United States presidential election, 1916
Encyclopedia
The United States presidential election of 1916 took place while Europe was embroiled in World War I. Public sentiment in the still neutral
United States leaned towards the British and French (allied
) forces, due to the harsh treatment of civilians by the German Army
, which had invaded and occupied large parts of Belgium
and northern France. However, despite their sympathy with the allied forces, most American voters wanted to avoid involvement in the war, and preferred to continue a policy of neutrality. The campaign pitted incumbent President Woodrow Wilson
, the Democratic candidate, against Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes
, the Republican candidate. After a hard-fought contest, Wilson defeated Hughes by a narrow margin. Wilson was helped by his campaign slogan "He kept us out of war".
from June 7 to June 10. A major goal of the party's bosses at the convention was to heal the bitter split within the party that had occurred in the 1912 presidential campaign. In that year, Theodore Roosevelt
bolted the GOP and formed his own political party, the Progressive Party
, which contained most of the GOP's liberals. William Howard Taft
, the incumbent president, won the nomination of the regular Republican Party. This split in the GOP ranks divided the Republican vote and led to the election of Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Although several candidates were openly competing for the 1916 nomination—most prominently conservative Senator Elihu Root
of New York
and liberal Senator John W. Weeks
of Massachusetts
—the party's bosses wanted a moderate who would be acceptable to both factions of the party. They turned to Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes
, who had served on the court since 1910 and thus had the advantage of not having publicly spoken about political issues in six years. Although he had not actively sought the nomination, Hughes made it known that he would not turn it down; he won the nomination on the third ballot. Former Vice-President Charles W. Fairbanks
was nominated as his running mate. Hughes was the only Supreme Court Justice to be nominated for president by a major political party.
from June 14 to June 16. Given Wilson's enormous popularity within the party, he was overwhelmingly re-nominated. Vice-President Thomas R. Marshall
was also re-nominated with no opposition.
s re-nominated former President Theodore Roosevelt
, but he withdrew from the race and supported Hughes. When Roosevelt refused to be their candidate, the Progressive Party quickly fell apart; most of its members returned to the Republican Party, although a substantial minority supported Wilson for his efforts in keeping the United States out of World War I
. Roosevelt turned down the Progressive nomination for both personal and political reasons. He had become convinced that running for president on a third-party ticket again would merely give the election to the Democrats. Furthermore, had developed a strong dislike for President Wilson, who he believed was allowing Germany
and other warring nations in Europe
to "bully" the United States.
, where the U.S. was supporting various factions in the Mexican civil war
. Hughes also attacked Wilson for his support of various "pro-labor" laws (such as limiting the workday to eight hours), on the grounds that they were harmful to business interests. However, his criticisms gained little traction, especially among factory workers who had supported such laws. Hughes was helped by the vigorous support of popular former President Theodore Roosevelt
, and by the fact that the Republicans were still the nation's majority party at the time. A key mistake by Hughes was made in California. Just before the election Hughes made a campaign swing through the state. While in Long Beach
he stayed in the same hotel as Hiram Johnson
, the powerful Republican Governor
of the state. Hughes — who may not have known of Johnson's presence in the hotel — never made the short trip to greet Johnson in his hotel suite. Johnson took this as a deliberate snub and never gave Hughes his full support. Given the extremely narrow loss Hughes suffered in California, this unintentional slight may have cost him the presidency. The pivotal importance of California was remarkable, since it had traditionally been a reliably Republican state (Democratic presidential candidates had earlier carried it only twice since 1856). Furthermore, it controlled only a modest number of electoral votes at this time in history (13).
Vice-President Thomas R. Marshall
became the first vice-president elected to a second term since John C. Calhoun
in 1828. Woodrow Wilson became the first Democratic president to win a second consecutive term since Andrew Jackson
. Wilson was only the second person to win a presidential election but not win his home state (New Jersey). The first was James K. Polk
, who in 1844 did not carry his home state of Tennessee or the state of his birth, North Carolina (George W. Bush did not carry his birth state of Connecticut in 2000 and 2004, but he won his home state of Texas both times). Wilson's popular vote margin of victory, 3.1%, was also the smallest percentage margin for a victorious sitting president in history until the 2004
election, in which George W. Bush
won the popular vote with 50.7% against John Kerry
's 48.3%, producing a margin of 2.4%. Although Wilson won three states he lost in 1912 (California, Utah and Washington), he lost 13 states he had earlier carried. Wilson is the only president in U.S. history to win re-election with fewer electoral votes than in his first election. He was not the only president to win re-election with a lower percentage of the electoral vote in his second election, however, as James Madison
won re-election with a smaller percentage of the electoral vote than in his first election, but still won more electoral votes (this is because the total number of electoral votes increased from 175 to 217 between the years 1808 and 1812).
Source (Popular Vote): Source (Electoral Vote):
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
United States leaned towards the British and French (allied
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
) forces, due to the harsh treatment of civilians by the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
, which had invaded and occupied large parts of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and northern France. However, despite their sympathy with the allied forces, most American voters wanted to avoid involvement in the war, and preferred to continue a policy of neutrality. The campaign pitted incumbent President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, the Democratic candidate, against Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican politician from New York. He served as the 36th Governor of New York , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , United States Secretary of State , a judge on the Court of International Justice , and...
, the Republican candidate. After a hard-fought contest, Wilson defeated Hughes by a narrow margin. Wilson was helped by his campaign slogan "He kept us out of war".
Republican Party nomination
Republican candidates:- Charles Evans HughesCharles Evans HughesCharles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican politician from New York. He served as the 36th Governor of New York , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , United States Secretary of State , a judge on the Court of International Justice , and...
, U.S. Supreme Court Justice and former Governor of New YorkGovernor of New YorkThe Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her... - John W. WeeksJohn W. WeeksJohn Wingate Weeks was an American politician in the Republican Party. He served as a United States Representative for Massachusetts from 1905 to 1913, as a United States Senator from 1913 to 1919, and as Secretary of War from 1921 to 1925.-Life and career:Weeks was born and raised in Lancaster,...
, U.S. senator from MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... - Elihu RootElihu RootElihu Root was an American lawyer and statesman and the 1912 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the prototype of the 20th century "wise man", who shuttled between high-level government positions in Washington, D.C...
, former U.S. senator from New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... - Charles W. FairbanksCharles W. FairbanksCharles Warren Fairbanks was a Senator from Indiana and the 26th Vice President of the United States ....
, former Vice President of the United StatesVice President of the United StatesThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
from IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
Republican National Convention
The 1916 Republican National Convention was held in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
from June 7 to June 10. A major goal of the party's bosses at the convention was to heal the bitter split within the party that had occurred in the 1912 presidential campaign. In that year, Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
bolted the GOP and formed his own political party, the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
, which contained most of the GOP's liberals. William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, the incumbent president, won the nomination of the regular Republican Party. This split in the GOP ranks divided the Republican vote and led to the election of Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Although several candidates were openly competing for the 1916 nomination—most prominently conservative Senator Elihu Root
Elihu Root
Elihu Root was an American lawyer and statesman and the 1912 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the prototype of the 20th century "wise man", who shuttled between high-level government positions in Washington, D.C...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and liberal Senator John W. Weeks
John W. Weeks
John Wingate Weeks was an American politician in the Republican Party. He served as a United States Representative for Massachusetts from 1905 to 1913, as a United States Senator from 1913 to 1919, and as Secretary of War from 1921 to 1925.-Life and career:Weeks was born and raised in Lancaster,...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
—the party's bosses wanted a moderate who would be acceptable to both factions of the party. They turned to Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican politician from New York. He served as the 36th Governor of New York , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , United States Secretary of State , a judge on the Court of International Justice , and...
, who had served on the court since 1910 and thus had the advantage of not having publicly spoken about political issues in six years. Although he had not actively sought the nomination, Hughes made it known that he would not turn it down; he won the nomination on the third ballot. Former Vice-President Charles W. Fairbanks
Charles W. Fairbanks
Charles Warren Fairbanks was a Senator from Indiana and the 26th Vice President of the United States ....
was nominated as his running mate. Hughes was the only Supreme Court Justice to be nominated for president by a major political party.
| Ballot | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican politician from New York. He served as the 36th Governor of New York , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , United States Secretary of State , a judge on the Court of International Justice , and... | 253 | 326 | 950 |
| John W. Weeks John W. Weeks John Wingate Weeks was an American politician in the Republican Party. He served as a United States Representative for Massachusetts from 1905 to 1913, as a United States Senator from 1913 to 1919, and as Secretary of War from 1921 to 1925.-Life and career:Weeks was born and raised in Lancaster,... | 105 | 102 | 2 |
| Elihu Root Elihu Root Elihu Root was an American lawyer and statesman and the 1912 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the prototype of the 20th century "wise man", who shuttled between high-level government positions in Washington, D.C... | 103 | 89 | 9 |
| Charles W. Fairbanks Charles W. Fairbanks Charles Warren Fairbanks was a Senator from Indiana and the 26th Vice President of the United States .... | 89 | 75 | 7 |
| Albert B. Cummins Albert B. Cummins Albert Baird Cummins was the 18th Governor of Iowa, U.S. Senator and two-time presidential candidate. Cummins was perhaps the most influential leader in Iowa politics in the first quarter of the 20th century... | 85 | 77 | 2 |
| Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity... | 81 | 65 | 19 |
| Theodore E. Burton Theodore E. Burton Theodore Elijah Burton was a Republican politician from Ohio. He served in the United States House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.... | 78 | 69 | 9 |
| Lawrence Yates Sherman Lawrence Yates Sherman Lawrence Yates Sherman was a Republican politician from the State of Illinois. He served as United States Senator, Lieutenant Governor, and as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.... | 66 | 59 | 5 |
| Philander C. Knox Philander C. Knox Philander Chase Knox was an American lawyer and politician who served as United States Attorney General , a Senator from Pennsylvania and Secretary of State .... | 36 | 30 | 6 |
| Henry Ford Henry Ford Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry... | 32 | 29 | 9 |
| Martin Grove Brumbaugh Martin Grove Brumbaugh Martin Grove Brumbaugh, A.M., Ph.D. was Pennsylvania's 26th Governor, a Republican. He is frequently referred to as M.G. Brumbaugh, as is common in the Brumbaugh family.-Biography:... | 29 | 22 | 2 |
| Robert M. La Follette Robert M. La Follette, Sr. Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin... | 25 | 25 | 23 |
| William Howard Taft William Howard Taft William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States... | 14 | 4 | 0 |
| T. Coleman du Pont T. Coleman du Pont Thomas Coleman du Pont was an American engineer and politician, from Greenville, Delaware. He was President of the of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and a member of the Republican Party who served parts of two terms as United States Senator from Delaware... | 7 | 13 | 6 |
| Henry Cabot Lodge Henry Cabot Lodge Henry Cabot "Slim" Lodge was an American Republican Senator and historian from Massachusetts. He had the role of Senate Majority leader. He is best known for his positions on Meek policy, especially his battle with President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 over the Treaty of Versailles... | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| John Wanamaker John Wanamaker John Wanamaker was a United States merchant, religious leader, civic and political figure, considered by some to be the father of modern advertising and a "pioneer in marketing." Wanamaker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Biography:He was born on July 11, 1838.He opened his first store in... | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Frank B. Willis Frank B. Willis Frank Bartlett Willis was a Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 47th Governor of Ohio.-Biography:... | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| William Borah | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Warren G. Harding Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator... | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Samuel W. McCall Samuel W. McCall Samuel Walker McCall was a member of the United States House of Representatives, and the 47th Governor of Massachusetts... | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Leonard Wood Leonard Wood Leonard Wood was a physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba and Governor General of the Philippines. Early in his military career, he received the Medal of Honor. Wood also holds officer service #2 in the Regular Army... | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Democratic Party nomination
Democratic candidate:- Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
from New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Democratic National Convention
The 1916 Democratic National Convention was held in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
from June 14 to June 16. Given Wilson's enormous popularity within the party, he was overwhelmingly re-nominated. Vice-President Thomas R. Marshall
Thomas R. Marshall
Thomas Riley Marshall was an American Democratic politician who served as the 28th Vice President of the United States under Woodrow Wilson...
was also re-nominated with no opposition.
Progressive Party Nomination
The ProgressiveProgressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
s re-nominated former President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, but he withdrew from the race and supported Hughes. When Roosevelt refused to be their candidate, the Progressive Party quickly fell apart; most of its members returned to the Republican Party, although a substantial minority supported Wilson for his efforts in keeping the United States out of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Roosevelt turned down the Progressive nomination for both personal and political reasons. He had become convinced that running for president on a third-party ticket again would merely give the election to the Democrats. Furthermore, had developed a strong dislike for President Wilson, who he believed was allowing Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and other warring nations in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to "bully" the United States.
The fall campaign
The fighting in Europe dominated the campaign. Woodrow Wilson campaigned for re-election on a pledge of continued neutrality in the World War I. His campaign slogan, "He Kept Us out of War", was highly popular. Hughes advocated a program of greater mobilization and preparedness; some pro-Wilson newspapers claimed that Hughes, if elected, was secretly planning to take America into the war. With Wilson having successfully pressured the Germans to suspend unrestricted submarine warfare, it was difficult for Hughes to attack Wilson's peace platform. Hughes criticized Wilson's military interventions in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where the U.S. was supporting various factions in the Mexican civil war
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
. Hughes also attacked Wilson for his support of various "pro-labor" laws (such as limiting the workday to eight hours), on the grounds that they were harmful to business interests. However, his criticisms gained little traction, especially among factory workers who had supported such laws. Hughes was helped by the vigorous support of popular former President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, and by the fact that the Republicans were still the nation's majority party at the time. A key mistake by Hughes was made in California. Just before the election Hughes made a campaign swing through the state. While in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
he stayed in the same hotel as Hiram Johnson
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:...
, the powerful Republican Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
of the state. Hughes — who may not have known of Johnson's presence in the hotel — never made the short trip to greet Johnson in his hotel suite. Johnson took this as a deliberate snub and never gave Hughes his full support. Given the extremely narrow loss Hughes suffered in California, this unintentional slight may have cost him the presidency. The pivotal importance of California was remarkable, since it had traditionally been a reliably Republican state (Democratic presidential candidates had earlier carried it only twice since 1856). Furthermore, it controlled only a modest number of electoral votes at this time in history (13).
Results
On election night (November 7), Hughes took an early lead in the Eastern and Midwestern states, and several newspapers declared him the winner. However, Wilson refused to concede, and as returns came in from the South and West, Wilson made a comeback and eventually took the lead. The key state proved to be California, which Wilson won by only 3,800 votes out of nearly a million cast. The electoral vote was one of the closest in American history - with 266 votes needed to win, Wilson took 30 states for 277 electoral votes, while Hughes won 18 states and 254 electoral votes. If Hughes had carried California and its 13 electoral votes, he would have won the election. In the popular vote Wilson's lead was larger, although it was still narrow - Wilson took 49% of the popular vote to Hughes' 46%. A popular legend from the 1916 campaign states that Hughes went to bed on election night thinking that he was the newly-elected president. When a reporter tried to telephone him the next morning to get his reaction to Wilson's comeback, someone (stories vary as to whether this person was his son or a butler or valet) answered the phone and told the reporter that "the president is asleep." The reporter retorted, "When he wakes up, tell him he isn't the president."Vice-President Thomas R. Marshall
Thomas R. Marshall
Thomas Riley Marshall was an American Democratic politician who served as the 28th Vice President of the United States under Woodrow Wilson...
became the first vice-president elected to a second term since John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
in 1828. Woodrow Wilson became the first Democratic president to win a second consecutive term since Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
. Wilson was only the second person to win a presidential election but not win his home state (New Jersey). The first was James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
, who in 1844 did not carry his home state of Tennessee or the state of his birth, North Carolina (George W. Bush did not carry his birth state of Connecticut in 2000 and 2004, but he won his home state of Texas both times). Wilson's popular vote margin of victory, 3.1%, was also the smallest percentage margin for a victorious sitting president in history until the 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
election, in which George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
won the popular vote with 50.7% against John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
's 48.3%, producing a margin of 2.4%. Although Wilson won three states he lost in 1912 (California, Utah and Washington), he lost 13 states he had earlier carried. Wilson is the only president in U.S. history to win re-election with fewer electoral votes than in his first election. He was not the only president to win re-election with a lower percentage of the electoral vote in his second election, however, as James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
won re-election with a smaller percentage of the electoral vote than in his first election, but still won more electoral votes (this is because the total number of electoral votes increased from 175 to 217 between the years 1808 and 1812).
Source (Popular Vote): Source (Electoral Vote):
Close states
- New Hampshire, 0.06%
- Minnesota, 0.1%
- California, 0.3%
- Indiana, 0.9%
- West Virginia, 1.0%
- North Dakota, 1.5%
- Delaware, 2.4%
- Oregon, 2.6%
- Missouri, 2.7%
- Connecticut, 3.2%
- South Dakota, 3.9%
- Massachusetts, 3.9%
- Maine, 4.0%
- Washington, 4.2%
External links
- 1916 popular vote by counties
- How close was the 1916 election? — Michael Sheppard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology