1896 United States presidential election in Michigan

1896 United States presidential election in Michigan
McKinley 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90%	Bryan 40-50% 50-60% 60-70%
President before election; Grover Cleveland; Democratic	Elected President ; William McKinley; Republican

The 1896 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the 1896 United States presidential election. Voters chose 14 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Ever since the formation of the Republican party, Michigan had been a Republican-leaning state due to the Lower Peninsula’s strong history of settlement by anti-slavery Yankees, who after the end of Reconstruction continued to see the need for solid Republican voting to oppose the solidly Democratic Confederate and Border States.^[1] During the Third Party System, heavily Catholic and immigrant-settled Southeast Michigan would lean towards the Democratic Party, which was opposed to the moralistic pietism of Yankee Republicans.

In the 1892 election, aided by favorable demographic changes^[2] and a legislative change allocating electors by congressional district, the Democratic Party managed to carry five of Michigan’s fourteen electoral votes, and also elect a Governor and a majority to the state legislature. However, the Panic of 1893 turned expectations or hopes of Michigan becoming a swing state rudely on its head, especially when incumbent President Cleveland stood firm, sending in troops to break the Pullman Strike. In the 1894 elections, only one Democrat maintained a seat in the state legislature,^[3] a loss of seventy seats compared to the 1890 elections.

In the wake of this decline, Cleveland decided not to run for a third term, and endorsed the National Democratic Party ticket of John M. Palmer.^[4] The Populist Party seized control of the Democratic Party and nominated former Nebraska Representative William Jennings Bryan. During his campaign, Bryan traveled through Michigan in the latter stages of his October Midwestern tour. Polls late in that month, covering all but three of Michigan’s counties, showed Republican candidate William McKinley ahead of Bryan by almost three-to-one, which was an increase upon his margin in earlier polls.^[5] Another poll a little later was also certain Michigan would vote for McKinley.^[6]

Michigan ultimately voted for McKinley by a margin of 10.3 points, a much smaller margin than earlier polls, although a reduction was expected as some unpolled rural areas of the state had been believed to favor Bryan’s free silver policy.^[6] His margin was an increase of five points upon what Benjamin Harrison had achieved over the state as a whole in 1892, though there were large variations. In the traditionally Democratic German Catholic areas, there was a large shift to McKinley due to Archbishop Ireland’s opposition to free silver,^[7]^[8] In the heavily Methodist cabinet counties of Michiana, by contrast, Bryan gained substantially and was the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Branch County, Calhoun County, Eaton County and Isabella County since Franklin Pierce in 1852.^[9]

Bryan would lose Michigan to McKinley again four years later and would later lose the state again in 1908 to William Howard Taft.

Results

1896 United States presidential election in Michigan^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	William McKinley	293,336	53.77%
	Populist	William Jennings Bryan	237,166	43.47%
	National Democratic	John M. Palmer	6,923	1.27%
	Prohibition	Joshua Levering	4,978	0.91%
	National Prohibition	Charles E. Bentley	1,816	0.33%
	Write-ins		1,073	0.20%
	Socialist Labor	Charles H. Matchett	293	0.05%
Total votes			545,585	100%

Results by county

County	William McKinley Republican		William Jennings Bryan Democratic		John M. Palmer National Democratic		Joshua Levering Prohibition		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast^[11]
County	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	Total votes cast^[11]
Alcona	743	70.90%	275	26.24%	22	2.10%	6	0.57%	2	0.19%	468	44.66%	1,048
Alger	801	58.42%	539	39.31%	26	1.90%	5	0.36%	0	0.00%	262	19.11%	1,371
Allegan	5,810	57.85%	3,937	39.20%	149	1.48%	93	0.93%	54	0.54%	1,873	18.65%	10,043
Alpena	1,777	51.03%	1,665	47.82%	26	0.75%	13	0.37%	1	0.03%	112	3.22%	3,482
Antrim	1,886	58.05%	1,228	37.80%	58	1.79%	39	1.20%	38	1.17%	658	20.25%	3,249
Arenac	611	37.39%	997	61.02%	18	1.10%	0	0.00%	8	0.49%	-386	-23.62%	1,634
Baraga	611	55.90%	459	41.99%	10	0.91%	11	1.01%	2	0.18%	152	13.91%	1,093
Barry	3,294	49.63%	3,157	47.57%	89	1.34%	51	0.77%	46	0.69%	137	2.06%	6,637
Bay	6,037	48.09%	6,296	50.16%	151	1.20%	63	0.50%	6	0.05%	-259	-2.06%	12,553
Benzie	1,366	60.39%	803	35.50%	30	1.33%	53	2.34%	10	0.44%	563	24.89%	2,262
Berrien	6,672	56.12%	4,792	40.31%	272	2.29%	115	0.97%	37	0.31%	1,880	15.81%	11,888
Branch	3,596	46.58%	3,976	51.50%	74	0.96%	39	0.51%	35	0.45%	-380	-4.92%	7,720
Calhoun	5,874	47.01%	6,202	49.64%	211	1.69%	177	1.42%	30	0.24%	-328	-2.63%	12,494
Cass	3,034	49.05%	3,012	48.70%	59	0.95%	64	1.03%	16	0.26%	22	0.36%	6,185
Charlevoix	1,653	61.06%	978	36.13%	24	0.89%	38	1.40%	14	0.52%	675	24.94%	2,707
Cheboygan	1,576	48.79%	1,617	50.06%	16	0.50%	12	0.37%	9	0.28%	-41	-1.27%	3,230
Chippewa	2,105	65.52%	1,001	31.15%	46	1.43%	58	1.81%	3	0.09%	1,104	34.36%	3,213
Clare	886	53.09%	723	43.32%	29	1.74%	12	0.72%	19	1.14%	163	9.77%	1,669
Clinton	3,480	48.95%	3,467	48.76%	65	0.91%	62	0.87%	36	0.51%	13	0.18%	7,110
Crawford	350	49.65%	350	49.65%	3	0.43%	2	0.28%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	705
Delta	2,774	67.81%	1,237	30.24%	65	1.59%	11	0.27%	4	0.10%	1,537	37.57%	4,091
Dickinson	2,608	80.59%	528	16.32%	56	1.73%	41	1.27%	3	0.09%	2,080	64.28%	3,236
Eaton	4,270	46.97%	4,631	50.95%	108	1.19%	63	0.69%	18	0.20%	-361	-3.97%	9,090
Emmet	1,727	54.17%	1,337	41.94%	48	1.51%	69	2.16%	7	0.22%	390	12.23%	3,188
Genesee	5,638	52.00%	4,915	45.33%	102	0.94%	127	1.17%	61	0.56%	723	6.67%	10,843
Gladwin	748	67.09%	323	28.97%	28	2.51%	13	1.17%	3	0.27%	425	38.12%	1,115
Gogebic	1,982	67.53%	873	29.74%	48	1.64%	26	0.89%	6	0.20%	1,109	37.79%	2,935
Grand Traverse	2,533	57.20%	1,745	39.41%	71	1.60%	72	1.63%	7	0.16%	788	17.80%	4,428
Gratiot	3,380	44.97%	3,971	52.83%	72	0.96%	59	0.78%	34	0.45%	-591	-7.86%	7,516
Hillsdale	4,564	52.12%	3,986	45.52%	91	1.04%	77	0.88%	38	0.43%	578	6.60%	8,756
Houghton	6,141	71.85%	1,996	23.35%	178	2.08%	225	2.63%	7	0.08%	4,145	48.50%	8,547
Huron	3,396	53.64%	2,808	44.35%	88	1.39%	30	0.47%	9	0.14%	588	9.29%	6,331
Ingham	4,958	45.43%	5,691	52.14%	82	0.75%	112	1.03%	71	0.65%	-733	-6.72%	10,914
Ionia	4,593	48.35%	4,757	50.08%	65	0.68%	58	0.61%	26	0.27%	-164	-1.73%	9,499
Iosco	1,470	60.25%	912	37.38%	38	1.56%	17	0.70%	3	0.12%	558	22.87%	2,440
Iron	1,048	79.70%	236	17.95%	24	1.83%	0	0.00%	7	0.53%	812	61.75%	1,315
Isabella	2,424	46.71%	2,679	51.63%	24	0.46%	40	0.77%	22	0.42%	-255	-4.91%	5,189
Jackson	6,208	47.51%	6,498	49.73%	127	0.97%	145	1.11%	89	0.68%	-290	-2.22%	13,067
Kalamazoo	5,891	51.16%	5,434	47.19%	83	0.72%	82	0.71%	25	0.22%	457	3.97%	11,515
Kalkaska	940	66.38%	422	29.80%	27	1.91%	18	1.27%	9	0.64%	518	36.58%	1,416
Kent	17,053	54.34%	13,582	43.28%	319	1.02%	395	1.26%	35	0.11%	3,471	11.06%	31,384
Keweenaw	411	88.96%	45	9.74%	5	1.08%	1	0.22%	0	0.00%	366	79.22%	462
Lake	888	60.61%	547	37.34%	20	1.37%	8	0.55%	2	0.14%	341	23.28%	1,465
Lapeer	3,809	53.63%	3,065	43.15%	105	1.48%	100	1.41%	24	0.34%	744	10.47%	7,103
Leelanau	1,402	64.25%	690	31.62%	53	2.43%	33	1.51%	4	0.18%	712	32.63%	2,182
Lenawee	6,863	50.89%	6,300	46.72%	143	1.06%	145	1.08%	35	0.26%	563	4.17%	13,486
Livingston	2,893	47.69%	2,994	49.36%	76	1.25%	73	1.20%	30	0.49%	-101	-1.67%	6,066
Luce	358	57.01%	236	37.58%	16	2.55%	17	2.71%	1	0.16%	122	19.43%	628
Mackinac	806	48.73%	804	48.61%	36	2.18%	7	0.42%	1	0.06%	2	0.12%	1,654
Macomb	4,153	53.22%	3,400	43.57%	157	2.01%	70	0.90%	23	0.29%	753	9.65%	7,803
Manistee	2,697	50.65%	2,487	46.70%	94	1.77%	35	0.66%	12	0.23%	210	3.94%	5,325
Marquette	5,111	70.11%	1,980	27.16%	79	1.08%	100	1.37%	20	0.27%	3,131	42.95%	7,290
Mason	2,177	56.27%	1,580	40.84%	66	1.71%	31	0.80%	15	0.39%	597	15.43%	3,869
Mecosta	2,887	57.80%	1,975	39.54%	73	1.46%	48	0.96%	12	0.24%	912	18.26%	4,995
Menominee	3,105	66.39%	1,499	32.05%	47	1.00%	21	0.45%	5	0.11%	1,606	34.34%	4,677
Midland	1,524	48.83%	1,507	48.29%	47	1.51%	34	1.09%	9	0.29%	17	0.54%	3,121
Missaukee	899	55.15%	687	42.15%	14	0.86%	26	1.60%	4	0.25%	212	13.01%	1,630
Monroe	4,053	48.13%	4,208	49.97%	74	0.88%	51	0.61%	35	0.42%	-155	-1.84%	8,421
Montcalm	4,523	54.23%	3,651	43.78%	88	1.06%	60	0.72%	18	0.22%	872	10.46%	8,340
Montmorency	481	58.73%	330	40.29%	2	0.24%	5	0.61%	1	0.12%	151	18.44%	819
Muskegon	4,682	58.79%	3,110	39.05%	83	1.04%	70	0.88%	19	0.24%	1,572	19.74%	7,964
Newaygo	2,650	56.53%	1,943	41.45%	30	0.64%	44	0.94%	21	0.45%	707	15.08%	4,688
Oakland	5,846	46.01%	5,271	41.49%	182	1.43%	129	1.02%	1,277	10.05%	575	4.53%	12,705
Oceana	2,534	58.09%	1,637	37.53%	61	1.40%	113	2.59%	17	0.39%	897	20.56%	4,362
Ogemaw	793	56.64%	560	40.00%	24	1.71%	18	1.29%	5	0.36%	233	16.64%	1,400
Ontonagon	757	62.77%	416	34.49%	25	2.07%	7	0.58%	1	0.08%	341	28.28%	1,206
Osceola	2,268	62.90%	1,177	32.64%	69	1.91%	52	1.44%	40	1.11%	1,091	30.26%	3,606
Oscoda	308	80.84%	63	16.54%	9	2.36%	1	0.26%	0	0.00%	245	64.30%	381
Otsego	859	59.41%	560	38.73%	14	0.97%	10	0.69%	3	0.21%	299	20.68%	1,446
Ottawa	5,188	58.05%	3,550	39.72%	114	1.28%	64	0.72%	21	0.23%	1,638	18.33%	8,937
Presque Isle	763	66.06%	371	32.12%	10	0.87%	10	0.87%	1	0.09%	392	33.94%	1,155
Roscommon	282	65.43%	141	32.71%	3	0.70%	4	0.93%	1	0.23%	141	32.71%	431
Saginaw	8,361	47.92%	8,792	50.39%	182	1.04%	75	0.43%	37	0.21%	-431	-2.47%	17,447
Sanilac	3,634	51.74%	3,156	44.93%	90	1.28%	91	1.30%	53	0.75%	478	6.81%	7,024
Schoolcraft	973	62.86%	548	35.40%	13	0.84%	13	0.84%	1	0.06%	425	27.45%	1,548
Shiawassee	4,654	50.50%	4,303	46.69%	139	1.51%	85	0.92%	35	0.38%	351	3.81%	9,216
St. Clair	7,160	56.86%	5,130	40.74%	161	1.28%	97	0.77%	45	0.36%	2,030	16.12%	12,593
St. Joseph	3,184	43.76%	3,968	54.54%	51	0.70%	60	0.82%	13	0.18%	-784	-10.78%	7,276
Tuscola	4,277	53.10%	3,564	44.25%	87	1.08%	87	1.08%	40	0.50%	713	8.85%	8,055
Van Buren	4,510	51.95%	3,982	45.87%	93	1.07%	73	0.84%	24	0.28%	528	6.08%	8,682
Washtenaw	5,671	49.73%	5,348	46.90%	215	1.89%	110	0.96%	59	0.52%	323	2.83%	11,403
Wayne	36,400	56.73%	26,231	40.89%	915	1.43%	258	0.40%	354	0.55%	10,169	15.85%	64,158
Wexford	2,036	58.27%	1,359	38.90%	36	1.03%	49	1.40%	14	0.40%	677	19.38%	3,494
Totals	293,338	53.76%	237,200	43.47%	6,923	1.27%	4,978	0.91%	3,182	0.58%	56,138	10.29%	545,621

Notes

References

^ English, Gustavus P.; Proceedings of the Ninth Republican National Convention (1888), p. 234
^ Kleppner, Paul; The Third Electoral System, 1853-1892: Parties, Votes and Political Cultures, pp. 198-207 ISBN 0807813281
^ ‘Swamped! The Democrats Drowned Out by a Tremendous Republican Tidal Wave’; The L'Anse Sentinel, November 10, 1894, p. 1
^ Graff, Henry F.; Grover Cleveland, pp. 128-129 ISBN 0-8050-6923-2
^ ‘Steadily Gaining: The Chicago Record’s Postal Card Election’; Los Angeles Evening Express, October 23, 1896, p. 8
^ ^a ^b ‘McKinley’s Cheering Prospects’; The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 25, 1896, p. 18
^ Kleppner, Paul (1970). The cross of culture: a social analysis of midwestern politics, 1850-1900. Free Press. pp. 323-335
^ Harpine, William D.; From the Front Porch to the Front Page: McKinley and Bryan in the 1896 Presidential Campaign, pp. 166-167 ISBN 9781585444502
^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 31 ISBN 0786422173
^ Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – Michigan
^ Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1896 (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)

[1] English, Gustavus P.; Proceedings of the Ninth Republican National Convention (1888), p. 234

[2] Kleppner, Paul; The Third Electoral System, 1853-1892: Parties, Votes and Political Cultures, pp. 198-207 ISBN 0807813281

[3] ‘Swamped! The Democrats Drowned Out by a Tremendous Republican Tidal Wave’; The L'Anse Sentinel, November 10, 1894, p. 1

[4] Graff, Henry F.; Grover Cleveland, pp. 128-129 ISBN 0-8050-6923-2

[5] ‘Steadily Gaining: The Chicago Record’s Postal Card Election’; Los Angeles Evening Express, October 23, 1896, p. 8

[McKinley’s-6] ‘McKinley’s Cheering Prospects’; The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 25, 1896, p. 18

[7] Kleppner, Paul (1970). The cross of culture: a social analysis of midwestern politics, 1850-1900. Free Press. pp. 323-335

[8] Harpine, William D.; From the Front Porch to the Front Page: McKinley and Bryan in the 1896 Presidential Campaign, pp. 166-167 ISBN 9781585444502

[9] Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 31 ISBN 0786422173

[10] Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – Michigan

[Geoelections-11] Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1896 (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)

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1896 United States presidential election in Michigan

Results

Results by county

See also

Notes

References