". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)