1896 United States presidential election in Michigan

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.English, Gustavus P.; Proceedings of the Ninth Republican National Convention (1888), p. 234 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 changesKleppner, Paul; The Third Electoral System, 1853-1892: Parties, Votes and Political Cultures, pp. 198-207 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,‘Swamped! The Democrats Drowned Out by a Tremendous Republican Tidal Wave’; The L'Anse Sentinel, November 10, 1894, p. 1 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.Graff, Henry F.; Grover Cleveland, pp. 128-129 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.‘Steadily Gaining: The Chicago Record’s Postal Card Election’; Los Angeles Evening Express, October 23, 1896, p. 8 Another poll a little later was also certain Michigan would vote for McKinley.‘McKinley’s Cheering Prospects’; The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 25, 1896, p. 18

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. 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,Kleppner, Paul (1970). The cross of culture: a social analysis of midwestern politics, 1850-1900. Free Press. pp. 323-335Harpine, William D.; From the Front Porch to the Front Page: McKinley and Bryan in the 1896 Presidential Campaign, pp. 166-167 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.Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 31

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

Results + General Election ResultsMichigan State Archives, Canvass of the votes given at the General Election, held in the State of Michigan on Tuesday the 3d day of November A.D. 1896 for Electors of President and Vice President of the United StatesParty Pledged to Elector Votes Republican Party William McKinley Josiah C. Gray293,582 Republican Party William McKinley Frank W. Gilchrist293,526 Republican Party William McKinley Thomas B. Woodworth293,337 Republican Party William McKinley Henry C. Potter293,327 Republican Party William McKinley Rasmus Hansen293,317 Republican Party William McKinley G. Willis Bement293,306 Republican Party William McKinley Albert C. Hubbell293,303 Republican Party William McKinley Sumner O. Bush293,295 Republican Party William McKinley William O. Webster293,260 Republican Party William McKinley John Atkinson293,243 Republican Party William McKinley Harsen D. Smith292,607 Republican Party William McKinley Digby B. Butler292,524 Republican Party William McKinley Oscar J. R. Hanna292,490 Republican Party William McKinley Lorenzo A. Barker291,895 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Robins B. Taylor237,268 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan John W. Ewing237,256 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Joseph Houseman237,254 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Henry Chamberlain237,251 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Frank W. Hubbard237,242 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Alva W. Nichols237,241 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan John Semer237,206 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Henry N. Brevoort237,205 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Spencer O. Fisher237,203 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Amos O. White237,039 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Henry R. Lovell236,714 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan James H. Pound236,707 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan Marcus T. Woodruff236,273 D.P.U.S. William Jennings Bryan George H. House236,052 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer Rufus W. Gillette6,968 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer John W. Champlin6,937 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer Samuel T. Douglas6,930 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer John Strong6,930 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer John E. Barnes6,921 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer William T. Mitchell6,921 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer Alexander V. Mann6,920 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer Charles J. Pailthorp6,916 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer Joseph Temple Titus6,915 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer Alvah L. Sawyer6,913 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer Edward W. Hudnutt6,879 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer John Moore6,863 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer Herbert H. Hamilton6,831 National Democratic Party John M. Palmer John S. Farr6,820 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering Samuel Dickie5,025 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering John Russell5,022 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering J. Lorenzo Beal4,987 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering William C. Clemo4,981 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering Charles Woodruff4,973 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering David M. Woods4,970 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering Jacob Vonzolenberg4,969 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering William H. Hannaford4,968 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering George W. Hall4,967 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering Charles E. Yerge4,962 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering William A. Taylor4,950 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering Alexander S. Fair4,939 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering Charles R. Evans4,877 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering Sylvester H. Fields4,551 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley Wesley C. Richards1,995 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley Daniel J. Smith1,821 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley John Sagendorph1,812 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley Paul Butler1,809 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley Edward R. Clark1,809 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley William W. Hubbell1,806 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley John N. Conrad1,805 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley Edward A. Richards1,805 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley Abram Urmy1,805 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley Charles S. Bartlett1,804 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley William E. Clough1,804 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley Joseph A. Graley1,800 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley William G. Brown1,786 National Prohibition Charles E. Bentley Trowbridge Johns1,743 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Henry Kleindienst297 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett John Meyer294 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Bernhard Beyerchen293 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett George M. Fringee293 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Albert Fritch293 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Charles Peterson293 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett John D. Wolf293 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Alexander Black292 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Sheppard B. Cole292 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Conrad Hansen292 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Henry Lohse292 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Henry Markwardt292 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett William Rheinhold291 Socialist Labor Party Charles H. Matchett Henry Tailor291 Write-in Scattering3Votes cast 545,138

Results by county The results below are those for the highest elector on each ticket. The results listed in the 1897-1898 Michigan Manual are a "general average" for each ticket and thus not the "true" results. In particular, the average method results in McKinley and Bryan tying in Crawford County; however, using the actual results gives McKinley the victory by two votes because the highest Bryan elector (Taylor) received 348 votes there, not 350.