1920 United States presidential election in Kentucky

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1920 United States presidential election in Kentucky
Flag of Kentucky (1918-1963).svg
  1916 November 2, 1920 1924  
  James M. Cox 1920.jpg Warren G Harding-Harris & Ewing crop.jpg
Nominee James M. Cox Warren G. Harding
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Ohio Ohio
Running mate Franklin D. Roosevelt Calvin Coolidge
Electoral vote130
Popular vote456,497452,480
Percentage49.69%49.25%

Kentucky Presidential Election Results 1920.svg
County Results

President before election

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

Elected President

Warren G. Harding
Republican

The 1920 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 2, 1920, as part of the 1920 United States presidential election. Voters chose thirteen representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Contents

Ever since the Civil War, Kentucky had been shaped politically by divisions created by that war between secessionist, Democratic counties and Unionist, Republican ones, [1] although the state as a whole leaned Democratic throughout this era and the GOP had carried the state only once [2] – by a very narrow margin in 1896 [3] when northern parts of the state were affected by hostility towards William Jennings Bryan, and state native John M. Palmer drew votes from the Democrats. [4]

In 1919, however, Kentucky saw a significant change as the Republicans won not merely the governorship via Edwin P. Morrow but also control of the state legislature. [5] However, there was a thought at the time that the triumph was partly a reflection of Morrow's own personal popularity. [6]

The state legislature would ratify the Nineteenth Amendment on January 6, 1920, by more than three-to-one in both houses, [7] and Kentucky would – alongside North Carolina which was abolishing its poll tax – observe the largest mobilization of new voters in the entire Union, [8] and possibly the largest mobilization of female voters anywhere. [9]

Despite the extreme hostility to outgoing President Wilson, Democratic nominee and Ohio Governor James M. Cox – who originated in Butler County, Ohio just across the state line – was supported powerfully by Fayette County political boss Billy Kair, and alongside the mobilization of female voters noted above, this caused Kentucky to lead the nation in turnout. [10] With this high turnout and Kair's powerful support of Governor Cox, the Democrats were able to carry Kentucky by 0.44 percent or 4,017 votes, in spite of Cox losing Tennessee and all the other Border States to Ohio Senator and Republican nominee Warren G. Harding, [10] who nationally won the largest popular-vote margin on record. Alongside North Carolina, Kentucky was the state which most resisted the Republican landslide, with Cox falling by only 3 percent from Woodrow Wilson’s 1916 vote share. [11]

Results

Presidential Candidate Running Mate PartyElectoral Vote (EV)Popular Vote (PV)
James M. Cox of Ohio Franklin D. Roosevelt Democratic 13 [12] 456,49749.69%
Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge Republican 0452,48049.26%
Eugene V. Debs Seymour Stedman Socialist 06,4090.70%
Aaron S. Watkins D. Leigh Colvin Prohibition 03,2500.35%

Results by county

1920 United States presidential election in Kentucky by county [13]
CountyJames Middleton Cox
Democratic
Warren Gamaliel Harding
Republican
Eugene Victor Debs
Socialist
Aaron Sherman Watkins
Prohibition
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %
Adair 2,72543.50%3,52656.28%50.08%90.14%-801-12.79%6,265
Allen 2,25539.08%3,47660.24%60.10%330.57%-1,221-21.16%5,770
Anderson 2,49957.71%1,81942.01%00.00%120.28%68015.70%4,330
Ballard 3,98776.48%1,10721.24%1052.01%140.27%2,88055.25%5,213
Barren 5,49957.70%3,97241.67%270.28%330.35%1,52716.02%9,531
Bath 2,44054.72%1,99744.79%60.13%160.36%4439.93%4,459
Bell 2,27725.26%6,69174.23%240.27%220.24%-4,414-48.97%9,014
Boone 3,47277.50%97321.72%110.25%240.54%2,49955.78%4,480
Bourbon 5,45257.24%4,02942.30%110.12%320.34%1,42314.94%9,524
Boyd 5,10344.13%6,33454.78%530.46%730.63%-1,231-10.65%11,563
Boyle 4,09955.83%3,20543.65%100.14%280.38%89412.18%7,342
Bracken 2,62158.66%1,79140.09%451.01%110.25%83018.58%4,468
Breathitt 2,73752.31%2,46447.09%90.17%220.42%2735.22%5,232
Breckinridge 3,70245.71%4,36853.93%100.12%190.23%-666-8.22%8,099
Bullitt 2,54864.44%1,39335.23%80.20%50.13%1,15529.21%3,954
Butler 1,35624.81%4,09774.95%40.07%90.16%-2,741-50.15%5,466
Caldwell 2,74647.41%2,95851.07%691.19%190.33%-212-3.66%5,792
Calloway 4,57472.79%1,52024.19%1542.45%360.57%3,05448.60%6,284
Campbell 10,59744.20%12,21050.93%1,0464.36%1230.51%-1,613-6.73%23,976
Carlisle 2,68878.09%68819.99%381.10%280.81%2,00058.11%3,442
Carroll 3,20977.49%90621.88%40.10%220.53%2,30355.61%4,141
Carter 2,75737.19%4,59561.98%280.38%340.46%-1,838-24.79%7,414
Casey 1,95135.26%3,54364.03%90.16%300.54%-1,592-28.77%5,533
Christian 7,20944.90%8,74354.45%660.41%390.24%-1,534-9.55%16,057
Clark 4,84660.67%3,10538.88%130.16%230.29%1,74121.80%7,987
Clay 96019.17%4,01580.17%220.44%110.22%-3,055-61.00%5,008
Clinton 43115.40%2,35684.20%60.21%50.18%-1,925-68.80%2,798
Crittenden 2,13840.26%3,14959.29%90.17%150.28%-1,011-19.04%5,311
Cumberland 93128.01%2,38071.60%40.12%90.27%-1,449-43.59%3,324
Daviess 9,66955.70%7,58443.69%480.28%580.33%2,08512.01%17,359
Edmonson 1,17133.13%2,34866.42%40.11%120.34%-1,177-33.30%3,535
Elliott 1,76466.89%86032.61%00.00%130.49%90434.28%2,637
Estill 1,82341.55%2,55258.17%30.07%90.21%-729-16.62%4,387
Fayette 12,92653.55%11,03245.70%580.24%1230.51%1,8947.85%24,139
Fleming 3,48853.88%2,96045.72%50.08%210.32%5288.16%6,474
Floyd 3,59755.61%2,82543.68%310.48%150.23%77211.94%6,468
Franklin 5,87868.28%2,71031.48%130.15%80.09%3,16836.80%8,609
Fulton 3,84373.35%1,36526.05%170.32%140.27%2,47847.30%5,239
Gallatin 1,78276.58%53623.03%40.17%50.21%1,24653.55%2,327
Garrard 2,43444.51%2,99454.74%60.11%350.64%-560-10.24%5,469
Grant 2,68661.93%1,61337.19%40.09%340.78%1,07324.74%4,337
Graves 9,01872.14%3,24125.93%2161.73%250.20%5,77746.22%12,500
Grayson 2,83040.15%4,17459.21%100.14%350.50%-1,344-19.07%7,049
Green 1,72342.54%2,31057.04%80.20%90.22%-587-14.49%4,050
Greenup 2,75446.18%3,11152.17%671.12%310.52%-357-5.99%5,963
Hancock 1,38448.07%1,44650.23%351.22%140.49%-62-2.15%2,879
Hardin 5,38261.28%3,33437.96%300.34%360.41%2,04823.32%8,782
Harlan 1,80519.30%7,49380.13%310.33%220.24%-5,688-60.83%9,351
Harrison 4,80466.36%2,37832.85%100.14%470.65%2,42633.51%7,239
Hart 2,97247.08%3,26451.70%590.93%180.29%-292-4.63%6,313
Henderson 7,27262.06%4,16135.51%2061.76%790.67%3,11126.55%11,718
Henry 4,64067.28%2,20832.01%100.14%390.57%2,43235.26%6,897
Hickman 3,04577.40%86622.01%170.43%60.15%2,17955.39%3,934
Hopkins 7,82952.77%6,73245.38%1601.08%1150.78%1,0977.39%14,836
Jackson 2607.55%3,17492.16%40.12%60.17%-2,914-84.61%3,444
Jefferson 56,04644.64%68,20254.32%1,1190.89%1820.14%-12,156-9.68%125,549
Jessamine 3,20656.35%2,34941.29%50.09%1292.27%85715.06%5,689
Johnson 1,71427.93%4,37371.26%250.41%250.41%-2,659-43.33%6,137
Kenton 16,30056.74%11,41139.72%8783.06%1410.49%4,88917.02%28,730
Knott 2,29573.84%80225.80%20.06%90.29%1,49348.04%3,108
Knox 1,53422.50%5,22876.68%360.53%200.29%-3,694-54.18%6,818
Larue 2,36156.07%1,83843.65%40.09%80.19%52312.42%4,211
Laurel 1,62127.43%4,25271.96%160.27%200.34%-2,631-44.53%5,909
Lawrence 2,55847.08%2,84952.44%70.13%190.35%-291-5.36%5,433
Lee 1,24639.99%1,85659.56%70.22%70.22%-610-19.58%3,116
Leslie 1425.19%2,57694.22%130.48%30.11%-2,434-89.03%2,734
Letcher 1,96031.11%4,31768.51%100.16%140.22%-2,357-37.41%6,301
Lewis 1,55026.60%4,18671.84%500.86%410.70%-2,636-45.24%5,827
Lincoln 3,78750.05%3,71049.04%260.34%430.57%771.02%7,566
Livingston 1,93351.08%1,79047.30%561.48%50.13%1433.78%3,784
Logan 6,11160.36%3,94838.99%350.35%310.31%2,16321.36%10,125
Lyon 1,96859.96%1,27538.85%230.70%160.49%69321.12%3,282
Madison 5,64748.10%6,01251.21%320.27%480.41%-365-3.11%11,739
Magoffin 1,35236.39%2,34763.18%70.19%90.24%-995-26.78%3,715
Marion 3,80760.83%2,43138.85%40.06%160.26%1,37621.99%6,258
Marshall 3,56964.99%1,88334.29%150.27%250.46%1,68630.70%5,492
Martin 33015.89%1,72683.10%80.39%130.63%-1,396-67.21%2,077
Mason 4,69155.34%3,74344.16%90.11%330.39%94811.18%8,476
McCracken 8,49657.10%6,08540.89%2561.72%430.29%2,41116.20%14,880
McCreary 52515.27%2,88984.01%150.44%100.29%-2,364-68.74%3,439
McLean 2,75452.75%2,40846.12%500.96%90.17%3466.63%5,221
Meade 2,19559.44%1,46839.75%220.60%80.22%72719.69%3,693
Menifee 1,14965.81%58133.28%70.40%90.52%56832.53%1,746
Mercer 3,62356.24%2,78643.25%60.09%270.42%83712.99%6,442
Metcalfe 1,44244.25%1,80955.51%00.00%80.25%-367-11.26%3,259
Monroe 1,10824.36%3,42675.31%30.07%120.26%-2,318-50.96%4,549
Montgomery 3,06958.35%2,16341.12%90.17%190.36%90617.22%5,260
Morgan 3,34764.79%1,80234.88%40.08%130.25%1,54529.91%5,166
Muhlenberg 4,82441.04%6,66756.73%2241.91%380.32%-1,843-15.68%11,753
Nelson 5,06163.00%2,94536.66%80.10%190.24%2,11626.34%8,033
Nicholas 2,95365.71%1,49633.29%110.24%340.76%1,45732.42%4,494
Ohio 4,01141.91%5,37156.12%1441.50%450.47%-1,360-14.21%9,571
Oldham 2,65572.07%1,01427.52%50.14%100.27%1,64144.54%3,684
Owen 4,62381.26%1,04918.44%70.12%100.18%3,57462.82%5,689
Owsley 25711.79%1,91487.80%60.28%30.14%-1,657-76.01%2,180
Pendleton 2,59854.67%2,10544.30%100.21%390.82%49310.37%4,752
Perry 2,20333.52%4,34566.10%120.18%130.20%-2,142-32.59%6,573
Pike 5,61941.25%7,91158.08%320.23%600.44%-2,292-16.83%13,622
Powell 1,03855.10%83544.32%10.05%100.53%20310.77%1,884
Pulaski 3,74933.90%7,26265.67%180.16%300.27%-3,513-31.77%11,059
Robertson 94059.87%62339.68%00.00%70.45%31720.19%1,570
Rockcastle 1,43828.66%3,56170.96%70.14%120.24%-2,123-42.31%5,018
Rowan 1,26444.40%1,56454.94%130.46%60.21%-300-10.54%2,847
Russell 1,15730.85%2,58768.97%30.08%40.11%-1,430-38.12%3,751
Scott 4,99365.02%2,66134.65%100.13%150.20%2,33230.37%7,679
Shelby 5,44661.34%3,40238.32%120.14%190.21%2,04423.02%8,879
Simpson 3,20665.34%1,68034.24%50.10%160.33%1,52631.10%4,907
Spencer 2,13565.63%1,10233.88%50.15%110.34%1,03331.76%3,253
Taylor 2,38048.59%2,49350.90%60.12%190.39%-113-2.31%4,898
Todd 3,29254.78%2,66344.31%290.48%260.43%62910.47%6,010
Trigg 3,05655.08%2,42043.62%561.01%160.29%63611.46%5,548
Trimble 2,05784.51%36114.83%50.21%110.45%1,69669.68%2,434
Union 4,91970.81%1,94327.97%640.92%210.30%2,97642.84%6,947
Warren 7,01055.64%5,47443.45%340.27%810.64%1,53612.19%12,599
Washington 2,60047.26%2,89252.56%30.05%70.13%-292-5.31%5,502
Wayne 1,82737.68%2,99261.70%150.31%150.31%-1,165-24.03%4,849
Webster 4,83157.41%3,55442.23%120.14%180.21%1,27715.18%8,415
Whitley 1,55617.64%7,23582.04%200.23%80.09%-5,679-64.40%8,819
Wolfe 1,47660.69%93938.61%20.08%150.62%53722.08%2,432
Woodford 3,29959.53%2,21840.02%130.23%120.22%1,08119.51%5,542
Totals456,49749.69%452,48049.26%6,4090.70%3,2500.35%4,0170.44%918,636

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