1956 United States presidential election

Presidential Candidate	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote	Pct	Party	Running Mate (Electoral Votes)
Dwight David Eisenhower of Pennsylvania (W)	457	35,581,003	57.4%	Republican	Richard Milhous Nixon of California (457)
Adlai Ewing Stevenson III of Illinois	73	25,738,765	42.0%	Democrat	(Carey) Estes Kefauver of Tennessee (73)
Walter Burgwyn Jones of Alabama	1		0.3%		Herman Talmadge of Georgia (1)
Other
Total			100.0%
Other elections: 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968
Source: U.S. Office of the Federal Register

Notes:

An Alabama elector voted for Jones and Talmadge.

Introduction

In 1956 the Eisenhower administration remained popular with the public after his first term.

Racial segregation was a hot topic. After debate, both major parties endorsed planks giving lukewarm support for the right of the Supreme Courtto decide issues like Brown v. Board of Education as to school desegregation; groups of delegates failed to get planks endorsing end to Jim Crow laws on one hand or support for continuing segregation on the other.

Republican Nomination

Although there was some speculation that Eisenhower would not run for a second term due to ill health, he did seek the nomination and won with little opposition. The Republican Party convention was held in San Francisco, California.

Democratic Nomination

Losing 1952 nominee Adlai Stevenson fought a tight battle with populist Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver for the nomination. In the end Stevenson won and chose Kefauver as his running mate.

General Election

Stevenson campaigned hard against Eisenhower, with television ads for the first time being the dominant medium for both sides. The most notable ad for "Ike" Eisenhower was an issue-free feel-good animated cartoon with a soundtrack song by Irving Berlin called I Like Ike.

Stevenson proposed significant increases in social programs and treaties with the Soviet Union to lower military spending and nuclear testing on both sides. However, Eisenhower was highly popular and maintained a comfortable lead throughout the campaign.

In the end Eisenhower won with a large lead in the popular vote and the electoral votes of 41 states.