1892 United States presidential election in Florida explained

See main article: 1892 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1892 United States presidential election in Florida
Country:Florida
Flag Year:1868
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1888 United States presidential election in Florida
Previous Year:1888
Next Election:1896 United States presidential election in Florida
Next Year:1896
Election Date:November 8, 1892
Image1:StephenGroverCleveland.png
Nominee1:Grover Cleveland
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State1:New York
Running Mate1:Adlai Stevenson I
Electoral Vote1:4
Popular Vote1:30,153
Percentage1:85.01%
Nominee2:James B. Weaver
Party2:Populist Party (United States)
Home State2:Iowa
Running Mate2:James G. Field
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:4,843
Percentage2:13.65%
Map Size:400px
President
Before Election:Benjamin Harrison
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)
After Election:Grover Cleveland
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

The 1892 United States presidential election in Florida took place on November 8, 1892. All contemporary 44 states were part of the 1892 United States presidential election. Florida voters chose four electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

This election marks the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of Jim Crow-era politics in Florida. This change had been proposed as early as 1884, but the anti-Southern animus of the Harrison regime meant that Florida's large landowners felt the disfranchisement of blacks had become urgent.[1] A poll tax was introduced in 1889[2] as were the so-called “Myers” and “Dortch” laws which required voters in more populous settlements to register their voting precincts.[3] This dramatically cut voter registration amongst blacks and poorer whites, almost halving the number of votes cast. Since Florida completely lacked upland or German refugee whites opposed to secession, its Republican Party between 1872 and 1888 was entirely dependent upon black votes. Thus this disfranchisement of blacks and poor whites by a poll tax introduced in 1889[4] left Florida as devoid of Republican adherents as Louisiana, Mississippi or South Carolina.[5]

Thus, Florida's few remaining Republicans decided not to put up presidential electors and urged their supported to back Populist James B. Weaver,[6] creating the first case where an incumbent president standing for re-election has not been on all state's ballots. Weaver thought he had “magnificent” chances in the impoverished South,[7] and campaigned heavily there.[7] but as it turned out the halving of the electorate meant he could gain very little support. Weaver was not helped by his controversial decision to take a woman – Mary Lease – on his campaigns, as the South thought any political involvement degraded womanhood.[8] Weaver did nonetheless win counties in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas.

Florida was won in a landslide by the Democratic nominees, former President Grover Cleveland of New York and his running mate Adlai Stevenson I of Illinois in what remains as the best performance in Florida as of 2020. Weaver took what remained of the Black Republican vote, but gained less than 14%; nonetheless this is one of only five times in Florida that a candidate other than a Republican, Democrat, or Whig (the Democrat's main opposition before the formation of the Republican Party) got over 10% of the vote.

Results

United States presidential election in Florida, 1892[9]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
DemocraticGrover Cleveland30,15385.01%4
People'sJames Weaver4,84313.65%0
ProhibitionJohn Bidwell475 1.34%0
Totals35,471100.00%4
Voter turnout

Results by county

Stephen Grover Cleveland[10]
Democratic
James Baird Weaver[11]
People's
John Bidwell[12]
Prohibition
MarginTotal votes cast
align=center County%%%%
Alachua1,44784.27%23413.63%362.10%1,21370.65%1,717
Baker18754.84%15445.16%00.00%339.68%341
Bradford55179.39%13920.03%40.58%41259.37%694
Brevard44988.74%367.11%214.15%41381.62%506
Calhoun15573.46%5626.54%00.00%9946.92%211
Citrus31680.82%7118.16%41.02%24562.66%391
Clay40485.41%6814.38%10.21%33671.04%473
Columbia82294.16%495.61%20.23%77388.55%873
Dade10995.61%10.88%43.51%10592.11%114
De Soto56668.61%25631.03%30.36%31037.58%825
Duval1,44295.18%684.49%50.33%1,37490.69%1,515
Escambia2,61695.37%1274.63%00.00%2,48990.74%2,743
Franklin304100.00%00.00%304100.00%304
Gadsden52291.90%468.10%47683.80%568
Hamilton60579.19%15920.81%44658.38%764
Hernando22773.23%8126.13%20.65%14647.10%310
Hillsborough2,71895.60%582.04%672.36%2,66093.56%2,843
Holmes28566.28%14533.72%00.00%14032.56%430
Jackson1,09179.12%28820.88%80358.23%1,379
Jefferson1,533100.00%00.00%1,533100.00%1,533
Lafayette25890.53%279.47%23181.05%285
Lake1,13785.68%1057.91%856.41%1,03277.77%1,327
Lee15396.23%53.14%10.63%14893.08%159
Leon634100.00%00.00%00.00%634100.00%634
Levy43671.59%17228.24%10.16%26443.35%609
Liberty8454.19%7145.81%00.00%138.39%155
Madison85595.64%394.36%0.00%81691.28%894
Manatee34883.25%6214.83%81.91%28668.42%418
Marion1,13367.32%53331.67%171.01%60035.65%1,683
Monroe76790.98%677.95%91.07%70083.04%843
Nassau59798.84%71.16%00.00%59097.68%604
Orange1,14292.10%393.15%594.76%1,08387.34%1,240
Osceola25994.18%134.73%31.09%24689.45%275
Pasco47183.22%9216.25%30.53%37966.96%566
Polk80180.66%16816.92%242.42%63363.75%993
Putnam88578.74%17415.48%655.78%71163.26%1,124
Santa Rosa45283.86%8716.14%00.00%36567.72%539
St. Johns58995.46%284.54%56190.92%617
Sumter44459.28%30540.72%13918.56%749
Suwannee64871.52%25828.48%39043.05%906
Taylor12552.30%11447.70%114.60%239
Volusia78585.14%919.87%464.99%69475.27%922
Wakulla17394.54%105.46%00.00%16389.07%183
Walton31353.05%27446.44%30.51%396.61%590
Washington31582.25%6617.23%20.52%24965.01%383
Totals30,15385.01%4,84313.65%4751.34%25,31071.35%35,471

Notes and References

  1. Perman, Michael; Struggle for Mastery: Disfranchisement in the South, 1888-1908, pp. 67-68
  2. Brooker, Russell; The American Civil Rights Movement 1865-1950: Black Agency and People of Good Will, p. 61
  3. Ogden, Frederick D. (1958); The Poll Tax in the South, p. 118
  4. [Joel H. Silbey|Silbey, Joel H.]
  5. Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 208, 210
  6. Knowles, George Harmon (1942); The Presidential Campaign and Election of 1892, p. 242
  7. Richardson, Darcy G.; Others: Third Parties During the Populist Period, p. 138
  8. Kauffman, Gina; More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Kansas Women, p. 36
  9. Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – Florida
  10. Géoelections; Presidential election of 1892 Popular Vote (.xlsx file for €15)
  11. Géoelections; Popular Vote for John Bidwell (.xlsx file for €15)
  12. Géoelections; Popular Vote for James B. Weaver (.xlsx file for €15)