1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

The 1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1908, as part of the 1908 United States presidential election. State voters chose 13 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Ever since the decline of the Populist movement, Wisconsin had become almost a one-party state dominated by the Republican Party.Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179 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.Sundquist, James; Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years, p. 526 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.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

When William Jennings Bryan was nominated for a third presidential bid, he visited Wisconsin in early August to urge the Democrats in the state legislature to support his state policies.‘LaFollette Country!’; The Idaho Recorder, August 6, 1908, p. 7 An earlier poll had suggested Bryan gaining a substantial part of the radical La Follette following,‘La Follette’s Part in the Coming Campaign: Looks like a Case of Bob and Bryan’; The Indianapolis News, July 18, 1908, p. 12 and Bryan would ridicule new Republican nominee William Howard Taft in Milwaukee during the last week of September.‘Bryan Ridicules Taft in Milwaukee: Says Republican Candidate Is not in Sympathy with Convention Principles’; The Gazette (York, Pennsylvania), September 27, 1908, p. 1

Despite Bryan's campaigns, October polls by the Chicago Record-Herald said that Wisconsin was certain to vote for Taft,‘Wisconsin for Taft: The Record-Herald Poll Suggests a Majority of 87,000’; The Hutchinson News, October 20, 1908, p. 1 As things turned out, the Record-Herald polls were accurate, with Taft winning by eighty-one thousand votes, and carrying all but six counties. However, Taft's victory, while still large, was considerably narrower than the Republican victories in the state in the previous three elections.

Bryan had previously lost Wisconsin to William McKinley in both 1896 and 1900.

Results + General Election ResultsWisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of Canvassers of the State of Wisconsin for General Election held November 3, 1908Party Pledged to Elector Votes Republican Party William Howard Taft William C. Brumder247,747 Republican Party William Howard Taft Frank M. Durkee247,696 Republican Party William Howard Taft John Dengler247,689 Republican Party William Howard Taft John M. Beffel247,683 Republican Party William Howard Taft Robert H. DeLap247,681 Republican Party William Howard Taft W. T. Sarles247,681 Republican Party William Howard Taft Florian Lampert247,679 Republican Party William Howard Taft C. F. Greenwood247,678 Republican Party William Howard Taft Herbert L. Peterson247,678 Republican Party William Howard Taft John A. Stolper247,677 Republican Party William Howard Taft William Kohl247,675 Republican Party William Howard Taft D. E. Riordan247,668 Republican Party William Howard Taft O. K. Hawley247,666 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Ernest C. Zimmerman166,632 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Adolph J. Schmitz166,603 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Gilbert T. Hodges166,595 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Edward L. Luckow166,585 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan W. S. Henry166,583 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Edward C. Wall166,583 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan John Toohey166,574 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Patrick O'Meara166,571 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Thomas H. Ryan166,526 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Philip Sheridan166,503 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Frank J. Egerer166,488 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Emil Wittzack166,486 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Thomas Emmerton166,484 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs C. W. Staples28,170 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs J. E. Harris28,168 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs C. I. Sandquist28,168 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Julius Crary28,167 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Martin Georgenson28,167 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Robert Seidel28,167 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs John C. Boll28,165 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Walter Ramstack28,165 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs F. W. Hammond28,164 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Frank Metcalf28,164 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Joseph Paul28,164 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Henry Durham28,163 Social Democratic Party Eugene V. Debs Arne Peterson28,161 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Lincoln Abraham11,572 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Olav Repsdal11,564 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Truman T. Parker11,557 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin John W. Evans11,554 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Richard B. Griggs11,554 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Dyer Walters11,554 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Moritz A. Schmoyer11,552 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Charles L. Allen11,551 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Will E. Mack11,550 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin William R. Nethercut11,550 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Charles W. Lomas11,548 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin George W. Wilson11,525 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Henry Jorgenson11,516 Socialist Labor Party August Gillhaus Fred Bartsch314 Socialist Labor Party August Gillhaus Carl Schulz313 Socialist Labor Party August Gillhaus Henry Boll312 Socialist Labor Party August Gillhaus Fred Kremer312 Write-in Scattering99Votes cast 454,534

Results by county County William Howard TaftRepublican William Jennings BryanDemocratic Eugene V. DebsSocialist Eugene W. ChafinProhibition August GillhausSocialist Labor Margin Total votescast # % # % # % # % # % # %Adams1,16768.97%43625.77%321.89%563.31%10.06%73143.20%1,692Ashland2,25954.21%1,58237.96%2135.11%1102.64%30.07%67716.25%4,167Barron3,24766.43%1,26625.90%1302.66%2434.97%20.04%1,98140.53%4,888Bayfield1,95770.52%56920.50%1746.27%722.59%30.11%1,38850.02%2,775Brown4,94755.25%3,35337.45%5175.77%1291.44%80.09%1,59417.80%8,954Buffalo1,93763.72%1,02733.78%200.66%561.84%00.00%91029.93%3,040Burnett1,18172.14%29618.08%653.97%945.74%10.06%88554.06%1,637Calumet1,57646.33%1,71150.29%852.50%300.88%00.00%-135-3.97%3,402Chippewa3,52659.07%2,20336.91%901.51%1482.48%20.03%1,32322.16%5,969Clark3,49165.74%1,57629.68%901.69%1532.88%00.00%1,91536.06%5,310Columbia4,07260.12%2,36334.89%1402.07%1982.92%00.00%1,70925.23%6,773Crawford2,04154.25%1,58642.16%631.67%721.91%00.00%45512.09%3,762Dane9,44152.42%7,81843.41%2571.43%4882.71%50.03%1,6239.01%18,011Dodge4,01539.66%5,88358.12%630.62%1621.60%00.00%-1,868-18.45%10,123Door2,46373.92%77823.35%371.11%521.56%10.03%1,68550.57%3,332Douglas3,50955.88%1,71527.31%65310.40%2574.09%1462.32%1,79428.57%6,280Dunn3,29774.36%91420.61%1192.68%1042.35%00.00%2,38353.74%4,434Eau Claire3,98064.50%1,85930.12%1582.56%1742.82%00.00%2,12134.37%6,171Florence54181.11%10215.29%50.75%192.85%00.00%43965.82%667Fond du Lac5,87250.86%5,19444.99%2301.99%2432.10%50.04%6785.87%11,545Forest1,02371.69%32422.70%463.22%312.17%30.21%69948.98%1,427Grant4,98955.08%3,69640.81%830.92%2893.19%00.00%1,29314.28%9,057Green2,61754.49%1,85638.64%1212.52%2094.35%00.00%76115.84%4,803Green Lake2,09455.15%1,60842.35%320.84%631.66%00.00%48612.80%3,797Iowa2,98656.18%2,07739.08%120.23%2384.48%20.04%90917.10%5,315Iron1,13473.97%31420.48%422.74%432.80%00.00%82053.49%1,533Jackson2,60377.91%63118.89%401.20%651.95%20.06%1,97259.02%3,341Jefferson3,20740.41%4,49256.60%710.89%1622.04%20.03%-1,285-16.19%7,936Juneau2,45457.58%1,69139.68%370.87%781.83%20.05%76317.90%4,262Kenosha3,40954.50%2,00632.07%6019.61%2393.82%00.00%1,40322.43%6,255Kewaunee1,59046.48%1,73150.60%631.84%371.08%00.00%-141-4.12%3,421La Crosse4,38250.14%4,05446.38%1121.28%1902.17%20.02%3283.75%8,740Lafayette2,83255.92%2,10041.47%240.47%1072.11%00.00%73214.45%5,064Langlade1,92157.22%1,34039.92%330.98%631.88%00.00%58117.31%3,357Lincoln2,30853.89%1,81342.33%992.31%631.47%00.00%49511.56%4,283Manitowoc4,12645.37%3,95243.45%95010.45%620.68%50.05%1741.91%9,095Marathon5,25850.69%4,70345.34%2762.66%1331.28%30.03%5555.35%10,373Marinette3,45463.49%1,59729.36%1542.83%2354.32%00.00%1,85734.14%5,440Marquette1,55564.42%79833.06%170.70%441.82%00.00%75731.36%2,414Milwaukee28,62538.94%26,00035.37%17,49623.80%1,2771.74%570.08%2,6253.57%73,506Monroe3,30458.11%2,15537.90%911.60%1362.39%00.00%1,14920.21%5,686Oconto3,02064.78%1,45331.17%1142.45%741.59%10.02%1,56733.61%4,662Oneida1,53658.92%68826.39%35413.58%281.07%10.04%84832.53%2,607Outagamie5,07952.34%4,28644.17%1181.22%2092.15%120.12%7938.17%9,704Ozaukee1,21638.47%1,85658.72%601.90%280.89%10.03%-640-20.25%3,161Pepin1,01067.42%44729.84%50.33%362.40%00.00%56337.58%1,498Pierce2,98871.62%97823.44%561.34%1503.60%00.00%2,01048.18%4,172Polk2,78871.99%81621.07%1243.20%1453.74%00.00%1,97250.92%3,873Portage3,26956.42%2,36240.77%500.86%1121.93%10.02%90715.65%5,794Price1,73865.26%60922.87%2368.86%792.97%10.04%1,12942.40%2,663Racine5,49052.65%3,68835.37%7947.61%4294.11%00.00%1,80217.28%10,428Richland2,46454.80%1,68937.57%511.13%2916.47%10.02%77517.24%4,496Rock7,83966.73%3,22727.47%2642.25%3913.33%120.10%4,61239.26%11,747Rusk1,43167.82%53225.21%964.55%482.27%30.14%89942.61%2,110Sauk3,85457.06%2,57138.07%350.52%2944.35%00.00%1,28319.00%6,754Sawyer81570.81%29925.98%191.65%181.56%00.00%51644.83%1,151Shawano3,34963.90%1,75033.39%400.76%1021.95%00.00%1,59930.51%5,241Sheboygan5,94852.41%4,40538.81%7526.63%2452.16%00.00%1,54313.59%11,350St. Croix3,22862.29%1,77334.21%831.60%981.89%00.00%1,45528.08%5,182Taylor1,62760.80%92434.53%823.06%421.57%10.04%70326.27%2,676Trempealeau3,73375.31%1,08521.89%220.44%1172.36%00.00%2,64853.42%4,957Vernon4,11469.72%1,56126.45%380.64%1883.19%00.00%2,55343.26%5,901Vilas79470.70%27824.76%332.94%181.60%00.00%51645.95%1,123Walworth4,15162.20%1,96029.37%731.09%4887.31%20.03%2,19132.83%6,674Washburn1,11469.06%39624.55%694.28%342.11%00.00%71844.51%1,613Washington2,58848.54%2,62549.23%771.44%410.77%10.02%-37-0.69%5,332Waukesha4,75855.91%3,20637.67%1982.33%3454.05%30.04%1,55218.24%8,510Waupaca4,78571.93%1,48322.29%1432.15%2393.59%20.03%3,30249.64%6,652Waushara2,82179.73%50714.33%822.32%1143.22%140.40%2,31465.40%3,538Winnebago6,79752.24%5,51142.36%2872.21%4133.17%30.02%1,2869.88%13,011Wood3,01350.92%2,49842.22%2744.63%1322.23%00.00%5158.70%5,917Total247,74754.51%166,63236.66%28,1706.20%11,5722.55%3140.07%81,11517.85%454,534

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Calumet Kewaunee Washington

See also United States presidential elections in Wisconsin

Notes

References