1908 United States presidential election in Ohio

The 1908 United States presidential election in Ohio was held on November 3, 1908, as part of the 1908 United States presidential election. State voters chose 23 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1908 United States presidential election in Ohio

← 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 23 0
Popular vote 572,312 502,721
Percentage 51.03% 44.82%

County Results

President before election

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Elected President

William Howard Taft
Republican

Since the Civil War, Ohio politics had been controlled by a conflict between the anti-Civil War Appalachian southeast and German-American counties of the northwest, opposed both to the heavily Yankee and New Englander northeast and to the Ohio Company counties of the southeast.[1] There was also an area of the Virginia Military District in the southwest that was historically the state's Whig stronghold and later voted Republican.[2] The GOP had consistently controlled the state during this era, if largely due to the prevalence of Ohio natives on the ticket,[3] losing only one electoral vote to Democrat Grover Cleveland in 1892. Following the nomination of William Jennings Bryan for the first time in 1896, another Ohio native and former governor in William McKinley strengthened the party's hold on the state by his appeal to white ethnic migrants in Ohio's cities.[4] McKinley would also defeat Bryan in Ohio in 1900

In his third campaign against an Ohio native, Bryan extensively toured Ohio, associating Taft with John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil – whom Bryan criticized as "vicious lawbreakers".[5] In September 1908 there had been reports of a major swing that would give Bryan a chance to be the first Democrat to carry the state since Franklin Pierce in 1852,[6] but a week before Bryan's tour it was reported that Gold Democrats and labor were turning away from Bryan.[7]

Ultimately, Taft won the state by a margin of 6.21%, a margin less than a third that by which Theodore Roosevelt defeated Alton B. Parker four years earlier.

Results

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1908 United States presidential election in Ohio[8]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican William Howard Taft 572,312 51.03% 23
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 502,721 44.82% 0
Socialist Eugene V. Debs 33,795 3.01% 0
Prohibition Eugene W. Chafin 11,402 1.02% 0
Socialist Labor August Gillhaus 721 0.06% 0
Independence Thomas L. Hisgen 439 0.04% 0
People's Thomas E. Watson 162 0.01% 0
Totals 1,121,552 100.0% 23

Results by county

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County William Howard Taft
Republican
William Jennings Bryan
Democratic
Eugene Victor Debs[9]
Socialist
Eugene Wilder Chafin[9]
Prohibition
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast[10]
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 3,432 52.11% 3,048 46.28% 17 0.26% 88 1.34% 1 0.02% 384 5.83% 6,586
Allen 5,841 43.08% 7,195 53.07% 373 2.75% 127 0.94% 21 0.15% -1,354 -9.99% 13,557
Ashland 2,804 42.66% 3,627 55.18% 56 0.85% 84 1.28% 2 0.03% -823 -12.52% 6,573
Ashtabula 8,213 63.32% 3,572 27.54% 938 7.23% 231 1.78% 16 0.12% 4,641 35.78% 12,970
Athens 6,449 61.57% 3,654 34.88% 164 1.57% 189 1.80% 19 0.18% 2,795 26.68% 10,475
Auglaize 3,001 38.55% 4,622 59.38% 102 1.31% 57 0.73% 2 0.03% -1,621 -20.82% 7,784
Belmont 8,193 48.02% 7,750 45.42% 730 4.28% 378 2.22% 12 0.07% 443 2.60% 17,063
Brown 2,638 38.02% 4,242 61.14% 23 0.33% 35 0.50% 0 0.00% -1,604 -23.12% 6,938
Butler 7,320 40.61% 9,678 53.70% 885 4.91% 85 0.47% 56 0.31% -2,358 -13.08% 18,024
Carroll 2,517 59.42% 1,590 37.54% 44 1.04% 83 1.96% 2 0.05% 927 21.88% 4,236
Champaign 4,153 55.69% 3,160 42.38% 46 0.62% 93 1.25% 5 0.07% 993 13.32% 7,457
Clark 8,917 52.97% 6,529 38.78% 1,040 6.18% 326 1.94% 22 0.13% 2,388 14.19% 16,834
Clermont 4,137 48.91% 4,150 49.07% 107 1.27% 61 0.72% 3 0.04% -13 -0.15% 8,458
Clinton 4,107 61.45% 2,464 36.87% 28 0.42% 76 1.14% 8 0.12% 1,643 24.58% 6,683
Columbiana 9,626 53.26% 6,736 37.27% 948 5.25% 742 4.11% 20 0.11% 2,890 15.99% 18,072
Coshocton 3,606 44.46% 4,106 50.62% 311 3.83% 83 1.02% 5 0.06% -500 -6.16% 8,111
Crawford 3,061 32.84% 6,006 64.44% 166 1.78% 78 0.84% 9 0.10% -2,945 -31.60% 9,320
Cuyahoga 56,344 55.39% 39,954 39.27% 4,818 4.74% 351 0.35% 262 0.26% 16,390 16.11% 101,729
Darke 4,951 42.60% 6,391 54.99% 70 0.60% 210 1.81% 1 0.01% -1,440 -12.39% 11,623
Defiance 2,531 39.05% 3,754 57.91% 112 1.73% 72 1.11% 13 0.20% -1,223 -18.87% 6,482
Delaware 4,007 52.77% 3,330 43.86% 64 0.84% 186 2.45% 6 0.08% 677 8.92% 7,593
Erie 5,366 50.14% 4,983 46.56% 293 2.74% 41 0.38% 19 0.18% 383 3.58% 10,702
Fairfield 4,023 40.24% 5,821 58.22% 25 0.25% 125 1.25% 4 0.04% -1,798 -17.98% 9,998
Fayette 3,343 56.84% 2,451 41.68% 33 0.56% 49 0.83% 5 0.09% 892 15.17% 5,881
Franklin 28,914 53.45% 23,314 43.10% 1,211 2.24% 606 1.12% 52 0.10% 5,600 10.35% 54,097
Fulton 3,608 61.24% 2,131 36.17% 69 1.17% 82 1.39% 2 0.03% 1,477 25.07% 5,892
Gallia 3,914 63.48% 2,171 35.21% 25 0.41% 50 0.81% 6 0.10% 1,743 28.27% 6,166
Geauga 2,596 71.20% 982 26.93% 32 0.88% 32 0.88% 4 0.11% 1,614 44.27% 3,646
Greene 4,902 60.14% 2,882 35.36% 232 2.85% 125 1.53% 10 0.12% 2,020 24.78% 8,151
Guernsey 5,210 53.92% 3,449 35.69% 798 8.26% 196 2.03% 10 0.10% 1,761 18.22% 9,663
Hamilton 63,803 56.49% 45,429 40.22% 3,306 2.93% 317 0.28% 91 0.08% 18,374 16.27% 112,946
Hancock 4,899 45.44% 5,420 50.27% 356 3.30% 93 0.86% 13 0.12% -521 -4.83% 10,781
Hardin 4,444 50.35% 4,164 47.17% 99 1.12% 117 1.33% 3 0.03% 280 3.17% 8,827
Harrison 3,069 59.36% 1,961 37.93% 51 0.99% 87 1.68% 2 0.04% 1,108 21.43% 5,170
Henry 2,425 37.81% 3,817 59.52% 121 1.89% 49 0.76% 1 0.02% -1,392 -21.71% 6,413
Highland 4,149 51.23% 3,823 47.21% 23 0.28% 93 1.15% 10 0.12% 326 4.03% 8,098
Hocking 2,749 47.72% 2,864 49.71% 95 1.65% 47 0.82% 6 0.10% -115 -2.00% 5,761
Holmes 1,252 28.74% 3,043 69.84% 29 0.67% 31 0.71% 2 0.05% -1,791 -41.11% 4,357
Huron 4,930 52.73% 4,262 45.58% 90 0.96% 61 0.65% 7 0.07% 668 7.14% 9,350
Jackson 4,489 55.84% 3,235 40.24% 209 2.60% 90 1.12% 16 0.20% 1,254 15.60% 8,039
Jefferson 7,310 57.21% 4,882 38.21% 355 2.78% 225 1.76% 5 0.04% 2,428 19.00% 12,777
Knox 4,318 49.09% 4,233 48.12% 139 1.58% 99 1.13% 7 0.08% 85 0.97% 8,796
Lake 3,635 66.97% 1,605 29.57% 121 2.23% 63 1.16% 4 0.07% 2,030 37.40% 5,428
Lawrence 5,708 66.67% 2,654 31.00% 134 1.57% 65 0.76% 1 0.01% 3,054 35.67% 8,562
Licking 6,756 44.55% 7,685 50.67% 598 3.94% 119 0.78% 8 0.05% -929 -6.13% 15,166
Logan 4,756 58.44% 3,186 39.15% 76 0.93% 116 1.43% 4 0.05% 1,570 19.29% 8,138
Lorain 8,699 57.10% 5,460 35.84% 944 6.20% 108 0.71% 24 0.16% 3,239 21.26% 15,235
Lucas 18,715 48.46% 16,208 41.97% 3,394 8.79% 169 0.44% 134 0.35% 2,507 6.49% 38,620
Madison 3,051 54.93% 2,430 43.75% 17 0.31% 55 0.99% 1 0.02% 621 11.18% 5,554
Mahoning 10,760 51.18% 9,312 44.29% 631 3.00% 298 1.42% 22 0.10% 1,448 6.89% 21,023
Marion 4,175 46.12% 4,657 51.44% 99 1.09% 116 1.28% 6 0.07% -482 -5.32% 9,053
Medina 3,427 57.32% 2,378 39.77% 118 1.97% 52 0.87% 4 0.07% 1,049 17.54% 5,979
Meigs 4,108 62.05% 2,225 33.61% 222 3.35% 59 0.89% 7 0.11% 1,883 28.44% 6,621
Mercer 2,148 31.92% 4,456 66.22% 46 0.68% 73 1.08% 6 0.09% -2,308 -34.30% 6,729
Miami 6,558 53.69% 5,369 43.95% 182 1.49% 100 0.82% 6 0.05% 1,189 9.73% 12,215
Monroe 1,974 32.74% 3,961 65.69% 38 0.63% 57 0.95% 0 0.00% -1,987 -32.95% 6,030
Montgomery 20,069 47.09% 20,566 48.26% 1,780 4.18% 177 0.42% 23 0.05% -497 -1.17% 42,615
Morgan 2,445 53.99% 1,932 42.66% 56 1.24% 92 2.03% 4 0.09% 513 11.33% 4,529
Morrow 2,500 51.06% 2,239 45.73% 30 0.61% 121 2.47% 6 0.12% 261 5.33% 4,896
Muskingum 8,080 52.36% 6,576 42.62% 420 2.72% 340 2.20% 15 0.10% 1,504 9.75% 15,431
Noble 2,707 54.27% 2,154 43.18% 28 0.56% 93 1.86% 6 0.12% 553 11.09% 4,988
Ottawa 2,202 39.48% 3,329 59.69% 25 0.45% 17 0.30% 4 0.07% -1,127 -20.21% 5,577
Paulding 3,049 51.62% 2,767 46.84% 19 0.32% 63 1.07% 9 0.15% 282 4.77% 5,907
Perry 4,304 49.48% 3,885 44.67% 398 4.58% 102 1.17% 9 0.10% 419 4.82% 8,698
Pickaway 3,119 43.15% 4,007 55.43% 22 0.30% 76 1.05% 5 0.07% -888 -12.28% 7,229
Pike 1,798 45.54% 2,085 52.81% 24 0.61% 34 0.86% 7 0.18% -287 -7.27% 3,948
Portage 4,129 51.16% 3,625 44.91% 183 2.27% 127 1.57% 7 0.09% 504 6.24% 8,071
Preble 3,519 50.99% 3,247 47.05% 42 0.61% 90 1.30% 3 0.04% 272 3.94% 6,901
Putnam 2,483 33.17% 4,836 64.61% 95 1.27% 65 0.87% 6 0.08% -2,353 -31.44% 7,485
Richland 5,301 43.01% 6,702 54.37% 213 1.73% 102 0.83% 8 0.06% -1,401 -11.37% 12,326
Ross 5,432 49.69% 5,325 48.71% 89 0.81% 75 0.69% 10 0.09% 107 0.98% 10,931
Sandusky 4,079 42.74% 5,242 54.93% 172 1.80% 47 0.49% 3 0.03% -1,163 -12.19% 9,543
Scioto 5,790 53.52% 4,310 39.84% 589 5.44% 119 1.10% 10 0.09% 1,480 13.68% 10,818
Seneca 4,959 43.08% 6,138 53.32% 307 2.67% 88 0.76% 20 0.17% -1,179 -10.24% 11,512
Shelby 2,646 40.06% 3,879 58.73% 38 0.58% 38 0.58% 4 0.06% -1,233 -18.67% 6,605
Stark 14,112 50.48% 12,286 43.95% 1,110 3.97% 405 1.45% 44 0.16% 1,826 6.53% 27,957
Summit 10,365 47.31% 9,930 45.32% 1,255 5.73% 328 1.50% 31 0.14% 435 1.99% 21,909
Trumbull 6,978 58.00% 4,476 37.20% 397 3.30% 165 1.37% 15 0.12% 2,502 20.80% 12,031
Tuscarawas 6,717 47.29% 6,775 47.69% 559 3.94% 120 0.84% 34 0.24% -58 -0.41% 14,205
Union 3,567 57.04% 2,568 41.07% 31 0.50% 83 1.33% 4 0.06% 999 15.98% 6,253
Van Wert 3,809 49.28% 3,783 48.95% 77 1.00% 55 0.71% 5 0.06% 26 0.34% 7,729
Vinton 1,916 55.10% 1,496 43.03% 25 0.72% 32 0.92% 8 0.23% 420 12.08% 3,477
Warren 4,233 60.51% 2,656 37.96% 50 0.71% 53 0.76% 4 0.06% 1,577 22.54% 6,996
Washington 5,648 48.66% 5,771 49.72% 58 0.50% 126 1.09% 4 0.03% -123 -1.06% 11,607
Wayne 4,388 43.51% 5,368 53.23% 149 1.48% 174 1.73% 5 0.05% -980 -9.72% 10,084
Williams 3,625 50.84% 3,329 46.69% 60 0.84% 109 1.53% 7 0.10% 296 4.15% 7,130
Wood 5,904 49.57% 5,625 47.23% 209 1.75% 163 1.37% 9 0.08% 279 2.34% 11,910
Wyandot 2,408 41.36% 3,353 57.59% 32 0.55% 23 0.40% 6 0.10% -945 -16.23% 5,822
Totals 572,312 51.03% 502,721 44.82% 33,795 3.01% 11,402 1.02% 1,322 0.12% 69,591 6.20% 1,121,552

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 343 ISBN 9780691163246
  2. ^ Flinn, Thomas A.; 'Continuity and Change in Ohio Politics'; The Journal of Politics, vol. 24, no. 3 (August 1962), pp. 521-544
  3. ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 352
  4. ^ Sullivan, James Casey; 'Against the Tendencies of the Times: The Republican Party and the Roots of Modern Conservatism, 1900-1930' (thesis), p. 93
  5. ^ 'Bryan Links Taft with Rockefeller: In Tour of Ohio He Makes Standard Oil Head and Carnegie His Chief Theme'; The New York Times, October 31, 1908, p. 3
  6. ^ 'Ohio Republicans Need Stirring Up: In Taft's Own State the Trend Is Now All Toward Bryan'; The New York Times, September 22, 1908, p. 2
  7. ^ 'Republicans Turn the Tide in Ohio: Bryan Wave, Which Threatened to Swamp Them, Is Now on the Ebb'; The New York Times, October 22, 1908, p. 4
  8. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; 1908 Presidential General Election Results – Ohio
  9. ^ a b Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1908 (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)
  10. ^ Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 292-299 ISBN 9780804716963