1908 United States presidential election in North Carolina
The 1908 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 3, 1908. All contemporary 46 states were part of the 1908 United States presidential election. North Carolina voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
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County Results
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Elections in North Carolina |
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North Carolina was won by the Democratic nominees, former Representative William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska and his running mate John W. Kern of Indiana. Although, like all former Confederate states, North Carolina would during its “Redemption” develop a politics based upon Jim Crow laws, disfranchisement of its African-American population and dominance of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party possessed sufficient historic Unionist white support from the mountains and northwestern Piedmont to gain a stable one-third of the statewide vote total in general elections even after blacks lost the right to vote.[1] After the failure of Theodore Roosevelt to reconcile with the South, new nominee Taft would in October become the first Republican candidate to tour the South.[2] Aided by opposition by developing manufacturers to Bryan’s populism,[2] and by his willingness to accept black disfranchisement[3] Taft gained substantially upon Theodore Roosevelt’s performance in 1904, especially in previously Democratic western and Piedmont counties. He was the first Republican to ever carry Cabarrus County and Catawba County – which would become solidly Republican after World War I and among thirteen Tar Heel counties to back Barry Goldwater over Lyndon Johnson – and also Jackson County.[4]
Results
1908 United States presidential election in North Carolina[5] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
Democratic | William Jennings Bryan | 136,928 | 54.22% | 12 | |
Republican | William Howard Taft | 114,887 | 45.49% | 0 | |
Social Democratic | Eugene Debs | 372 | 0.15% | 0 | |
Prohibition | Eugene Chafin | 354 | 0.14% | 0 | |
Write-ins | Scattered | 13 | 0.01% | 0 | |
Totals | 252,554 | 100.00% | 12 | ||
Voter turnout | — |
Results by county
County | William Jennings Bryan[6] Democratic |
William Howard Taft[6] Republican |
Eugene Victor Debs[6] Social Democratic |
Eugene Wilder Chafin[6] Prohibition |
Margin | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | |
Currituck | 91.16% | 701 | 8.84% | 68 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 82.31% | 633 |
Northampton | 90.27% | 1,726 | 9.73% | 186 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 80.54% | 1,540 |
Scotland | 89.36% | 714 | 10.64% | 85 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 78.72% | 629 |
Halifax | 85.07% | 2,165 | 14.93% | 380 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 70.14% | 1,785 |
Anson | 83.19% | 1,490 | 16.81% | 301 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 66.39% | 1,189 |
Edgecombe | 80.01% | 1,753 | 19.99% | 438 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 60.02% | 1,315 |
New Hanover[lower-alpha 1] | 78.39% | 1,857 | 21.57% | 511 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 56.82% | 1,346 |
Warren | 78.27% | 1,066 | 21.73% | 296 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 56.53% | 770 |
Franklin | 77.96% | 1,984 | 22.04% | 561 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 55.91% | 1,423 |
Bertie | 77.75% | 1,258 | 22.25% | 360 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 55.50% | 898 |
Martin | 76.07% | 1,338 | 23.93% | 421 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 52.13% | 917 |
Craven | 75.70% | 1,399 | 24.30% | 449 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 51.41% | 950 |
Hyde | 74.80% | 662 | 25.20% | 223 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 49.60% | 439 |
Chowan | 74.46% | 621 | 25.54% | 213 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 48.92% | 408 |
Pitt | 73.04% | 2,419 | 26.87% | 890 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.09% | 3 | 46.17% | 1,529 |
Pender | 71.37% | 930 | 28.63% | 373 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 42.75% | 557 |
Union | 70.87% | 2,029 | 29.13% | 834 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 41.74% | 1,195 |
Camden | 70.82% | 398 | 29.18% | 164 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 41.64% | 234 |
Hertford | 70.39% | 839 | 29.61% | 353 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 40.77% | 486 |
Mecklenburg | 70.09% | 3,926 | 29.37% | 1,645 | 0.07% | 4 | 0.46% | 26 | 40.72% | 2,281 |
Pasquotank[lower-alpha 2] | 69.54% | 929 | 30.31% | 405 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 39.22% | 524 |
Richmond | 69.01% | 1,029 | 30.99% | 462 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 38.03% | 567 |
Caswell | 68.62% | 820 | 31.21% | 373 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.17% | 2 | 37.41% | 447 |
Granville | 67.99% | 1,561 | 31.97% | 734 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.04% | 1 | 36.02% | 827 |
Robeson | 67.48% | 2,698 | 32.52% | 1,300 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 34.97% | 1,398 |
Gates | 65.96% | 653 | 34.04% | 337 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 31.92% | 316 |
Jones | 65.00% | 585 | 35.00% | 315 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 30.00% | 270 |
Vance | 63.62% | 1,121 | 36.38% | 641 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 27.24% | 480 |
Bladen | 63.17% | 1,132 | 36.83% | 660 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 26.34% | 472 |
Wilson | 63.07% | 1,732 | 36.93% | 1,014 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 26.15% | 718 |
Greene | 61.95% | 876 | 38.05% | 538 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 23.90% | 338 |
Cleveland | 60.98% | 2,282 | 38.99% | 1,459 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 21.99% | 823 |
Haywood | 59.91% | 1,952 | 40.02% | 1,304 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 19.89% | 648 |
Lee | 59.68% | 832 | 40.32% | 562 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 19.37% | 270 |
Wayne | 59.30% | 2,207 | 40.41% | 1,504 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.30% | 11 | 18.89% | 703 |
Lenoir | 58.98% | 1,393 | 40.90% | 966 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.00% | 0 | 18.08% | 427 |
Harnett | 58.79% | 1,501 | 41.01% | 1,047 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.16% | 4 | 17.78% | 454 |
Beaufort | 57.79% | 1,828 | 41.23% | 1,304 | 0.92% | 29 | 0.06% | 2 | 16.57% | 524 |
Iredell | 57.67% | 2,465 | 42.19% | 1,803 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.12% | 5 | 15.49% | 662 |
Columbus | 57.19% | 1,845 | 42.81% | 1,381 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 14.38% | 464 |
Guilford | 56.56% | 3,822 | 42.36% | 2,863 | 0.46% | 31 | 0.62% | 42 | 14.19% | 959 |
Cumberland | 55.77% | 1,832 | 44.23% | 1,453 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 11.54% | 379 |
Nash | 55.71% | 1,678 | 44.29% | 1,334 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 11.42% | 344 |
Wake | 55.55% | 3,713 | 44.30% | 2,961 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.15% | 10 | 11.25% | 752 |
Pamlico | 54.37% | 628 | 43.38% | 501 | 2.25% | 26 | 0.00% | 0 | 11.00% | 127 |
Duplin | 55.18% | 1,508 | 44.82% | 1,225 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 10.35% | 283 |
Onslow | 55.06% | 870 | 44.94% | 710 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 10.13% | 160 |
Gaston | 54.40% | 2,398 | 44.69% | 1,970 | 0.18% | 8 | 0.73% | 32 | 9.71% | 428 |
Rowan | 53.61% | 2,392 | 45.02% | 2,009 | 0.78% | 35 | 0.58% | 26 | 8.58% | 383 |
Perquimans | 53.08% | 568 | 46.92% | 502 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 6.17% | 66 |
Dare | 52.93% | 416 | 47.07% | 370 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 5.85% | 46 |
Rutherford | 52.79% | 1,978 | 47.13% | 1,766 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.08% | 3 | 5.66% | 212 |
Alleghany | 52.40% | 633 | 47.60% | 575 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 4.80% | 58 |
Carteret | 52.08% | 1,152 | 47.92% | 1,060 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 4.16% | 92 |
Clay | 51.58% | 343 | 48.27% | 321 | 0.15% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 3.31% | 22 |
Yancey | 50.73% | 978 | 49.27% | 950 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 1.45% | 28 |
Moore | 50.29% | 1,109 | 48.84% | 1,077 | 0.54% | 12 | 0.32% | 7 | 1.45% | 32 |
Durham | 50.41% | 1,859 | 49.35% | 1,820 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.16% | 6 | 1.06% | 39 |
Chatham | 50.36% | 1,521 | 49.57% | 1,497 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.07% | 2 | 0.79% | 24 |
Lincoln | 50.10% | 1,222 | 49.90% | 1,217 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.21% | 5 |
Buncombe | 49.10% | 3,506 | 50.03% | 3,572 | 0.76% | 54 | 0.11% | 8 | -0.92% | -66 |
Ashe | 49.47% | 1,639 | 50.53% | 1,674 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -1.06% | -35 |
Alamance | 48.79% | 2,113 | 50.43% | 2,184 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.72% | 31 | -1.64% | -71 |
Burke | 49.10% | 1,310 | 50.90% | 1,358 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -1.80% | -48 |
McDowell | 48.62% | 950 | 51.18% | 1,000 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.20% | 4 | -2.56% | -50 |
Orange | 48.61% | 1,017 | 51.29% | 1,073 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | -2.68% | -56 |
Jackson | 48.44% | 1,022 | 51.47% | 1,086 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | -3.03% | -64 |
Rockingham | 48.19% | 1,887 | 51.28% | 2,008 | 0.36% | 14 | 0.18% | 7 | -3.09% | -121 |
Transylvania | 48.26% | 570 | 51.74% | 611 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -3.47% | -41 |
Catawba[lower-alpha 3] | 47.56% | 1,864 | 51.29% | 2,010 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.89% | 35 | -3.73% | -146 |
Montgomery | 48.07% | 1,008 | 51.84% | 1,087 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.10% | 2 | -3.77% | -79 |
Randolph | 48.02% | 2,472 | 51.98% | 2,676 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -3.96% | -204 |
Johnston | 47.84% | 2,593 | 52.16% | 2,827 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -4.32% | -234 |
Davidson | 47.35% | 2,126 | 52.12% | 2,340 | 0.09% | 4 | 0.45% | 20 | -4.77% | -214 |
Graham | 47.34% | 418 | 52.66% | 465 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -5.32% | -47 |
Washington | 47.10% | 495 | 52.90% | 556 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -5.80% | -61 |
Macon | 47.01% | 927 | 52.99% | 1,045 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -5.98% | -118 |
Stanly | 46.95% | 1,491 | 53.05% | 1,685 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -6.11% | -194 |
Cabarrus | 46.93% | 1,610 | 53.07% | 1,821 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -6.15% | -211 |
Forsyth | 44.94% | 2,472 | 52.28% | 2,876 | 2.38% | 131 | 0.40% | 22 | -7.34% | -404 |
Polk | 45.14% | 511 | 54.86% | 621 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -9.72% | -110 |
Caldwell | 44.72% | 1,413 | 55.22% | 1,745 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.06% | 2 | -10.51% | -332 |
Tyrrell | 44.13% | 312 | 55.87% | 395 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -11.74% | -83 |
Person | 43.63% | 750 | 56.37% | 969 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -12.74% | -219 |
Alexander | 42.47% | 793 | 57.53% | 1,074 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -15.05% | -281 |
Watauga | 42.29% | 962 | 57.71% | 1,313 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -15.43% | -351 |
Brunswick | 41.92% | 607 | 58.08% | 841 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -16.16% | -234 |
Davie | 39.61% | 780 | 60.18% | 1,185 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.20% | 4 | -20.57% | -405 |
Swain | 39.27% | 602 | 60.73% | 931 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -21.46% | -329 |
Stokes | 38.21% | 1,061 | 61.61% | 1,711 | 0.18% | 5 | 0.00% | 0 | -23.41% | -650 |
Cherokee | 37.38% | 782 | 62.62% | 1,310 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -25.24% | -528 |
Surry | 37.27% | 1,709 | 62.60% | 2,870 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.13% | 6 | -25.32% | -1,161 |
Henderson | 36.40% | 917 | 63.60% | 1,602 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -27.19% | -685 |
Sampson | 35.09% | 1,335 | 64.78% | 2,465 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.13% | 5 | -29.70% | -1,130 |
Wilkes | 31.50% | 1,559 | 68.34% | 3,382 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.16% | 8 | -36.84% | -1,823 |
Madison | 29.84% | 862 | 70.16% | 2,027 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -40.33% | -1,165 |
Yadkin | 26.43% | 597 | 72.78% | 1,644 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.80% | 18 | -46.35% | -1,047 |
Mitchell | 23.32% | 550 | 76.68% | 1,808 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -53.35% | -1,258 |
References
- Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210, 242 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
- Tindall, George B.; ‘Southern Strategy: A Historical Perspective’; North Carolina Historical Review; vol. 48, no. 2 (April 1971), pp. 126-141
- de Santis, Vincent P.; ‘Republican Efforts to “Crack” the Democratic South’; The Review of Politics, vol. 14, no. 2 (April 1952), pp. 244-264
- Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 265-271 ISBN 0786422173
- Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina
- Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1908 (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)
Notes
- In this county there was one vote for a write-in candidate.
- In this county there were two votes for write-in candidates
- In this county there were ten votes for various write-in candidates.