1908 United States presidential election in Washington (state)

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1908 United States presidential election in Washington (state)
Flag of Washington (1923-1967).png
  1904 November 3, 1908 1912  
  William Howard Taft, Bain bw photo portrait, 1908.jpg Unsuccessful 1908.jpg EugeneVDebs.png
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 vote500
Popular vote106,06258,69114,177
Percentage57.68%31.92%7.71%

Washington Presidential Election Results 1908.svg
County results
Taft
  40–50%
  50–60%
  60–70%
  70–80%

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

Contents

Washington had been established earlier in the 1900s as a one-party Republican bastion, which it would remain at a Presidential level apart from the 1910s GOP split until Franklin D. Roosevelt rose to power in 1932, and more or less continuously at state level during this era. [1] Democratic representation in the Washington legislature would during this period at times be countable on one hand. [2] Republican primaries would take over as the chief mode of political competition when introduced later in the decade. [3]

Roosevelt's great popularity in the state ensured his handpicked successor William Howard Taft would win Washington by a margin of 25.76% and without much difficulty, although because Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan retained some popularity from previous campaigns in this radical state, Taft could not equal Roosevelt's huge win from four years earlier. Bryan had previously won the state against William McKinley in 1896 but would later lose the state to McKinley in 1900.

Results

General Election Results [4]
PartyPledged toElectorVotes
Republican Party William Howard TaftJohn R. O'Donnell106,062
Republican Party William Howard TaftWilliam Pitt Trimble105,731
Republican Party William Howard TaftJ. M. Fish105,709
Republican Party William Howard TaftFrank M. Dallam105,580
Republican Party William Howard TaftCharles E. Curlee105,519
Democratic Party William Jennings BryanW. J. Byham58,691
Democratic Party William Jennings BryanN. K. Mead58,437
Democratic Party William Jennings BryanJ. M. McKeirnan58,383
Democratic Party William Jennings BryanWilmon Tucker58,293
Democratic Party William Jennings BryanFrank M. Lamborn58,206
Socialist Party Eugene V. DebsJ. W. Morris14,177
Socialist Party Eugene V. DebsJ. G. Elliott14,151
Socialist Party Eugene V. DebsJ. E. Janes14,117
Socialist Party Eugene V. DebsW. H. Harris14,114
Socialist Party Eugene V. DebsC. L. Whiting14,104
Prohibition Party Eugene W. ChafinT. E. Webb4,700
Prohibition Party Eugene W. ChafinJ. W. Lockhart4,689
Prohibition Party Eugene W. ChafinH. C. Byron4,687
Prohibition Party Eugene W. ChafinW. B. Eakin4,675
Prohibition Party Eugene W. ChafinC. C. Gridley4,664
Independence Party Thomas L. HisgenHomer O. Campbell249
Independence Party Thomas L. HisgenGeorge W. McCauley249
Independence Party Thomas L. HisgenThomas G. Albin248
Independence Party Thomas L. HisgenJoseph C. Sharp244
Independence Party Thomas L. HisgenW. L. Woodring243
Votes cast [a] 183,879

Results by county

County William Howard Taft
Republican
William Jennings Bryan
Democratic
Eugene V. Debs
Socialist
Eugene W. Chafin
Prohibition
Thomas L. Hisgen
Independence
MarginTotal votes cast [b]
#%#%#%#%#%#%
Adams 1,03355.81%71438.57%583.13%452.43%10.05%31917.23%1,851
Asotin 64859.61%36533.58%363.31%383.50%00.00%28326.03%1,087
Benton 89157.74%46530.14%1519.79%342.20%20.13%42627.61%1,543
Chehalis 3,12860.35%1,24824.08%71213.74%861.66%90.17%1,88036.27%5,183
Chelan 1,63959.71%87131.73%1605.83%662.40%90.33%76827.98%2,745
Clallam 93859.59%42827.19%18711.88%110.70%100.64%51032.40%1,574
Clark 2,41658.83%1,25030.44%3358.16%1042.53%20.05%1,16628.39%4,107
Columbia 88757.41%58537.86%251.62%483.11%00.00%30219.55%1,545
Cowlitz 1,57365.65%61725.75%1727.18%281.17%60.25%95639.90%2,396
Douglas 1,94252.20%1,54041.40%1915.13%431.16%40.11%40210.81%3,720
Ferry 46747.17%39339.70%11511.62%111.11%40.40%747.47%990
Franklin 64352.97%48539.95%564.61%272.22%30.25%15813.01%1,214
Garfield 55658.53%33335.05%404.21%131.37%80.84%22323.47%950
Island 45058.21%19224.84%9912.81%283.62%40.52%25833.38%773
Jefferson 85963.16%41730.66%664.85%110.81%70.51%44232.50%1,360
King 22,29755.75%14,64436.62%2,1735.43%8362.09%430.11%7,65319.14%39,993
Kitsap 1,81956.12%85026.23%49415.24%742.28%40.12%96929.90%3,241
Kittitas 1,75256.23%98531.61%31410.08%642.05%10.03%76724.61%3,116
Klickitat 1,24561.12%57027.98%1738.49%462.26%30.15%67533.14%2,037
Lewis 3,17060.45%1,41226.93%52810.07%1202.29%140.27%1,75833.52%5,244
Lincoln 2,02555.19%1,44339.33%1243.38%731.99%40.11%58215.86%3,669
Mason 55356.60%31832.55%808.19%222.25%40.41%23524.05%977
Okanogan 1,36849.23%1,07438.65%30711.05%220.79%80.29%29410.58%2,779
Pacific 1,49269.30%48322.43%1537.11%210.98%40.19%1,00946.86%2,153
Pierce 10,93560.84%4,93627.46%1,6269.05%4632.58%140.08%5,99933.38%17,974
San Juan 58165.95%17820.20%11112.60%101.14%10.11%40345.74%881
Skagit 2,92456.42%1,44927.96%69013.31%1132.18%70.14%1,47528.46%5,183
Skamania 31060.08%14327.71%5410.47%71.36%20.39%16732.36%516
Snohomish 5,65955.64%2,97429.24%9589.42%5675.57%130.13%2,68526.40%10,171
Spokane 11,71958.68%6,55732.83%1,1845.93%4962.48%140.07%5,16225.85%19,970
Stevens 2,54652.13%1,56432.02%64613.23%1202.46%80.16%98220.11%4,884
Thurston 1,94057.28%96428.46%36710.84%1103.25%60.18%97628.82%3,387
Wahkiakum 48570.80%15021.90%466.72%30.44%10.15%33548.91%685
Walla Walla 2,84360.73%1,66035.46%1022.18%711.52%50.11%1,18325.27%4,681
Whatcom 4,95557.48%2,39827.82%96311.17%2963.43%90.10%2,55729.66%8,621
Whitman 3,37652.60%2,38637.18%3375.25%3154.91%40.06%99015.43%6,418
Yakima 3,99863.86%1,65026.35%3445.49%2584.12%110.18%2,34837.50%6,261
Totals106,06257.68%58,69131.92%14,1777.71%4,7002.56%2490.14%43,37125.76%183,879

See also

Notes

  1. Based on totals for highest elector on each ticket
  2. Based on highest elector on each ticket

References

  1. Burnham, Walter Dean; ‘The System of 1896’, in Kleppner, Paul (editor), The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 176-179 ISBN   0313213798
  2. Schattschneider, Elmer Eric; The Semisovereign People: A Realist's View of Democracy in America, pp. 76-84 ISBN   0030133661
  3. Murray, Keith; ‘Issues and Personalities of Pacific Northwest Politics, 1889-1950’, The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 3 (July 1950), pp. 213-233
  4. Washington Secretary of State. "Presidential Electors". Abstract of Votes Polled in the State of Washington at the General Election held November 3, 1908. Olympia, Washington. pp. 19–21.