1936 United States presidential election in Florida

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1936 United States presidential election in Florida
Flag of Florida (1900-1985).svg
  1932 November 8, 1936 1940  
  FDR in 1933 (cropped).jpg LandonPortr (cropped).jpg
Nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt Alf Landon
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New York Kansas
Running mate John Nance Garner Frank Knox
Electoral vote70
Popular vote249,11778,248
Percentage76.08%23.90%

Florida Presidential Election Results 1936.svg
County Results
Roosevelt
  50–60%
  60–70%
  70–80%
  80–90%
  90–100%

The 1936 United States presidential election in Florida was held on November 8, 1936. Florida voters chose seven electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Contents

Ever since the disfranchisement of blacks at the beginning of the 1890s, Florida had been a one-party state ruled by the Democratic Party. The disfranchisement of blacks and poor whites by poll taxes in 1889 [1] had left the Republican Party – between 1872 and 1888 dependent upon black votes – virtually extinct.

With the single exception of William Howard Taft's win in Calhoun County in 1908 [2] the Democratic Party won every county in Florida in every presidential election from 1892 [a] until 1916. Only twice – and never for more than one term – did any Republican serve in either house of the state legislature between 1896 and 1928. Despite this Democratic dominance and the restrictions on the franchise of the poorer classes due to the poll tax, significant socialist movements were to develop and persist in Tampa [3] and to a lesser extent over other parts of the state, especially against the powerful Ku Klux Klan. [4] There was also a powerful Prohibitionist movements in older North Florida, which saw the Prohibition Party even win the governorship for one term under the notorious anti-Catholic minister Sidney J. Catts.

The 1920s saw the GOP increase its vote totals above those from traditional Unionists (which Florida entirely lacked) in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama or Georgia, aided by a growing "Presidential Republican" vote in southern Florida from migrants from northern states. [5] In 1928, Florida, especially the western Panhandle pineywoods, turned dramatically away from the Democratic Party due to the nomination of Catholic Al Smith, with the result that Herbert Hoover became the first Republican to win a statewide election since the end of Reconstruction. [5] However, the Depression and elimination of anti-Catholicism saw a return to normal overwhelming Democratic dominance in 1932. Despite this, Hoover's gains in newer South and Central Florida were not completely lost, as Republicans still managed 40% of the vote in Osceola, Charlotte, and Pinellas counties, all of which were beginning to see large-scale migration from historically Republican Northern states.

In 1932, Florida would elect David Sholtz as governor who was closely allied with President Roosevelt and strongly in favor of the New Deal. He would even fashion himself politically in a manner that was similar to Roosevelt. [6] Roosevelt would face an assassination attempt in Miami's Bayfront Park in February 1933. Roosevelt would visit Florida on March 23, 1936, going to Rollins College in Winter Park to do a ceremony there. The event would attract sizable crowds and it is believed the presidential election occurring in November would be a sizable motivator for his trip. It was estimated that 75,000 to 100,000 people would watch the motorcade that ended up driving for 10 miles and David Sholtz would ride alongside him. [7]

A number of conservative Southern newspapers – in Florida, the Jacksonville Times-Union – were opposed to Roosevelt and despite the extreme historical hostility towards the GOP, supported Republican nominee Alf Landon in all but name. [8] Nonetheless, a combination of powerful political funding of the Democratic Party from textile and other businesses, [9] and support for FDR's New Deal in the anti-Smith pineywoods, [10] meant that Landon had no hope of making any gains on Herbert Hoover's performance in 1932. Incumbent President Roosevelt won by 170,869 votes or 52.18%, carrying as in 1932 every county in the state. [11] Roosevelt's 76.08% is the second-best ever Democratic performance in Florida behind only Grover Cleveland's 1892 performance and the best ever Democratic performance for a Democrat with a Republican opponent.

Democratic primary

Florida held a presidential primary for the Democratic Party on June 2, 1936. Roosevelt won most of the vote in every county in Florida. [12]

Candidate [12] Number of votes [12] % [13]
Franklin D. Roosevelt 242,98289.67%
Joseph Coutremarsh 27,98210.33%
Total270,964100%

Results

Electoral results
Presidential candidatePartyHome statePopular voteElectoral
vote
Running mate
CountPercentageVice-presidential candidateHome stateElectoral vote
Franklin D. Roosevelt Democratic New York 249,11776.08%7 John Nance Garner Texas 7
Alf Landon Republican Kansas 78,24823.90%0 Frank Knox Illinois 0
Write-ins 560.02%00
Norman Thomas Socialist New York 90.00%0 George A. Nelson Wisconsin 0
William Lemke Write-in North Dakota 10.00%0 Thomas C. O'Brien Massachusetts 0
Earl Browder Write-in10.00%0 James W. Ford New York 0
Total327,436100%77
Needed to win266266

Results by county

CountyFranklin Delano Roosevelt
Democratic
Alfred Mossman Landon
Republican
Various candidates
Write-ins
MarginTotal votes cast [14]
# %# %# %# %
Alachua 4,78884.33%89015.67%3,89868.65%5,678
Baker 1,55593.06%1166.94%1,43986.12%1,671
Bay 3,20285.55%54114.45%2,66171.09%3,743
Bradford 1,49483.60%29316.40%1,20167.21%1,787
Brevard 2,30066.72%1,14733.28%1,15333.45%3,447
Broward 4,38569.70%1,90630.30%2,47939.41%6,291
Calhoun 1,04385.21%18114.79%86270.42%1,224
Charlotte 78258.80%54841.20%23417.59%1,330
Citrus 1,36689.57%15910.43%1,20779.15%1,525
Clay 1,25169.00%56231.00%68938.00%1,813
Collier 90291.11%888.89%81482.22%990
Columbia 2,78393.42%1966.58%2,58786.84%2,979
Dade 28,00773.08%10,29526.86%210.05%17,71246.22%38,323
De Soto 1,59474.00%56026.00%1,03448.00%2,154
Dixie 1,17094.81%645.19%1,10689.63%1,234
Duval 25,98982.88%5,36817.12%20,62165.76%31,357
Escambia 9,13885.36%1,56714.64%7,57170.72%10,705
Flagler 50782.71%10617.29%40165.42%613
Franklin 1,41391.87%1258.13%1,28883.75%1,538
Gadsden 2,57292.85%1987.15%2,37485.70%2,770
Gilchrist 83693.72%566.28%78087.44%892
Glades 52369.00%23531.00%28837.99%758
Gulf 84492.24%717.76%77384.48%915
Hamilton 1,55495.51%734.49%1,48191.03%1,627
Hardee 2,14271.73%84428.27%1,29843.47%2,986
Hendry 74176.00%23424.00%50752.00%975
Hernando 1,11578.08%31321.92%80256.16%1,428
Highlands 1,89868.97%84230.60%120.44%1,05638.37%2,752
Hillsborough 20,20279.03%5,36120.97%14,84158.06%25,563
Holmes 3,21380.63%77219.37%2,44161.25%3,985
Indian River 1,27070.48%53229.52%73840.95%1,802
Jackson 3,75791.46%3518.54%3,40682.91%4,108
Jefferson 1,24390.73%1279.27%1,11681.46%1,370
Lafayette 1,08493.13%806.87%1,00486.25%1,164
Lake 4,04566.53%2,03433.45%10.02%2,01133.08%6,080
Lee 2,54969.12%1,13730.83%20.05%1,41238.29%3,688
Leon 3,77093.16%2776.84%3,49386.31%4,047
Levy 2,00391.63%1838.37%1,82083.26%2,186
Liberty 80092.59%647.41%73685.19%864
Madison 2,27892.53%1847.47%2,09485.05%2,462
Manatee 3,48770.56%1,45529.44%2,03241.12%4,942
Marion 4,66485.99%76014.01%3,90471.98%5,424
Martin 77870.41%32729.59%45140.81%1,105
Monroe 2,60590.23%2829.77%2,32380.46%2,887
Nassau 1,09581.90%24218.10%85363.80%1,337
Okaloosa 2,43384.19%45715.81%1,97668.37%2,890
Okeechobee 65577.88%18622.12%46955.77%841
Orange 7,31462.42%4,39437.50%90.08%2,92024.92%11,717
Osceola 1,62259.57%1,10140.43%52119.13%2,723
Palm Beach 9,63568.25%4,47831.72%40.03%5,15736.53%14,117
Pasco 2,22965.79%1,15934.21%1,07031.58%3,388
Pinellas 12,07259.57%8,18340.38%100.05%3,88919.19%20,265
Polk 10,44171.45%4,16428.49%90.06%6,27742.95%14,614
Putnam 2,70973.53%97526.47%1,73447.07%3,684
St. John's 3,41175.87%1,08524.13%2,32651.73%4,496
St. Lucie 1,94679.66%49720.34%1,44959.31%2,443
Santa Rosa 2,93479.77%74420.23%2,19059.54%3,678
Sarasota 2,41869.62%1,05530.38%1,36339.25%3,473
Seminole 2,58074.20%89725.80%1,68348.40%3,477
Sumter 1,72470.14%73429.86%99040.28%2,458
Suwannee 2,86393.41%2026.59%2,66186.82%3,065
Taylor 1,89793.73%1276.27%1,77087.45%2,024
Union 1,08992.44%897.56%1,00084.89%1,178
Volusia 7,92461.63%4,93438.37%2,99023.25%12,858
Wakulla 1,41796.92%453.08%1,37293.84%1,462
Walton 2,77884.49%51015.51%2,26868.98%3,288
Washington 2,28982.40%48617.49%30.11%1,80364.90%2,778
Totals249,11776.08%78,24823.90%710.02%170,86952.18%327,436

Notes

  1. In the 1892 presidential election, Republican Benjamin Harrison was not on the ballot and the party backed Populist James B. Weaver.

References

  1. Silbey, Joel H. and Bogue, Allan G.; The History of American Electoral Behavior, p. 210 ISBN   140087114X
  2. Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote; 1896-1932 (second edition); pp. 156-157 Published 1947 by Stanford University Press
  3. Ford, Edward J.; 'Life on the Campaign Trail: a Political Anthropology of Local Politics' (thesis), published 2008 by University of South Florida, pp. 114-118
  4. Gregory, Raymond F.; Norman Thomas: The Great Dissenter, pp. 150-151 ISBN   0875866239
  5. 1 2 Phillips, Kevin; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210-211, 261 ISBN   9780691163246
  6. Cox, Merlin G. (1964) "David Sholtz: New Deal Governor of Florida," Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 43 : No. 2 , Article 5.
  7. Dickinson, Joy (January 20, 2013). "Despite bullets in Miami, FDR conquered Central Florida in open motorcade". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  8. Shappard, Si; The Buying of the Presidency?: Franklin D. Roosevelt, the New Deal, and the Election of 1936 (Praeger Series on American Political Culture), p. 115 ISBN   144083105X
  9. Webber, Michael J.; New Deal Fat Cats: Business, Labor, and Campaign Finance in the 1936 Presidential Election, pp. 100-103 ISBN   082321947X
  10. Phillips, The Emerging Republican Majority; p. 262
  11. "1936 Presidential General Election Results – Florida". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S Presidential Elections.
  12. 1 2 3 Tabulation of official vote. Florida primary elections: Democratic and Republican (1936). Florida Secretary of State. 1936. p. 3.
  13. "Our Campaigns - FL US President - D Primary Race - Jun 06, 1936". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  14. Scammon, Richard M. (compiler); America at the Polls: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics 1920-1964; pp. 87-88 ISBN   0405077114