1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

← 1892 November 3, 1896 1900 →
 
Nominee William McKinley William Jennings Bryan
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Ohio Nebraska
Running mate Garret Hobart Arthur Sewall
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 268,135 165,523
Percentage 59.93% 37.00%

County Results

President before election

Grover Cleveland
Democratic

Elected President

William McKinley
Republican

The 1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1896, as part of the 1896 United States presidential election. State voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Wisconsin during the Third Party System was a Republican-leaning but competitive state whereby historically anti-Civil War German Catholic counties stood opposed to highly pro-war and firmly Republican Yankee areas.[1] The German Catholics’ Democratic loyalties were related to their opposition to Republican pietism and to the fact that during the Civil War, they had been extremely hostile to Abraham Lincoln’s wartime draft policies which often singled them out.[1]

Four years prior had seen, aided by favorable demographic shifts,[2] opposition to the notorious “Bennett Law” requiring attendance at public schools,[3] and a shift of some GOP voters to Prohibition Party nominee John Bidwell, Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland carry the state for the first time since before the Republican Party was formed. However, expectations that demographic shifts would favor the Democrats were rudely crushed in 1894, when the Republicans took every Congressional seat in the state. President Cleveland became extremely unpopular and the Democratic Party turned towards the Populist movement active in the West in order to revive its fortunes. While the Populist movement would gain almost universal acceptance in the silver mining West, its inflationary monetary policies were opposed by almost all urban classes and viewed as dangerously radical by rural German Catholics,[4] with free silver being condemned by the Church hierarchy.[5]

Early polls always had Wisconsin strong for Republican nominee William McKinley, with his supporters saying it would be one of the most Republican states despite voting Democratic in 1892.[6] During his fall tour of the Midwest, Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan made fifteen speeches, but was disturbed by a member of McKinley's club,[7] who attempted to mob Bryan in Janesville.[8]

As it turned out, McKinley would carry Wisconsin handsomely by over one hundred thousand votes and by a margin of 22.93%. Wisconsin would be McKinley's strongest state outside the Northeast.[9]

Bryan would lose Wisconsin to McKinley again four years later and would later lose the state again in 1908 to William Howard Taft.

Results[edit]

1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[10]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican William McKinley 268,135 59.93% 12
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 165,523 37.00% 0
Prohibition Joshua Levering 7,507 1.68% 0
National Democratic John M. Palmer 4,584 1.02% 0
Socialist Labor Charles H. Matchett 1,314 0.29% 0
National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley 346 0.08% 0
Totals 447,409 100.0% 12

Results by county[edit]

1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin by county[11]
County William McKinley
Republican
William Jennings Bryan
Democratic
Joshua Levering
Prohibition
John McAuley Palmer
National Democratic
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 1,432 76.74% 391 20.95% 27 1.45% 16 0.86% 0 0.00% 1,041 55.79% 1,866
Ashland 2,738 59.70% 1,743 38.01% 60 1.31% 26 0.57% 19 0.41% 995 21.70% 4,586
Barron 2,772 64.74% 1,324 30.92% 155 3.62% 27 0.63% 4 0.09% 1,448 33.82% 4,282
Bayfield 2,244 72.57% 770 24.90% 59 1.91% 13 0.42% 6 0.19% 1,474 47.67% 3,092
Brown 5,436 57.51% 3,841 40.64% 88 0.93% 69 0.73% 18 0.19% 1,595 16.87% 9,452
Buffalo 2,301 61.89% 1,302 35.02% 61 1.64% 51 1.37% 3 0.08% 999 26.87% 3,718
Burnett 800 67.51% 349 29.45% 28 2.36% 4 0.34% 4 0.34% 451 38.06% 1,185
Calumet 1,547 44.53% 1,869 53.80% 28 0.81% 27 0.78% 3 0.09% -322 -9.27% 3,474
Chippewa 3,601 54.09% 2,929 44.00% 84 1.26% 35 0.53% 8 0.12% 672 10.09% 6,657
Clark 3,328 69.41% 1,318 27.49% 97 2.02% 39 0.81% 13 0.27% 2,010 41.92% 4,795
Columbia 4,845 63.57% 2,380 31.23% 280 3.67% 108 1.42% 9 0.12% 2,465 32.34% 7,622
Crawford 2,323 59.61% 1,509 38.72% 38 0.98% 24 0.62% 3 0.08% 814 20.89% 3,897
Dane 9,080 56.10% 6,521 40.29% 410 2.53% 159 0.98% 16 0.10% 2,559 15.81% 16,186
Dodge 5,610 51.55% 4,900 45.03% 120 1.10% 236 2.17% 16 0.15% 710 6.52% 10,882
Door 2,402 71.30% 895 26.57% 49 1.45% 21 0.62% 2 0.06% 1,507 44.73% 3,369
Douglas 4,274 61.45% 2,527 36.33% 96 1.38% 48 0.69% 10 0.14% 1,747 25.12% 6,955
Dunn 3,370 67.94% 1,418 28.59% 131 2.64% 33 0.67% 8 0.16% 1,952 39.35% 4,960
Eau Claire 4,522 63.42% 2,364 33.16% 186 2.61% 52 0.73% 6 0.08% 2,158 30.27% 7,130
Florence 488 78.08% 129 20.64% 6 0.96% 2 0.32% 0 0.00% 359 57.44% 625
Fond du Lac 6,174 54.15% 4,933 43.27% 157 1.38% 128 1.12% 9 0.08% 1,241 10.89% 11,401
Forest 406 68.01% 172 28.81% 15 2.51% 2 0.34% 2 0.34% 234 39.20% 597
Grant 5,315 57.40% 3,683 39.77% 188 2.03% 67 0.72% 7 0.08% 1,632 17.62% 9,260
Green 3,093 54.72% 2,339 41.38% 158 2.80% 53 0.94% 9 0.16% 754 13.34% 5,652
Green Lake 2,103 55.69% 1,568 41.53% 61 1.62% 32 0.85% 12 0.32% 535 14.17% 3,776
Iowa 3,115 57.42% 2,060 37.97% 174 3.21% 61 1.12% 15 0.28% 1,055 19.45% 5,425
Iron 1,288 72.04% 472 26.40% 26 1.45% 0 0.00% 2 0.11% 816 45.64% 1,788
Jackson 2,710 74.57% 778 21.41% 98 2.70% 39 1.07% 9 0.25% 1,932 53.16% 3,634
Jefferson 4,344 52.61% 3,504 42.44% 138 1.67% 263 3.19% 8 0.10% 840 10.17% 8,257
Juneau 2,832 61.49% 1,671 36.28% 59 1.28% 35 0.76% 9 0.20% 1,161 25.21% 4,606
Kenosha 2,827 60.54% 1,732 37.09% 40 0.86% 62 1.33% 9 0.19% 1,095 23.45% 4,670
Kewaunee 1,835 51.11% 1,649 45.93% 14 0.39% 91 2.53% 1 0.03% 186 5.18% 3,590
La Crosse 6,297 64.58% 3,058 31.36% 161 1.65% 225 2.31% 10 0.10% 3,239 33.22% 9,751
Lafayette 2,919 54.74% 2,236 41.94% 114 2.14% 59 1.11% 4 0.08% 683 12.81% 5,332
Langlade 1,457 58.80% 956 38.58% 23 0.93% 38 1.53% 4 0.16% 501 20.22% 2,478
Lincoln 1,706 47.69% 1,802 50.38% 44 1.23% 21 0.59% 4 0.11% -96 -2.68% 3,577
Manitowoc 4,430 51.57% 3,919 45.62% 62 0.72% 164 1.91% 16 0.19% 511 5.95% 8,591
Marathon 3,958 49.62% 3,829 48.00% 70 0.88% 87 1.09% 33 0.41% 129 1.62% 7,977
Marinette 4,277 68.26% 1,867 29.80% 81 1.29% 29 0.46% 12 0.19% 2,410 38.46% 6,266
Marquette 1,476 62.84% 827 35.21% 25 1.06% 20 0.85% 1 0.04% 649 27.63% 2,349
Milwaukee 35,939 55.85% 26,536 41.24% 640 0.99% 520 0.81% 709 1.10% 9,403 14.61% 64,344
Monroe 3,683 59.46% 2,361 38.12% 103 1.66% 35 0.57% 12 0.19% 1,322 21.34% 6,194
Oconto 2,836 67.08% 1,290 30.51% 59 1.40% 35 0.83% 8 0.19% 1,546 36.57% 4,228
Oneida 1,453 70.64% 563 27.37% 27 1.31% 14 0.68% 0 0.00% 890 43.27% 2,057
Outagamie 5,433 55.42% 4,096 41.78% 139 1.42% 106 1.08% 30 0.31% 1,337 13.64% 9,804
Ozaukee 1,535 42.79% 1,947 54.28% 30 0.84% 62 1.73% 13 0.36% -412 -11.49% 3,587
Pepin 1,301 72.48% 436 24.29% 37 2.06% 19 1.06% 2 0.11% 865 48.19% 1,795
Pierce 3,724 69.79% 1,412 26.46% 156 2.92% 38 0.71% 6 0.11% 2,312 43.33% 5,336
Polk 2,861 74.56% 891 23.22% 61 1.59% 23 0.60% 1 0.03% 1,970 51.34% 3,837
Portage 3,537 53.81% 2,890 43.97% 82 1.25% 54 0.82% 10 0.15% 647 9.84% 6,573
Price 1,448 70.22% 550 26.67% 37 1.79% 19 0.92% 8 0.39% 898 43.55% 2,062
Racine 5,849 57.61% 3,975 39.15% 213 2.10% 104 1.02% 12 0.12% 1,874 18.46% 10,153
Richland 2,636 54.03% 2,098 43.00% 129 2.64% 16 0.33% 0 0.00% 538 11.03% 4,879
Rock 8,282 67.46% 3,655 29.77% 237 1.93% 86 0.70% 17 0.14% 4,627 37.69% 12,277
Sauk 4,623 60.95% 2,611 34.42% 242 3.19% 97 1.28% 12 0.16% 2,012 26.53% 7,585
Sawyer 514 56.30% 369 40.42% 28 3.07% 2 0.22% 0 0.00% 145 15.88% 913
Shawano 3,035 64.16% 1,594 33.70% 54 1.14% 32 0.68% 15 0.32% 1,441 30.47% 4,730
Sheboygan 6,644 62.50% 3,327 31.30% 90 0.85% 247 2.32% 323 3.04% 3,317 31.20% 10,631
St. Croix 3,462 56.38% 2,475 40.31% 158 2.57% 38 0.62% 7 0.11% 987 16.07% 6,140
Taylor 1,387 64.51% 710 33.02% 20 0.93% 27 1.26% 6 0.28% 677 31.49% 2,150
Trempealeau 3,306 67.66% 1,394 28.53% 152 3.11% 24 0.49% 10 0.20% 1,912 39.13% 4,886
Vernon 4,393 71.35% 1,627 26.43% 102 1.66% 28 0.45% 7 0.11% 2,766 44.92% 6,157
Vilas 754 62.01% 443 36.43% 8 0.66% 9 0.74% 2 0.16% 311 25.58% 1,216
Walworth 5,347 70.41% 1,894 24.94% 282 3.71% 57 0.75% 14 0.18% 3,453 45.47% 7,594
Washburn 771 73.29% 250 23.76% 21 2.00% 8 0.76% 2 0.19% 521 49.52% 1,052
Washington 2,877 53.19% 2,404 44.44% 31 0.57% 86 1.59% 11 0.20% 473 8.74% 5,409
Waukesha 5,411 60.93% 3,192 35.95% 162 1.82% 108 1.22% 7 0.08% 2,219 24.99% 8,880
Waupaca 5,472 75.19% 1,577 21.67% 129 1.77% 65 0.89% 35 0.48% 3,895 53.52% 7,278
Waushara 3,210 84.36% 456 11.98% 102 2.68% 27 0.71% 10 0.26% 2,754 72.38% 3,805
Winnebago 7,898 59.23% 5,089 38.17% 211 1.58% 101 0.76% 35 0.26% 2,809 21.07% 13,334
Wood 2,839 58.99% 1,877 39.00% 54 1.12% 31 0.64% 12 0.25% 962 19.99% 4,813
Totals 268,135 59.93% 165,523 37.00% 7,507 1.68% 4,584 1.02% 1,660 0.37% 102,612 22.93% 447,409

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 381-382, 414 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  2. ^ Kleppner, Paul; The Third Electoral System, 1853-1892: Parties, Votes and Political Cultures, pp. 198-207 ISBN 0807813281
  3. ^ Hill, Perry C.; ‘Wisconsin Votes for President’, The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. 36, No. 1 (Autumn, 1952), pp. 11-16
  4. ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 384
  5. ^ Harpine, William D.; From the Front Porch to the Front Page: McKinley and Bryan in the 1896 Presidential Campaign, pp. 166-167 ISBN 9781585444502
  6. ^ ‘ Good News for McKinley Leaders: Strong in the Great West – Wisconsin Solid for the Ohio Man’; San Francisco Chronicle, August 13, 1896, p. 5
  7. ^ ‘Bryan in Wisconsin: Fifteen Short Speeches to the Badger State Voters’; The Washington Post, October 31, 1896, p. 3
  8. ^ ‘Men Almost Mobbed: Bryan in Wisconsin, Palmer and Buckner in Missouri’; Boston Daily Globe, October 31, 1896, p. 3
  9. ^ "1896 Presidential General Election Data – National by State". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  10. ^ "1896 Presidential General Election Results – Wisconsin". Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  11. ^ "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1896". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)