1912 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

The 1912 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 5, 1912 as part of the 1912 United States presidential election. State voters chose thirteen electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1912 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

November 5, 1912
 
Nominee Woodrow Wilson William Howard Taft
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New Jersey Ohio
Running mate Thomas R. Marshall Nicholas M. Butler
(replacing James S. Sherman)
Electoral vote 13 0
Popular vote 164,230 130,596
Percentage 41.06% 32.65%

 
Nominee Theodore Roosevelt Eugene V. Debs
Party Progressive Social Democratic
Home state New York Indiana
Running mate Hiram Johnson Emil Seidel
Electoral vote 0 0
Popular vote 62,448 33,476
Percentage 15.61% 8.37%

County Results

President before election

William Howard Taft
Republican

Elected President

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

Background and vote

Ever since the decline of the Populist movement, Wisconsin had become almost a one-party state dominated by the Republican Party.[1] The Democratic Party became entirely uncompetitive outside certain German Catholic counties adjoining Lake Michigan as the upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, completely fled from William Jennings Bryan’s agrarian and free silver sympathies.[2] As Democratic strength weakened severely after 1894 – although the state did develop a strong Socialist Party to provide opposition to the GOP – Wisconsin developed the direct Republican primary in 1903 and this ultimately created competition between the “League” under Robert M. La Follette, and the conservative “Regular” faction.[3]

At the turn of the decade, the Democratic Party underwent a brief revival, as it made significant gains upon its small share of state legislative seats and many people in the state saw in New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson the possibility of the party returning to the progressive ideals it was felt to have deserted with Bryan fifteen years beforehand.[4] Wilson campaigned in the state as early as 1911 – long before he was the official Democratic nominee – and was soon able to get many Republicans who had supported La Follette onto his bandwagon, and retained them despite former President Theodore Roosevelt running his own “Bull Moose” campaign as a result of the ongoing national split in the Republican Party.[4] Once regular nominee and incumbent Present William Howard Taft ceased campaigning in August, La Follette’s ability to hold Progressive GOP support for Wilson – outside the Scandinavian Lake Superior Lowland where Roosevelt controlled this group – meant that Democratic Party candidate Woodrow Wilson won Wisconsin's thirteen electoral votes with 41.07 percent of the popular vote.[5]

With his win, Wilson became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Wisconsin since Grover Cleveland in 1892. Another Democrat would not carry the state again until Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the only election in which Walworth County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[6]

Results

1912 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Woodrow Wilson 164,230 41.06% 13
Republican William Howard Taft 130,596 32.65% 0
Progressive Independent Theodore Roosevelt 62,448 15.61% 0
Social Democratic Eugene V. Debs 33,476 8.37% 0
Prohibition Eugene Chafin 8,584 2.15% 0
Independent Arthur E. Reimer 632 0.16% 0
Write-ins 9 0.00% 0
Totals 399,334 100.0% 13

Results by county

County Thomas Woodrow Wilson[7]
Democratic
William Howard Taft[7]
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt[8]
Progressive Independent
Eugene Victor Debs[9]
Social Democratic
Various candidates[9]
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 462 30.90% 689 46.09% 204 13.65% 66 4.41% 74 4.95% -227 -15.18% 1,495
Ashland 1,451 41.54% 937 26.83% 677 19.38% 315 9.02% 113 3.24% 514 14.72% 3,493
Barron 1,065 26.83% 1,414 35.62% 968 24.38% 265 6.68% 258 6.50% -349 -8.79% 3,970
Bayfield 666 29.84% 514 23.03% 671 30.06% 306 13.71% 75 3.36% -5[lower-alpha 1] -0.22% 2,232
Brown 3,557 42.16% 2,764 32.76% 1,396 16.55% 569 6.74% 151 1.79% 793 9.40% 8,437
Buffalo 848 33.29% 1,239 48.65% 372 14.61% 45 1.77% 43 1.69% -391 -15.35% 2,547
Burnett 305 20.24% 403 26.74% 570 37.82% 172 11.41% 57 3.78% -167[lower-alpha 2] -11.08% 1,507
Calumet 1,366 47.76% 931 32.55% 454 15.87% 85 2.97% 24 0.84% 435 15.21% 2,860
Chippewa 2,028 39.63% 1,736 33.93% 1,132 22.12% 102 1.99% 119 2.33% 292 5.71% 5,117
Clark 1,528 34.24% 2,035 45.61% 648 14.52% 143 3.20% 108 2.42% -507 -11.36% 4,462
Columbia 2,473 42.73% 2,463 42.55% 583 10.07% 121 2.09% 148 2.56% 10 0.17% 5,788
Crawford 1,515 44.86% 1,407 41.66% 321 9.51% 69 2.04% 65 1.92% 108 3.20% 3,377
Dane 9,017 55.80% 5,244 32.45% 1,202 7.44% 298 1.84% 399 2.47% 3,773 23.35% 16,160
Dodge 5,246 59.97% 2,559 29.26% 705 8.06% 118 1.35% 119 1.36% 2,687 30.72% 8,747
Door 769 27.12% 1,167 41.15% 690 24.33% 72 2.54% 138 4.87% -398 -14.03% 2,836
Douglas 1,181 23.00% 730 14.22% 2,285 44.51% 752 14.65% 186 3.62% -1,104[lower-alpha 1] -21.50% 5,134
Dunn 833 22.24% 1,403 37.45% 1,174 31.34% 235 6.27% 101 2.70% 229[lower-alpha 2] 6.11% 3,746
Eau Claire 1,727 34.57% 2,013 40.29% 895 17.91% 239 4.78% 122 2.44% -286 -5.72% 4,996
Florence 131 21.83% 262 43.67% 182 30.33% 15 2.50% 10 1.67% 80[lower-alpha 2] 13.33% 600
Fond du Lac 4,838 50.31% 3,014 31.34% 1,236 12.85% 349 3.63% 179 1.86% 1,824 18.97% 9,616
Forest 567 42.00% 518 38.37% 212 15.70% 30 2.22% 23 1.70% 49 3.63% 1,350
Grant 3,615 45.84% 3,283 41.63% 667 8.46% 99 1.26% 222 2.82% 332 4.21% 7,886
Green 1,716 41.61% 1,601 38.82% 516 12.51% 83 2.01% 208 5.04% 115 2.79% 4,124
Green Lake 1,407 47.15% 1,269 42.53% 195 6.53% 39 1.31% 74 2.48% 138 4.62% 2,984
Iowa 2,103 44.90% 1,886 40.26% 438 9.35% 32 0.68% 225 4.80% 217 4.63% 4,684
Iron 347 29.33% 473 39.98% 254 21.47% 72 6.09% 37 3.13% -126 -10.65% 1,183
Jackson 606 22.88% 1,398 52.77% 477 18.01% 78 2.94% 90 3.40% -792 -29.90% 2,649
Jefferson 4,381 62.40% 1,926 27.43% 490 6.98% 100 1.42% 124 1.77% 2,455 34.97% 7,021
Juneau 1,236 38.78% 1,322 41.48% 435 13.65% 135 4.24% 59 1.85% -86 -2.70% 3,187
Kenosha 2,216 36.09% 1,671 27.21% 1,649 26.85% 492 8.01% 113 1.84% 545 8.87% 6,141
Kewaunee 1,696 54.32% 1,115 35.71% 263 8.42% 22 0.70% 26 0.83% 581 18.61% 3,122
La Crosse 4,263 53.07% 2,272 28.28% 999 12.44% 337 4.20% 162 2.02% 1,991 24.79% 8,033
Lafayette 1,852 41.50% 1,747 39.14% 756 16.94% 28 0.63% 80 1.79% 105 2.35% 4,463
Langlade 1,387 45.72% 710 23.40% 810 26.70% 91 3.00% 36 1.19% 577[lower-alpha 1] 19.02% 3,034
Lincoln 1,760 52.41% 712 21.20% 627 18.67% 212 6.31% 47 1.40% 1,048 31.21% 3,358
Manitowoc 3,436 44.74% 2,389 31.11% 919 11.97% 890 11.59% 46 0.60% 1,047 13.63% 7,680
Marathon 4,043 44.26% 3,033 33.20% 1,274 13.95% 597 6.54% 188 2.06% 1,010 11.06% 9,135
Marinette 1,559 33.29% 1,618 34.55% 1,125 24.02% 276 5.89% 105 2.24% -59 -1.26% 4,683
Marquette 923 41.30% 881 39.42% 365 16.33% 22 0.98% 44 1.97% 42 1.88% 2,235
Milwaukee 27,628 38.75% 17,877 25.07% 5,939 8.33% 19,243 26.99% 615 0.86% 8,385[lower-alpha 3] 11.76% 71,302
Monroe 2,084 43.16% 1,841 38.13% 628 13.01% 125 2.59% 150 3.11% 243 5.03% 4,828
Oconto 1,523 35.77% 1,988 46.69% 554 13.01% 139 3.26% 54 1.27% -465 -10.92% 4,258
Oneida 717 33.87% 774 36.56% 431 20.36% 175 8.27% 20 0.94% -57 -2.69% 2,117
Outagamie 4,139 50.04% 2,384 28.82% 1,401 16.94% 192 2.32% 155 1.87% 1,755 21.22% 8,271
Ozaukee 1,878 63.27% 749 25.24% 241 8.12% 76 2.56% 24 0.81% 1,129 38.04% 2,968
Pepin 410 31.06% 528 40.00% 329 24.92% 27 2.05% 26 1.97% -118 -8.94% 1,320
Pierce 985 29.10% 986 29.13% 1,204 35.57% 102 3.01% 108 3.19% -218[lower-alpha 2] -6.44% 3,385
Polk 830 26.56% 848 27.14% 1,068 34.18% 270 8.64% 109 3.49% -220[lower-alpha 2] -7.04% 3,125
Portage 2,301 43.32% 1,932 36.37% 890 16.75% 101 1.90% 88 1.66% 369 6.95% 5,312
Price 662 27.58% 708 29.50% 662 27.58% 290 12.08% 78 3.25% -46 -1.92% 2,400
Racine 3,909 44.13% 2,606 29.42% 1,440 16.26% 612 6.91% 291 3.29% 1,303 14.71% 8,858
Richland 1,493 37.72% 1,623 41.01% 367 9.27% 127 3.21% 348 8.79% -130 -3.28% 3,958
Rock 3,032 30.64% 4,276 43.21% 2,002 20.23% 261 2.64% 324 3.27% -1,244 -12.57% 9,895
Rusk 522 30.67% 575 33.78% 344 20.21% 204 11.99% 57 3.35% -53 -3.11% 1,702
Sauk 432 47.52% 295 32.45% 144 15.84% 15 1.65% 23 2.53% 137 15.07% 909
Sawyer 1,661 36.72% 1,535 33.94% 1,103 24.39% 99 2.19% 125 2.76% 126 2.79% 4,523
Shawano 3,968 41.23% 2,692 27.97% 1,628 16.91% 1,084 11.26% 253 2.63% 1,276 13.26% 9,625
Sheboygan 1,806 38.86% 1,728 37.18% 823 17.71% 188 4.04% 103 2.22% 78 1.68% 4,648
St. Croix 2,464 43.02% 2,171 37.91% 720 12.57% 67 1.17% 305 5.33% 293 5.12% 5,727
Taylor 821 35.91% 773 33.81% 379 16.58% 271 11.85% 42 1.84% 48 2.10% 2,286
Trempealeau 1,235 31.28% 1,763 44.66% 795 20.14% 50 1.27% 105 2.66% -528 -13.37% 3,948
Vernon 1,253 27.14% 2,663 57.68% 463 10.03% 74 1.60% 164 3.55% -1,410 -30.54% 4,617
Vilas 327 35.43% 304 32.94% 212 22.97% 71 7.69% 9 0.98% 23 2.49% 923
Walworth 2,125 36.38% 2,096 35.88% 1,237 21.18% 78 1.34% 305 5.22% 29 0.50% 5,841
Washburn 398 26.78% 409 27.52% 488 32.84% 148 9.96% 43 2.89% -79[lower-alpha 2] -5.32% 1,486
Washington 2,425 51.57% 1,799 38.26% 302 6.42% 150 3.19% 26 0.55% 626 13.31% 4,702
Waukesha 3,594 48.82% 2,714 36.86% 597 8.11% 196 2.66% 261 3.55% 880 11.95% 7,362
Waupaca 1,563 26.70% 2,204 37.66% 1,767 30.19% 131 2.24% 188 3.21% 437[lower-alpha 2] 7.47% 5,853
Waushara 772 25.54% 1,343 44.43% 741 24.51% 92 3.04% 75 2.48% -571 -18.89% 3,023
Winnebago 4,631 41.00% 1,922 17.01% 4,098 36.28% 478 4.23% 167 1.48% 533[lower-alpha 1] 4.72% 11,296
Wood 2,523 47.28% 1,742 32.65% 525 9.84% 369 6.92% 177 3.32% 781 14.64% 5,336
Totals164,23041.07%130,59632.66%62,35815.59%33,4768.37%9,2162.30%33,6348.41%399,876

Notes

  1. In this county where Taft ran behind both Roosevelt and Wilson (but ahead of Debs) margin given is Wilson vote minus Roosevelt vote and percentage margin Wilson percentage minus Roosevelt percentage.
  2. In this county where Wilson ran third behind both Taft and Roosevelt, margin given is Taft vote minus Roosevelt vote and percentage margin Taft percentage minus Roosevelt percentage.
  3. In this county where Debs ran second ahead of Roosevelt and Taft, margin given is Wilson vote minus Debs vote and percentage margin Wilson percentage minus Debs percentage.

References

  1. Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179 ISBN 0313213798
  2. Sundquist, James; Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years, p. 526 ISBN 0815719094
  3. Hansen, John Mark; Shigeo Hirano, and Snyder, James M. Jr.; ‘Parties within Parties: Parties, Factions, and Coordinated Politics, 1900-1980’; in Gerber, Alan S. and Schickler, Eric; Governing in a Polarized Age: Elections, Parties, and Political Representation in America, pp. 165-168 ISBN 978-1-107-09509-0
  4. Crews, Kenneth D.; ‘Woodrow Wilson, Wisconsin, and the Election of 1912’; Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 3: ‘Presidents, Vice Presidents and Political Parties: Performance and Prospects’ (Summer, 1982), pp. 369-376
  5. "1912 Presidential General Election Results – Wisconsin". Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  6. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  7. Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote; 1896-1932 (second edition); pp. 226-227 Published 1947 by Stanford University Press
  8. Géoelections; 1912 Presidential Election Popular Vote Archived 2018-06-13 at the Wayback Machine (.xlsx file for €15)
  9. Géoelections; 1912 Presidential Election Popular Vote for Eugene Debs (.xlsx file for €15)
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