1920 United States presidential election in Indiana

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1920 United States presidential election in Indiana
Flag of Indiana.svg
  1916 November 2, 1920 1924  
  Warren G Harding portrait as senator June 1920.jpg James M. Cox 1920 (cropped2).jpg
Nominee Warren G. Harding James M. Cox
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Ohio Ohio
Running mate Calvin Coolidge Franklin D. Roosevelt
Electoral vote150
Popular vote696,370511,364
Percentage55.1%40.5%

Indiana Presidential Election Results 1920.svg
County Results

President before election

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

Elected President

Warren G. Harding
Republican

A presidential election was held in Indiana on November 2, 1920, as part of the 1920 United States presidential election. The Republican ticket of the junior U.S. senator from Ohio Warren G. Harding and the governor of Massachusetts Calvin Coolidge defeated the Democratic ticket of the governor of Ohio James M. Cox and the assistant secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt. Harding defeated Cox in the national election with 404 electoral votes. [1]

Contents

Background

Partisan coalitions in Indiana at the turn of the century reflected the regional, ethnic, and religious roots of the settler population, with the descendants of White Southerners, German Americans, and Irish Americans (especially Catholics) voting reliably Democratic, while Yankees, Nordic and Scandinavian Americans, and British Americans favored the Republican Party. Southern Indiana leaned Democratic and Northern Indiana leaned Republican, in line with the loose correlation between ethnicity and geography. The state's notable concentration of German Catholics contributed to its closeness in presidential elections during the Third Party System relative to other Lower North states. William Jennings Bryan's 1896 presidential campaign saw the state move more securely into the Republican column, as German Catholics alienated by Bryan's outspoken Evangelicalism, conservatives unnerved by the candidate's agrarian radicalism, and urban workers frightened by threats of mass layoffs in the event of a Bryan victory voted Republican for the first time. Following this political realignment, Woodrow Wilson became the only Democrat to carry Indiana during the Fourth Party System (1896–1932) in 1912. Republican support remained greater in urban areas than in rural areas based on the strength of Republican urban political machines. [2]

Primary elections

Republican Party

Indiana Republican primary, May 4, 1920 [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Leonard Wood 85,708 37.93
Republican Hiram Johnson 79,84035.33
Republican Frank O. Lowden 39,62717.54
Republican Warren G. Harding 20,7829.20
Total votes225,957 100.00

Democratic Party

No candidates filed to run in the Indiana Democratic primary, and consequently no primary election was held. [4]

General election

Results

Indiana chose 15 electors on a statewide general ticket. Prevailing election laws required voters to elect each member of the Electoral College individually, rather than as a group. [5] This sometimes resulted in small differences in the number of votes cast for electors pledged to the same presidential candidate, if some voters did not vote for all the electors nominated by a party. [6] The following table quotes the official returns published by the secretary of state of Indiana, which list the votes for the first elector on each ticket. [7]

1920 United States presidential election in Indiana [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Warren G. Harding
Calvin Coolidge
696,370 55.14 Increase2.svg 7.71
Democratic James M. Cox
Franklin D. Roosevelt
511,36440.49Decrease2.svg 6.00
Socialist Eugene V. Debs
Seymour Stedman
24,7031.96Decrease2.svg 1.08
Farmer–Labor Parley P. Christensen
Max S. Hayes
16,4991.31Increase2.svg 1.31
Prohibition Aaron S. Watkins
D. Leigh Colvin
13,4621.07Decrease2.svg 1.21
Single Tax Robert C. MacAuley
Richard C. Barnum
5660.04Increase2.svg 0.04
Total votes1,262,964 100.00

Results by county

1920 United States presidential election in Indiana by county [7]
CountyWarren G. Harding
Republican
James M. Cox
Democratic
Eugene V. Debs
Socialist
Parley P. Christensen
Farmer–Labor
Aaron S. Watkins
Prohibition
Robert C. Macauley
Single Tax
MarginTotal
Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
Adams 4,14451.81%3,65345.67%210.26%480.60%1311.64%10.01%4916.14%7,998
Allen 24,20857.40%13,80432.73%4971.18%3,3447.93%2680.64%560.13%10,40424.67%42,177
Bartholomew 6,58553.93%5,42044.39%850.70%40.03%1130.93%30.02%1,1659.54%12,210
Benton 3,90064.13%2,09834.50%130.21%110.18%590.97%00.00%1,80229.63%6,081
Blackford 3,14551.79%2,55542.07%2243.69%150.25%1292.12%50.08%5909.72%6,073
Boone 6,65050.93%6,17847.31%640.49%10.01%1631.25%20.02%4723.61%13,058
Brown 78836.75%1,31661.38%160.75%00.00%241.12%00.00%-528-24.63%2,144
Carroll 5,00653.92%4,18645.09%300.32%40.04%580.62%00.00%8208.83%9,284
Cass 9,54552.12%8,19444.74%1901.04%1610.88%2211.21%30.02%1,3517.38%18,314
Clark 6,46648.41%6,72950.38%720.54%540.40%360.27%00.00%-263-1.97%13,357
Clay 6,12948.20%5,61244.13%3933.09%4563.59%1110.87%150.12%5174.07%12,716
Clinton 7,73952.59%6,72145.67%930.63%60.04%1561.06%20.01%1,0186.92%14,717
Crawford 2,29049.05%2,21347.40%942.01%20.04%701.50%00.00%771.65%4,669
Daviess 6,74853.42%5,58744.23%2011.59%360.28%590.47%20.02%1,1619.19%12,633
Dearborn 5,15950.66%4,88447.96%660.65%110.11%630.62%00.00%2752.70%10,183
Decatur 5,51657.66%3,89640.73%480.50%00.00%1061.11%00.00%1,62016.93%9,566
DeKalb 6,51456.35%4,75041.09%1010.87%330.29%1621.40%00.00%1,76415.26%11,560
Delaware 14,84561.78%8,32934.66%4802.00%400.17%3271.36%90.04%6,51627.12%24,030
Dubois 3,73846.18%4,23852.35%800.99%100.12%290.36%00.00%-500-6.18%8,095
Elkhart 12,29760.10%5,77028.20%9094.44%9294.54%5162.52%400.20%6,52731.90%20,461
Fayette 4,74254.27%3,76843.12%480.55%1081.24%700.80%20.02%97411.15%8,738
Floyd 7,66949.65%7,39147.85%1561.01%1120.73%1170.76%20.01%2781.80%15,447
Fountain 5,21854.09%4,08842.38%2672.77%80.08%640.66%20.02%1,13011.71%9,647
Franklin 3,13745.51%3,67153.26%100.15%160.23%580.84%10.01%-534-7.75%6,893
Fulton 4,61853.99%3,60242.11%2292.68%110.13%921.08%20.02%1,01611.88%8,554
Gibson 7,49851.32%6,38443.70%2251.54%2531.73%2411.65%90.06%1,1147.62%14,610
Grant 12,34955.12%7,90035.26%1,3215.90%170.08%8003.57%180.08%4,44919.86%22,405
Greene 7,48648.65%6,33541.17%1,2097.86%2391.55%1190.77%00.00%1,1517.48%15,388
Hamilton 7,89763.04%4,28034.17%390.31%280.22%2822.25%10.01%3,61728.87%12,527
Hancock 4,42246.16%4,95851.76%530.55%40.04%1411.47%10.01%-536-5.60%9,579
Harrison 4,27151.45%3,89846.96%520.63%80.10%720.87%00.00%3734.49%8,301
Hendricks 6,29359.20%4,19239.44%450.42%40.04%950.89%10.01%2,10119.76%10,630
Henry 8,74257.03%5,82438.00%3352.19%130.08%4122.69%20.01%2,91819.04%15,328
Howard 10,37958.54%5,76732.53%1,1326.38%1040.59%3321.87%160.09%4,61226.01%17,730
Huntington 8,10053.67%6,50643.11%1360.90%730.48%2751.82%30.02%1,59410.56%15,093
Jackson 5,06948.04%5,31950.41%550.52%30.03%1051.00%10.01%-250-2.37%10,552
Jasper 3,94266.87%1,87231.76%140.24%110.19%560.95%00.00%2,07035.11%5,895
Jay 6,08953.35%4,75941.69%800.70%1191.04%3673.22%00.00%1,33011.65%11,414
Jefferson 5,73258.02%4,00040.49%450.46%100.10%930.94%00.00%1,73217.53%9,880
Jennings 3,40455.65%2,60342.55%300.49%90.15%701.14%10.02%80113.09%6,117
Johnson 4,86345.36%5,45250.85%3243.02%40.04%770.72%20.02%-589-5.49%10,722
Knox 10,01151.39%8,05241.34%9194.72%3111.60%1760.90%100.05%1,95910.06%19,479
Kosciusko 8,32661.66%4,83635.81%1140.84%210.16%2071.53%00.00%3,49025.84%13,504
LaGrange 3,85268.02%1,68729.79%210.37%170.30%861.52%00.00%2,16538.23%5,663
Lake 26,29669.15%7,13618.77%1,4493.81%2,8157.40%2920.77%400.11%19,16050.38%38,028
LaPorte 11,20465.00%5,45931.67%3401.97%1050.61%1290.75%10.01%5,74533.33%17,238
Lawrence 6,80858.15%4,70940.22%1461.25%10.01%440.38%00.00%2,09917.93%11,708
Madison 15,70449.76%13,32542.22%1,8335.81%170.05%6722.13%110.03%2,3797.54%31,562
Marion 79,95754.93%61,46042.22%3,2622.24%2620.18%5820.40%480.03%18,49712.71%145,571
Marshall 5,70853.64%4,63143.52%750.70%230.22%2041.92%10.01%1,07710.12%10,642
Martin 2,74752.27%2,44346.49%460.88%40.08%150.29%00.00%3045.78%5,255
Miami 7,33651.94%6,25944.31%3102.19%130.09%2061.46%00.00%1,0777.63%14,124
Monroe 5,63353.65%4,75145.25%510.49%60.06%590.56%00.00%8828.40%10,500
Montgomery 8,79254.49%7,15944.37%1060.66%60.04%710.44%10.01%1,63310.12%16,135
Morgan 5,63455.95%4,25442.25%680.68%20.02%1111.10%00.00%1,38013.71%10,069
Newton 3,12964.37%1,66434.23%300.62%70.14%310.64%00.00%1,46530.14%4,861
Noble 6,82060.82%4,14836.99%730.65%480.43%1231.10%10.01%2,67223.83%11,213
Ohio 1,17750.91%1,09747.45%10.04%00.00%371.60%00.00%803.46%2,312
Orange 4,72658.86%3,22240.13%600.75%60.07%150.19%00.00%1,50418.73%8,029
Owen 2,99749.18%2,94848.38%1001.64%140.23%350.57%00.00%490.80%6,094
Parke 4,98956.13%3,54339.86%1481.67%1081.22%931.05%70.08%1,44616.27%8,888
Perry 3,86451.76%3,56047.69%250.33%70.09%90.12%00.00%3044.07%7,465
Pike 4,06951.75%3,06739.01%2563.26%4055.15%310.39%350.45%1,00212.74%7,863
Porter 5,57072.68%1,67121.80%1261.64%2333.04%620.81%20.03%3,89950.87%7,664
Posey 4,80249.72%4,69548.61%450.47%170.18%981.01%10.01%1071.11%9,658
Pulaski 2,74053.88%2,22843.82%761.49%50.10%360.71%00.00%51210.07%5,085
Putnam 5,14047.83%5,41750.41%1081.01%40.04%770.72%00.00%-277-2.58%10,746
Randolph 8,77365.28%4,19831.24%850.63%100.07%3702.75%30.02%4,57534.04%13,439
Ripley 5,37256.83%3,97642.07%480.51%110.12%450.48%00.00%1,39614.77%9,452
Rush 6,11356.59%4,51341.78%350.32%00.00%1421.31%00.00%1,60014.81%10,803
Scott 1,70947.51%1,84851.38%90.25%60.17%250.70%00.00%-139-3.86%3,597
Shelby 6,33647.15%6,84550.94%550.41%100.07%1911.42%00.00%-509-3.79%13,437
Spencer 5,27057.03%3,85541.72%390.42%150.16%570.62%40.04%1,41515.31%9,240
St. Joseph 17,67556.46%12,35539.47%7982.55%1610.51%3100.99%60.02%5,32016.99%31,305
Starke 2,68362.92%1,46734.40%521.22%250.59%360.84%10.02%1,21628.52%4,264
Steuben 4,96372.47%1,67624.47%280.41%100.15%1712.50%00.00%3,28748.00%6,848
Sullivan 5,37641.38%6,16047.42%3652.81%8676.67%1641.26%590.45%-784-6.03%12,991
Switzerland 2,52550.12%2,41247.88%270.54%30.06%711.41%00.00%1132.24%5,038
Tippecanoe 12,73061.68%7,56236.64%1020.49%900.44%1520.74%30.01%5,16825.04%20,639
Tipton 4,35751.43%3,95646.69%460.54%90.11%1041.23%00.00%4014.73%8,472
Union 1,98458.30%1,37540.41%100.29%20.06%320.94%00.00%60917.90%3,403
Vanderburgh 19,35752.39%13,90437.63%6661.80%2,7827.53%1770.48%600.16%5,45314.76%36,946
Vermillion 4,91652.08%3,21834.09%5876.22%5806.14%1111.18%270.29%1,69817.99%9,439
Vigo 18,66850.30%15,73942.41%1,4984.04%9352.52%2410.65%330.09%2,9297.89%37,114
Wabash 8,01860.33%4,82736.32%1661.25%240.18%2501.88%50.04%3,19124.01%13,290
Warren 3,33770.89%1,31127.85%210.45%60.13%320.68%00.00%2,02643.04%4,707
Warrick 4,67551.75%3,91543.34%1992.20%1471.63%921.02%50.06%7608.41%9,033
Washington 3,70846.86%4,15752.53%160.20%10.01%310.39%00.00%-449-5.67%7,913
Wayne 12,63159.52%8,01537.77%3301.56%00.00%2451.15%00.00%4,61621.75%21,221
Wells 4,43047.61%4,65350.01%2152.31%70.08%00.00%00.00%-223-2.40%9,305
White 4,87158.57%3,37540.58%120.14%80.10%510.61%00.00%1,49617.99%8,317
Whitley 4,53052.50%3,92945.53%340.39%140.16%1221.41%00.00%6016.96%8,629
TOTAL696,37055.14%511,36440.49%24,7031.96%16,4991.31%13,4621.07%5660.04%185,00614.65%1,262,964

See also

References

  1. Petersen 1963, p. 83.
  2. Phillips 1969, pp. 332–36, 310, 337.
  3. Congressional Quarterly 1985, p. 392.
  4. Congressional Quarterly 1985, p. 393n5.
  5. Spencer & Tennant 1920, p. 59.
  6. Petersen 1963, pp. vii.
  7. 1 2 3 Indiana 1921, p. 61–62.

Bibliography