The 1908 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 3, 1908. All contemporary 46 states were part of the 1908 United States presidential election. Voters chose five electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
Washington had been established earlier in the 1900s as a one-party Republican bastion, which it would remain at a Presidential level apart from the 1910s GOP split until Franklin D. Roosevelt rose to power in 1932, and more or less continuously at state level during this era.Burnham, Walter Dean; ‘The System of 1896’, in Kleppner, Paul (editor), The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 176-179 Democratic representation in the Washington legislature would during this period at times be countable on one hand.Schattschneider, Elmer Eric; The Semisovereign People: A Realist's View of Democracy in America, pp. 76-84 Republican primaries would take over as the chief mode of political competition when introduced later in the decade.Murray, Keith; ‘Issues and Personalities of Pacific Northwest Politics, 1889-1950’, The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 3 (July 1950), pp. 213-233
Roosevelt's great popularity in the state ensured his handpicked successor William Howard Taft would win Washington by a margin of 25.76% and without much difficulty, although because Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan retained some popularity from previous campaigns in this state, Taft could not equal Roosevelt's huge win from four years earlier. Bryan had previously won the state against William McKinley in 1896 but would later lose the state to McKinley in 1900.
Results + General Election ResultsParty Pledged to Elector Votes Republican Party William Howard Taft John R. O'Donnell106,062 Republican Party William Howard Taft William Pitt Trimble105,731 Republican Party William Howard Taft J. M. Fish105,709 Republican Party William Howard Taft Frank M. Dallam105,580 Republican Party William Howard Taft Charles E. Curlee105,519 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan W. J. Byham58,691 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan N. K. Mead58,437 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan J. M. McKeirnan58,383 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Wilmon Tucker58,293 Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Frank M. Lamborn58,206 Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs J. W. Morris14,177 Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs J. G. Elliott14,151 Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs J. E. Janes14,117 Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs W. H. Harris14,114 Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs C. L. Whiting14,104 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin T. E. Webb4,700 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin J. W. Lockhart4,689 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin H. C. Byron4,687 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin W. B. Eakin4,675 Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin C. C. Gridley4,664 Independence Party Thomas L. Hisgen Homer O. Campbell249 Independence Party Thomas L. Hisgen George W. McCauley249 Independence Party Thomas L. Hisgen Thomas G. Albin248 Independence Party Thomas L. Hisgen Joseph C. Sharp244 Independence Party Thomas L. Hisgen W. L. Woodring243Votes cast 183,879
Results by county County William Howard TaftRepublican William Jennings BryanDemocratic Eugene V. DebsSocialist Eugene W. ChafinProhibition Thomas L. HisgenIndependence Margin Total votescast # % # % # % # % # % # %Adams1,03355.81%71438.57%583.13%452.43%10.05%31917.23%1,851Asotin64859.61%36533.58%363.31%383.50%00.00%28326.03%1,087Benton89157.74%46530.14%1519.79%342.20%20.13%42627.61%1,543Chehalis3,12860.35%1,24824.08%71213.74%861.66%90.17%1,88036.27%5,183Chelan1,63959.71%87131.73%1605.83%662.40%90.33%76827.98%2,745Clallam93859.59%42827.19%18711.88%110.70%100.64%51032.40%1,574Clarke2,41658.83%1,25030.44%3358.16%1042.53%20.05%1,16628.39%4,107Columbia88757.41%58537.86%251.62%483.11%00.00%30219.55%1,545Cowlitz1,57365.65%61725.75%1727.18%281.17%60.25%95639.90%2,396Douglas1,94252.20%1,54041.40%1915.13%431.16%40.11%40210.81%3,720Ferry46747.17%39339.70%11511.62%111.11%40.40%747.47%990Franklin64352.97%48539.95%564.61%272.22%30.25%15813.01%1,214Garfield55658.53%33335.05%404.21%131.37%80.84%22323.47%950Island45058.21%19224.84%9912.81%283.62%40.52%25833.38%773Jefferson85963.16%41730.66%664.85%110.81%70.51%44232.50%1,360King22,29755.75%14,64436.62%2,1735.43%8362.09%430.11%7,65319.14%39,993Kitsap1,81956.12%85026.23%49415.24%742.28%40.12%96929.90%3,241Kittitas1,75256.23%98531.61%31410.08%642.05%10.03%76724.61%3,116Klickitat1,24561.12%57027.98%1738.49%462.26%30.15%67533.14%2,037Lewis3,17060.45%1,41226.93%52810.07%1202.29%140.27%1,75833.52%5,244Lincoln2,02555.19%1,44339.33%1243.38%731.99%40.11%58215.86%3,669Mason55356.60%31832.55%808.19%222.25%40.41%23524.05%977Okanogan1,36849.23%1,07438.65%30711.05%220.79%80.29%29410.58%2,779Pacific1,49269.30%48322.43%1537.11%210.98%40.19%1,00946.86%2,153Pierce10,93560.84%4,93627.46%1,6269.05%4632.58%140.08%5,99933.38%17,974San Juan58165.95%17820.20%11112.60%101.14%10.11%40345.74%881Skagit2,92456.42%1,44927.96%69013.31%1132.18%70.14%1,47528.46%5,183Skamania31060.08%14327.71%5410.47%71.36%20.39%16732.36%516Snohomish5,65955.64%2,97429.24%9589.42%5675.57%130.13%2,68526.40%10,171Spokane11,71958.68%6,55732.83%1,1845.93%4962.48%140.07%5,16225.85%19,970Stevens2,54652.13%1,56432.02%64613.23%1202.46%80.16%98220.11%4,884Thurston1,94057.28%96428.46%36710.84%1103.25%60.18%97628.82%3,387Wahkiakum48570.80%15021.90%466.72%30.44%10.15%33548.91%685Walla Walla2,84360.73%1,66035.46%1022.18%711.52%50.11%1,18325.27%4,681Whatcom4,95557.48%2,39827.82%96311.17%2963.43%90.10%2,55729.66%8,621Whitman3,37652.60%2,38637.18%3375.25%3154.91%40.06%99015.43%6,418Yakima3,99863.86%1,65026.35%3445.49%2584.12%110.18%2,34837.50%6,261Totals106,06257.68%58,69131.92%14,1777.71%4,7002.56%2490.14%43,37125.76%183,879
See also United States presidential elections in Washington (state)
Notes
References