1880 United States presidential election in Kentucky

Main article: 1880 United States presidential election
1880 United States presidential election in Kentucky
← 1876 November 2, 1880 1884 →
 
Nominee Winfield S. Hancock James A. Garfield
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Pennsylvania Ohio
Running mate William H. English Chester A. Arthur
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 148,875 106,490
Percentage 55.74% 39.87%
County Results
President before election

Rutherford B. Hayes
Republican

Elected President

James Garfield
Republican

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The 1880 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 2, 1880. All contemporary thirty-eight states were part of the 1880 United States presidential election. Kentucky voters chose twelve electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

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 would never carry the state during the Third Party System at either presidential[2] or gubernatorial level.[3] Following Samuel J. Tilden’s 24-point victory in the state in 1876, the tobacco-growing Jackson Purchase and Western Coal Field were affected by the Greenback movement. This aimed to restore the fiat money system used to pay for the Civil War, in order to pay off farmer’s debts.[3] It also was aimed at regulating the railroads which the western landowners – many former slaveholders – saw as siphoning the profit from their cash crop economy.[4]

The Greenback movement managed to carry 8.3 percent of the vote in the 1879 gubernatorial election,[3] but a rebound in tobacco prices and the adoption of some key elements of the Greenback platform by Democrats ensured that this decline was arrested and Greenback nominee James B. Weaver won only 4.39 percent of Kentucky’s ballots. Weaver did best in the regions where the Greenback insurgency was always strongest, but received no votes at all in fourteen of Kentucky’s 117 counties (most of those lying in the Eastern Coalfield). Democratic nominee Winfield Scott Hancock thus comfortably carried the state, although his margin was only two-thirds that of Tilden. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last occasion when Rockcastle County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[5]

Results

Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV)
Winfield Scott Hancock William Hayden English Democratic 12[6] 148,875 55.74%
James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur Republican 0 106,490 39.87%
James B. Weaver Barzillai J. Chambers Greenback 0 11,506 4.31%
Neal Dow Henry Adams Thompson Prohibition 0 233 0.09%

Results by county

County Winfield Scott Hancock[7]
Democratic 		James Abram Garfield[7]
Republican 		James Baird Weaver[8]
Greenback 		Neal Dow[8]
Prohibition 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Adair 1,095 50.93% 937 43.58% 118 5.49% 0 0.00% 158 7.35% 2,150
Allen 949 55.89% 688 40.52% 61 3.59% 0 0.00% 261 15.37% 1,698
Anderson 1,118 65.08% 595 34.63% 2 0.12% 3 0.17% 523 30.44% 1,718
Ballard 1,599 77.96% 411 20.04% 41 2.00% 0 0.00% 1,188 57.92% 2,051
Barren 2,140 59.28% 1,358 37.62% 111 3.07% 1 0.03% 782 21.66% 3,610
Bath 1,128 56.26% 874 43.59% 3 0.15% 0 0.00% 254 12.67% 2,005
Bell 261 32.83% 533 67.04% 1 0.13% 0 0.00% -272 -34.21% 795
Boone 1,734 79.43% 446 20.43% 3 0.14% 0 0.00% 1,288 59.00% 2,183
Bourbon 1,686 50.22% 1,668 49.69% 1 0.03% 2 0.06% 18 0.54% 3,357
Boyd 794 40.33% 959 48.70% 216 10.97% 0 0.00% -165 -8.38% 1,969
Boyle 1,284 51.77% 1,191 48.02% 4 0.16% 1 0.04% 93 3.75% 2,480
Bracken 1,542 63.90% 817 33.86% 32 1.33% 22 0.91% 725 30.05% 2,413
Breathitt 797 70.28% 330 29.10% 2 0.18% 5 0.44% 467 41.18% 1,134
Breckinridge 1,376 49.96% 912 33.12% 462 16.78% 4 0.15% 464 16.85% 2,754
Bullitt 788 71.25% 275 24.86% 43 3.89% 0 0.00% 513 46.38% 1,106
Butler 540 29.88% 728 40.29% 537 29.72% 2 0.11% -188 -10.40% 1,807
Caldwell 1,160 56.15% 899 43.51% 7 0.34% 0 0.00% 261 12.63% 2,066
Calloway 1,187 69.37% 257 15.02% 267 15.60% 0 0.00% 920[a] 53.77% 1,711
Campbell 3,059 50.93% 2,899 48.27% 48 0.80% 0 0.00% 160 2.66% 6,006
Carroll 1,460 79.69% 372 20.31% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,088 59.39% 1,832
Carter 577 37.30% 695 44.93% 275 17.78% 0 0.00% -118 -7.63% 1,547
Casey 892 54.93% 708 43.60% 24 1.48% 0 0.00% 184 11.33% 1,624
Christian 1,853 35.75% 2,844 54.87% 486 9.38% 0 0.00% -991 -19.12% 5,183
Clark 1,263 54.00% 1,059 45.28% 17 0.73% 0 0.00% 204 8.72% 2,339
Clay 674 42.18% 922 57.70% 2 0.13% 0 0.00% -248 -15.52% 1,598
Clinton 323 32.36% 605 60.62% 70 7.01% 0 0.00% -282 -28.26% 998
Crittenden 827 45.59% 786 43.33% 201 11.08% 0 0.00% 41 2.26% 1,814
Cumberland 598 44.56% 729 54.32% 15 1.12% 0 0.00% -131 -9.76% 1,342
Daviess 3,054 66.91% 1,271 27.85% 239 5.24% 0 0.00% 1,783 39.07% 4,564
Edmonson 484 49.24% 432 43.95% 67 6.82% 0 0.00% 52 5.29% 983
Elliott 623 78.27% 115 14.45% 58 7.29% 0 0.00% 508 63.82% 796
Estill 809 50.98% 772 48.65% 6 0.38% 0 0.00% 37 2.33% 1,587
Fayette 2,449 46.03% 2,830 53.20% 39 0.73% 2 0.04% -381 -7.16% 5,320
Fleming 1,592 53.53% 1,368 46.00% 9 0.30% 5 0.17% 224 7.53% 2,974
Floyd 946 70.33% 394 29.29% 5 0.37% 0 0.00% 552 41.04% 1,345
Franklin 1,751 60.17% 1,134 38.97% 18 0.62% 7 0.24% 617 21.20% 2,910
Fulton 707 77.52% 179 19.63% 26 2.85% 0 0.00% 528 57.89% 912
Gallatin 683 71.37% 274 28.63% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 409 42.74% 957
Garrard 1,069 46.80% 1,190 52.10% 24 1.05% 1 0.04% -121 -5.30% 2,284
Grant 1,333 60.54% 869 39.46% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 464 21.07% 2,202
Graves 2,443 69.54% 930 26.47% 140 3.99% 0 0.00% 1,513 43.07% 3,513
Grayson 1,012 50.07% 724 35.82% 283 14.00% 2 0.10% 288 14.25% 2,021
Green 685 44.77% 726 47.45% 114 7.45% 5 0.33% -41 -2.68% 1,530
Greenup 723 35.60% 925 45.54% 383 18.86% 0 0.00% -202 -9.95% 2,031
Hancock 560 41.48% 270 20.00% 517 38.30% 3 0.22% 43[a] 3.19% 1,350
Hardin 1,677 56.87% 962 32.62% 310 10.51% 0 0.00% 715 24.25% 2,949
Harlan 166 18.97% 704 80.46% 5 0.57% 0 0.00% -538 -61.49% 875
Harrison 1,866 62.26% 1,103 36.80% 1 0.03% 27 0.90% 763 25.46% 2,997
Hart 1,454 54.42% 1,074 40.19% 144 5.39% 0 0.00% 380 14.22% 2,672
Henderson 2,217 55.89% 1,504 37.91% 245 6.18% 1 0.03% 713 17.97% 3,967
Henry 1,661 60.22% 883 32.02% 213 7.72% 1 0.04% 778 28.21% 2,758
Hickman 1,069 72.04% 386 26.01% 29 1.95% 0 0.00% 683 46.02% 1,484
Hopkins 1,459 49.81% 838 28.61% 632 21.58% 0 0.00% 621 21.20% 2,929
Jackson 272 26.15% 758 72.88% 10 0.96% 0 0.00% -486 -46.73% 1,040
Jefferson 13,970 60.08% 8,746 37.61% 522 2.24% 14 0.06% 5,224 22.47% 23,252
Jessamine 979 47.99% 1,057 51.81% 4 0.20% 0 0.00% -78 -3.82% 2,040
Johnson 472 40.65% 603 51.94% 86 7.41% 0 0.00% -131 -11.28% 1,161
Kenton 4,370 59.29% 2,980 40.43% 13 0.18% 7 0.09% 1,390 18.86% 7,370
Knox 611 38.60% 964 60.90% 6 0.38% 2 0.13% -353 -22.30% 1,583
Larue 1,032 66.97% 469 30.43% 40 2.60% 0 0.00% 563 36.53% 1,541
Laurel 622 40.55% 905 59.00% 6 0.39% 1 0.07% -283 -18.45% 1,534
Lawrence 936 55.19% 726 42.81% 34 2.00% 0 0.00% 210 12.38% 1,696
Lee 394 48.46% 418 51.41% 1 0.12% 0 0.00% -24 -2.95% 813
Leslie 57 9.91% 518 90.09% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -461 -80.17% 575
Letcher 379 55.82% 300 44.18% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 79 11.63% 679
Lewis 1,075 42.04% 1,388 54.28% 94 3.68% 0 0.00% -313 -12.24% 2,557
Lincoln 1,545 56.91% 1,170 43.09% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 375 13.81% 2,715
Livingston 868 76.75% 222 19.63% 41 3.63% 0 0.00% 646 57.12% 1,131
Logan 2,409 60.23% 1,488 37.20% 103 2.58% 0 0.00% 921 23.03% 4,000
Lyon 630 54.64% 427 37.03% 96 8.33% 0 0.00% 203 17.61% 1,153
Madison 2,056 50.50% 2,003 49.20% 4 0.10% 8 0.20% 53 1.30% 4,071
Magoffin 553 47.18% 619 52.82% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -66 -5.63% 1,172
Marion 1,525 59.59% 1,023 39.98% 11 0.43% 0 0.00% 502 19.62% 2,559
Marshall 979 72.30% 196 14.48% 179 13.22% 0 0.00% 783 57.83% 1,354
Martin 121 28.47% 304 71.53% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -183 -43.06% 425
Mason 2,536 60.68% 1,640 39.24% 3 0.07% 0 0.00% 896 21.44% 4,179
McCracken 1,537 59.12% 1,045 40.19% 18 0.69% 0 0.00% 492 18.92% 2,600
McLean 755 52.65% 337 23.50% 340 23.71% 2 0.14% 415[a] 28.94% 1,434
Meade 1,067 67.36% 317 20.01% 200 12.63% 0 0.00% 750 47.35% 1,584
Menifee 490 75.27% 158 24.27% 1 0.15% 2 0.31% 332 51.00% 651
Mercer 1,591 57.60% 1,158 41.93% 11 0.40% 2 0.07% 433 15.68% 2,762
Metcalfe 736 47.89% 772 50.23% 26 1.69% 3 0.20% -36 -2.34% 1,537
Monroe 516 36.54% 621 43.98% 275 19.48% 0 0.00% -105 -7.44% 1,412
Montgomery 1,211 55.81% 957 44.10% 1 0.05% 1 0.05% 254 11.71% 2,170
Morgan 1,139 72.00% 443 28.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 696 43.99% 1,582
Muhlenberg 1,057 45.62% 917 39.58% 339 14.63% 4 0.17% 140 6.04% 2,317
Nelson 1,758 62.90% 949 33.95% 87 3.11% 1 0.04% 809 28.94% 2,795
Nicholas 1,416 61.11% 901 38.89% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 515 22.23% 2,317
Ohio 1,645 61.11% 702 26.08% 336 12.48% 9 0.33% 943 35.03% 2,692
Oldham 901 62.35% 502 34.74% 42 2.91% 0 0.00% 399 27.61% 1,445
Owen 2,644 80.49% 630 19.18% 4 0.12% 7 0.21% 2,014 61.31% 3,285
Owsley 222 25.08% 663 74.92% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -441 -49.83% 885
Pendleton 1,779 59.58% 1,186 39.72% 2 0.07% 19 0.64% 593 19.86% 2,986
Perry 318 36.26% 559 63.74% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -241 -27.48% 877
Pike 1,060 57.86% 758 41.38% 11 0.60% 3 0.16% 302 16.48% 1,832
Powell 343 52.45% 308 47.09% 3 0.46% 0 0.00% 35 5.35% 654
Pulaski 1,459 43.58% 1,860 55.56% 29 0.87% 0 0.00% -401 -11.98% 3,348
Robertson 696 63.56% 395 36.07% 2 0.18% 2 0.18% 301 27.49% 1,095
Rockcastle 760 48.10% 749 47.41% 71 4.49% 0 0.00% 11 0.70% 1,580
Rowan 289 48.41% 281 47.07% 27 4.52% 0 0.00% 8 1.34% 597
Russell 531 51.06% 366 35.19% 143 13.75% 0 0.00% 165 15.87% 1,040
Scott 1,683 56.34% 1,299 43.49% 3 0.10% 2 0.07% 384 12.86% 2,987
Shelby 1,849 61.33% 1,039 34.46% 108 3.58% 19 0.63% 810 26.87% 3,015
Simpson 1,076 67.80% 501 31.57% 2 0.13% 8 0.50% 575 36.23% 1,587
Spencer 850 70.25% 358 29.59% 1 0.08% 1 0.08% 492 40.66% 1,210
Taylor 879 62.08% 537 37.92% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 342 24.15% 1,416
Todd 1,250 47.10% 1,201 45.25% 202 7.61% 1 0.04% 49 1.85% 2,654
Trigg 1,262 58.86% 873 40.72% 9 0.42% 0 0.00% 389 18.14% 2,144
Trimble 1,082 86.98% 151 12.14% 11 0.88% 0 0.00% 931 74.84% 1,244
Union 1,931 69.86% 514 18.60% 309 11.18% 10 0.36% 1,417 51.27% 2,764
Warren 2,253 53.63% 1,703 40.54% 239 5.69% 6 0.14% 550 13.09% 4,201
Washington 1,319 52.16% 1,172 46.34% 38 1.50% 0 0.00% 147 5.81% 2,529
Wayne 709 51.79% 523 38.20% 137 10.01% 0 0.00% 186 13.59% 1,369
Webster 946 47.35% 393 19.67% 655 32.78% 4 0.20% 291[a] 14.56% 1,998
Whitley 479 33.08% 962 66.44% 7 0.48% 0 0.00% -483 -33.36% 1,448
Wolfe 572 62.11% 348 37.79% 0 0.00% 1 0.11% 224 24.32% 921
Woodford 1,228 52.64% 1,104 47.32% 1 0.04% 0 0.00% 124 5.32% 2,333
Totals 148,875 55.74% 106,490 39.87% 11,499 4.31% 233 0.09% 42,385 15.87% 267,097

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d In this county where Weaver ran second ahead of Garfield, margin given is Cleveland vote minus Weaver vote and percentage margin Cleveland percentage minus Weaver percentage.

References

  1. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  2. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 350 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  3. ^ a b c Brown, Thomas J.; ‘The Roots of Bluegrass Insurgency: An Analysis of the Populist Movement in Kentucky’; The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Vol. 78, No. 3 (Summer 1980), pp. 219-242
  4. ^ Humphreys, George G.; ‘Western Kentucky in the Twentieth Century: From the End of Isolation to the Collapse of the “Gibraltar of Democracy”’; The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Spring/Summer 2015, Vol. 113, No. 2/3, Building a History of Twentieth-Century Kentucky, pp. 357-384
  5. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004; pp. 208-213 ISBN 0786422173
  6. ^ "1880 Presidential Election Results – Kentucky". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
  7. ^ a b Géoelections; Presidential election of 1880 Popular Vote (.xlsx file for €15)
  8. ^ a b Géoelections; Presidential election of 1880 Popular Vote for James B. Weaver (.xlsx file for €15)