1920 United States presidential election in Minnesota

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1920 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Flag of Minnesota (1893-1957).svg
  1916 November 2, 1920 1924  
  Warren G Harding-Harris & Ewing crop.jpg James M. Cox 1920.jpg Debs penitentiary.jpg
Nominee Warren G. Harding James M. Cox Eugene V. Debs
Party Republican Democratic Socialist
Home state Ohio Ohio Indiana
Running mate Calvin Coolidge Franklin D. Roosevelt Seymour Stedman
Electoral vote1200
Popular vote519,421142,99456,106
Percentage70.59%19.43%7.62%

Minnesota Presidential Election Results 1920.svg
County Results
Harding
  40-50%
  50-60%
  60-70%
  70-80%
  80-90%

The 1920 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 2, 1920, as part of the 1920 United States presidential election in which all contemporary forty-eight states participated. Voters chose 12 electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. This election marks the last time a candidate for president won every county in Minnesota.

Contents

The 1918 mid-term elections had seen the Midwestern farming community largely desert the Democratic Party due to supposed preferential treatment of Southern farmers: [1] Democratic seats in the Midwest fell from thirty-four to seventeen, [2] whilst Scandinavian-Americans were also vigorously opposed to entering the war. [3] Moreover, Democratic fear of Communism seen in the Palmer Raids and "Red Scare" led to Cox, then Governor of Ohio, to ban German-language instruction in public schools in 1919. [2] Much more critical for German-Americans was the view that outgoing President Woodrow Wilson was deliberately trying to punish Germany and Austria for starting the war, especially via his disregard for the United Kingdom's continuing blockade of Germany. [4] Stressing Harding's German ancestry, the German press drummed up the view that

a vote for Harding is a vote against the persecutions suffered by German-Americans during the war. [5]

As the campaign began after the Republican Party had nominated U.S. Senator Warren G. Harding of Ohio and the Democratic Party former Ohio governor James M. Cox, a further blow to the Democrats – who had never won Minnesota but came tantalizingly close in 1916 when they lost by one vote in 988 [6] – occurred when the national economy suffered a major downturn following the wartime boom, resulting in plummeting agricultural prices that were especially problematic in the Midwest. [7] Whereas Cox travelled throughout the nation apart from the "Solid South" during September, [8] Harding, despite having four times the budget, campaigned from his home in Marion, Ohio. A poll by the giant Rexall drug store chain – which in 1916 had been accurate enough to predict Wilson's razor-thin wins in New Hampshire and California [9] – suggested Harding would win 382 electoral votes, [10] and at the end of October, although no more opinion polls had been published, most observers were even more convinced that the Republicans would take complete control of all branches of government. [11]

Results

1920 United States presidential election in Minnesota [12]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Republican Warren G. Harding 519,42170.59%12
Democratic James M. Cox 142,99419.43%0
Socialist Eugene V. Debs 56,1067.62%0
Prohibition Aaron S. Watkins 11,4891.56%0
Socialist Labor William Wesley Cox 5,8280.79%0
Totals735,838100.00%12

Results by county

CountyWarren Gamaliel Harding
Republican
James Middleton Cox
Democratic
Eugene Victor Debs [13]
Socialist
Aaron Sherman Watkins [14]
Prohibition
William Wesley Cox [14]
Socialist Labor
MarginTotal votes cast [15]
# %# %# %# %# %# %
Aitkin 2,93370.15%61314.66%50312.03%892.13%431.03%2,32055.49%4,181
Anoka 3,50572.13%86517.80%3918.05%681.40%300.62%2,64054.33%4,859
Becker 4,81175.78%90114.19%4366.87%1131.78%881.39%3,91061.58%6,349
Beltrami 4,51861.26%1,42719.35%1,21516.47%981.33%1171.59%3,09141.91%7,375
Benton 2,92078.83%55414.96%1694.56%340.92%270.73%2,36663.88%3,704
Big Stone 2,41578.16%45114.60%1274.11%672.17%300.97%1,96463.56%3,090
Blue Earth 8,89479.05%1,97417.55%2071.84%1171.04%590.52%6,92061.51%11,251
Brown 5,84180.68%79610.99%4846.69%500.69%690.95%5,04569.68%7,240
Carlton 2,83359.47%1,15224.18%65413.73%941.97%310.65%1,68135.29%4,764
Carver 5,07387.31%5629.67%841.45%290.50%621.07%4,51177.64%5,810
Cass 3,24270.51%71015.44%49410.74%962.09%561.22%2,53255.07%4,598
Chippewa 3,53269.75%96018.96%3557.01%1543.04%631.24%2,57250.79%5,064
Chisago 4,36180.02%4848.88%5039.23%691.27%330.61%3,877 [lower-alpha 1] 70.79%5,450
Clay 4,94373.00%1,33519.72%2894.27%1261.86%781.15%3,60853.29%6,771
Clearwater 1,78870.73%34013.45%29811.79%622.45%401.58%1,44857.28%2,528
Cook 46772.85%9815.29%589.05%132.03%50.78%36957.57%641
Cottonwood 3,88286.27%45110.02%902.00%541.20%230.51%3,43176.24%4,500
Crow Wing 5,26270.34%1,07714.40%93312.47%1221.63%871.16%4,18555.94%7,481
Dakota 5,37366.45%2,19027.08%3954.88%780.96%500.62%3,18339.36%8,086
Dodge 3,38683.40%51612.71%721.77%681.67%180.44%2,87070.69%4,060
Douglas 4,42866.13%73310.95%6479.66%82412.31%640.96%3,604 [lower-alpha 2] 53.82%6,696
Faribault 6,68786.01%86911.18%1021.31%901.16%270.35%5,81874.83%7,775
Fillmore 7,34185.92%89910.52%1251.46%1451.70%340.40%6,44275.40%8,544
Freeborn 6,77281.96%1,13113.69%1381.67%1662.01%560.68%5,64168.27%8,263
Goodhue 9,33085.07%1,11810.19%3042.77%1801.64%360.33%8,21274.87%10,968
Grant 2,42775.80%53316.65%1063.31%1063.31%300.94%1,89459.15%3,202
Hennepin 90,51764.58%28,91120.63%18,80013.41%1,2620.90%6790.48%61,60643.95%140,169
Houston 4,10185.67%59812.49%360.75%410.86%110.23%3,50373.18%4,787
Hubbard 2,23873.84%45314.95%2377.82%702.31%331.09%1,78558.89%3,031
Isanti 3,00767.57%4059.10%89820.18%1132.54%270.61%2,602 [lower-alpha 1] 47.39%4,450
Itasca 3,97358.31%1,93028.33%73810.83%801.17%921.35%2,04329.99%6,813
Jackson 4,31383.62%71513.86%751.45%290.56%260.50%3,59869.76%5,158
Kanabec 2,43675.68%33210.31%38011.80%411.27%300.93%2,104 [lower-alpha 1] 63.87%3,219
Kandiyohi 4,75963.67%1,28217.15%7189.61%6138.20%1021.36%3,47746.52%7,474
Kittson 2,48574.65%59917.99%1755.26%441.32%260.78%1,88656.65%3,329
Koochiching 1,78655.29%85926.59%48515.02%481.49%521.61%92728.70%3,230
Lac qui Parle 4,21982.29%65312.74%1072.09%1032.01%450.88%3,56669.55%5,127
Lake 99040.93%59424.56%75731.29%592.44%190.79%396 [lower-alpha 1] 9.63%2,419
Le Sueur 4,05966.22%1,85330.23%1121.83%540.88%520.85%2,20635.99%6,130
Lincoln 2,54875.30%67319.89%812.39%451.33%371.09%1,87555.41%3,384
Lyon 4,55773.16%1,23219.78%2463.95%1532.46%410.66%3,32553.38%6,229
Mahnomen 1,07671.97%21514.38%16711.17%140.94%231.54%86157.59%1,495
Marshall 4,73875.41%88514.09%4567.26%1392.21%651.03%3,85361.32%6,283
Martin 5,14278.46%1,22118.63%1011.54%661.01%240.37%3,92159.83%6,554
McLeod 5,43077.62%1,13916.28%2633.76%921.32%721.03%4,29161.34%6,996
Meeker 4,69378.40%87814.67%2233.73%1232.05%691.15%3,81563.73%5,986
Mille Lacs 3,52173.17%52610.93%64013.30%841.75%410.85%2,995 [lower-alpha 1] 59.87%4,812
Morrison 5,37177.57%1,13116.33%3164.56%640.92%420.61%4,24061.24%6,924
Mower 6,33982.06%1,06113.73%1922.49%781.01%550.71%5,27868.32%7,725
Murray 3,27079.16%69816.90%1022.47%390.94%220.53%2,57262.26%4,131
Nicollet 4,11583.45%55611.28%1402.84%1012.05%190.39%3,55972.18%4,931
Nobles 4,42079.64%98217.69%811.46%380.68%290.52%3,43861.95%5,550
Norman 3,45174.17%48110.34%48110.34%1753.76%651.40%2,97063.83%4,653
Olmsted 7,13077.12%1,75618.99%1761.90%1451.57%380.41%5,37458.13%9,245
Otter Tail 11,08478.50%1,74112.33%7885.58%3362.38%1701.20%9,34366.17%14,119
Pennington 2,32060.70%76820.09%58115.20%952.49%581.52%1,55240.61%3,822
Pine 3,87966.83%1,12719.42%65411.27%861.48%581.00%2,75247.42%5,804
Pipestone 3,10679.89%49012.60%2325.97%350.90%250.64%2,61667.28%3,888
Polk 8,19769.47%2,11117.89%1,0578.96%2882.44%1471.25%6,08651.58%11,800
Pope 3,46676.34%70915.62%1633.59%1673.68%350.77%2,75760.73%4,540
Ramsey 40,20458.62%21,11030.78%6,2019.04%5040.73%5680.83%19,09427.84%68,587
Red Lake 1,30862.37%55826.61%1597.58%442.10%281.34%75035.77%2,097
Redwood 5,58983.07%88013.08%1592.36%640.95%360.54%4,70969.99%6,728
Renville 5,99573.64%1,28315.76%4785.87%2993.67%861.06%4,71257.88%8,141
Rice 6,50074.58%2,04023.41%720.83%610.70%420.48%4,46051.18%8,715
Rock 3,12184.53%44211.97%671.81%310.84%310.84%2,67972.56%3,692
Roseau 2,38764.13%50013.43%69818.75%902.42%471.26%1,887 [lower-alpha 1] 45.38%3,722
Saint Louis 27,98756.98%14,76730.07%5,37810.95%5331.09%4500.92%13,22026.92%49,115
Scott 3,01568.96%1,25328.66%521.19%240.55%280.64%1,76240.30%4,372
Sherburne 2,74785.18%3079.52%1153.57%371.15%190.59%2,44075.66%3,225
Sibley 4,19885.94%50210.28%1112.27%501.02%240.49%3,69675.66%4,885
Stearns 13,56686.33%1,61610.28%3182.02%1060.67%1080.69%11,95076.05%15,714
Steele 4,24376.45%1,16721.03%561.01%550.99%290.52%3,07655.42%5,550
Stevens 2,33979.83%45715.60%712.42%471.60%160.55%1,88264.23%2,930
Swift 3,55370.22%98519.47%2094.13%2605.14%531.05%2,56850.75%5,060
Todd 5,44871.10%1,46419.11%4435.78%1912.49%1161.51%3,98452.00%7,662
Traverse 1,75973.20%55022.89%492.04%180.75%271.12%1,20950.31%2,403
Wabasha 4,90777.11%1,27520.03%781.23%440.69%600.94%3,63257.07%6,364
Wadena 2,63575.57%50314.43%2035.82%862.47%601.72%2,13261.14%3,487
Waseca 3,62671.79%1,25724.89%1022.02%370.73%290.57%2,36946.90%5,051
Washington 5,85274.84%1,55819.93%2673.41%961.23%460.59%4,29454.92%7,819
Watonwan 3,51081.40%64715.00%1002.32%310.72%240.56%2,86366.40%4,312
Wilkin 2,10675.19%56120.03%762.71%391.39%190.68%1,54555.16%2,801
Winona 7,88869.81%2,89625.63%2712.40%800.71%1651.46%4,99244.18%11,300
Wright 7,01379.51%1,29914.73%3033.44%1331.51%720.82%5,71464.78%8,820
Yellow Medicine 4,22572.48%81413.96%2334.00%4978.53%601.03%3,41158.52%5,829
Totals519,42170.59%142,99419.43%56,1067.62%11,4891.56%5,8280.79%376,42751.16%735,838

Analysis

Harding overwhelmingly carried Minnesota by a margin of 376,427 votes, or 51.16 points, and nationally won the election, with 404 electoral votes and a 26.17 point lead over Cox in the popular vote, which constitutes the most lopsided result in any United States presidential election held since James Monroe's uncontested re-election in 1820. Cox did not win a single state north of the Mason-Dixon line nor west of the Continental Divide. The percentage of Minnesota's popular vote won by Harding in 1920 is second only to Theodore Roosevelt's 74% of the state's popular vote from 1904, [6] as Harding was helped by mass defection of registered Democratic German-Americans to the Republican ticket.

Harding became the second and last presidential nominee after Theodore Roosevelt in 1904 to sweep all of Minnesota's counties. This was the last time the Republicans won Red Lake County until George W. Bush in 2000 [16] and the last time Mahnomen County voted Republican until Ronald Reagan in 1980. [17]

The presidential election of 1920 is also noteworthy for the third party candidacy of the perennial Socialist candidate, Eugene V. Debs. Debs won nearly a million votes nationally, and 7.62 percent in Minnesota with second place ahead of Cox in six counties, despite the fact that he was incarcerated at the time. On September 12, 1918, Debs had been convicted on ten counts of sedition in relation to a speech he had given in Canton, Ohio on June 16, 1918, in which he encouraged conscientious objection to World War I. Of the five presidential elections in which Debs had been a candidate, 1920 was his second-greatest showing in terms of percentage of the popular vote won — he only did better in 1912. 1920 was also his final appearance on the ballot.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 In this county where Debs ran second ahead of James M. Cox, margin given is Harding vote minus Debs vote and percentage margin Harding percentage minus Debs percentage.
  2. In this county where Watkins ran ahead of James M. Cox, margin given is Harding vote minus Watkins vote and percentage margin Harding percentage minus Watkins percentage.

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