1896 United States presidential election in Kentucky
The 1896 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the 1896 United States presidential election. Kentucky voters chose 13 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
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 County Results
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| Elections in Kentucky |
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Background and vote
Ever since the Civil War, Kentucky had been shaped politically by divisions created by that war between secessionist, Democratic counties and Unionist, Republican ones,[1] although the state as a whole leaned Democratic throughout this era and the GOP would never carry the state during the Third Party System.[2] However, the Democratic Party in the state was heavily divided over free silver and the role of corporations in the middle 1890s, and it lost the governorship for the first time in forty years in 1895 due to Populist defections.[3] For the 1896 election, the Democratic Party would aim to fuse with the Populists, and adopted the Populist free silver platform under former Nebraska Representative William Jennings Bryan.[3]
In contrast to the majority of antebellum slave states, Kentucky was sufficiently close to the industrial Northeast that it had a significant urban working class in its Ohio River cities that opposed free silver[4] because it would cause inflation.[5] Similar views were held by workers in Kentucky’s developing coal mining industry. Polls late in October nonetheless showed Bryan carrying the state by a margin only slightly reduced from what discredited incumbent President Grover Cleveland had achieved in 1892.[6] A week later, however, polls had Republican nominees, former Ohio Governor William McKinley and his running mate Garret Hobart of New Jersey carrying Kentucky by seventeen thousand votes.[7] As it turned out, the state was exceedingly close, with McKinley becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to carry Kentucky, by a mere 277 votes, or 0.06352%. Owing to the direct election of presidential electors and the extreme closeness of the result one Bryan elector and twelve McKinley electors was chosen.
McKinley’s victory is, by percentage margin, the seventh-closest popular results for presidential electors on record.[lower-alpha 1]
Results
| 1896 United States presidential election in Kentucky[8] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | William McKinley | 218,171 | 48.93% | 12 | |
| Democratic | William Jennings Bryan | 217,894 | 48.86% | 1 | |
| National Democratic | John M. Palmer | 5,084 | 1.14% | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Joshua Levering | 4,779 | 1.07% | 0 | |
| Totals | 445,928 | 100.00% | 13 | ||
| Voter turnout | — | ||||
Results by county
| County | William McKinley[9] Republican |
William Jennings Bryan[9] Democratic |
John McAuley Palmer[9] National Democratic |
Joshua Levering[9] Prohibition |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adair | 1,612 | 53.40% | 1,345 | 44.55% | 40 | 1.32% | 22 | 0.73% | 267 | 8.84% | 3,019 |
| Allen | 1,595 | 51.45% | 1,460 | 47.10% | 13 | 0.42% | 32 | 1.03% | 135 | 4.35% | 3,100 |
| Anderson | 1,151 | 46.06% | 1,286 | 51.46% | 45 | 1.80% | 17 | 0.68% | -135 | -5.40% | 2,499 |
| Ballard | 495 | 22.41% | 1,670 | 75.60% | 9 | 0.41% | 35 | 1.58% | -1,175 | -53.19% | 2,209 |
| Barren | 2,092 | 40.25% | 3,006 | 57.84% | 43 | 0.83% | 56 | 1.08% | -914 | -17.59% | 5,197 |
| Bath | 1,579 | 45.98% | 1,791 | 52.15% | 23 | 0.67% | 41 | 1.19% | -212 | -6.17% | 3,434 |
| Bell | 1,900 | 74.54% | 615 | 24.13% | 21 | 0.82% | 13 | 0.51% | 1,285 | 50.41% | 2,549 |
| Boone | 781 | 24.83% | 2,317 | 73.65% | 13 | 0.41% | 35 | 1.11% | -1,536 | -48.82% | 3,146 |
| Bourbon | 2,578 | 52.76% | 2,210 | 45.23% | 58 | 1.19% | 40 | 0.82% | 368 | 7.53% | 4,886 |
| Boyd | 2,087 | 61.26% | 1,241 | 36.43% | 35 | 1.03% | 44 | 1.29% | 846 | 24.83% | 3,407 |
| Boyle | 1,687 | 56.25% | 1,206 | 40.21% | 71 | 2.37% | 35 | 1.17% | 481 | 16.04% | 2,999 |
| Bracken | 1,226 | 40.21% | 1,762 | 57.79% | 14 | 0.46% | 47 | 1.54% | -536 | -17.58% | 3,049 |
| Breathitt | 776 | 38.92% | 1,204 | 60.38% | 5 | 0.25% | 9 | 0.45% | -428 | -21.46% | 1,994 |
| Breckinridge | 2,274 | 49.76% | 2,202 | 48.18% | 43 | 0.94% | 51 | 1.12% | 72 | 1.58% | 4,570 |
| Bullitt | 799 | 39.01% | 1,168 | 57.03% | 55 | 2.69% | 26 | 1.27% | -369 | -18.02% | 2,048 |
| Butler | 1,907 | 61.50% | 1,139 | 36.73% | 16 | 0.52% | 39 | 1.26% | 768 | 24.77% | 3,101 |
| Caldwell | 1,544 | 49.66% | 1,530 | 49.21% | 24 | 0.77% | 11 | 0.35% | 14 | 0.45% | 3,109 |
| Calloway | 561 | 17.38% | 2,572 | 79.70% | 9 | 0.28% | 85 | 2.63% | -2,011 | -62.32% | 3,227 |
| Campbell | 5,821 | 56.72% | 4,304 | 41.94% | 36 | 0.35% | 102 | 0.99% | 1,517 | 14.78% | 10,263 |
| Carlisle | 390 | 18.68% | 1,624 | 77.78% | 16 | 0.77% | 58 | 2.78% | -1,234 | -59.10% | 2,088 |
| Carroll | 685 | 27.19% | 1,778 | 70.58% | 26 | 1.03% | 30 | 1.19% | -1,093 | -43.39% | 2,519 |
| Carter | 2,440 | 58.46% | 1,665 | 39.89% | 39 | 0.93% | 30 | 0.72% | 775 | 18.57% | 4,174 |
| Casey | 1,643 | 59.46% | 1,061 | 38.40% | 26 | 0.94% | 33 | 1.19% | 582 | 21.06% | 2,763 |
| Christian | 4,525 | 57.87% | 3,145 | 40.22% | 66 | 0.84% | 83 | 1.06% | 1,380 | 17.65% | 7,819 |
| Clark | 2,032 | 48.17% | 2,055 | 48.72% | 98 | 2.32% | 33 | 0.78% | -23 | -0.55% | 4,218 |
| Clay | 1,725 | 69.98% | 707 | 28.68% | 7 | 0.28% | 26 | 1.05% | 1,018 | 41.30% | 2,465 |
| Clinton | 1,004 | 72.44% | 360 | 25.97% | 11 | 0.79% | 11 | 0.79% | 644 | 46.46% | 1,386 |
| Crittenden | 1,574 | 49.59% | 1,576 | 49.65% | 9 | 0.28% | 15 | 0.47% | -2 | -0.06% | 3,174 |
| Cumberland | 1,154 | 64.25% | 621 | 34.58% | 12 | 0.67% | 9 | 0.50% | 533 | 29.68% | 1,796 |
| Daviess | 3,105 | 37.28% | 4,952 | 59.46% | 122 | 1.46% | 149 | 1.79% | -1,847 | -22.18% | 8,328 |
| Edmonson | 952 | 51.88% | 863 | 47.03% | 8 | 0.44% | 12 | 0.65% | 89 | 4.85% | 1,835 |
| Elliott | 577 | 30.56% | 1,294 | 68.54% | 3 | 0.16% | 14 | 0.74% | -717 | -37.98% | 1,888 |
| Estill | 1,153 | 55.04% | 929 | 44.34% | 9 | 0.43% | 4 | 0.19% | 224 | 10.69% | 2,095 |
| Fayette | 5,143 | 55.54% | 3,938 | 42.53% | 89 | 0.96% | 90 | 0.97% | 1,205 | 13.01% | 9,260 |
| Fleming | 1,935 | 47.97% | 2,013 | 49.90% | 51 | 1.26% | 35 | 0.87% | -78 | -1.93% | 4,034 |
| Floyd | 1,057 | 42.50% | 1,410 | 56.69% | 5 | 0.20% | 15 | 0.60% | -353 | -14.19% | 2,487 |
| Franklin | 2,175 | 45.77% | 2,465 | 51.87% | 84 | 1.77% | 28 | 0.59% | -290 | -6.10% | 4,752 |
| Fulton | 603 | 28.70% | 1,414 | 67.30% | 47 | 2.24% | 37 | 1.76% | -811 | -38.60% | 2,101 |
| Gallatin | 396 | 29.44% | 933 | 69.37% | 8 | 0.59% | 8 | 0.59% | -537 | -39.93% | 1,345 |
| Garrard | 1,595 | 55.61% | 1,171 | 40.83% | 45 | 1.57% | 57 | 1.99% | 424 | 14.78% | 2,868 |
| Grant | 1,417 | 42.41% | 1,852 | 55.43% | 35 | 1.05% | 37 | 1.11% | -435 | -13.02% | 3,341 |
| Graves | 1,628 | 25.15% | 4,699 | 72.58% | 53 | 0.82% | 94 | 1.45% | -3,071 | -47.44% | 6,474 |
| Grayson | 1,874 | 47.73% | 2,002 | 50.99% | 31 | 0.79% | 19 | 0.48% | -128 | -3.26% | 3,926 |
| Green | 1,389 | 54.36% | 1,142 | 44.70% | 17 | 0.67% | 7 | 0.27% | 247 | 9.67% | 2,555 |
| Greenup | 1,802 | 55.65% | 1,369 | 42.28% | 15 | 0.46% | 52 | 1.61% | 433 | 13.37% | 3,238 |
| Hancock | 1,026 | 48.08% | 1,080 | 50.61% | 13 | 0.61% | 15 | 0.70% | -54 | -2.53% | 2,134 |
| Hardin | 1,885 | 38.68% | 2,848 | 58.44% | 58 | 1.19% | 82 | 1.68% | -963 | -19.76% | 4,873 |
| Harlan | 1,189 | 83.15% | 216 | 15.10% | 11 | 0.77% | 14 | 0.98% | 973 | 68.04% | 1,430 |
| Harrison | 1,705 | 37.66% | 2,690 | 59.42% | 61 | 1.35% | 71 | 1.57% | -985 | -21.76% | 4,527 |
| Hart | 1,999 | 49.59% | 1,951 | 48.40% | 62 | 1.54% | 19 | 0.47% | 48 | 1.19% | 4,031 |
| Henderson | 2,750 | 40.05% | 4,004 | 58.31% | 69 | 1.00% | 44 | 0.64% | -1,254 | -18.26% | 6,867 |
| Henry | 1,711 | 43.24% | 2,115 | 53.45% | 92 | 2.32% | 39 | 0.99% | -404 | -10.21% | 3,957 |
| Hickman | 727 | 26.53% | 1,928 | 70.36% | 26 | 0.95% | 59 | 2.15% | -1,201 | -43.83% | 2,740 |
| Hopkins | 2,490 | 41.14% | 3,470 | 57.34% | 54 | 0.89% | 38 | 0.63% | -980 | -16.19% | 6,052 |
| Jackson | 1,517 | 87.79% | 189 | 10.94% | 15 | 0.87% | 7 | 0.41% | 1,328 | 76.85% | 1,728 |
| Jefferson | 29,107 | 61.57% | 16,707 | 35.34% | 1,078 | 2.28% | 380 | 0.80% | 12,400 | 26.23% | 47,272 |
| Jessamine | 1,343 | 46.53% | 1,428 | 49.48% | 48 | 1.66% | 67 | 2.32% | -85 | -2.95% | 2,886 |
| Johnson | 1,794 | 64.07% | 975 | 34.82% | 12 | 0.43% | 19 | 0.68% | 819 | 29.25% | 2,800 |
| Kenton | 6,165 | 46.28% | 7,008 | 52.60% | 41 | 0.31% | 108 | 0.81% | -843 | -6.33% | 13,322 |
| Knott | 404 | 33.50% | 795 | 65.92% | 3 | 0.25% | 4 | 0.33% | -391 | -32.42% | 1,206 |
| Knox | 2,237 | 71.93% | 833 | 26.78% | 15 | 0.48% | 25 | 0.80% | 1,404 | 45.14% | 3,110 |
| Larue | 955 | 41.49% | 1,324 | 57.52% | 10 | 0.43% | 13 | 0.56% | -369 | -16.03% | 2,302 |
| Laurel | 1,921 | 64.48% | 969 | 32.53% | 41 | 1.38% | 48 | 1.61% | 952 | 31.96% | 2,979 |
| Lawrence | 1,966 | 51.39% | 1,820 | 47.57% | 22 | 0.58% | 18 | 0.47% | 146 | 3.82% | 3,826 |
| Lee | 881 | 59.09% | 587 | 39.37% | 12 | 0.80% | 11 | 0.74% | 294 | 19.72% | 1,491 |
| Leslie | 913 | 91.39% | 81 | 8.11% | 3 | 0.30% | 2 | 0.20% | 832 | 83.28% | 999 |
| Letcher | 813 | 66.58% | 388 | 31.78% | 11 | 0.90% | 9 | 0.74% | 425 | 34.81% | 1,221 |
| Lewis | 2,348 | 61.29% | 1,433 | 37.41% | 20 | 0.52% | 30 | 0.78% | 915 | 23.88% | 3,831 |
| Lincoln | 1,833 | 50.27% | 1,628 | 44.65% | 61 | 1.67% | 124 | 3.40% | 205 | 5.62% | 3,646 |
| Livingston | 872 | 38.41% | 1,346 | 59.30% | 48 | 2.11% | 4 | 0.18% | -474 | -20.88% | 2,270 |
| Logan | 2,484 | 42.09% | 3,266 | 55.34% | 91 | 1.54% | 61 | 1.03% | -782 | -13.25% | 5,902 |
| Lyon | 763 | 42.84% | 969 | 54.41% | 24 | 1.35% | 25 | 1.40% | -206 | -11.57% | 1,781 |
| Madison | 3,100 | 51.69% | 2,756 | 45.96% | 74 | 1.23% | 67 | 1.12% | 344 | 5.74% | 5,997 |
| Magoffin | 1,148 | 57.46% | 833 | 41.69% | 4 | 0.20% | 13 | 0.65% | 315 | 15.77% | 1,998 |
| Marion | 1,575 | 45.03% | 1,873 | 53.54% | 42 | 1.20% | 8 | 0.23% | -298 | -8.52% | 3,498 |
| Marshall | 568 | 22.21% | 1,926 | 75.32% | 16 | 0.63% | 47 | 1.84% | -1,358 | -53.11% | 2,557 |
| Martin | 730 | 75.73% | 227 | 23.55% | 4 | 0.41% | 3 | 0.31% | 503 | 52.18% | 964 |
| Mason | 2,575 | 48.16% | 2,698 | 50.46% | 32 | 0.60% | 42 | 0.79% | -123 | -2.30% | 5,347 |
| McCracken | 2,284 | 42.62% | 2,955 | 55.14% | 31 | 0.58% | 89 | 1.66% | -671 | -12.52% | 5,359 |
| McLean | 935 | 38.97% | 1,389 | 57.90% | 25 | 1.04% | 50 | 2.08% | -454 | -18.92% | 2,399 |
| Meade | 781 | 33.35% | 1,519 | 64.86% | 30 | 1.28% | 12 | 0.51% | -738 | -31.51% | 2,342 |
| Menifee | 359 | 35.58% | 636 | 63.03% | 4 | 0.40% | 10 | 0.99% | -277 | -27.45% | 1,009 |
| Mercer | 1,765 | 48.33% | 1,745 | 47.78% | 91 | 2.49% | 51 | 1.40% | 20 | 0.55% | 3,652 |
| Metcalfe | 1,153 | 54.21% | 908 | 42.69% | 33 | 1.55% | 33 | 1.55% | 245 | 11.52% | 2,127 |
| Monroe | 1,613 | 66.16% | 794 | 32.57% | 18 | 0.74% | 13 | 0.53% | 819 | 33.59% | 2,438 |
| Montgomery | 1,484 | 47.32% | 1,624 | 51.79% | 11 | 0.35% | 17 | 0.54% | -140 | -4.46% | 3,136 |
| Morgan | 910 | 35.27% | 1,642 | 63.64% | 11 | 0.43% | 17 | 0.66% | -732 | -28.37% | 2,580 |
| Muhlenberg | 2,217 | 55.20% | 1,700 | 42.33% | 49 | 1.22% | 50 | 1.25% | 517 | 12.87% | 4,016 |
| Nelson | 1,446 | 38.66% | 2,223 | 59.44% | 46 | 1.23% | 25 | 0.67% | -777 | -20.78% | 3,740 |
| Nicholas | 1,159 | 37.28% | 1,878 | 60.41% | 19 | 0.61% | 53 | 1.70% | -719 | -23.13% | 3,109 |
| Ohio | 2,653 | 48.16% | 2,679 | 48.63% | 58 | 1.05% | 119 | 2.16% | -26 | -0.47% | 5,509 |
| Oldham | 691 | 40.48% | 946 | 55.42% | 46 | 2.69% | 24 | 1.41% | -255 | -14.94% | 1,707 |
| Owen | 1,086 | 23.94% | 3,373 | 74.34% | 38 | 0.84% | 40 | 0.88% | -2,287 | -50.41% | 4,537 |
| Owsley | 983 | 82.12% | 197 | 16.46% | 12 | 1.00% | 5 | 0.42% | 786 | 65.66% | 1,197 |
| Pendleton | 1,585 | 44.11% | 1,939 | 53.97% | 26 | 0.72% | 43 | 1.20% | -354 | -9.85% | 3,593 |
| Perry | 824 | 68.84% | 340 | 28.40% | 27 | 2.26% | 6 | 0.50% | 484 | 40.43% | 1,197 |
| Pike | 2,141 | 52.57% | 1,900 | 46.65% | 13 | 0.32% | 19 | 0.47% | 241 | 5.92% | 4,073 |
| Powell | 625 | 46.61% | 688 | 51.30% | 14 | 1.04% | 14 | 1.04% | -63 | -4.70% | 1,341 |
| Pulaski | 3,668 | 62.48% | 2,099 | 35.75% | 58 | 0.99% | 46 | 0.78% | 1,569 | 26.72% | 5,871 |
| Robertson | 449 | 39.49% | 666 | 58.58% | 3 | 0.26% | 19 | 1.67% | -217 | -19.09% | 1,137 |
| Rockcastle | 1,480 | 62.63% | 846 | 35.80% | 16 | 0.68% | 21 | 0.89% | 634 | 26.83% | 2,363 |
| Rowan | 767 | 53.01% | 650 | 44.92% | 10 | 0.69% | 20 | 1.38% | 117 | 8.09% | 1,447 |
| Russell | 1,038 | 60.95% | 612 | 35.94% | 37 | 2.17% | 16 | 0.94% | 426 | 25.01% | 1,703 |
| Scott | 2,111 | 47.11% | 2,237 | 49.92% | 61 | 1.36% | 72 | 1.61% | -126 | -2.81% | 4,481 |
| Shelby | 2,029 | 42.92% | 2,524 | 53.40% | 122 | 2.58% | 52 | 1.10% | -495 | -10.47% | 4,727 |
| Simpson | 888 | 35.27% | 1,531 | 60.80% | 31 | 1.23% | 68 | 2.70% | -643 | -25.54% | 2,518 |
| Spencer | 596 | 37.23% | 969 | 60.52% | 21 | 1.31% | 15 | 0.94% | -373 | -23.30% | 1,601 |
| Taylor | 1,050 | 46.60% | 1,166 | 51.75% | 24 | 1.07% | 13 | 0.58% | -116 | -5.15% | 2,253 |
| Todd | 1,793 | 49.26% | 1,707 | 46.90% | 72 | 1.98% | 68 | 1.87% | 86 | 2.36% | 3,640 |
| Trigg | 1,295 | 43.44% | 1,633 | 54.78% | 28 | 0.94% | 25 | 0.84% | -338 | -11.34% | 2,981 |
| Trimble | 418 | 23.93% | 1,267 | 72.52% | 32 | 1.83% | 30 | 1.72% | -849 | -48.60% | 1,747 |
| Union | 1,249 | 27.55% | 3,183 | 70.22% | 43 | 0.95% | 58 | 1.28% | -1,934 | -42.66% | 4,533 |
| Warren | 2,866 | 41.96% | 3,716 | 54.41% | 97 | 1.42% | 151 | 2.21% | -850 | -12.45% | 6,830 |
| Washington | 1,573 | 49.51% | 1,536 | 48.35% | 38 | 1.20% | 30 | 0.94% | 37 | 1.16% | 3,177 |
| Wayne | 1,413 | 53.44% | 1,190 | 45.01% | 17 | 0.64% | 24 | 0.91% | 223 | 8.43% | 2,644 |
| Webster | 1,484 | 37.16% | 2,471 | 61.87% | 21 | 0.53% | 18 | 0.45% | -987 | -24.71% | 3,994 |
| Whitley | 3,130 | 77.02% | 862 | 21.21% | 29 | 0.71% | 43 | 1.06% | 2,268 | 55.81% | 4,064 |
| Wolfe | 583 | 36.69% | 981 | 61.74% | 12 | 0.76% | 13 | 0.82% | -398 | -25.05% | 1,589 |
| Woodford | 1,665 | 50.64% | 1,546 | 47.02% | 32 | 0.97% | 45 | 1.37% | 119 | 3.62% | 3,288 |
| Totals | 218,171 | 48.93% | 217,894 | 48.86% | 5,084 | 1.14% | 4,779 | 1.07% | 277 | 0.06% | 445,928 |
Notes
- The closer ones, beginning with the closest, are Florida in 2000, Maryland in 1832, Maryland in 1904, California in 1912, California in 1892 and Hawaii in 1960.
References
- Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 350 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
- Brown, Thomas J.; ‘’The Roots of Bluegrass Insurgency: An Analysis of the Populist Movement in Kentucky; The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Vol. 78, No. 3 (Summer 1980), pp. 219-242
- Shannon, Jasper Berry and McQuown, Ruth; Presidential Politics in Kentucky, 1824-1948: A Compilation of Election Statistics and an Analysis of Political Behavior (1950), p. 96
- Weir, Robert E.; Workers in America: A Historical Encyclopedia, p. 320 ISBN 1598847198
- ‘McKinley Over 100,000 Ahead: Count in the Postal Card Canvas of the Middle West’; Evening Star (Washington D.C.), October 22, 1896, p. 11
- ‘McKinley’s Kentucky Plurality’; St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 28, 1896, p. 2
- Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – Kentucky
- Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1896 (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)
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