1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
County Results
McKinley
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
70-80%
80-90%
Bryan
50-60%
The 1896 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1896, as part of the 1896 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] The German Catholics’ Democratic loyalties were related to their opposition to Republican pietism and to the fact that during the Civil War, they had been extremely hostile to Abraham Lincoln ’s wartime draft policies which often singled them out.[ 1]
Four years prior had seen, aided by favorable demographic shifts,[ 2] opposition to the notorious “Bennett Law” requiring attendance at public schools,[ 3] and a shift of some GOP voters to Prohibition Party nominee John Bidwell , Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland carry the state for the first time since before the Republican Party was formed. However, expectations that demographic shifts would favor the Democrats were rudely crushed in 1894 , when the Republicans took every Congressional seat in the state. President Cleveland became extremely unpopular and the Democratic Party turned towards the Populist movement active in the West in order to revive its fortunes. While the Populist movement would gain almost universal acceptance in the silver mining West, its inflationary monetary policies were opposed by almost all urban classes and viewed as dangerously radical by rural German Catholics,[ 4] with free silver being condemned by the Church hierarchy.[ 5]
Early polls always had Wisconsin strong for Republican nominee William McKinley , with his supporters saying it would be one of the most Republican states despite voting Democratic in 1892.[ 6] During his fall tour of the Midwest, Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan made fifteen speeches, but was disturbed by a member of McKinley's club,[ 7] who attempted to mob Bryan in Janesville .[ 8]
As it turned out, McKinley would carry Wisconsin handsomely by over one hundred thousand votes and by a margin of 22.97%. Wisconsin would be McKinley's strongest state outside the Northeast .[ 9] McKinley's 59.95% popular vote share was the highest received by any candidate in Wisconsin to that point, though McKinley would break his own record four years later .
Bryan would lose Wisconsin to McKinley again four years later and would later lose the state again in 1908 to William Howard Taft .
McKinley's landslide victory made him the first Republican to ever carry Kewaunee County , Langlade County , Oneida County , Outagamie County , and Washington County . Additionally, McKinley was the first Republican since John C. Frémont in 1856 to win Dodge County and Marathon County and the first Republican since Abraham Lincoln in 1860 to win Jefferson County and Manitowoc County . Waukesha County 's well-known Republican tilt began with this election; in prior elections it had been a swing county in Wisconsin but starting with this election, became solidly Republican and has only voted for a Democrat five times since 1892.
Results
General Election Results[ 10] [ a]
Party
Pledged to
Elector
Votes
Republican Party
William McKinley
John D. Nelsenius
268,051
Republican Party
William McKinley
William J. Mallmann
268,042
Republican Party
William McKinley
Ossian M. Pettit
268,033
Republican Party
William McKinley
Paul Lachmund
268,030
Republican Party
William McKinley
Mark Curtis
268,027
Republican Party
William McKinley
Ellicott R. Stillman
267,994
Republican Party
William McKinley
George D. Breed
267,993
Republican Party
William McKinley
Frederick A. Hollmann
267,969
Republican Party
William McKinley
Iver Pederson
267,963
Republican Party
William McKinley
Oakman A. Ellis
267,960
Republican Party
William McKinley
Samuel J. Bradford
267,948
Republican Party
William McKinley
Lewis C. Boyle
267,767
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
George W. Cate
165,349[ b]
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
John Winans
165,340
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
Michael J. Warner
165,299
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
Ernst Merton
165,292
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
Henry Steinman
165,292
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
Owen King
165,277
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
Albinos A. Worsley
165,271
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
John L. Beau
165,258
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
Charles L. Brekken
165,251
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
Herman Naber
165,243
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
Lester Woodward
165,229
Democratic Party
William Jennings Bryan
Christian Roemer
164,824
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
Charles Alexander
7,463[ c]
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
John C. Martin
7,461
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
Henry A. Miner
7,457
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
Charles F. Cronk
7,456
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
Charles Edward Reed
7,453
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
Newcomb E. Tully
7,452
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
Henry Happell
7,451
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
Solomon Vandewalker
7,448
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
John Faville
7,446
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
Almon Francis Collins
7,445
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
John R. Ogden
7,445
Prohibition Party
Joshua Levering
Elisha G. Partidge
7,438
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
John B. Kupfer
4,553
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
Charles Franz
4,552
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
George Krouskop
4,552
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
John C. Ludwig
4,552
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
Casper H. M. Petersen
4,550
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
William Dichmann
4,549
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
C. Hugo Jacobi
4,549
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
Bedford B. Hopkins
4,547
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
August Ledyard Smith
4,545
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
Samuel N. Dickinson
4,544
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
Lyman Nash
4,544
National Democratic Party
John M. Palmer
William F. Shea
4,543
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Ruchus Babnik
1,311
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Fred Farchmin
1,311
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Fred Bugelman
1,310
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Carl Groeschel
1,310
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Gustav Lauenstein
1,310
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Charles Weiss
1,310
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Albert Pippenburg
1,309
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
John Kettemann
1,308
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Charles Lachmund
1,308
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Emil Reesch
1,308
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Paul Reuther
1,308
Socialist Labor Party
Charles H. Matchett
Otto Schultz
1,306
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Annette J. Shaw
366[ d]
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Martha W. Law
326
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Orvie E. Thompson
326
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Oliver H. Crowl
324
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Newell Demeritt
324
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Lily Runals
324
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
John E. Bartlett
322
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Henry E. Ward
322
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
George W. Sherwood
321
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Luther W. Wood
321
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Gideon Young
321
National Party
Charles E. Bentley
Washington I. Carpenter
320
Votes cast[ e]
447,093
Results by county
County[ 10]
William McKinley Republican
William Jennings Bryan Democratic
Joshua Levering Prohibition
John M. Palmer National Democratic
Charles Matchett Socialist Labor
Charles Bentley National
Margin
Total votes cast[ f]
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
Adams
1,431
76.73%
391
20.97%
27
1.45%
16
0.86%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
1,040
55.76%
1,865
Ashland
2,738
59.72%
1,743
38.02%
59
1.29%
26
0.57%
16
0.35%
3
0.07%
995
21.70%
4,585
Barron
2,772
64.77%
1,323
30.91%
155
3.62%
26
0.61%
0
0.00%
4
0.09%
1,449
33.86%
4,280
Bayfield
2,230
71.82%
797
25.67%
59
1.90%
13
0.42%
5
0.16%
1
0.03%
1,433
46.15%
3,105
Brown
5,436
57.53%
3,841
40.65%
87
0.92%
67
0.71%
5
0.05%
13
0.14%
1,595
16.88%
9,449
Buffalo
2,298
61.89%
1,300
35.01%
61
1.64%
51
1.37%
1
0.03%
2
0.05%
998
26.88%
3,713
Burnett
799
67.48%
349
29.48%
28
2.36%
4
0.34%
3
0.25%
1
0.08%
450
38.01%
1,184
Calumet
1,546
44.51%
1,869
53.82%
28
0.81%
27
0.78%
2
0.06%
1
0.03%
-323
-9.30%
3,473
Chippewa
3,599
54.10%
2,927
44.00%
83
1.25%
35
0.53%
6
0.09%
2
0.03%
672
10.10%
6,652
Clark
3,327
69.44%
1,316
27.47%
96
2.00%
39
0.81%
12
0.25%
1
0.02%
2,011
41.97%
4,791
Columbia
4,845
63.59%
2,379
31.22%
278
3.65%
108
1.42%
7
0.09%
2
0.03%
2,466
32.37%
7,619
Crawford
2,322
59.61%
1,508
38.72%
38
0.98%
24
0.62%
2
0.05%
1
0.03%
814
20.90%
3,895
Dane
9,074
56.10%
6,521
40.32%
405
2.50%
158
0.98%
4
0.02%
12
0.07%
2,553
15.78%
16,174
Dodge
5,610
51.61%
4,893
45.01%
119
1.09%
235
2.16%
6
0.06%
8
0.07%
717
6.60%
10,871
Door
2,399
71.29%
894
26.57%
49
1.46%
21
0.62%
1
0.03%
1
0.03%
1,505
44.73%
3,365
Douglas
4,272
61.87%
2,487
36.02%
90
1.30%
46
0.67%
8
0.12%
2
0.03%
1,785
25.85%
6,905
Dunn
3,368
37.97%
1,415
28.56%
131
2.64%
33
0.67%
5
0.10%
3
0.06%
1,953
39.41%
4,955
Eau Claire
4,520
63.41%
2,364
33.16%
186
2.61%
52
0.73%
0
0.00%
6
0.08%
2,156
30.25%
7,128
Florence
488
78.33%
128
20.55%
5
0.80%
2
0.32%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
360
57.78%
623
Fond du Lac
6,174
54.17%
4,929
43.25%
157
1.38%
128
1.12%
5
0.04%
4
0.04%
1,245
10.92%
11,397
Forest
406
68.01%
172
28.81%
15
2.51%
2
0.34%
0
0.00%
2
0.34%
234
39.20%
597
Grant
5,315
57.42%
3,681
39.76%
187
2.02%
67
0.72%
3
0.03%
4
0.04%
1,634
17.65%
9,257
Green
3,093
54.76%
2,337
41.38%
157
2.78%
53
0.94%
7
0.12%
1
0.02%
756
13.39%
5,648
Green Lake
2,102
55.70%
1,567
41.52%
61
1.62%
32
0.85%
7
0.19%
5
0.13%
535
14.18%
3,774
Iowa
3,115
57.46%
2,059
37.98%
173
3.19%
61
1.13%
3
0.06%
10
0.18%
1,056
19.48%
5,421
Iron
1,288
72.04%
472
26.40%
26
1.45%
0
0.00%
1
0.06%
1
0.06%
816
45.64%
1,788
Jackson
2,708
74.68%
776
21.40%
97
2.68%
36
0.99%
2
0.06%
7
0.19%
1,932
53.28%
3,626
Jefferson
4,341
52.60%
3,504
42.46%
137
1.66%
263
3.19%
4
0.05%
4
0.05%
837
10.14%
8,253
Juneau
2,832
61.49%
1,671
36.28%
59
1.28%
35
0.76%
4
0.09%
5
0.11%
1,161
25.21%
4,606
Kenosha
2,827
60.54%
1,732
37.09%
40
0.86%
62
1.33%
8
0.17%
1
0.02%
1,095
23.45%
4,670
Kewaunee
1,834
51.13%
1,647
45.92%
14
0.39%
91
2.54%
0
0.00%
1
0.03%
187
5.21%
3,587
La Crosse
6,297
64.59%
3,057
31.36%
161
1.65%
224
2.30%
8
0.08%
2
0.02%
3,240
33.23%
9,749
Lafayette
2,918
54.74%
2,236
41.94%
114
2.14%
59
1.11%
1
0.02%
3
0.06%
682
12.79%
5,331
Langlade
1,457
58.80%
956
38.58%
23
0.93%
38
1.53%
4
0.16%
0
0.00%
501
20.22%
2,478
Lincoln
1,706
47.69%
1,802
50.38%
44
1.23%
21
0.59%
2
0.06%
2
0.06%
-96
-2.68%
3,577
Manitowoc
4,430
51.60%
3,917
45.63%
60
0.70%
162
1.89%
11
0.13%
5
0.06%
513
5.98%
8,585
Marathon
3,956
49.61%
3,829
48.01%
70
0.88%
87
1.09%
29
0.36%
4
0.05%
127
1.59%
7,975
Marinette
4,277
68.27%
1,866
29.78%
81
1.29%
29
0.46%
9
0.14%
3
0.05%
2,411
38.48%
6,265
Marquette
1,476
62.84%
827
35.21%
25
1.06%
20
0.85%
0
0.00%
1
0.04%
649
27.63%
2,349
Milwaukee
35,939
55.89%
26,505
41.22%
638
0.99%
510
0.79%
679
1.06%
30
0.05%
9,434
14.67%
64,301
Monroe
3,683
59.48%
2,360
38.11%
102
1.65%
35
0.57%
1
0.02%
11
0.18%
1,323
21.37%
6,192
Oconto
2,836
67.09%
1,289
30.49%
59
1.40%
35
0.83%
5
0.12%
3
0.07%
1,547
36.60%
4,227
Oneida
1,452
70.66%
562
27.35%
27
1.31%
14
0.68%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
890
43.31%
2,055
Outagamie
5,431
55.44%
4,092
41.77%
138
1.41%
105
1.07%
5
0.05%
25
0.26%
1,339
13.67%
9,796
Ozaukee
1,534
42.80%
1,946
54.30%
30
0.84%
62
1.73%
11
0.31%
1
0.03%
-412
-11.50%
3,584
Pepin
1,301
72.52%
435
24.25%
37
2.06%
19
1.06%
1
0.06%
1
0.06%
866
48.27%
1,794
Pierce
3,724
69.79%
1,412
26.46%
156
2.92%
38
0.71%
3
0.06%
3
0.06%
2,312
43.33%
5,336
Polk
2,860
74.56%
891
23.23%
61
1.59%
23
0.60%
0
0.00%
1
0.03%
1,969
51.33%
3,836
Portage
3,529
53.78%
2,890
44.04%
80
1.22%
54
0.82%
3
0.05%
6
0.09%
639
9.74%
6,562
Price
1,448
70.22%
550
26.67%
37
1.79%
19
0.92%
7
0.34%
1
0.05%
898
43.55%
2,062
Racine
5,848
57.65%
3,970
39.14%
211
2.08%
103
1.02%
8
0.08%
4
0.04%
1,878
18.51%
10,144
Richland
2,636
54.05%
2,098
43.02%
127
2.60%
16
0.33%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
538
11.03%
4,877
Rock
8,281
67.58%
3,634
29.66%
235
1.92%
86
0.70%
12
0.10%
5
0.04%
4,647
37.93%
12,253
Sauk
4,623
60.98%
2,608
34.40%
242
3.19%
96
1.27%
9
0.12%
3
0.04%
2,015
26.58%
7,581
Sawyer
514
56.30%
369
40.42%
28
3.07%
2
0.22%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
145
15.88%
913
Shawano
3,033
64.22%
1,589
33.64%
54
1.14%
32
0.68%
12
0.25%
3
0.06%
1,444
30.57%
4,723
Sheboygan
6,642
62.51%
3,327
31.31%
90
0.85%
245
2.31%
307
2.89%
15
0.14%
3,315
31.20%
10,626
St. Croix
3,462
56.39%
2,475
40.32%
158
2.57%
38
0.62%
4
0.07%
2
0.03%
987
16.08%
6,139
Taylor
1,387
64.60%
709
33.02%
20
0.93%
26
1.21%
2
0.09%
3
0.14%
678
31.58%
2,147
Trempealeau
3,305
67.70%
1,393
28.53%
151
3.09%
23
0.47%
4
0.08%
6
0.12%
1,912
39.16%
4,882
Vernon
4,392
71.36%
1,626
26.42%
102
1.66%
28
0.45%
3
0.05%
4
0.06%
2,766
44.94%
6,155
Vilas
753
61.98%
443
36.46%
8
0.66%
9
0.74%
2
0.16%
0
0.00%
310
25.51%
1,215
Walworth
5,345
70.42%
1,892
24.93%
282
3.72%
57
0.75%
2
0.03%
12
0.16%
3,453
45.49%
7,590
Washburn
771
73.29%
250
23.76%
21
2.00%
8
0.76%
2
0.19%
0
0.00%
521
49.52%
1,052
Washington
2,874
53.16%
2,404
44.47%
31
0.57%
86
1.59%
6
0.11%
5
0.09%
470
8.69%
5,406
Waukesha
5,411
60.96%
3,190
35.94%
161
1.81%
108
1.22%
5
0.06%
2
0.02%
2,221
25.02%
8,877
Waupaca
5,466
75.19%
1,577
21.69%
128
1.76%
65
0.89%
3
0.04%
31
0.43%
3,889
53.49%
7,270
Waushara
3,210
84.36%
456
11.98%
102
2.68%
27
0.71%
0
0.00%
10
0.26%
2,754
72.38%
3,805
Winnebago
7,898
59.25%
5,088
38.17%
210
1.58%
100
0.75%
18
0.14%
15
0.11%
2,810
21.08%
13,329
Wood
2,837
58.98%
1,877
39.02%
53
1.10%
31
0.64%
6
0.12%
6
0.12%
960
19.96%
4,810
Total
268,051
59.95%
165,349[ g]
36.98%
7,463[ h]
1.67%
4,553
1.02%
1,311
0.29%
366[ i]
0.08%
102,702
22.97%
447,093
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
See also
Notes
^ The 1897 Blue Book gives the totals as McKinley 268,135; Bryan 165,523; Levering 7,507; Palmer 4,584; Matchett 1,314; and Bentley 346. Based on the Board of Canvassers report, these totals are simply incorrect; no elector on any ticket received those numbers of votes. Indeed, the Blue Book is an unreliable source for Wisconsin election data from about 1890 to 1920 and its figures frequently differ from the figures listed in the Board of Canvassers reports.
^ This stated total seems likely to be a mistake; the county figures add up to 165,389. There are a number of counties where Cate's figure differ from those of Winans, but it would require a combination of multiple mistakes in the county figures to bring Cate's county total down to 165,349, so a mistake in the addition is more likely to be the error. The Wisconsin Board of Canvassers reports for presidential electors often have mistakes (oddly, however, the reports for congressmen and state officers rarely have mistakes), though the 1896 election is unusual in that the report has mistakes for the highest electors on some tickets.
^ The county figures for Alexander add up to 7,464.
^ This stated total seems likely to be a mistake; the county totals add up to 336 and there's no obvious county where Shaw is short by 30 votes.
^ Based on totals for highest elector on each ticket
^ Based on highest elector on each ticket
^ The county figures add up to 165,389
^ The county figures add up to 7,464
^ The county figures add up to 336
References
^ a b Phillips, Kevin P. ; The Emerging Republican Majority , pp. 381-382, 414 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
^ Kleppner, Paul; The Third Electoral System, 1853-1892: Parties, Votes and Political Cultures , pp. 198-207 ISBN 0807813281
^ Hill, Perry C.; ‘Wisconsin Votes for President’, The Wisconsin Magazine of History , Vol. 36, No. 1 (Autumn, 1952), pp. 11-16
^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority , p. 384
^ Harpine, William D.; From the Front Porch to the Front Page: McKinley and Bryan in the 1896 Presidential Campaign , pp. 166-167 ISBN 9781585444502
^ ‘ Good News for McKinley Leaders: Strong in the Great West – Wisconsin Solid for the Ohio Man’; San Francisco Chronicle , August 13, 1896, p. 5
^ ‘Bryan in Wisconsin: Fifteen Short Speeches to the Badger State Voters’; The Washington Post , October 31, 1896, p. 3
^ ‘Men Almost Mobbed: Bryan in Wisconsin, Palmer and Buckner in Missouri’; Boston Daily Globe , October 31, 1896, p. 3
^ "1896 Presidential General Election Data – National by State" . Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018 .
^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Tabular Statement of the votes given for President and Vice President of the United States at the general election held in the several towns, wards, villages, and election districts in the several counties of the State of Wisconsin on the Tuesday next succeeding the first Monday being the Third day of November A.D. 1896