1908 United States presidential election in Indiana

Main article: 1908 United States presidential election
1908 United States presidential election in Indiana
← 1904 November 3, 1908 1912 →
 
Nominee William Howard Taft William Jennings Bryan
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Ohio Nebraska
Running mate James S. Sherman John W. Kern
Electoral vote 15 0
Popular vote 348,993 338,262
Percentage 48.40% 46.91%
County Results
President before election

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Elected President

William Howard Taft
Republican

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The 1908 United States presidential election in Indiana took place on November 3, 1908. Voters chose 15 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Ever since the Civil War, partisan alliances in Indiana had been related to history of White settlement, with most of Southern Indiana and German-settled counties voting strongly Democratic, opposed to Yankee-settled Northern Indiana which voted Republican.[1] Between the end of the Civil War and the end of the Third Party System, elections in the state were always very close; although the state become more Republican when William Jennings Bryan’s free silver policy drove conservative Democrats to the Republican party for the following two decades and would lead to him to lose to William McKinley in 1896 and 1900.[2] However, until Alton B. Parker lost the state by thirteen points in 1904, Indiana’s strong Southern leanings meant its Democratic counties remained very loyal and the state remained much closer than the other “Lower North” states of Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.[3]

For 1908, third-time Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan nominated, under the advice of future Vice President Thomas R. Marshall, former Indianapolis city solicitor John W. Kern as his running mate in an effort to capture this electorally crucial state that had not voted for a popular vote loser since 1848.[4] However, Republican nominee, Secretary of War William Howard Taft would nonetheless achieve the fourth consecutive Republican win in the state by the narrow margin of 1.49 percentage points.

Results

1908 United States presidential election in Indiana[5]
Party Candidate Running mate Popular vote Electoral vote
Count % Count %
Republican William Howard Taft of Ohio James Schoolcraft Sherman of New York 348,993 48.40% 15 100.00%
Democratic William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska John Worth Kern of Indiana 338,262 46.91% 0 0.00%
Prohibition Eugene Wilder Chafin of Illinois Aaron Sherman Watkins of Ohio 18,845 2.50% 0 0.00%
Socialist Eugene Victor Debs of Indiana Benjamin Hanford of New York 13,476 1.87% 0 0.00%
Populist Thomas Edward Watson of Georgia Samuel Williams of Indiana 1,193 0.17% 0 0.00%
Socialist Labor August Gillhaus of New York Donald L. Munro of Virginia 643 0.09% 0 0.00%
Independence Thomas Louis Hisgen of Massachusetts John Temple Graves of Georgia 514 0.07% 0 0.00%
Total 721,126 100.00% 15 100.00%

Results by county

1908 United States presidential election in Indiana by county
County William Howard Taft[6]
Republican 		William Jennings Bryan[6]
Democratic 		Eugene Wilder Chafin[6]
Prohibition 		Eugene V. Debs[6]
Socialist 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 1,726 32.63% 3,404 64.36% 141 2.67% 13 0.25% 5 0.09% -1,678 -31.73% 5,289
Allen 9,468 42.06% 12,145 53.95% 340 1.51% 494 2.19% 66 0.29% -2,677 -11.89% 22,513
Bartholomew 3,306 46.13% 3,637 50.75% 151 2.11% 59 0.82% 14 0.20% -331 -4.62% 7,167
Benton 1,936 53.48% 1,566 43.26% 103 2.85% 15 0.41% 0 0.00% 370 10.22% 3,620
Blackford 1,835 43.10% 2,214 52.00% 166 3.90% 42 0.99% 1 0.02% -379 -8.90% 4,258
Boone 3,471 48.22% 3,525 48.97% 166 2.31% 11 0.15% 25 0.35% -54 -0.75% 7,198
Brown 663 34.60% 1,177 61.43% 68 3.55% 5 0.26% 3 0.16% -514 -26.83% 1,916
Carroll 2,546 47.46% 2,590 48.28% 152 2.83% 68 1.27% 9 0.17% -44 -0.82% 5,365
Cass 4,700 45.44% 5,234 50.60% 349 3.37% 38 0.37% 23 0.22% -534 -5.16% 10,344
Clark 3,706 46.56% 4,085 51.33% 82 1.03% 68 0.85% 18 0.23% -379 -4.76% 7,959
Clay 3,766 43.79% 4,204 48.88% 110 1.28% 499 5.80% 22 0.26% -438 -5.09% 8,601
Clinton 3,626 47.20% 3,680 47.90% 281 3.66% 78 1.02% 17 0.22% -54 -0.70% 7,682
Crawford 1,403 44.50% 1,539 48.81% 126 4.00% 82 2.60% 3 0.10% -136 -4.31% 3,153
Daviess 3,424 48.38% 3,253 45.97% 134 1.89% 204 2.88% 62 0.88% 171 2.42% 7,077
De Kalb 2,991 42.41% 3,684 52.24% 287 4.07% 63 0.89% 27 0.38% -693 -9.83% 7,052
Dearborn 2,520 41.81% 3,365 55.83% 94 1.56% 41 0.68% 7 0.12% -845 -14.02% 6,027
Decatur 2,838 50.62% 2,564 45.73% 159 2.84% 39 0.70% 7 0.12% 274 4.89% 5,607
Delaware 7,014 51.29% 5,725 41.86% 475 3.47% 316 2.31% 146 1.07% 1,289 9.43% 13,676
Dubois 1,397 28.88% 3,344 69.12% 36 0.74% 58 1.20% 3 0.06% -1,947 -40.24% 4,838
Elkhart 6,245 48.19% 5,697 43.96% 596 4.60% 400 3.09% 21 0.16% 548 4.23% 12,959
Fayette 2,394 55.77% 1,700 39.60% 114 2.66% 81 1.89% 4 0.09% 694 16.17% 4,293
Floyd 3,431 43.85% 4,064 51.94% 94 1.20% 226 2.89% 10 0.13% -633 -8.09% 7,825
Fountain 2,894 48.90% 2,846 48.09% 122 2.06% 45 0.76% 11 0.19% 48 0.81% 5,918
Franklin 1,670 38.23% 2,616 59.89% 74 1.69% 7 0.16% 1 0.02% -946 -21.66% 4,368
Fulton 2,426 49.34% 2,350 47.79% 125 2.54% 13 0.26% 3 0.06% 76 1.55% 4,917
Gibson 3,753 48.44% 3,656 47.19% 241 3.11% 86 1.11% 11 0.14% 97 1.25% 7,747
Grant 7,181 49.42% 5,819 40.05% 1,140 7.85% 339 2.33% 52 0.36% 1,362 9.37% 14,531
Greene 4,145 44.17% 4,172 44.45% 84 0.90% 930 9.91% 54 0.58% -27 -0.29% 9,385
Hamilton 4,421 56.48% 2,947 37.65% 435 5.56% 24 0.31% 1 0.01% 1,474 18.83% 7,828
Hancock 2,472 43.50% 3,040 53.49% 146 2.57% 22 0.39% 3 0.05% -568 -9.99% 5,683
Harrison 2,419 46.17% 2,646 50.51% 100 1.91% 67 1.28% 7 0.13% -227 -4.33% 5,239
Hendricks 3,231 54.28% 2,571 43.19% 146 2.45% 0 0.00% 5 0.08% 660 11.09% 5,953
Henry 4,358 54.63% 3,197 40.07% 332 4.16% 61 0.76% 30 0.38% 1,161 14.55% 7,978
Howard 4,423 50.60% 3,497 40.01% 550 6.29% 255 2.92% 16 0.18% 926 10.59% 8,741
Huntington 3,973 47.62% 3,712 44.49% 405 4.85% 241 2.89% 13 0.16% 261 3.13% 8,344
Jackson 2,631 39.93% 3,783 57.41% 140 2.12% 30 0.46% 5 0.08% -1,152 -17.48% 6,589
Jasper 1,939 55.19% 1,495 42.56% 70 1.99% 7 0.20% 2 0.06% 444 12.64% 3,513
Jay 3,256 45.75% 3,370 47.35% 426 5.99% 53 0.74% 12 0.17% -114 -1.60% 7,117
Jefferson 2,995 50.06% 2,708 45.26% 176 2.94% 97 1.62% 7 0.12% 287 4.80% 5,983
Jennings 2,100 51.23% 1,871 45.65% 101 2.46% 21 0.51% 6 0.15% 229 5.59% 4,099
Johnson 2,519 42.04% 3,268 54.54% 193 3.22% 9 0.15% 3 0.05% -749 -12.50% 5,992
Knox 4,247 42.53% 5,116 51.24% 199 1.99% 375 3.76% 48 0.48% -869 -8.70% 9,985
Kosciusko 4,377 54.45% 3,362 41.82% 233 2.90% 54 0.67% 13 0.16% 1,015 12.63% 8,039
La Porte 5,824 49.52% 5,680 48.30% 126 1.07% 103 0.88% 27 0.23% 144 1.22% 11,760
Lagrange 2,357 60.13% 1,414 36.07% 133 3.39% 10 0.26% 6 0.15% 943 24.06% 3,920
Lake 9,499 60.97% 5,502 35.32% 125 0.80% 303 1.94% 150 0.96% 3,997 25.66% 15,579
Lawrence 3,884 53.77% 3,118 43.16% 93 1.29% 119 1.65% 10 0.14% 766 10.60% 7,224
Madison 7,481 43.48% 8,296 48.22% 497 2.89% 894 5.20% 36 0.21% -815 -4.74% 17,204
Marion 34,351 48.67% 34,078 48.28% 839 1.19% 1,075 1.52% 237 0.34% 273 0.39% 70,580
Marshall 2,947 45.31% 3,287 50.54% 199 3.06% 55 0.85% 16 0.25% -340 -5.23% 6,504
Martin 1,667 48.35% 1,733 50.26% 34 0.99% 11 0.32% 3 0.09% -66 -1.91% 3,448
Miami 3,820 45.26% 4,176 49.48% 233 2.76% 187 2.22% 24 0.28% -356 -4.22% 8,440
Monroe 3,051 51.48% 2,780 46.91% 77 1.30% 14 0.24% 4 0.07% 271 4.57% 5,926
Montgomery 4,427 49.64% 4,227 47.39% 195 2.19% 44 0.49% 26 0.29% 200 2.24% 8,919
Morgan 3,074 50.98% 2,789 46.25% 121 2.01% 44 0.73% 2 0.03% 285 4.73% 6,030
Newton 1,645 56.47% 1,190 40.85% 65 2.23% 8 0.27% 5 0.17% 455 15.62% 2,913
Noble 3,507 50.72% 3,249 46.99% 120 1.74% 29 0.42% 9 0.13% 258 3.73% 6,914
Ohio 619 49.13% 622 49.37% 16 1.27% 3 0.24% 0 0.00% -3 -0.24% 1,260
Orange 2,433 53.92% 1,961 43.46% 70 1.55% 44 0.98% 4 0.09% 472 10.46% 4,512
Owen 1,726 44.53% 2,023 52.19% 61 1.57% 51 1.32% 15 0.39% -297 -7.66% 3,876
Parke 3,026 48.35% 2,707 43.25% 315 5.03% 204 3.26% 7 0.11% 319 5.10% 6,259
Perry 1,903 43.93% 2,356 54.39% 34 0.78% 37 0.85% 2 0.05% -453 -10.46% 4,332
Pike 2,359 47.88% 2,360 47.90% 59 1.20% 131 2.66% 18 0.37% -1 -0.02% 4,927
Porter 2,940 59.88% 1,789 36.44% 78 1.59% 59 1.20% 44 0.90% 1,151 23.44% 4,910
Posey 2,444 42.49% 3,084 53.62% 147 2.56% 69 1.20% 8 0.14% -640 -11.13% 5,752
Pulaski 1,561 44.20% 1,832 51.87% 101 2.86% 14 0.40% 24 0.68% -271 -7.67% 3,532
Putnam 2,626 44.31% 3,131 52.83% 121 2.04% 36 0.61% 12 0.20% -505 -8.52% 5,926
Randolph 4,792 60.90% 2,600 33.05% 380 4.83% 87 1.11% 9 0.11% 2,192 27.86% 7,868
Ripley 2,660 47.65% 2,749 49.25% 88 1.58% 76 1.36% 9 0.16% -89 -1.59% 5,582
Rush 3,102 52.96% 2,544 43.44% 191 3.26% 13 0.22% 7 0.12% 558 9.53% 5,857
Scott 979 42.96% 1,243 54.54% 51 2.24% 3 0.13% 3 0.13% -264 -11.58% 2,279
Shelby 3,529 44.54% 4,035 50.93% 252 3.18% 95 1.20% 12 0.15% -506 -6.39% 7,923
Spencer 2,920 51.54% 2,662 46.98% 61 1.08% 18 0.32% 5 0.09% 258 4.55% 5,666
St. Joseph 11,222 53.92% 8,562 41.14% 272 1.31% 705 3.39% 52 0.25% 2,660 12.78% 20,813
Starke 1,521 52.18% 1,305 44.77% 43 1.48% 39 1.34% 7 0.24% 216 7.41% 2,915
Steuben 2,704 62.00% 1,453 33.32% 182 4.17% 13 0.30% 9 0.21% 1,251 28.69% 4,361
Sullivan 2,942 35.67% 4,657 56.46% 225 2.73% 398 4.83% 26 0.32% -1,715 -20.79% 8,248
Switzerland 1,444 47.27% 1,537 50.31% 58 1.90% 14 0.46% 2 0.07% -93 -3.04% 3,055
Tippecanoe 6,164 53.42% 4,984 43.19% 289 2.50% 65 0.56% 37 0.32% 1,180 10.23% 11,539
Tipton 2,395 46.45% 2,556 49.57% 183 3.55% 13 0.25% 9 0.17% -161 -3.12% 5,156
Union 1,066 54.25% 808 41.12% 73 3.72% 18 0.92% 0 0.00% 258 13.13% 1,965
Vanderburgh 9,116 49.43% 8,033 43.56% 135 0.73% 1,034 5.61% 125 0.68% 1,083 5.87% 18,443
Vermillion 2,568 50.83% 1,844 36.50% 217 4.30% 407 8.06% 16 0.32% 724 14.33% 5,052
Vigo 10,223 45.76% 10,685 47.82% 257 1.15% 690 3.09% 487 2.18% -462 -2.07% 22,342
Wabash 4,091 53.55% 3,116 40.79% 337 4.41% 87 1.14% 9 0.12% 975 12.76% 7,640
Warren 2,092 65.09% 1,045 32.51% 70 2.18% 3 0.09% 4 0.12% 1,047 32.58% 3,214
Warrick 2,839 48.37% 2,782 47.40% 138 2.35% 101 1.72% 9 0.15% 57 0.97% 5,869
Washington 1,976 42.58% 2,573 55.44% 74 1.59% 12 0.26% 6 0.13% -597 -12.86% 4,641
Wayne 6,731 57.34% 4,503 38.36% 179 1.52% 308 2.62% 17 0.14% 2,228 18.98% 11,738
Wells 2,185 35.92% 3,345 54.99% 482 7.92% 65 1.07% 6 0.10% -1,160 -19.07% 6,083
White 2,423 49.26% 2,326 47.29% 144 2.93% 19 0.39% 7 0.14% 97 1.97% 4,919
Whitley 2,302 46.57% 2,493 50.43% 134 2.71% 13 0.26% 1 0.02% -191 -3.86% 4,943
Totals 348,993 48.40% 338,262 46.91% 18,036 2.50% 13,476 1.87% 2,359 0.33% 10,731 1.49% 721,126

See also

References

  1. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 343 ISBN 9780691163246
  2. ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 352
  3. ^ Menendez, Albert J. (2005). The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. McFarland. p. 37. ISBN 0786422173.
  4. ^ Southwick, Leslie H. (1998). Presidential also-rans and running mates, 1788 through 1996 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. pp. 457–458. ISBN 0-7864-0310-1. OCLC 37379896.
  5. ^ "1908 Presidential General Election Results — Indiana". U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1908". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)