The 1896 United States presidential election in Maine took place on November 3, 1896, as part of the 1896 United States presidential election. Voters chose six representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Maine voted for the Republican nominee, former governor of Ohio William McKinley, over the Democratic nominee, former U.S. Representative from Nebraska William Jennings Bryan. McKinley won the state by a margin of 38.69%.
Bryan, running on a platform of free silver, appealed strongly to Western miners and farmers, but had little appeal in the Northeastern states such as Maine, despite the fact he had chosen the Maine born Arthur Sewall as running mate.
With 67.90% of the popular vote, Maine would be McKinley's fifth strongest victory in terms of percentage in the popular vote after Vermont, Massachusetts, neighboring New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Bryan would lose Maine 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 MainePartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican William McKinley 80,403 67.90% 6 Democratic William Jennings Bryan 32,200 27.19% 0 Populist William Jennings Bryan 2,387 2.02% 0 Total William Jennings Bryan 34,587 29.21% 0 National Democratic John M. Palmer 1,867 1.58% 0 Prohibition Joshua Levering 1,562 1.32% 0 Totals 118,419 100.00% 6 Voter turnout —
Results by county CountyWilliam McKinleyRepublicanWilliam Jennings BryanDemocraticJohn McAuley PalmerNational DemocraticJoshua LeveringProhibitionMarginTotal votes castRobinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 223-224 # % # % # % # % # % Androscoggin 5,548 66.61% 2,513 30.17% 157 1.88% 111 1.33% 3,035 36.44% 8,329 Aroostook 4,816 74.41% 1,383 21.37% 42 0.65% 231 3.57% 3,433 53.04% 6,472 Cumberland 11,017 65.32% 5,175 30.68% 450 2.67% 224 1.33% 5,842 34.64% 16,866 Franklin 2,578 72.60% 886 24.95% 49 1.38% 38 1.07% 1,692 47.65% 3,551 Hancock 4,306 68.69% 1,795 28.63% 117 1.87% 51 0.81% 2,511 40.06% 6,269 Kennebec 7,889 71.70% 2,817 25.60% 106 0.96% 191 1.74% 5,072 46.10% 11,003 Knox 3,286 61.72% 1,900 35.69% 103 1.93% 35 0.66% 1,386 26.03% 5,324 Lincoln 2,596 66.46% 1,211 31.00% 62 1.59% 37 0.95% 1,385 35.46% 3,906 Oxford 4,779 71.52% 1,677 25.10% 159 2.38% 67 1.00% 3,102 46.42% 6,682 Penobscot 8,414 66.42% 4,031 31.82% 90 0.71% 133 1.05% 4,383 34.60% 12,668 Piscataquis 2,342 70.37% 904 27.16% 36 1.08% 46 1.38% 1,438 43.21% 3,328 Sagadahoc 2,725 71.60% 957 25.14% 79 2.08% 45 1.18% 1,768 46.46% 3,806 Somerset 4,695 68.12% 2,018 29.28% 82 1.19% 97 1.41% 2,677 38.84% 6,892 Waldo 3,253 61.68% 1,939 36.77% 50 0.95% 32 0.61% 1,314 24.91% 5,274 Washington 4,627 68.93% 1,925 28.68% 111 1.65% 50 0.74% 2,702 40.25% 6,713York 7,532 66.44% 3,456 30.49% 174 1.53% 174 1.53% 4,076 35.95% 11,336Totals80,40367.90%34,58729.21%1,8671.58%1,5621.32%45,81638.69%118,419
See also United States presidential elections in Maine
References