1916 United States presidential election in Wisconsin explained

See main article: article and 1916 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1916 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Country:	Wisconsin
Flag Year:	1913
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1912 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Previous Year:	1912
Next Election:	1920 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Next Year:	1920
Election Date:	November 7, 1916
Nominee2:	Woodrow Wilson
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:	New Jersey
Running Mate2:	Thomas R. Marshall
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	193,042
Percentage2:	42.96%
Image1:	Governor Charles Evans Hughes (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:	Charles Evans Hughes
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:	New York
Running Mate1:	Charles W. Fairbanks
Electoral Vote1:	13
Popular Vote1:	221,323
Percentage1:	49.25%
Image3:	Allan Louis Benson (1871–1940) circa 1915 (cropped closein).jpg
Nominee3:	Allan L. Benson
Party3:	Socialist Party of America
Home State3:	New York
Running Mate3:	George Ross Kirkpatrick
Popular Vote3:	27,846
Percentage3:	6.20%
Map Size:	315px
President
Before Election:	Woodrow Wilson
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	Woodrow Wilson
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 1916 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 7, 1916 as part of the 1916 United States presidential election. State voters chose 13 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Ever since the decline of the Populist movement, Wisconsin had become almost a one-party state dominated by the Republican Party.^[1] The Democratic Party became entirely uncompetitive outside certain German Catholic counties adjoining Lake Michigan as the upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, completely fled from William Jennings Bryan's agrarian and free silver sympathies.^[2] As Democratic strength weakened severely after 1894 – although the state did develop a strong Socialist Party to provide opposition to the GOP – Wisconsin developed the direct Republican primary in 1903 and this ultimately created competition between the "League" under Robert M. La Follette, and the conservative "Regular" faction.^[3]

At the turn of the decade, the Democratic Party underwent a brief revival, as it made significant gains upon its small share of state legislative seats and many people in the state saw in New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson the possibility of the party returning to the progressive ideals it was felt to have deserted with Bryan fifteen years beforehand.^[4] Wilson would carry Wisconsin in 1912 and in fact improve upon Bryan's share of the vote from 1908.

During his term, however, Wisconsin's heavily German-American population turned against Wilson, with the result that in 1914 the Democrats lost ground in the state legislature, and with the outbreak of war in Europe this opposition increased, because the concurrent Irish rebellion was believed to lie in the interests of the Central Powers, and Wilson was viewed as strongly pro-British.^[5] The position of President Wilson as strongly pro-British was intensified when he failed to accept clemency for Roger Casement.^[5]

Republican nominee Charles Evans Hughes campaigned in the state during September,^[6] but President Wilson did not campaign in the state, although it was viewed as doubtful in September despite strong feelings that German-American opposition would eliminate Wilson's chance.^[7] Near the end of October, a Tennessean polls suggested that Wilson would carry the state due to his anti-war sentiment,^[8] but the Los Angeles Times said Hughes would carry the state by a "moderate margin" despite a straw poll in favour of Wilson.^[9] The Oshkosh Northwestern on October 26 viewed the state as "doubtful", but said their polls indicated Hughes would win by around fifteen thousand votes.^[10]

As things turned out, Wisconsin would be comfortably, if not overwhelmingly, carried by Republican nominee Hughes, who won the state by 6.29 percentage points. Signs of the collapse of German Catholic Democratic loyalties were seen in Hughes carrying Ozaukee County, which no Republican had ever won before and was Wisconsin's only county to resist major Republican landslides by backing both William Jennings Bryan in 1896 and 1900 and Alton Brooks Parker in 1904.^[11] This German Catholic Democratic collapse – broken abruptly by a powerful vote for coreligionist Al Smith in 1928 and for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 – would be a major feature of interwar Wisconsin presidential politics.

By backing Wilson, Portage County voted for the statewide loser for the first time ever; the county's bellwether streak had extended all the way back to Wisconsin's statehood in 1848. Simultaneously, this election began several very long bellwether streaks in other counties: Adams County and Jackson County would back the statewide winner in every election until 2020; Washburn County in every election until 2000; Burnett County in every election until 1980; and Eau Claire County in every election until 1968.

Results

+ General Election Results^[12]	Party		Pledged to	Elector	Votes
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	L. K. Baker	221,323
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	William W. Storms	221,215
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	Frank Smith	221,181
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	Walter J. Kohler	221,026
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	Fred C. Pritzlaff	221,011
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	O. G. Munson	220,979
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	L. M. Alexander	220,968
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	H. D. Lauson	220,952
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	G. A. Walter Jr.	220,923
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	John S. Medary	220,897
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	O. K. Hawley	220,866
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	A. H. Stange	220,866
	Republican Party	Charles Evans Hughes	James T. Drought	220,857
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	John C. Karel	193,042
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Charles W. Wiesse	191,857
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	J. E. Dodge	191,834
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Vincent J. Schoenecker	191,692
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	W. J. Kershaw	191,665
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Aldro Jenks	191,562
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Andrew R. McDonald	191,548
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Henry Moehlenpah	191,491
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	John R. Matthews	191,488
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	L. J. Pasternecki	191,483
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	Otto C. Wernecke	191,469
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	J. H. Cernahan	191,450
	Democratic Party	Woodrow Wilson	J. A. Hobe	191,245
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	A. J. Melms	27,846
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	Oscar Ameringer	27,802
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	Edward Ziegler	27,739
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	James Vint	27,703
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	Charles H. Olson	27,692
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	John Doerfler Sr.	27,678
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	John Chilson	27,665
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	Edward D. Deuss	27,656
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	Robert Schuttler	27,656
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	Curtis A. Boorman	27,637
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	G. M. Schmitz	27,631
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	D. V. Lawell	27,621
	Socialist Party	Allan L. Benson	Otto F. Eick	27,600
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Anthony J. Benjamin	7,166
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Frank R. Derrick	7,130
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Charles Schlafer	7,117
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Louis M. Sagen	7,110
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Jasper Dexter	7,108
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Herbert S. Siggelko	7,104
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Almon I. Collins	7,096
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Pliny F. Meyers	7,093
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	William R. Nethercut	7,084
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Oliver Needham	7,076
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Charles E. Badger	7,068
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	David W. Emerson	7,047
	Prohibition Party	James Hanly	Waldemar Ager	7,025
	Write-in		Scattering	25
Votes cast				449,402

Results by county

County	Charles Evans Hughes Republican		Woodrow Wilson Democratic		Allan L. Benson Socialist		James Hanly Prohibition		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		957		51.15%		824		44.04%		48		2.57%		42		2.24%		133		7.11%		1,871
	Ashland		2,017		51.94%		1,599		41.18%		189		4.87%		78		2.01%		418		10.76%		3,883
	Barron		2,772		54.91%		1,890		37.44%		136		2.69%		250		4.95%		882		17.47%		5,048
	Bayfield		1,321		51.12%		997		38.58%		225		8.71%		41		1.59%		324		12.54%		2,584
	Brown		4,132		40.01%		5,771		55.88%		223		2.16%		201		1.95%		-1,639		-15.87%		10,327
	Buffalo		1,492		56.56%		1,044		39.58%		63		2.39%		39		1.48%		448		16.98%		2,638
	Burnett		1,007		53.97%		638		34.19%		169		9.06%		52		2.79%		369		19.77%		1,866
	Calumet		1,981		57.20%		1,384		39.97%		74		2.14%		24		0.69%		597		17.24%		3,463
	Chippewa		3,327		58.15%		2,234		39.05%		72		1.26%		88		1.54%		1,093		19.11%		5,721
	Clark		3,413		64.95%		1,629		31.00%		129		2.45%		84		1.60%		1,784		33.95%		5,255
	Columbia		3,432		57.66%		2,314		38.88%		80		1.34%		126		2.12%		1,118		18.78%		5,952
	Crawford		1,883		50.66%		1,764		47.46%		32		0.86%		38		1.02%		119		3.20%		3,717
	Dane		6,947		40.04%		9,923		57.19%		190		1.10%		291		1.68%		-2,976		-17.15%		17,351
	Dodge		4,916		50.73%		4,535		46.80%		111		1.15%		128		1.32%		381		3.93%		9,690
	Door		1,656		56.27%		1,204		40.91%		38		1.29%		45		1.53%		452		15.36%		2,943
	Douglas		3,060		43.82%		2,971		42.55%		798		11.43%		154		2.21%		89		1.27%		6,983
	Dunn		2,589		60.20%		1,457		33.88%		172		4.00%		83		1.93%		1,132		26.32%		4,301
	Eau Claire		2,961		53.19%		2,302		41.35%		187		3.36%		117		2.10%		659		11.84%		5,567
	Florence		412		69.36%		162		27.27%		9		1.52%		11		1.85%		250		42.09%		594
	Fond du Lac		5,820		51.86%		5,118		45.61%		130		1.16%		154		1.37%		702		6.26%		11,222
	Forest		739		52.15%		638		45.02%		18		1.27%		22		1.55%		101		7.13%		1,417
	Grant		4,720		56.30%		3,460		41.27%		70		0.84%		133		1.59%		1,260		15.03%		8,383
	Green		2,446		55.84%		1,699		38.79%		65		1.48%		170		3.88%		747		17.05%		4,380
	Green Lake		1,650		53.07%		1,353		43.52%		34		1.09%		47		1.51%		297		9.55%		3,109
	Iowa		2,271		48.79%		2,230		47.91%		19		0.41%		135		2.90%		41		0.88%		4,655
	Iron		672		54.63%		475		38.62%		43		3.50%		40		3.25%		197		16.02%		1,230
	Jackson		1,866		64.10%		966		33.18%		50		1.72%		29		1.00%		900		30.92%		2,911
	Jefferson		3,809		49.54%		3,676		47.81%		84		1.09%		120		1.56%		133		1.73%		7,689
	Juneau		2,335		58.99%		1,449		36.61%		109		2.75%		65		1.64%		886		22.39%		3,958
	Kenosha		3,537		50.99%		2,817		40.61%		497		7.16%		86		1.24%		720		10.38%		6,937
	Kewaunee		1,104		35.04%		2,011		63.82%		20		0.63%		16		0.51%		-907		-28.78%		3,151
	La Crosse		3,659		44.57%		4,160		50.68%		281		3.42%		109		1.33%		-501		-6.10%		8,209
	Lafayette		2,545		54.09%		2,059		43.76%		18		0.38%		83		1.76%		486		10.33%		4,705
	Langlade		1,540		45.10%		1,757		51.45%		81		2.37%		37		1.08%		-217		-6.35%		3,415
	Lincoln		2,191		60.74%		1,282		35.54%		98		2.72%		36		1.00%		909		25.20%		3,607
	Manitowoc		4,236		46.43%		4,364		47.84%		453		4.97%		70		0.77%		-128		-1.40%		9,123
	Marathon		5,868		57.13%		3,702		36.04%		607		5.91%		95		0.92%		2,166		21.09%		10,272
	Marinette		2,807		53.40%		2,212		42.08%		146		2.78%		92		1.75%		595		11.32%		5,257
	Marquette		1,385		58.86%		924		39.27%		15		0.64%		29		1.23%		461		19.59%		2,353
	Milwaukee		27,957		34.73%		35,041		43.53%		17,076		21.21%		427		0.53%		-7,084		-8.80%		80,501
	Monroe		3,068		57.81%		2,012		37.91%		121		2.28%		106		2.00%		1,056		19.90%		5,307
	Oconto		2,614		56.45%		1,907		41.18%		70		1.51%		40		0.86%		707		15.27%		4,631
	Oneida		1,103		45.02%		1,085		44.29%		249		10.16%		13		0.53%		18		0.73%		2,450
	Outagamie		5,346		52.84%		4,505		44.52%		166		1.64%		101		1.00%		841		8.31%		10,118
	Ozaukee		1,610		49.39%		1,579		48.44%		51		1.56%		20		0.61%		31		0.95%		3,260
	Pepin		766		53.19%		623		43.26%		25		1.74%		26		1.81%		143		9.93%		1,440
	Pierce		1,946		51.88%		1,652		44.04%		72		1.92%		81		2.16%		294		7.84%		3,751
	Polk		2,080		51.19%		1,714		42.19%		195		4.80%		74		1.82%		366		9.01%		4,063
	Portage		2,523		44.54%		3,001		52.98%		71		1.25%		69		1.22%		-478		-8.44%		5,664
	Price		1,621		56.36%		1,051		36.54%		147		5.11%		57		1.98%		570		19.82%		2,876
	Racine		4,496		42.26%		5,083		47.78%		605		5.69%		455		4.28%		-587		-5.52%		10,639
	Richland		2,053		48.55%		1,848		43.70%		89		2.10%		239		5.65%		205		4.85%		4,229
	Rock		7,042		61.11%		4,032		34.99%		223		1.94%		227		1.97%		3,010		26.12%		11,524
	Rusk		989		47.62%		926		44.58%		114		5.49%		48		2.31%		63		3.03%		2,077
	Sauk		3,786		59.53%		2,276		35.79%		43		0.68%		255		4.01%		1,510		23.74%		6,360
	Sawyer		551		46.62%		562		47.55%		51		4.31%		18		1.52%		-11		-0.93%		1,182
	Shawano		3,417		68.72%		1,368		27.51%		130		2.61%		57		1.15%		2,049		41.21%		4,972
	Sheboygan		5,573		52.89%		3,903		37.04%		976		9.26%		85		0.81%		1,670		15.85%		10,537
	St. Croix		2,739		50.99%		2,373		44.17%		176		3.28%		84		1.56%		366		6.81%		5,372
	Taylor		1,544		60.17%		846		32.97%		136		5.30%		40		1.56%		698		27.20%		2,566
	Trempealeau		2,139		56.05%		1,578		41.35%		29		0.76%		70		1.83%		561		14.70%		3,816
	Vernon		2,928		58.64%		1,839		36.83%		49		0.98%		177		3.54%		1,089		21.81%		4,993
	Vilas		531		48.49%		467		42.65%		81		7.40%		16		1.46%		64		5.84%		1,095
	Walworth		4,004		59.60%		2,458		36.59%		57		0.85%		199		2.96%		1,546		23.01%		6,718
	Washburn		938		55.31%		647		38.15%		77		4.54%		34		2.00%		291		17.16%		1,696
	Washington		2,896		50.31%		2,736		47.53%		75		1.30%		49		0.85%		160		2.78%		5,756
	Waukesha		3,778		45.15%		4,219		50.42%		146		1.74%		225		2.69%		-441		-5.27%		8,368
	Waupaca		4,493		69.85%		1,721		26.76%		98		1.52%		120		1.87%		2,772		43.10%		6,432
	Waushara		2,345		67.31%		1,015		29.13%		78		2.24%		46		1.32%		1,330		38.17%		3,484
	Winnebago		5,993		50.51%		5,328		44.90%		383		3.23%		162		1.37%		665		5.60%		11,866
	Wood		2,979		50.30%		2,653		44.80%		204		3.44%		86		1.45%		326		5.50%		5,922
Total	221,323	49.25%	193,042	42.96%	27,846	6.20%	7,166	1.59%	28,281	6.29%	449,402

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Ashland
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Columbia
• Crawford
• Dodge
• Fond du Lac
• Forest
• Grant
• Green
• Green Lake
• Iowa
• Jefferson
• Kenosha
• Lafayette
• Lincoln
• Marathon
• Marquette
• Monroe
• Outagamie
• Ozaukee
• Sauk
• Shawano
• Sheboygan
• St. Croix
• Taylor
• Vilas
• Walworth
• Washington
• Winnebago
• Wood

Counties that flipped from Progressive to Republican

• Bayfield
• Burnett
• Douglas
• Pierce
• Polk
• Washburn

See also

• United States presidential elections in Wisconsin

Notes and References

1. Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179
2. Sundquist, James; Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years, p. 526
3. Hansen, John Mark; Shigeo Hirano, and Snyder, James M. Jr.; 'Parties within Parties: Parties, Factions, and Coordinated Politics, 1900-1980'; in Gerber, Alan S. and Schickler, Eric; Governing in a Polarized Age: Elections, Parties, and Political Representation in America, pp. 165-168
4. Crews, Kenneth D.; 'Woodrow Wilson, Wisconsin, and the Election of 1912'; Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 3: 'Presidents, Vice Presidents and Political Parties: Performance and Prospects' (Summer, 1982), pp. 369-376
5. Leary, William M. (jr.); 'Woodrow Wilson, Irish Americans, and the Election of 1916'; The Journal of American History, Vol. 54, No. 1 (June 1967), pp. 57-72
6. 'The Barometer of Public Opinion'; The Watertown News (Watertown, Wisconsin), September 27, 1916, p. 4
7. 'Hughes or Wilson in Wisconsin?'; The La Crosse Tribunal, September 15, 1916, p. 3
8. 'Drift Continues Unmistakably to Wilson; Republicans Are Still Striving to Stem the Swelling Tide of Defeat'; The Tennessean, October 29, 1916, p. 11
9. Tribunes Poll'; Los Angeles Times, October 29, 1916, p. 4
10. 'Wisconsin Is Doubtful: One Summary of State'; Oshkosh Northwestern, October 26, 1916, p. 11
11. Menendez, Albert J. The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 48
12. Wisconsin Historical Society, Certificate of Board of Canvassers of the State of Wisconsin - Presidential Electors