1908 United States presidential election in Oklahoma

The 1908 United States presidential election in Oklahoma took place on November 3, 1908. All 46 states were part of the 1908 United States presidential election. Voters chose 7 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. This was the first presidential election Oklahoma participated in, as it had become the 46th state on November 16, 1907.

1908 United States presidential election in Oklahoma

November 3, 1908

Nominee William J. Bryan William Howard Taft Eugene V. Debs Party Democratic Republican Socialist Home state Nebraska Ohio Indiana Running mate John W. Kern James S. Sherman Benjamin Hanford Electoral vote 7 0 0 Popular vote 123,907 110,550 21,752 Percentage 48.22% 43.03% 8.47%

County Results Bryan   40-50%   50-60%   60-70% Taft   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%

President before election Theodore Roosevelt Republican Elected President William Howard Taft Republican

Democratic Nominee William Jennings Bryan won Oklahoma by a 4.66% margin of victory.[1] Oklahoma became a reliably Democratic state, with the party nominee winning 10 out of the first 15 elections held in the state. In 1964, Lyndon Johnson became the last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state.[2]

Eugene V. Debs, the Socialist candidate, won 8.52% of the vote, demonstrating the strength of the Socialist movement in Oklahoma at this point in the state's history. Debs would go on to improve this performance in 1912, winning around twice as much of the percentage of the vote in Oklahoma.

Results

1908 United States presidential election in Oklahoma[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic	William Jennings Bryan	123,907	48.22%	7
	Republican	William Howard Taft	110,550	43.03%	0
	Socialist	Eugene V. Debs	21,752	8.47%	0
	Populist	Thomas E. Watson	434	0.17%	0
	Independence	Thomas L. Hisgen	274	0.11%	0
Totals			256,917	100.0%	7

References

1. "1908 Presidential General Election Results - Oklahoma". uselectionatlas.org.
2. Gust, Steve (October 6, 2012). "Oklahoma student who attended Democratic National Convention anticipates lifetime in politics". The Oklahoman. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
3. "Bryan's Plurality 13,375". The Shawnee News - Shawnee, OK. November 16, 1908. Retrieved December 13, 2018.