| Election Name: | 1912 Democratic Party presidential primaries |
| Country: | United States |
| Flag Year: | 1908 |
| Type: | primary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Next Election: | 1916 Democratic Party presidential primaries |
| Next Year: | 1916 |
| Election Date: | March 19 to June 4, 1912 |
| Votes For Election: | 1,088 delegates to the 1912 Democratic National Convention |
| Needed Votes: | 726 (two-thirds) |
| Color1: | ff9955 |
| Candidate1: | Woodrow Wilson |
| Home State1: | New Jersey |
| Delegate Count1: | 324 |
| States Carried1: | 5 |
| Popular Vote1: | 435,169 |
| Percentage1: | 44.6% |
| Color2: | 5f8dd3 |
| Candidate2: | Champ Clark |
| Home State2: | Missouri |
| Delegate Count2: | 440.5 |
| States Carried2: | 5 |
| Popular Vote2: | 405,537 |
| Percentage2: | 41.6% |
| Color4: | 00aa44 |
| Candidate4: | Judson Harmon |
| Delegate Count4: | 148 |
| Home State4: | Ohio |
| States Carried4: | 1 |
| Popular Vote4: | 116,294 |
| Percentage4: | 11.9% |
| Color5: | a02c2c |
| Candidate5: | Oscar Underwood |
| Home State5: | Alabama |
| Delegate Count5: | 117.5 |
| States Carried5: | – |
| Popular Vote5: | – |
| Percentage5: | – |
| Democratic nominee | |
| Before Election: | William Jennings Bryan |
| After Election: | Woodrow Wilson |
From March 19 to June 4, 1912, voters of the Democratic Party elected delegates to the 1912 Democratic National Convention for the purpose of choosing a nominee for president in the 1912 election.[1]
The primaries were inconclusive, with Speaker of the House Champ Clark holding a lead over Woodrow Wilson, but neither candidate close to the two-thirds of the delegates necessary to secure the nomination. In third place, Ohio governor Judson Harmon boasted the support of his home state and New York, the largest single delegation. House Majority Leader Oscar Underwood had strong support from the Deep South but little appeal outside the region.
At the convention, Wilson eventually secured the nomination over Clark after forty back-and-forth ballots.
| State | Date | Woodrow Wilson | Champ Clark | Judson Harmon | John Burke | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | March 19 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | |
| Wisconsin | April 2 | 55.7% | 44.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Illinois | April 9 | 25.7% | 74.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Pennsylvania | April 13 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Nebraska | April 19 | 27.9% | 41.0% | 24.3% | 0.0% | |
| Oregon | April 19 | 53.0% | 43.4% | 3.3% | 0.0% | |
| Massachusetts | April 30 | 29.9% | 68.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Maryland | May 6 | 34.3% | 54.4% | 11.3% | 0.0% | |
| California | May 14 | 28.5% | 71.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Ohio | May 21 | 45.7% | 1.3% | 51.7% | 0.0% | |
| New Jersey | May 28 | 98.9% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| South Dakota | June 4 | 35.2% | 32.0%[2] | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Legend: | 1st place (popular vote) | 2nd place (popular vote) | 3rd place (popular vote) |
|---|