The 1892 United States presidential election in Idaho took place on November 8, 1892. All contemporary 44 states were part of the 1892 United States presidential election. State voters chose three electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
This was the first time Idaho participated in a presidential election, having become the 43rd state on July 3, 1890. During its period as a territory Idaho had been divided between a strongly Republican northern half and an anti-Republican Mormon south,Idaho Historical Society (1988); ‘Idaho Yesterdays’, vol. 32, p. 13 which in this first presidential election was in places (notably Oneida County) still excluded from voting.
A wave of strikes in the silver-mining regionsKennedy, David M. and Cohen, Lizabeth; American Pageant, Volume 2, p. 506 and even deeper conflict whereby an idled ore concentrator was destroyed in Gem,Schwantes, Carlos A.; The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History, p. 343 was to give the Populists a grip on the Mountain West that was not to be relinquished. Almost all the large number of dissenting farmers in the new state were to join with the silver interestsMartin, Boyd Archer (1975); Idaho Voting Trends: Party Realignment and Percentage of Votes for Candidates, Parties, and Elections, 1890-1974, p. 373 to back Weaver's policies of nationalization of railways and communications, restriction of immigration, shorter working days and direct election of senators.Kennedy and Cohen; American Pageant, Volume 2, p. 505 Although Senator-to-be William Borah campaigned for Harrison under the slogan that “a vote for Weaver was a vote for Cleveland and therefore against their own interests”Johnson, Claudius O.; ‘The Story of Silver Politics in Idaho, 1892-1902’; The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 3 (July 1942), pp. 283-296 Weaver's campaign against Republican Governor Norman Bushnell Willey’s declaration of martial law upon the miners, and against the absentee ownership of Idaho's land and water,Larson, Robert W.; ‘Populism in the Mountain West: A Mainstream Movement’; Western Historical Quarterly, vol. 13, no. 2 (April 1982), pp. 143-164 ensured that these campaigns for Harrison would not be decisive.
Owing to the unpopularity of Grover Cleveland in the West due to his gold standard platform, the Democratic Party decided to not enter a Cleveland ticket in the race and to instead back Weaver.The Society (1974); State Historic Preservation Plan, Idaho, Volume 1, p. 72 Idaho was won by the Populist nominees, James B. Weaver of Iowa and his running mate James G. Field of Virginia. Weaver and Field defeated the Republican nominees, incumbent President Benjamin Harrison of Indiana and his running mate Whitelaw Reid of New York. Weaver won the state by a margin of 9.9%.
Results 1892 United States presidential election in IdahoDave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; 1892 Presidential General Election Results – IdahoPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes People's/Democratic James B. Weaver 10,520 54.21% 3 Republican Benjamin Harrison (incumbent) 8,599 44.31% 0 Prohibition John Bidwell 288 1.48% 0 Totals 19,407 100.00% 3 Voter turnout —
Results by county County Benjamin HarrisonRepublican James Baird WeaverPeople's/Democratic John BidwellProhibition Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % Ada 1,170 41.39% 1,597 56.49% 60 2.12% -427 -15.10% 2,827 Alturas 290 32.66% 596 67.12% 2 0.23% -306 -34.46% 888 Bear Lake 114 33.93% 220 65.48% 2 0.60% -106 -31.55% 336 Bingham 937 48.35% 933 48.14% 68 3.51% 4 0.21% 1,938 Boise 377 42.60% 500 56.50% 8 0.90% -123 -13.90% 885 Cassia 121 39.16% 173 55.99% 15 4.85% -52 -16.83% 309 Custer 187 36.45% 324 63.16% 1 0.19% -137 -26.71% 513 Elmore 188 34.81% 351 65.00% 1 0.19% -163 -30.19% 540 Idaho 386 46.01% 448 53.40% 5 0.60% -62 -7.39% 839 Kootenai 713 47.95% 753 50.64% 21 1.41% -40 -2.69% 1,487 Latah 1,242 45.46% 1,432 52.42% 58 2.12% -190 -6.95% 2,732 Lemhi 330 57.39% 244 42.43% 1 0.17% 86 14.96% 575 Logan 306 36.69% 518 62.11% 9 1.08% -212 -25.42% 834 Nez Perce 345 44.23% 428 54.87% 7 0.90% -83 -10.64% 780 Oneida 267 63.88% 137 32.78% 14 3.35% 130 31.10% 418 Owyhee 337 49.34% 340 49.78% 6 0.88% -3 -0.44% 683 Shoshone 936 48.95% 971 50.78% 5 0.26% -35 -1.83% 1,912 Washington 317 36.15% 555 63.28% 5 0.57% -238 -27.14% 877Totals8,56344.21%10,52054.31%2881.49%-1,957-10.10%19,371
See also United States presidential elections in Idaho
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