1908 United States presidential election in North Carolina

Main article: 1908 United States presidential election
1908 United States presidential election in North Carolina
← 1904 November 3, 1908 1912 →
 
Nominee William Jennings Bryan William Howard Taft
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Nebraska Ohio
Running mate John W. Kern James S. Sherman
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 136,928 114,887
Percentage 54.22% 45.49%
County Results
President before election

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Elected President

William Howard Taft
Republican

Elections in North Carolina
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The 1908 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 3, 1908. All contemporary 46 states were part of the 1908 United States presidential election. North Carolina voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

North Carolina was won by the Democratic nominees, former Representative William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska and his running mate John W. Kern of Indiana. They defeated the Republican Party nominees, William Howard Taft and his running mate James S. Sherman of New York. Bryan won the state by a margin of 8.73%.

Although, like all former Confederate states, North Carolina would during its “Redemption” develop a politics based upon Jim Crow laws, disfranchisement of its African-American population and dominance of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party possessed sufficient historic Unionist white support from the mountains and northwestern Piedmont to gain a stable one-third of the statewide vote total in general elections even after blacks lost the right to vote.[1] After the failure of Theodore Roosevelt to reconcile with the South, new nominee Taft would in October become the first Republican candidate to tour the South.[2] Aided by opposition by developing manufacturers to Bryan’s populism,[2] and by his willingness to accept black disfranchisement[3] alongside a completely “lily-white” state GOP that even excluded blacks from membership[4] Taft gained substantially upon Theodore Roosevelt’s performance in 1904, especially in previously Democratic western and Piedmont counties. He was the first Republican to ever carry Cabarrus County and Catawba County – which would become solidly Republican after World War I and among thirteen Tar Heel counties to back Barry Goldwater over Lyndon Johnson – and also Jackson County.[5]

Bryan had previously won North Carolina against William McKinley in both 1896 and 1900.

Results

1908 United States presidential election in North Carolina[6]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 136,928 54.22% 12
Republican William Howard Taft 114,887 45.49% 0
Socialist Eugene V. Debs 372 0.15% 0
Prohibition Eugene W. Chafin 354 0.14% 0
Write-ins Scattered 13 0.01% 0
Totals 252,554 100.00% 12
Voter turnout —

Results by county

1908 United States presidential election in North Carolina by county
County William Jennings Bryan[7]
Democratic 		William Howard Taft[7]
Republican 		Eugene Victor Debs[7]
Social Democratic 		Eugene Wilder Chafin[7]
Prohibition 		Margin
% # % # % # % # % #
Currituck 91.16% 701 8.84% 68 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 82.31% 633
Northampton 90.27% 1,726 9.73% 186 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 80.54% 1,540
Scotland 89.36% 714 10.64% 85 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 78.72% 629
Halifax 85.07% 2,165 14.93% 380 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 70.14% 1,785
Anson 83.19% 1,490 16.81% 301 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 66.39% 1,189
Edgecombe 80.01% 1,753 19.99% 438 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 60.02% 1,315
New Hanover[a] 78.39% 1,857 21.57% 511 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 56.82% 1,346
Warren 78.27% 1,066 21.73% 296 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 56.53% 770
Franklin 77.96% 1,984 22.04% 561 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 55.91% 1,423
Bertie 77.75% 1,258 22.25% 360 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 55.50% 898
Martin 76.07% 1,338 23.93% 421 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 52.13% 917
Craven 75.70% 1,399 24.30% 449 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 51.41% 950
Hyde 74.80% 662 25.20% 223 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 49.60% 439
Chowan 74.46% 621 25.54% 213 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 48.92% 408
Pitt 73.04% 2,419 26.87% 890 0.00% 0 0.09% 3 46.17% 1,529
Pender 71.37% 930 28.63% 373 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 42.75% 557
Union 70.87% 2,029 29.13% 834 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 41.74% 1,195
Camden 70.82% 398 29.18% 164 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 41.64% 234
Hertford 70.39% 839 29.61% 353 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 40.77% 486
Mecklenburg 70.09% 3,926 29.37% 1,645 0.07% 4 0.46% 26 40.72% 2,281
Pasquotank[b] 69.54% 929 30.31% 405 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 39.22% 524
Richmond 69.01% 1,029 30.99% 462 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 38.03% 567
Caswell 68.62% 820 31.21% 373 0.00% 0 0.17% 2 37.41% 447
Granville 67.99% 1,561 31.97% 734 0.00% 0 0.04% 1 36.02% 827
Robeson 67.48% 2,698 32.52% 1,300 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 34.97% 1,398
Gates 65.96% 653 34.04% 337 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 31.92% 316
Jones 65.00% 585 35.00% 315 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 30.00% 270
Vance 63.62% 1,121 36.38% 641 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 27.24% 480
Bladen 63.17% 1,132 36.83% 660 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 26.34% 472
Wilson 63.07% 1,732 36.93% 1,014 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 26.15% 718
Greene 61.95% 876 38.05% 538 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 23.90% 338
Cleveland 60.98% 2,282 38.99% 1,459 0.03% 1 0.00% 0 21.99% 823
Haywood 59.91% 1,952 40.02% 1,304 0.06% 2 0.00% 0 19.89% 648
Lee 59.68% 832 40.32% 562 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 19.37% 270
Wayne 59.30% 2,207 40.41% 1,504 0.00% 0 0.30% 11 18.89% 703
Lenoir 58.98% 1,393 40.90% 966 0.13% 3 0.00% 0 18.08% 427
Harnett 58.79% 1,501 41.01% 1,047 0.04% 1 0.16% 4 17.78% 454
Beaufort 57.79% 1,828 41.23% 1,304 0.92% 29 0.06% 2 16.57% 524
Iredell 57.67% 2,465 42.19% 1,803 0.02% 1 0.12% 5 15.49% 662
Columbus 57.19% 1,845 42.81% 1,381 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 14.38% 464
Guilford 56.56% 3,822 42.36% 2,863 0.46% 31 0.62% 42 14.19% 959
Cumberland 55.77% 1,832 44.23% 1,453 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 11.54% 379
Nash 55.71% 1,678 44.29% 1,334 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 11.42% 344
Wake 55.55% 3,713 44.30% 2,961 0.00% 0 0.15% 10 11.25% 752
Pamlico 54.37% 628 43.38% 501 2.25% 26 0.00% 0 11.00% 127
Duplin 55.18% 1,508 44.82% 1,225 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 10.35% 283
Onslow 55.06% 870 44.94% 710 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 10.13% 160
Gaston 54.40% 2,398 44.69% 1,970 0.18% 8 0.73% 32 9.71% 428
Rowan 53.61% 2,392 45.02% 2,009 0.78% 35 0.58% 26 8.58% 383
Perquimans 53.08% 568 46.92% 502 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 6.17% 66
Dare 52.93% 416 47.07% 370 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 5.85% 46
Rutherford 52.79% 1,978 47.13% 1,766 0.00% 0 0.08% 3 5.66% 212
Alleghany 52.40% 633 47.60% 575 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 4.80% 58
Carteret 52.08% 1,152 47.92% 1,060 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 4.16% 92
Clay 51.58% 343 48.27% 321 0.15% 1 0.00% 0 3.31% 22
Yancey 50.73% 978 49.27% 950 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 1.45% 28
Moore 50.29% 1,109 48.84% 1,077 0.54% 12 0.32% 7 1.45% 32
Durham 50.41% 1,859 49.35% 1,820 0.08% 3 0.16% 6 1.06% 39
Chatham 50.36% 1,521 49.57% 1,497 0.00% 0 0.07% 2 0.79% 24
Lincoln 50.10% 1,222 49.90% 1,217 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.21% 5
Buncombe 49.10% 3,506 50.03% 3,572 0.76% 54 0.11% 8 -0.92% -66
Ashe 49.47% 1,639 50.53% 1,674 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -1.06% -35
Alamance 48.79% 2,113 50.43% 2,184 0.07% 3 0.72% 31 -1.64% -71
Burke 49.10% 1,310 50.90% 1,358 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -1.80% -48
McDowell 48.62% 950 51.18% 1,000 0.00% 0 0.20% 4 -2.56% -50
Orange 48.61% 1,017 51.29% 1,073 0.10% 2 0.00% 0 -2.68% -56
Jackson 48.44% 1,022 51.47% 1,086 0.09% 2 0.00% 0 -3.03% -64
Rockingham 48.19% 1,887 51.28% 2,008 0.36% 14 0.18% 7 -3.09% -121
Transylvania 48.26% 570 51.74% 611 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -3.47% -41
Catawba[c] 47.56% 1,864 51.29% 2,010 0.00% 0 0.89% 35 -3.73% -146
Montgomery 48.07% 1,008 51.84% 1,087 0.00% 0 0.10% 2 -3.77% -79
Randolph 48.02% 2,472 51.98% 2,676 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -3.96% -204
Johnston 47.84% 2,593 52.16% 2,827 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -4.32% -234
Davidson 47.35% 2,126 52.12% 2,340 0.09% 4 0.45% 20 -4.77% -214
Graham 47.34% 418 52.66% 465 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -5.32% -47
Washington 47.10% 495 52.90% 556 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -5.80% -61
Macon 47.01% 927 52.99% 1,045 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -5.98% -118
Stanly 46.95% 1,491 53.05% 1,685 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -6.11% -194
Cabarrus 46.93% 1,610 53.07% 1,821 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -6.15% -211
Forsyth 44.94% 2,472 52.28% 2,876 2.38% 131 0.40% 22 -7.34% -404
Polk 45.14% 511 54.86% 621 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -9.72% -110
Caldwell 44.72% 1,413 55.22% 1,745 0.00% 0 0.06% 2 -10.51% -332
Tyrrell 44.13% 312 55.87% 395 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -11.74% -83
Person 43.63% 750 56.37% 969 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -12.74% -219
Alexander 42.47% 793 57.53% 1,074 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -15.05% -281
Watauga 42.29% 962 57.71% 1,313 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -15.43% -351
Brunswick 41.92% 607 58.08% 841 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -16.16% -234
Davie 39.61% 780 60.18% 1,185 0.00% 0 0.20% 4 -20.57% -405
Swain 39.27% 602 60.73% 931 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -21.46% -329
Stokes 38.21% 1,061 61.61% 1,711 0.18% 5 0.00% 0 -23.41% -650
Cherokee 37.38% 782 62.62% 1,310 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -25.24% -528
Surry 37.27% 1,709 62.60% 2,870 0.00% 0 0.13% 6 -25.32% -1,161
Henderson 36.40% 917 63.60% 1,602 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -27.19% -685
Sampson 35.09% 1,335 64.78% 2,465 0.00% 0 0.13% 5 -29.70% -1,130
Wilkes 31.50% 1,559 68.34% 3,382 0.00% 0 0.16% 8 -36.84% -1,823
Madison 29.84% 862 70.16% 2,027 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -40.33% -1,165
Yadkin 26.43% 597 72.78% 1,644 0.00% 0 0.80% 18 -46.35% -1,047
Mitchell 23.32% 550 76.68% 1,808 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -53.35% -1,258

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In this county there was one vote for a write-in candidate.
  2. ^ In this county there were two votes for write-in candidates
  3. ^ In this county there were ten votes for various write-in candidates.

References

  1. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210, 242 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  2. ^ a b Tindall, George B.; ‘Southern Strategy: A Historical Perspective’; North Carolina Historical Review; vol. 48, no. 2 (April 1971), pp. 126-141
  3. ^ de Santis, Vincent P.; ‘Republican Efforts to “Crack” the Democratic South’; The Review of Politics, vol. 14, no. 2 (April 1952), pp. 244-264
  4. ^ Heersink, Boris; Jenkins, Jeffery A. (2020). Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865–1968. Cambridge University Press. pp. 48–50, 239–243. ISBN 9781316663950.
  5. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 265-271 ISBN 0786422173
  6. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina
  7. ^ a b c d "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1908". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)