1916 United States presidential election in Kentucky

Main article: 1916 United States presidential election
1916 United States presidential election in Kentucky
← 1912 November 7, 1916 1920 →
All 13 Kentucky votes to the Electoral College
 
Nominee Woodrow Wilson Charles Evans Hughes
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New Jersey New York
Running mate Thomas R. Marshall Charles W. Fairbanks
Electoral vote 13 0
Popular vote 269,990 241,854
Percentage 51.91% 46.50%
County Results
President before election

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

Elected President

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

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The 1916 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 7, 1916, as part of the 1916 United States presidential election. Voters chose thirteen representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for 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 had carried the state only once[2] – by a very narrow margin in 1896[3] when northern parts of the state were affected by hostility towards William Jennings Bryan, and state native John M. Palmer drew votes from the Democrats.[4]

Unlike the other former Confederate states, Kentucky was not able to disfranchise its relatively small black population which had shrunk significantly in the late nineteenth century due to migration out of the South, in the 1900s,[5] and this helped the Republicans carry the governorship in 1907 and narrowly fail to do so in 1915. Reunited after the 1912 debacle between William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt, the GOP under Charles Evans Hughes visited the state in September and thought it could win a substantial plurality.[6] Wilson also visited Kentucky in September,[7] though for a large part of the fall the Republicans continued to believe they possessed a chance of carrying Kentucky's thirteen electoral votes,[8] after another campaign tour with Theodore Roosevelt.[9] However, by the second week of October, polls were suggesting that Wilson would comfortably carry Kentucky.[10] By the end of the month, polls suggested that Wilson had five-eighths of the vote over Hughes,[11] which if maintained would have been the best Democratic performance in the state between 1872 and 1960.[3]

Ultimately, Wilson carried the state by 5.41 percent, an improvement of around three points on the narrow victories of Alton B. Parker and William Jennings Bryan in Kentucky's previous three two-party contests, although much less than the final polls.

Results

Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV)
Woodrow Wilson Thomas R. Marshall Democratic 13[12] 269,990 51.91%
Charles Evans Hughes Charles W. Fairbanks Republican 0 241,854 46.50%
Allan L. Benson George Ross Kirkpatrick Socialist 0 4,734 0.91%
Frank Hanly Ira Landrith Prohibition 0 3,036 0.58%
Arthur E. Reimer Caleb Harrison Socialist Labor 0 333[a] 0.06%
No candidate — Progressive 0 122[a] 0.02%

Results by county

1916 United States presidential election in Kentucky by county[13][14]
County Thomas Woodrow Wilson
Democratic 		Charles Evans Hughes
Republican 		Allan Louis Benson
Socialist 		James Franklin Hanly
Prohibition 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Adair 1,675 47.14% 1,863 52.43% 1 0.03% 14 0.39% -188 -5.29% 3,553
Allen 1,647 42.98% 2,147 56.03% 4 0.10% 34 0.89% -500 -13.05% 3,832
Anderson 1,521 58.21% 1,065 40.76% 1 0.04% 26 1.00% 456 17.45% 2,613
Ballard 2,222 74.02% 692 23.05% 75 2.50% 13 0.43% 1,530 50.97% 3,002
Barren 3,370 57.24% 2,462 41.81% 23 0.39% 33 0.56% 908 15.42% 5,888
Bath 1,796 56.48% 1,360 42.77% 8 0.25% 16 0.50% 436 13.71% 3,180
Bell 1,373 28.80% 3,321 69.67% 54 1.13% 19 0.40% -1,948 -40.86% 4,767
Boone 2,008 78.81% 531 20.84% 0 0.00% 9 0.35% 1,477 57.97% 2,548
Bourbon 2,715 55.18% 2,167 44.04% 7 0.14% 31 0.63% 548 11.14% 4,920
Boyd 2,738 47.68% 2,883 50.20% 62 1.08% 60 1.04% -145 -2.52% 5,743
Boyle 2,052 57.45% 1,494 41.83% 3 0.08% 23 0.64% 558 15.62% 3,572
Bracken 1,676 59.37% 1,082 38.33% 47 1.66% 18 0.64% 594 21.04% 2,823
Breathitt 2,067 56.23% 1,584 43.09% 3 0.08% 22 0.60% 483 13.14% 3,676
Breckinridge 2,172 45.35% 2,549 53.23% 13 0.27% 55 1.15% -377 -7.87% 4,789
Bullitt 1,508 64.39% 826 35.27% 1 0.04% 7 0.30% 682 29.12% 2,342
Butler 1,158 31.75% 2,456 67.34% 10 0.27% 23 0.63% -1,298 -35.59% 3,647
Caldwell 1,605 48.01% 1,672 50.01% 49 1.47% 17 0.51% -67 -2.00% 3,343
Calloway 3,334 73.88% 1,026 22.73% 135 2.99% 18 0.40% 2,308 51.14% 4,513
Campbell 7,290 53.62% 5,696 41.90% 513 3.77% 96 0.71% 1,594 11.72% 13,595
Carlisle 1,646 75.33% 494 22.61% 33 1.51% 12 0.55% 1,152 52.72% 2,185
Carroll 1,757 76.03% 535 23.15% 1 0.04% 18 0.78% 1,222 52.88% 2,311
Carter 1,954 40.55% 2,818 58.48% 19 0.39% 28 0.58% -864 -17.93% 4,819
Casey 1,352 40.49% 1,949 58.37% 8 0.24% 30 0.90% -597 -17.88% 3,339
Christian 3,644 43.71% 4,594 55.11% 54 0.65% 44 0.53% -950 -11.40% 8,336
Clark 2,620 59.71% 1,731 39.45% 6 0.14% 31 0.71% 889 20.26% 4,388
Clay 820 26.43% 2,271 73.21% 5 0.16% 6 0.19% -1,451 -46.78% 3,102
Clinton 379 22.93% 1,260 76.23% 0 0.00% 14 0.85% -881 -53.30% 1,653
Crittenden 1,455 44.20% 1,794 54.50% 19 0.58% 24 0.73% -339 -10.30% 3,292
Cumberland 653 31.67% 1,394 67.60% 0 0.00% 15 0.73% -741 -35.94% 2,062
Daviess 5,396 56.37% 4,078 42.60% 29 0.30% 70 0.73% 1,318 13.77% 9,573
Edmonson 935 40.74% 1,339 58.34% 7 0.31% 14 0.61% -404 -17.60% 2,295
Elliott 1,151 68.23% 525 31.12% 1 0.06% 10 0.59% 626 37.11% 1,687
Estill 1,180 43.30% 1,524 55.93% 0 0.00% 21 0.77% -344 -12.62% 2,725
Fayette 6,348 53.30% 5,472 45.95% 19 0.16% 70 0.59% 876 7.36% 11,909
Fleming 2,240 54.41% 1,836 44.60% 1 0.02% 40 0.97% 404 9.81% 4,117
Floyd 2,217 54.53% 1,823 44.84% 16 0.39% 10 0.25% 394 9.69% 4,066
Franklin 3,345 69.67% 1,426 29.70% 12 0.25% 18 0.37% 1,919 39.97% 4,801
Fulton 2,200 73.53% 747 24.97% 17 0.57% 28 0.94% 1,453 48.56% 2,992
Gallatin 1,060 78.69% 283 21.01% 0 0.00% 4 0.30% 777 57.68% 1,347
Garrard 1,375 45.42% 1,628 53.78% 4 0.13% 20 0.66% -253 -8.36% 3,027
Grant 1,841 62.24% 1,078 36.44% 3 0.10% 36 1.22% 763 25.79% 2,958
Graves 5,197 71.44% 1,930 26.53% 131 1.80% 17 0.23% 3,267 44.91% 7,275
Grayson 1,953 44.77% 2,368 54.29% 13 0.30% 28 0.64% -415 -9.51% 4,362
Green 1,239 46.40% 1,412 52.88% 0 0.00% 19 0.71% -173 -6.48% 2,670
Greenup 1,820 48.34% 1,821 48.37% 92 2.44% 32 0.85% -1 -0.03% 3,765
Hancock 833 46.41% 918 51.14% 32 1.78% 12 0.67% -85 -4.74% 1,795
Hardin 3,272 63.08% 1,887 36.38% 16 0.31% 12 0.23% 1,385 26.70% 5,187
Harlan 690 20.09% 2,670 77.73% 53 1.54% 22 0.64% -1,980 -57.64% 3,435
Harrison 2,778 65.43% 1,409 33.18% 7 0.16% 52 1.22% 1,369 32.24% 4,246
Hart 2,048 49.53% 2,031 49.12% 36 0.87% 20 0.48% 17 0.41% 4,135
Henderson 3,699 60.73% 2,218 36.41% 125 2.05% 49 0.80% 1,481 24.31% 6,091
Henry 2,595 66.11% 1,302 33.17% 5 0.13% 23 0.59% 1,293 32.94% 3,925
Hickman 1,982 77.42% 539 21.05% 24 0.94% 15 0.59% 1,443 56.37% 2,560
Hopkins 3,757 50.06% 3,615 48.17% 102 1.36% 31 0.41% 142 1.89% 7,505
Jackson 252 11.26% 1,968 87.90% 3 0.13% 16 0.71% -1,716 -76.64% 2,239
Jefferson 28,840 49.46% 28,386 48.68% 883 1.51% 205 0.35% 454 0.78% 58,314
Jessamine 1,727 55.39% 1,326 42.53% 0 0.00% 65 2.08% 401 12.86% 3,118
Johnson 1,253 32.84% 2,500 65.51% 41 1.07% 22 0.58% -1,247 -32.68% 3,816
Kenton 10,402 64.28% 5,267 32.55% 411 2.54% 103 0.64% 5,135 31.73% 16,183
Knott 1,454 71.66% 571 28.14% 0 0.00% 4 0.20% 883 43.52% 2,029
Knox 1,126 25.81% 3,192 73.18% 24 0.55% 20 0.46% -2,066 -47.36% 4,362
Larue 1,350 58.72% 936 40.71% 1 0.04% 12 0.52% 414 18.01% 2,299
Laurel 1,171 32.08% 2,383 65.29% 78 2.14% 18 0.49% -1,212 -33.21% 3,650
Lawrence 1,910 49.20% 1,928 49.67% 18 0.46% 26 0.67% -18 -0.46% 3,882
Lee 793 40.86% 1,135 58.48% 1 0.05% 12 0.62% -342 -17.62% 1,941
Leslie 133 8.04% 1,516 91.60% 2 0.12% 4 0.24% -1,383 -83.56% 1,655
Letcher 1,121 33.32% 2,220 65.99% 12 0.36% 11 0.33% -1,099 -32.67% 3,364
Lewis 1,276 34.40% 2,324 62.66% 69 1.86% 40 1.08% -1,048 -28.26% 3,709
Lincoln 2,212 53.22% 1,868 44.95% 41 0.99% 35 0.84% 344 8.28% 4,156
Livingston 1,287 55.84% 923 40.04% 83 3.60% 12 0.52% 364 15.79% 2,305
Logan 3,373 56.71% 2,501 42.05% 31 0.52% 43 0.72% 872 14.66% 5,948
Lyon 1,191 60.77% 748 38.16% 9 0.46% 12 0.61% 443 22.60% 1,960
Madison 3,295 51.94% 3,017 47.56% 10 0.16% 22 0.35% 278 4.38% 6,344
Magoffin 1,433 47.83% 1,535 51.23% 5 0.17% 23 0.77% -102 -3.40% 2,996
Marion 2,063 59.33% 1,396 40.15% 3 0.09% 15 0.43% 667 19.18% 3,477
Marshall 2,263 64.11% 1,201 34.02% 46 1.30% 20 0.57% 1,062 30.08% 3,530
Martin 280 19.96% 1,100 78.40% 15 1.07% 8 0.57% -820 -58.45% 1,403
Mason 2,820 56.40% 2,127 42.54% 7 0.14% 46 0.92% 693 13.86% 5,000
McCracken 4,356 56.92% 3,058 39.96% 211 2.76% 28 0.37% 1,298 16.96% 7,653
McCreary 324 16.36% 1,630 82.28% 22 1.11% 5 0.25% -1,306 -65.93% 1,981
McLean 1,589 51.37% 1,439 46.52% 41 1.33% 24 0.78% 150 4.85% 3,093
Meade 1,317 60.86% 803 37.11% 36 1.66% 8 0.37% 514 23.75% 2,164
Menifee 730 66.36% 369 33.55% 1 0.09% 0 0.00% 361 32.82% 1,100
Mercer 2,093 57.20% 1,531 41.84% 4 0.11% 31 0.85% 562 15.36% 3,659
Metcalfe 1,046 48.16% 1,107 50.97% 4 0.18% 15 0.69% -61 -2.81% 2,172
Monroe 882 30.43% 2,008 69.29% 1 0.03% 7 0.24% -1,126 -38.85% 2,898
Montgomery 1,705 58.33% 1,195 40.88% 12 0.41% 11 0.38% 510 17.45% 2,923
Morgan 2,319 66.97% 1,123 32.43% 7 0.20% 14 0.40% 1,196 34.54% 3,463
Muhlenberg 2,900 43.93% 3,533 53.52% 146 2.21% 22 0.33% -633 -9.59% 6,601
Nelson 2,639 62.54% 1,546 36.64% 4 0.09% 31 0.73% 1,093 25.90% 4,220
Nicholas 1,829 64.67% 964 34.09% 6 0.21% 29 1.03% 865 30.59% 2,828
Ohio 2,723 43.83% 3,286 52.89% 156 2.51% 48 0.77% -563 -9.06% 6,213
Oldham 1,455 68.76% 642 30.34% 5 0.24% 14 0.66% 813 38.42% 2,116
Owen 2,911 80.70% 663 18.38% 10 0.28% 23 0.64% 2,248 62.32% 3,607
Owsley 197 14.25% 1,173 84.88% 3 0.22% 9 0.65% -976 -70.62% 1,382
Pendleton 1,728 58.12% 1,206 40.57% 13 0.44% 26 0.87% 522 17.56% 2,973
Perry 904 28.25% 2,217 69.28% 53 1.66% 26 0.81% -1,313 -41.03% 3,200
Pike 3,414 44.34% 4,212 54.71% 31 0.40% 42 0.55% -798 -10.36% 7,699
Powell 757 56.32% 587 43.68% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 170 12.65% 1,344
Pulaski 2,531 37.54% 4,136 61.35% 16 0.24% 59 0.88% -1,605 -23.81% 6,742
Robertson 663 61.22% 415 38.32% 0 0.00% 5 0.46% 248 22.90% 1,083
Rockcastle 968 33.21% 1,932 66.28% 8 0.27% 7 0.24% -964 -33.07% 2,915
Rowan 881 47.91% 941 51.17% 5 0.27% 12 0.65% -60 -3.26% 1,839
Russell 859 39.30% 1,298 59.38% 5 0.23% 24 1.10% -439 -20.08% 2,186
Scott 2,611 63.30% 1,486 36.02% 7 0.17% 21 0.51% 1,125 27.27% 4,125
Shelby 2,919 60.76% 1,863 38.78% 5 0.10% 17 0.35% 1,056 21.98% 4,804
Simpson 1,887 66.03% 955 33.41% 5 0.17% 11 0.38% 932 32.61% 2,858
Spencer 1,271 68.00% 591 31.62% 1 0.05% 6 0.32% 680 36.38% 1,869
Taylor 1,360 50.07% 1,332 49.04% 5 0.18% 19 0.70% 28 1.03% 2,716
Todd 2,051 54.24% 1,671 44.19% 28 0.74% 31 0.82% 380 10.05% 3,781
Trigg 1,722 51.73% 1,533 46.05% 60 1.80% 14 0.42% 189 5.68% 3,329
Trimble 1,319 82.23% 259 16.15% 5 0.31% 21 1.31% 1,060 66.08% 1,604
Union 2,754 68.99% 1,184 29.66% 49 1.23% 5 0.13% 1,570 39.33% 3,992
Warren 4,228 57.96% 3,002 41.15% 11 0.15% 54 0.74% 1,226 16.81% 7,295
Washington 1,654 49.77% 1,654 49.77% 3 0.09% 12 0.36% 0 0.00% 3,323
Wayne 1,373 45.25% 1,638 53.99% 1 0.03% 22 0.73% -265 -8.73% 3,034
Webster 2,673 55.65% 2,082 43.35% 20 0.42% 28 0.58% 591 12.30% 4,803
Whitley 1,171 22.79% 3,919 76.27% 33 0.64% 15 0.29% -2,748 -53.48% 5,138
Wolfe 1,108 62.99% 645 36.67% 0 0.00% 6 0.34% 463 26.32% 1,759
Woodford 1,786 57.50% 1,300 41.85% 9 0.29% 11 0.35% 486 15.65% 3,106
Totals 269,990 51.91% 241,854 46.50% 4,734 0.91% 3,036 0.58% 28,136 5.41% 520,069

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Totals for this candidate were not separated by county but only listed as a statewide total which is included in the statewide aggregate below.

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 "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Kentucky". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
  4. ^ Harrison, Lowell Hayes (October 31, 2018). A New History of Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky. p. 268. ISBN 9780813176307.
  5. ^ Klotter, Jeames C. Kentucky: Portrait in Paradox, 1900-1950. pp. 196–197. ISBN 0916968243.
  6. ^ "Make Railroad Bill a Republican Issue: Hughes Managers Are Canvassing Sentiment on Law Among Labor Men". New York Times. September 6, 1916. p. 1.
  7. ^ "20,000 Cheer Speech as Wilson Accepts: Formally Opens Campaign by Defending His Policies. Demands "Big America", Calls Republican Party "a Practical and Moral Failure"". The Washington Post. September 3, 1916. p. A1.
  8. ^ Curtis, Sumner (October 7, 1916). "Campaign Keyed High: Contest Becoming More Complex as It Progresses". Special to the Washington Post. p. 1.
  9. ^ "Seven Roosevelt Speeches Pledged: Colonel Will Make Special Effort, with Mr. Hughes, in Kentucky". New York Times. October 10, 1916. p. 24.
  10. ^ "Wilson Making Gains: Nation-wide Poll Shows Swing Toward the President". Special to the Washington Post. October 8, 1916. p. 8.
  11. ^ "Wilson Retains Lead in Kentucky and Tennessee". New York Times. October 29, 1916. p. 16.
  12. ^ "1916 Presidential General Election Results – Kentucky". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
  13. ^ "1916 Presidential Election Popular Vote". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €15)
  14. ^ "Popular Vote for Allan Louis Benson". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €15)