1900 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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1900 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

← 1896 November 6, 1900 1904 →
 
Nominee William McKinley William Jennings Bryan
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Ohio Nebraska
Running mate Theodore Roosevelt Adlai Stevenson I
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 265,760 159,163
Percentage 60.06% 35.97%

County Results

President before election

William McKinley
Republican

Elected President

William McKinley
Republican

The 1900 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 6, 1900 as part of the 1900 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] However, following the Populist movement, whose inflationary monetary policies were opposed by almost all urban classes and viewed as dangerously radical by rural German Catholics,[2] Wisconsin’s upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, completely fled from William Jennings Bryan’s agrarian and free silver sympathies.[3] Although in 1892 Grover Cleveland had become the first Democrat to carry the state since the formation of the Republican Party, in 1896 Wisconsin would prove Republican William McKinley’s strongest state outside the Northeast, as Bryan’s free silver monetary policy gained little support from dairy farmers who were less affected by drought or debt than wheat growers.[4]

Wisconsin would henceforth become almost a one-party polity dominated by the Republican Party.[5] The Democratic Party became entirely uncompetitive outside the previously anti-Yankee areas adjoining Lake Michigan in the eastern part of the state. In response to Democratic strength weakening severely after 1894, however, challenges within the state Republican Party from Robert M. La Follette would emerge rapidly, with the progressive reformer being elected Governor coincident with the presidential election.[6]

Despite McKinley’s large win in 1896, Wisconsin was considered doubtful at the beginning of the 1900 campaign.[7] However, by the middle of October expert opinion suggested strongly that McKinley would carry the state, and that the state’s Democrats were abandoning nominee William Jennings Bryan for the second consecutive election.[8] This was confirmed by polls just before Election Day,[9] and as it turned out McKinley essentially repeated his three-to-two success of 1896, winning by 24,09 points and carrying all but four counties.

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

Results[edit]

1900 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[10]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican William McKinley (incumbent) 265,760 60.06% 12
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 159,163 35.97% 0
Prohibition John G. Woolley 10,027 2.27% 0
Social Democratic Eugene V. Debs 7,048 1.59% 0
Socialist Labor Joseph F. Maloney 503 0.11% 0
Totals 442,501 100.0% 12

Results by county[edit]

1900 United States presidential election in Wisconsin by county[11]
County William McKinley
Republican
William Jennings Bryan
Democratic
John Granville Woolley
Prohibition
Eugene Victor Debs
Social Democratic
Joseph Francis Maloney
Socialist Labor
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 1,513 77.47% 409 20.94% 29 1.48% 2 0.10% 0 0.00% 1,104 56.53% 1,953
Ashland 3,034 63.97% 1,557 32.83% 103 2.17% 42 0.89% 7 0.15% 1,477 31.14% 4,743
Barron 2,950 72.77% 943 23.26% 158 3.90% 3 0.07% 0 0.00% 2,007 49.51% 4,054
Bayfield 2,428 76.93% 632 20.03% 80 2.53% 8 0.25% 8 0.25% 1,796 56.91% 3,156
Brown 4,934 56.80% 3,588 41.30% 133 1.53% 27 0.31% 5 0.06% 1,346 15.49% 8,687
Buffalo 2,091 62.40% 1,205 35.96% 55 1.64% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 886 26.44% 3,351
Burnett 1,112 80.23% 218 15.73% 48 3.46% 2 0.14% 6 0.43% 894 64.50% 1,386
Calumet 1,631 45.11% 1,910 52.82% 54 1.49% 21 0.58% 0 0.00% -279 -7.72% 3,616
Chippewa 4,215 61.88% 2,446 35.91% 140 2.06% 9 0.13% 2 0.03% 1,769 25.97% 6,812
Clark 3,864 74.78% 1,157 22.39% 124 2.40% 15 0.29% 7 0.14% 2,707 52.39% 5,167
Columbia 4,763 65.71% 2,181 30.09% 282 3.89% 21 0.29% 2 0.03% 2,582 35.62% 7,249
Crawford 2,333 62.53% 1,353 36.26% 44 1.18% 0 0.00% 1 0.03% 980 26.27% 3,731
Dane 9,396 58.41% 6,129 38.10% 512 3.18% 46 0.29% 4 0.02% 3,267 20.31% 16,087
Dodge 4,780 44.35% 5,813 53.93% 177 1.64% 8 0.07% 0 0.00% -1,033 -9.58% 10,778
Door 2,362 76.29% 674 21.77% 57 1.84% 2 0.06% 1 0.03% 1,688 54.52% 3,096
Douglas 4,450 63.85% 2,187 31.38% 178 2.55% 133 1.91% 22 0.32% 2,263 32.47% 6,970
Dunn 3,046 70.79% 1,110 25.80% 144 3.35% 3 0.07% 0 0.00% 1,936 44.99% 4,303
Eau Claire 4,378 66.44% 1,967 29.85% 181 2.75% 61 0.93% 2 0.03% 2,411 36.59% 6,589
Florence 514 79.57% 110 17.03% 17 2.63% 3 0.46% 2 0.31% 404 62.54% 646
Fond du Lac 6,258 53.82% 5,140 44.20% 210 1.81% 19 0.16% 1 0.01% 1,118 9.61% 11,628
Forest 378 76.83% 95 19.31% 18 3.66% 1 0.20% 0 0.00% 283 57.52% 492
Grant 5,609 61.15% 3,254 35.48% 284 3.10% 22 0.24% 3 0.03% 2,355 25.68% 9,172
Green 2,996 60.21% 1,776 35.69% 164 3.30% 40 0.80% 0 0.00% 1,220 24.52% 4,976
Green Lake 2,081 56.41% 1,522 41.26% 81 2.20% 4 0.11% 1 0.03% 559 15.15% 3,689
Iowa 3,270 62.51% 1,743 33.32% 203 3.88% 15 0.29% 0 0.00% 1,527 29.19% 5,231
Iron 1,318 76.81% 356 20.75% 38 2.21% 3 0.17% 1 0.06% 962 56.06% 1,716
Jackson 2,639 77.73% 651 19.18% 103 3.03% 2 0.06% 0 0.00% 1,988 58.56% 3,395
Jefferson 3,729 46.25% 4,127 51.18% 199 2.47% 8 0.10% 0 0.00% -398 -4.94% 8,063
Juneau 2,914 63.35% 1,586 34.48% 98 2.13% 2 0.04% 0 0.00% 1,328 28.87% 4,600
Kenosha 3,078 58.37% 2,101 39.84% 63 1.19% 28 0.53% 3 0.06% 977 18.53% 5,273
Kewaunee 1,750 49.81% 1,729 49.22% 31 0.88% 3 0.09% 0 0.00% 21 0.60% 3,513
La Crosse 5,324 58.24% 3,609 39.48% 198 2.17% 9 0.10% 1 0.01% 1,715 18.76% 9,141
Lafayette 2,852 55.83% 2,100 41.11% 153 3.00% 2 0.04% 1 0.02% 752 14.72% 5,108
Langlade 1,596 58.38% 1,080 39.50% 48 1.76% 5 0.18% 5 0.18% 516 18.87% 2,734
Lincoln 2,147 56.71% 1,552 40.99% 70 1.85% 15 0.40% 2 0.05% 595 15.72% 3,786
Manitowoc 4,317 49.50% 4,167 47.78% 65 0.75% 169 1.94% 4 0.05% 150 1.72% 8,722
Marathon 4,717 54.32% 3,768 43.40% 132 1.52% 28 0.32% 38 0.44% 949 10.93% 8,683
Marinette 4,237 70.98% 1,535 25.72% 176 2.95% 17 0.28% 4 0.07% 2,702 45.27% 5,969
Marquette 1,560 63.08% 866 35.02% 47 1.90% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 694 28.06% 2,473
Milwaukee 34,790 52.52% 25,596 38.64% 751 1.13% 4,874 7.36% 232 0.35% 9,194 13.88% 66,243
Monroe 3,709 60.31% 2,247 36.54% 194 3.15% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,462 23.77% 6,150
Oconto 2,754 69.72% 1,117 28.28% 74 1.87% 3 0.08% 2 0.05% 1,637 41.44% 3,950
Oneida 1,802 70.34% 708 27.63% 37 1.44% 13 0.51% 2 0.08% 1,094 42.70% 2,562
Outagamie 5,245 55.15% 4,008 42.14% 224 2.36% 30 0.32% 4 0.04% 1,237 13.01% 9,511
Ozaukee 1,280 38.42% 1,992 59.78% 37 1.11% 22 0.66% 1 0.03% -712 -21.37% 3,332
Pepin 1,099 68.35% 470 29.23% 39 2.43% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 629 39.12% 1,608
Pierce 3,433 72.95% 1,041 22.12% 224 4.76% 7 0.15% 1 0.02% 2,392 50.83% 4,706
Polk 2,735 77.48% 694 19.66% 72 2.04% 16 0.45% 13 0.37% 2,041 57.82% 3,530
Portage 3,285 54.60% 2,633 43.77% 92 1.53% 4 0.07% 2 0.03% 652 10.84% 6,016
Price 1,725 74.16% 529 22.74% 55 2.36% 14 0.60% 3 0.13% 1,196 51.42% 2,326
Racine 5,925 58.37% 3,855 37.98% 233 2.30% 133 1.31% 5 0.05% 2,070 20.39% 10,151
Richland 2,593 59.51% 1,524 34.98% 230 5.28% 10 0.23% 0 0.00% 1,069 24.54% 4,357
Rock 8,249 69.97% 3,094 26.24% 403 3.42% 36 0.31% 8 0.07% 5,155 43.72% 11,790
Sauk 4,329 60.89% 2,491 35.04% 276 3.88% 11 0.15% 3 0.04% 1,838 25.85% 7,110
Sawyer 723 68.53% 305 28.91% 23 2.18% 4 0.38% 0 0.00% 418 39.62% 1,055
Shawano 3,243 67.30% 1,504 31.21% 68 1.41% 3 0.06% 1 0.02% 1,739 36.09% 4,819
Sheboygan 5,927 53.77% 4,049 36.73% 123 1.12% 876 7.95% 48 0.44% 1,878 17.04% 11,023
St. Croix 3,368 58.98% 2,076 36.36% 202 3.54% 53 0.93% 11 0.19% 1,292 22.63% 5,710
Taylor 1,420 57.51% 1,012 40.99% 22 0.89% 14 0.57% 1 0.04% 408 16.52% 2,469
Trempealeau 3,364 71.23% 1,190 25.20% 167 3.54% 1 0.02% 1 0.02% 2,174 46.03% 4,723
Vernon 4,463 75.59% 1,268 21.48% 155 2.63% 16 0.27% 2 0.03% 3,195 54.12% 5,904
Vilas 1,208 69.27% 488 27.98% 37 2.12% 10 0.57% 1 0.06% 720 41.28% 1,744
Walworth 5,102 71.41% 1,742 24.38% 293 4.10% 6 0.08% 2 0.03% 3,360 47.03% 7,145
Washburn 808 73.99% 253 23.17% 29 2.66% 1 0.09% 1 0.09% 555 50.82% 1,092
Washington 2,614 50.24% 2,524 48.51% 56 1.08% 7 0.13% 2 0.04% 90 1.73% 5,203
Waukesha 5,127 60.91% 3,016 35.83% 252 2.99% 19 0.23% 4 0.05% 2,111 25.08% 8,418
Waupaca 5,284 76.29% 1,383 19.97% 253 3.65% 2 0.03% 4 0.06% 3,901 56.32% 6,926
Waushara 2,990 82.03% 525 14.40% 127 3.48% 3 0.08% 0 0.00% 2,465 67.63% 3,645
Winnebago 7,467 55.67% 5,605 41.78% 306 2.28% 27 0.20% 9 0.07% 1,862 13.88% 13,414
Wood 3,135 61.10% 1,878 36.60% 76 1.48% 35 0.68% 7 0.14% 1,257 24.50% 5,131
Totals 265,760 60.06% 159,163 35.97% 10,027 2.27% 7,048 1.59% 503 0.11% 106,597 24.09% 442,501

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 381-382, 414 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  2. ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 384
  3. ^ Sundquist, James; Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years, p. 526 ISBN 0815719094
  4. ^ Barry Eichengreen; Michael R. Haines; Matthew S. Jaremski; David Leblang. "Populists at the Polls: Economic Factors in the 1896 Presidential Election" (PDF). National Bureau of Economic Research.
  5. ^ Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179 ISBN 0313213798
  6. ^ Cooper, John Milton jr.; ‘Why Wisconsin? The Badger State in the Progressive Era’; The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. 87, No. 3 (Spring, 2004), pp. 14-25
  7. ^ ‘An Election Forecast’; Courier-Democrat (Langdon, North Dakota), September 6, 1900, p. 4
  8. ^ ‘Wisconsin Democrats Abandining Bryan’; The Craig News (Craig, Nebraska), October 19, 1900, p. 7
  9. ^ ‘Four Years More of M‘Kinley’; Evening Times-Republican (Marshalltown, Iowa); November 6, 1900, p. 1
  10. ^ Leip, Dave. "1900 Presidential General Election Results – Wisconsin". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  11. ^ "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1900". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)