1868 United States presidential election in California
The 1868 United States presidential election in California was held on November 3, 1868, as part of the 1868 United States presidential election . State voters chose five representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College , who voted for president and vice president .
California narrowly voted for the Republican nominee, Union general Ulysses S. Grant , over the Democratic nominee, DNC chair Horatio Seymour by a margin barely over 500 votes. Additionally, this was the last time until 1968 where a Republican won the white House without carrying Santa Clara County .
Results
General Election Results[ 1]
Party
Pledged to
Elector
Votes
Republican Party
Ulysses S. Grant
Alfred Reddington
54,592
Republican Party
Ulysses S. Grant
John B. Felton
54,588
Republican Party
Ulysses S. Grant
O. H. La Grange
54,576
Republican Party
Ulysses S. Grant
D. B. Hoffman
54,565[ a] [ 2]
Republican Party
Ulysses S. Grant
Charles Westmoreland
54,551
Democratic Party
Horatio Seymour
Thomas J. Henley
54,078
Democratic Party
Horatio Seymour
W. T. Wallace
54,069
Democratic Party
Horatio Seymour
E. J. C. Kewen
54,068
Democratic Party
Horatio Seymour
A. D. Dibble
54,068
Democratic Party
Horatio Seymour
George Pearce
54,061
Votes cast[ b]
108,670
Results by county
County
Ulysses S. Grant Republican
Horatio Seymour Democratic
Margin
Total votes cast[ c]
#
%
#
%
#
%
Alameda
1,860
59.58%
1,262
40.42%
598
19.15%
3,122
Alpine
154
69.68%
67
30.32%
87
39.37%
221
Amador
1,110
47.56%
1,224
52.44%
-114
-4.88%
2,334
Butte
1,279
50.67%
1,245
49.33%
34
1.35%
2,524
Calaveras
1,143
52.12%
1,050
47.88%
93
4.24%
2,193
Colusa
359
33.93%
699
66.07%
−340
−32.14%
1,058
Contra Costa
1,091
59.65%
738
40.35%
353
19.30%
1,829
Del Norte
162
48.36%
173
51.64%
-11
-3.28%
335
El Dorado
1,676
49.90%
1,683
50.10%
-7
-0.21%
3,359
Fresno
72
15.89%
381
84.11%
−309
−68.21%
453
Humboldt
769
60.27%
507
39.73%
262
20.53%
1,276
Inyo
113
53.05%
100
46.95%
13
6.10%
213
Kern
208
33.02%
422
66.98%
−214
−33.97%
630
Klamath
137
42.28%
187
57.72%
−50
−15.43%
324
Lake
248
35.33%
454
64.67%
−206
−29.34%
702
Lassen
210
63.25%
122
36.75%
88
26.51%
332
Los Angeles
748
37.70%
1,236
62.30%
-488
-24.60%
1,984
Marin
528
54.94%
433
45.06%
95
9.89%
961
Mariposa
456
40.75%
663
59.25%
-207
-18.50%
1,119
Mendocino
621
38.26%
1,002
61.74%
−381
−23.48%
1,623
Merced
98
26.49%
272
73.51%
−174
−47.03%
370
Mono
148
62.45%
89
37.55%
59
24.89%
237
Monterey
580
46.66%
663
53.34%
-83
-6.68%
1,243
Napa
752
52.37%
684
47.63%
68
4.74%
1,436
Nevada
3,014
55.11%
2,455
44.89%
559
10.22%
5,469
Placer
1,987
61.71%
1,233
38.29%
754
23.42%
3,220
Plumas
712
56.24%
554
43.76%
158
12.48%
1,266
Sacramento
3,207
59.14%
2,216
40.86%
991
18.27%
5,423
San Bernardino
263
41.03%
378
58.97%
-115
-17.94%
641
San Diego
129
35.44%
235
64.56%
-106
-29.12%
364
San Francisco
12,183
47.29%
13,582
52.71%
-1,399
-5.43%
25,765
San Joaquin
2,101
52.95%
1,867
47.05%
234
5.90%
3,968
San Luis Obispo
372
51.88%
345
48.12%
27
3.77%
717
San Mateo
628
60.10%
417
39.90%
211
20.19%
1,045
Santa Barbara
428
58.71%
301
41.29%
127
17.42%
729
Santa Clara
2,307
49.75%
2,330
50.25%
-23
-0.50%
4,637
Santa Cruz
1,153
61.01%
737
38.99%
416
22.01%
1,890
Shasta
638
53.43%
556
46.57%
82
6.87%
1,194
Sierra
1,328
62.58%
794
37.42%
534
25.16%
2,122
Siskiyou
835
47.63%
918
52.37%
-83
-4.73%
1,753
Solano
1,541
51.64%
1,443
48.36%
98
3.28%
2,984
Sonoma
1,799
42.82%
2,402
57.18%
-603
-14.35%
4,201
Stanislaus
350
35.28%
642
64.72%
−292
−29.44%
992
Sutter
581
50.88%
561
49.12%
20
1.75%
1,142
Tehama
351
46.86%
398
53.14%
-47
-6.28%
749
Trinity
505
56.36%
391
43.64%
114
12.72%
896
Tulare
338
33.24%
679
66.76%
−341
−33.53%
1,017
Tuolumne
994
47.13%
1,115
52.87%
-121
-5.74%
2,109
Yolo
995
48.39%
1,061
51.61%
-66
-3.21%
2,056
Yuba
1,331
54.48%
1,112
45.82%
219
8.96%
2,443
Total
54,592
50.24%
54,078
49.76%
514
0.47%
108,670
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Notes
^ Combined total for "D.B. Hoffman" and "D.A. Hoffman". The split was 41,518 for D.B. Hoffman and 13,047 for D.A. Hoffman. The California Supreme Court ordered the Secretary of State to treat the votes for D.A. Hoffman as having been for D.B. Hoffman. Had these figures not been combined, Thomas J. Henley would have been elected instead.
^ Based on totals for highest elector on each ticket
^ Based on highest elector on each ticket
References
^ Abstract of votes polled at a General Election held throughout the State of California on Tuesday the third day of November AD 1868
^ "Official Vote of the State" . California Digital Newspaper Collection . Daily Alta California. December 2, 1868. Retrieved June 19, 2024 .