1912 United States presidential election in California explained

See main article: 1912 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1912 United States presidential election in California
Country:	California
Flag Image:	Flag of California (1911–1924).pngborder
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1908 United States presidential election in California
Previous Year:	1908
Next Election:	1916 United States presidential election in California
Next Year:	1916
Turnout:	71.68% (of registered voters) 45.11% (of eligible voters) ^[1]
Election Date:	November 5, 1912
Image1:	Unsuccessful 1912 2.jpg
Nominee1:	Theodore Roosevelt
Party1:	Republican (California)
Home State1:	New York
Alliance1:	Progressive
Running Mate1:	Hiram Johnson
Electoral Vote1:	11
Popular Vote1:	283,610
Percentage1:	41.834%
Nominee2:	Woodrow Wilson
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:	New Jersey
Running Mate2:	Thomas R. Marshall
Electoral Vote2:	2
Popular Vote2:	283,436
Percentage2:	41.808%
Image3:	Eugene Debs portrait.jpeg
Nominee3:	Eugene V. Debs
Party3:	Socialist Party of America
Home State3:	Indiana
Running Mate3:	Emil Seidel
Electoral Vote3:	0
Popular Vote3:	79,201
Percentage3:	11.68%
Map Size:	300px
President
Before Election:	William Howard Taft
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Woodrow Wilson
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

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. 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.

Although Wilson narrowly failed to win the state, he did become the first Democrat to carry Napa, Solano 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

+ General Election Results^[6]	Party		Pledged to	Elector	Votes
	Republican Party (Progressive)	Theodore Roosevelt	A. J. Wallace	283,610
bgcolor=		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
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	R. F. Del Valle	282,651
	Republican Party (Progressive)	Theodore Roosevelt	J. W. Finney	282,594
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Henry E. Monroe	282,594
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	T. W. H. Shanahan	282,579
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Clarence F. Lea	282,578
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Joseph F. Tobin	282,530
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	F. B. Lynch	282,516
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Stephen J. Sill	282,432
	Republican Party (Progressive)	Theodore Roosevelt	M. A. Luce	282,383
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	George W. Mordecai	282,325
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	E. L. Doheny	282,309
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Mary Bourn Tucker	282,215
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Mary E. Foy	282,213
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	George M. Cooley	282,198
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	W. M. Boyd	79,201
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	Job Harriman	78,910
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	Dr. A. E. Briggs	78,905
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	H. F. Whitley	78,867
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	T. W. Williams	78,860
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	James Andrews	78,813
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	Rose Walker	78,791
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	Jennie Ream	78,757
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	H. J. Duffy	78,740
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	Ida Kinney	78,735
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	J. R. Cothran	78,709
bgcolor=		Socialist Party	Eugene V. Debs	Ethel Lynn	78,689
bgcolor=		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				677,944

Results by county

County	Theodore Roosevelt Republican/Progressive "Bull Moose"		Woodrow Wilson Democratic		Eugene V. Debs Socialist		Eugene W. Chafin Prohibition		William Howard Taft Republican (write-in)		Scattering Write-in		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
	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

• Amador
• Butte
• Calaveras
• Fresno
• Kern
• Kings
• Lassen
• Madera
• Marin
• Mendocino
• Merced
• Modoc
• Mono
• Monterey
• Napa
• Nevada
• Sacramento
• San Benito
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• San Joaquin
• San Mateo
• Shasta
• Sierra
• Siskiyou
• Solano
• Sonoma
• Sutter
• Tehama
• Tulare
• Trinity
• Tuolumne
• Ventura
• Yolo
• Yuba

See also

• United States presidential elections in California

Notes and References

1. Web site: Historical Voter Registration and Participation in Statewide General Elections 1910-2018 . California Secretary of State . 2022-05-05.
2. Web site: DIVIDED ELECTORAL VOTES . Newspapers.com . The Boston Globe . 1 June 2021 . en . subscription . 11 Nov 1912.
3. Web site: NEITHER SIDE WINS STATE . Newspapers.com . Los Angeles Times . Associated Press . 1 June 2021 . en . subscription . 16 Nov 1912.
4. Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 153-155
5. Web site: 1912 Presidential Election Statistics. Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2018-03-05.
6. Book: Statement of the Vote of California at the General Election held November 5, 1912. Sacramento, California . 4-13 . 15 July 2024.