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1912 United States presidential election in California

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Main article: 1912 United States presidential election
1912 United States presidential election in California
← 1908 November 5, 1912 1916 →
Turnout71.68% (of registered voters)
45.11% (of eligible voters) [1]
 
Nominee Theodore Roosevelt Woodrow Wilson Eugene V. Debs
Party Republican (California) Democratic Socialist
Alliance Progressive
Home state New York New Jersey Indiana
Running mate Hiram Johnson Thomas R. Marshall Emil Seidel
Electoral vote 11 2 0
Popular vote 283,610 283,436 79,201
Percentage 41.834% 41.808% 11.68%
County Results
President before election

William Howard Taft
Republican

Elected President

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

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The 1912 United States presidential election in California took place on November 5, 1912, as part of the 1912 United States presidential election. State voters chose 13 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

California narrowly voted for the Progressive Party nominee, former president Theodore Roosevelt, over the Democratic nominee, New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson, though two electors cast their votes for Wilson. Although Roosevelt was the candidate of the “Bull Moose” Progressive Party nationally, in California and South Dakota he gained the support of the state Republican Party and acquired the "Republican" line, whilst the incumbent, and national GOP nominee William Howard Taft did not appear on the ballot and was a write-in candidate.[a] Roosevelt's running mate was incumbent Governor of California Hiram Johnson.

This was the fourth occasion in which California's electoral vote was split, rather than being awarded to a single candidate. The previous occasions when this happened were in 1880, 1892, and 1896.[2] This occurred because, at the time, electors were not awarded based upon the popular vote in the presidential preference vote. Instead, voters cast votes for individual electors, with the thirteen top vote-getters among elector nominees becoming elected the state's members of the United States Electoral College.[3] A split in the electoral vote would never again occur in California.

This was the closest presidential election in California history, with Roosevelt winning by just 174 votes out of 677,944 cast, a margin of 0.02567%. It remains the fourth-closest presidential race in any state in history, behind Florida in 2000, Maryland in 1832, and Maryland in 1904, the latter of which also involved Roosevelt.[b]

Although Wilson narrowly failed to win the state, he did become the first Democrat to carry Napa, Solano[c] and Marin Counties since James Buchanan in 1856, the first to carry San Mateo and Sierra County since Stephen A. Douglas in 1860, the first to win San Diego County since 1868, the first to ever carry Ventura County, which had been created in 1872, and the first to carry Calaveras County and Sutter County since 1876.[4] Since this election, Solano County has voted Democratic in all but six Republican landslide elections of 1920, 1924, 1928, 1972, 1980 and 1984.

With 41.83% of the popular vote, California would prove to be Roosevelt's second-strongest state in terms of popular vote percentage in the 1912 election after South Dakota.[5] California would not vote for the losing candidate again until 1960.

Results[edit]

General Election Results[6]
Party Pledged to Elector Votes
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt A. J. Wallace 283,610
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson Thomas F. Griffin 283,436
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt Charles S. Wheeler 283,193
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt George C. Pardee 283,057
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt Marshall Stimson 282,910
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt Philip Bancroft 282,888
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt John P. McLaughlin 282,868
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt Frank H. Devlin 282,790
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt Florence Collins Porter 282,781
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt R. G. Fernald 282,676
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt M. B. Harris 282,671
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt Ralph W. Bull 282,653
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson R. F. Del Valle 282,651
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt J. W. Finney 282,594
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson Henry E. Monroe 282,594
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson T. W. H. Shanahan 282,579
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson Clarence F. Lea 282,578
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson Joseph F. Tobin 282,530
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson F. B. Lynch 282,516
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson Stephen J. Sill 282,432
Republican Party (Progressive) Theodore Roosevelt M. A. Luce 282,383
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson George W. Mordecai 282,325
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson E. L. Doheny 282,309
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson Mary Bourn Tucker 282,215
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson Mary E. Foy 282,213
Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson George M. Cooley 282,198
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs W. M. Boyd 79,201
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs Job Harriman 78,910
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs Dr. A. E. Briggs 78,905
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs H. F. Whitley 78,867
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs T. W. Williams 78,860
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs James Andrews 78,813
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs Rose Walker 78,791
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs Jennie Ream 78,757
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs H. J. Duffy 78,740
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs Ida Kinney 78,735
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs J. R. Cothran 78,709
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs Ethel Lynn 78,689
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs Mary Garbutt 78,534
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Annie E. K. Bidwell 23,366
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Stephen H. Taft 23,265
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Frank Willard Emerson 23,144
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Ellsworth L. Rich 23,053
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Lucy S. Blanchard 23,052
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin William P. Fassett 23,040
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Frederick Head 23,010
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Stella B. Irvine 23,004
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Henry French 23,001
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Simeon P. Meads 22,997
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Byron E. Paddock 22,995
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Edward F. Van Vlear 22,988
Prohibition Party Eugene W. Chafin Thomas K. Bear 22,983
Republican Party William Howard Taft Anson S. Blake 3,914
Republican Party William Howard Taft Fred A. Dodge 3,908
Republican Party William Howard Taft Arthur E. Miller 3,903
Republican Party William Howard Taft Jotham Bixby 3,902
Republican Party William Howard Taft Charles N. Felton 3,896
Republican Party William Howard Taft Norman Bridge 3,783
Republican Party William Howard Taft Ross Campbell 3,753
Republican Party William Howard Taft Charles E. Clinch 3,677
Republican Party William Howard Taft Mrs. K. M. Flynn 3,582
Republican Party William Howard Taft Joseph Martin 3,525
Republican Party William Howard Taft Robert Sweeney 3,313
Republican Party William Howard Taft Simon Levi 3,057
Republican Party William Howard Taft Andrea Sbarboro 2,847
Write-in Scattering 4,417
Votes cast[d] 677,944

Results by county[edit]

County Theodore Roosevelt
Republican/Progressive 		Woodrow Wilson
Democratic 		Eugene V. Debs
Socialist 		Eugene W. Chafin
Prohibition 		William Howard Taft
Republican 		Scattering
Write-in 		Margin Total votes cast[e]
# % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Alameda 31,542 47.47% 24,418 36.75% 9,332 14.04% 1,160 1.75% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 7,124 10.72% 66,452
Alpine 36 45.00% 34 42.50% 2 2.50% 0 0.00% 8 10.00% 0 0.00% 2 2.50% 80
Amador 684 27.33% 1,622 64.80% 135 5.39% 57 2.28% 5 0.20% 0 0.00% -938 -37.48% 2,503
Butte 3,365 38.14% 4,028 45.66% 930 10.54% 489 5.54% 10 0.11% 0 0.00% -663 -7.52% 8,822
Calaveras 750 24.28% 1,869 60.51% 399 12.92% 66 2.14% 5 0.16% 0 0.00% -1,119 -36.23% 3,089
Colusa 810 29.26% 1,760 63.58% 111 4.01% 84 3.03% 3 0.11% 0 0.00% -950 -34.32% 2,768
Contra Costa 3,539 42.38% 3,290 39.40% 1,300 15.57% 181 2.17% 40 0.48% 0 0.00% 249 2.98% 8,350
Del Norte 376 44.60% 323 38.32% 104 12.34% 40 4.74% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 53 6.29% 843
El Dorado 776 28.40% 1,613 59.04% 278 10.18% 49 1.79% 16 0.59% 0 0.00% -837 -30.64% 2,732
Fresno 8,839 42.71% 8,891 42.96% 2,278 11.01% 590 2.85% 95 0.46% 3 0.01% -52 -0.25% 20,696
Glenn 906 37.21% 1,325 54.41% 126 5.17% 67 2.75% 11 0.45% 0 0.00% -419 -17.21% 2,435
Humboldt 3,609 42.20% 2,887 33.76% 1,781 20.83% 177 2.07% 93 1.09% 5 0.06% 722 8.44% 8,552
Imperial 1,420 42.17% 1,295 38.46% 446 13.25% 193 5.73% 13 0.39% 0 0.00% 125 3.71% 3,367
Inyo 431 26.49% 806 49.54% 305 18.75% 77 4.73% 8 0.49% 0 0.00% -375 -23.05% 1,627
Kern 3,647 33.88% 5,569 51.73% 1,300 12.08% 182 1.69% 67 0.62% 0 0.00% -1,922 -17.85% 10,765
Kings 1,419 35.94% 1,967 49.82% 406 10.28% 156 3.95% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -548 -13.88% 3,948
Lake 649 30.10% 1,118 51.86% 266 12.34% 123 5.71% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -469 -21.75% 2,156
Lassen 559 39.59% 644 45.61% 148 10.48% 34 2.41% 27 1.91% 0 0.00% -85 -6.02% 1,412
Los Angeles 75,593 45.73% 55,110 33.34% 19,895 12.04% 8,190 4.95% 2,181 1.32% 4,327 2.62% 20,483 12.39% 165,296
Madera 943 38.98% 1,154 47.71% 226 9.34% 89 3.68% 1 0.04% 6 0.25% -211 -8.72% 2,419
Marin 2,750 42.97% 2,849 44.52% 733 11.45% 68 1.06% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -99 -1.55% 6,400
Mariposa 306 26.15% 689 58.89% 138 11.79% 17 1.45% 20 1.71% 0 0.00% -393 -32.74% 1,170
Mendocino 2,237 39.61% 2,507 44.39% 752 13.31% 141 2.50% 11 0.19% 0 0.00% -270 -4.78% 5,648
Merced 1,571 37.16% 1,978 46.78% 441 10.43% 228 5.39% 10 0.24% 0 0.00% -407 -9.63% 4,228
Modoc 608 35.47% 941 54.90% 119 6.94% 45 2.63% 1 0.06% 0 0.00% -333 -19.43% 1,714
Mono 106 28.73% 182 49.32% 67 18.16% 11 2.98% 3 0.81% 0 0.00% -76 -20.60% 369
Monterey 3,081 42.02% 3,392 46.26% 557 7.60% 301 4.11% 1 0.01% 0 0.00% -311 -4.24% 7,332
Napa 2,432 42.52% 2,662 46.55% 478 8.36% 126 2.20% 0 0.00% 21 0.37% -230 -4.02% 5,719
Nevada 1,381 34.40% 1,851 46.11% 648 16.14% 111 2.77% 23 0.57% 0 0.00% -470 -11.71% 4,014
Orange 5,143 45.03% 4,406 38.58% 896 7.85% 852 7.46% 123 1.08% 1 0.01% 737 6.45% 11,421
Placer 1,913 43.91% 1,823 41.84% 481 11.04% 125 2.87% 15 0.34% 0 0.00% 90 2.07% 4,357
Plumas 762 42.78% 742 41.66% 236 13.25% 30 1.68% 11 0.62% 0 0.00% 20 1.12% 1,781
Riverside 5,146 50.94% 2,963 29.33% 1,036 10.25% 834 8.25% 124 1.23% 0 0.00% 2,183 21.61% 10,103
Sacramento 7,534 39.23% 9,869 51.39% 1,553 8.09% 213 1.11% 36 0.19% 0 0.00% -2,335 -12.16% 19,205
San Benito 1,054 40.96% 1,253 48.70% 179 6.96% 74 2.88% 13 0.51% 0 0.00% -199 -7.73% 2,573
San Bernardino 6,202 40.42% 5,835 38.03% 1,901 12.39% 1,233 8.04% 172 1.12% 0 0.00% 367 2.39% 15,343
San Diego 7,922 36.46% 9,731 44.79% 2,873 13.22% 1,139 5.24% 63 0.29% 0 0.00% -1,809 -8.33% 21,728
San Francisco 38,610 38.17% 48,953 48.40% 12,354 12.21% 1,158 1.14% 65 0.06% 8 0.01% -10,343 -10.23% 101,148
San Joaquin 4,314 31.40% 7,969 58.00% 995 7.24% 426 3.10% 35 0.25% 0 0.00% -3,655 -26.60% 13,739
San Luis Obispo 2,373 42.73% 2,248 40.48% 704 12.68% 214 3.85% 13 0.23% 1 0.02% 125 2.25% 5,553
San Mateo 2,825 40.44% 3,246 46.47% 827 11.84% 80 1.15% 7 0.10% 0 0.00% -421 -6.03% 6,985
Santa Barbara 3,395 46.78% 2,819 38.84% 619 8.53% 357 4.92% 68 0.94% 0 0.00% 576 7.94% 7,258
Santa Clara 10,868 46.97% 9,173 39.64% 2,068 8.94% 824 3.56% 173 0.75% 33 0.14% 1,695 7.33% 23,139
Santa Cruz 3,059 42.77% 2,875 40.20% 892 12.47% 323 4.52% 3 0.04% 0 0.00% 184 2.57% 7,152
Shasta 1,636 34.93% 2,040 43.55% 938 20.03% 54 1.15% 16 0.34% 0 0.00% -404 -8.63% 4,684
Sierra 483 41.71% 515 44.47% 133 11.49% 13 1.12% 10 0.86% 4 0.35% -32 -2.76% 1,158
Siskiyou 1,740 34.99% 2,465 49.57% 633 12.73% 104 2.09% 29 0.58% 2 0.04% -725 -14.58% 4,973
Solano 3,353 41.95% 3,650 45.66% 781 9.77% 169 2.11% 40 0.50% 0 0.00% -297 -3.72% 7,993
Sonoma 5,806 40.89% 6,500 45.78% 1,494 10.52% 367 2.58% 32 0.23% 0 0.00% -694 -4.89% 14,199
Stanislaus 3,143 39.78% 3,127 39.58% 749 9.48% 864 10.94% 17 0.22% 0 0.00% 16 0.20% 7,900
Sutter 846 41.11% 1,063 51.65% 79 3.84% 65 3.16% 5 0.24% 0 0.00% -217 -10.54% 2,058
Tehama 1,218 36.01% 1,595 47.16% 388 11.47% 168 4.97% 13 0.38% 0 0.00% -377 -11.15% 3,382
Trinity 343 34.44% 461 46.29% 182 18.27% 9 0.90% 1 0.10% 0 0.00% -118 -11.85% 996
Tulare 4,283 42.21% 4,293 42.31% 1,233 12.15% 265 2.61% 73 0.72% 0 0.00% -10 -0.10% 10,147
Tuolumne 755 28.76% 1,459 55.58% 363 13.83% 38 1.45% 8 0.30% 2 0.08% -704 -26.82% 2,625
Ventura 2,055 42.52% 2,108 43.62% 426 8.81% 169 3.50% 71 1.47% 4 0.08% -53 -1.10% 4,833
Yolo 1,332 33.35% 2,239 56.06% 301 7.54% 113 2.83% 9 0.23% 0 0.00% -907 -22.71% 3,994
Yuba 1,132 43.36% 1,242 47.57% 186 7.12% 34 1.30% 17 0.65% 0 0.00% -110 -4.21% 2,611
Total 283,610 41.834% 283,436 41.808% 79,201 11.68% 23,366 3.45% 3,914 0.58% 4,417 0.65% 174 0.026% 677,944

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Other incumbent Presidents not on the ballot in all states have been Benjamin Harrison in Florida in 1892, Taft in South Dakota during this 1912 election, Harry S. Truman in Alabama in 1948, and Lyndon B. Johnson also in Alabama in 1964.
  2. ^ Although Roosevelt won Maryland by fifty-one votes, voters in Maryland in those days voted for individual electors and only one Republican, elector, Charles Bonaparte, survived the tally. The other seven top vote recipients were Democrats.
  3. ^ "Southern Democrat" John Breckinridge (Buchanan's Vice-President) did carry Solano County in 1860
  4. ^ Based on totals for highest elector on each ticket
  5. ^ Based on the highest elector on each ticket

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Historical Voter Registration and Participation in Statewide General Elections 1910-2018" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  2. ^ "DIVIDED ELECTORAL VOTES". Newspapers.com. The Boston Globe. November 11, 1912. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  3. ^ "NEITHER SIDE WINS STATE". Newspapers.com. Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. November 16, 1912. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  4. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 153-155 ISBN 0786422173
  5. ^ "1912 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  6. ^ Statement of the Vote of California at the General Election held November 5, 1912. Sacramento, California. pp. 4–13. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
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