1932 United States presidential election in Tennessee explained

See main article: 1932 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1932 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Country:	Tennessee
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1928 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Previous Year:	1928
Next Election:	1936 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Next Year:	1936
Votes For Election:	All 11 Tennessee votes to the Electoral College
Election Date:	November 8, 1932^[1]
Image1:	FDR in 1933 (3x4).jpg
Nominee1:	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State1:	New York
Running Mate1:	John Nance Garner
Electoral Vote1:	11
Popular Vote1:	259,473
Percentage1:	66.49%
Nominee2:	Herbert Hoover
Party2:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State2:	California
Running Mate2:	Charles Curtis
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	126,752
Percentage2:	32.48%
Map Size:	350px
President
Before Election:	Herbert Hoover
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Franklin D. Roosevelt
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 1932 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 8, 1932, as part of the 1932 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 11^[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

For over a century after the Civil War, Tennessee was divided according to political loyalties established in that war. Unionist regions covering almost all of East Tennessee, Kentucky Pennyroyal-allied Macon County, and the five West Tennessee Highland Rim counties of Carroll, Henderson, McNairy, Hardin and Wayne^[3] voted Republican – generally by landslide margins – as they saw the Democratic Party as the "war party" who had forced them into a war they did not wish to fight.^[4] Contrariwise, the rest of Middle and West Tennessee who had supported and driven the state's secession was equally fiercely Democratic as it associated the Republicans with Reconstruction.^[5] After the disfranchisement of the state's African-American population by a poll tax was largely complete in the 1890s,^[6] the Democratic Party was certain of winning statewide elections if united,^[7] although unlike the Deep South Republicans would almost always gain thirty to forty percent of the statewide vote from mountain and Highland Rim support.

The 1920 elections saw a significant but not radical change, whereby by moving into a small number of traditionally Democratic areas in Middle Tennessee^[8] and expanding turnout due to the Nineteenth Amendment and powerful isolationist sentiment,^[9] the Republican Party was able to capture Tennessee's presidential electoral votes and win the governorship and take three congressional seats in addition to the rock-ribbed GOP First and Second Districts. In 1922 and 1924, with the ebbing of isolationist sympathy and a consequent decline in turnout,^[10] the Democratic Party regained Tennessee's governorship and presidential electoral votes; however, in 1928 anti-Catholicism against Democratic nominee Al Smith in this powerfully fundamentalist state^[11] meant that Herbert Hoover improved upon Harding’s performance, although he failed to gain the down-ballot coattails of 1920.

The Great Depression and the absence of anti-Catholic issues meant that it was universally expected Tennessee would return to Democratic ranks in 1932.^[12] This was especially true because, despite a dispute over the Democratic gubernatorial primary that saw runner-up Lewis Pope make a third-party run in the general election, both Pope and primary winner Hill McAlister strongly backed Roosevelt.^[12]

On polling day, the campaign managers for Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt (D–New York), running with Speaker John Nance Garner were confident that the Democratic Party would carry the state by at least one hundred thousand votes.^[13] Although the campaign managers for incumbent President Hoover were confident he could retain the state, ultimately Roosevelt’s campaigns were conservative in their estimation: Tennessee would won by the Democrat with 66.49 percent of the popular vote, and Hoover would decline by over twenty percent to only 32.48 percent.^[14] Despite this, the crest of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains would be the most resistant region to Roosevelt’s appeal in the entire nation: Hoover’s 84.51 percent of the vote in Johnson County, although less than the Republican percentage in the previous four elections, would be the highest he received in any county nationwide,^[15] whilst Sevier County and Carter County would be Hoover’s fifth- and sixth-best nationally.

Results

Results by county

1932 United States presidential election in Tennessee by county^[16]
County	Franklin Delano Roosevelt Democratic		Herbert Clark Hoover Republican		William David Upshaw Prohibition		Norman Mattoon Thomas Socialist		William Z. Foster Communist		Margin		Total votes cast
	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%		data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%
	Anderson		1,081		40.08%		1,605		59.51%		9		0.33%		2		0.07%		0		0.00%		-524		-19.43%		2,697
	Bedford		2,264		78.12%		630		21.74%		2		0.07%		2		0.07%		0		0.00%		1,634		56.38%		2,898
	Benton		1,540		76.20%		455		22.51%		14		0.69%		9		0.45%		3		0.15%		1,085		53.69%		2,021
	Bledsoe		1,034		51.86%		960		48.14%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		74		3.71%		1,994
	Blount		1,515		31.13%		3,275		67.29%		61		1.25%		14		0.29%		2		0.04%		-1,760		-36.16%		4,867
	Bradley		1,295		44.62%		1,570		54.10%		24		0.83%		9		0.31%		4		0.14%		-275		-9.48%		2,902
	Campbell		1,834		39.79%		2,735		59.34%		22		0.48%		18		0.39%		0		0.00%		-901		-19.55%		4,609
	Cannon		1,207		76.63%		360		22.86%		5		0.32%		3		0.19%		0		0.00%		847		53.78%		1,575
	Carroll		2,603		50.48%		2,505		48.58%		25		0.48%		15		0.29%		8		0.16%		98		1.90%		5,156
	Carter		1,574		23.74%		5,055		76.26%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-3,481		-52.51%		6,629
	Cheatham		1,370		87.71%		180		11.52%		3		0.19%		7		0.45%		2		0.13%		1,190		76.18%		1,562
	Chester		985		72.59%		356		26.23%		10		0.74%		4		0.29%		2		0.15%		629		46.35%		1,357
	Claiborne		3,518		66.82%		1,725		32.76%		16		0.30%		5		0.09%		1		0.02%		1,793		34.06%		5,265
	Clay		819		68.48%		361		30.18%		6		0.50%		10		0.84%		0		0.00%		458		38.29%		1,196
	Cocke		1,557		39.77%		2,324		59.36%		23		0.59%		7		0.18%		4		0.10%		-767		-19.59%		3,915
	Coffee		1,950		81.25%		430		17.92%		13		0.54%		5		0.21%		2		0.08%		1,520		63.33%		2,400
	Crockett		1,934		78.39%		513		20.79%		10		0.41%		10		0.41%		0		0.00%		1,421		57.60%		2,467
	Cumberland		996		50.71%		957		48.73%		11		0.56%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		39		1.99%		1,964
	Davidson		21,233		74.07%		7,004		24.43%		105		0.37%		300		1.05%		24		0.08%		14,229		49.64%		28,666
	Decatur		1,020		62.08%		601		36.58%		10		0.61%		6		0.37%		6		0.37%		419		25.50%		1,643
	DeKalb		2,323		60.29%		1,530		39.71%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		793		20.58%		3,853
	Dickson		2,007		84.33%		369		15.50%		4		0.17%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		1,638		68.82%		2,380
	Dyer		3,805		90.12%		389		9.21%		27		0.64%		1		0.02%		0		0.00%		3,416		80.91%		4,222
	Fayette		1,287		95.62%		42		3.12%		12		0.89%		5		0.37%		0		0.00%		1,245		92.50%		1,346
	Fentress		961		39.13%		1,383		56.31%		7		0.29%		103		4.19%		2		0.08%		-422		-17.18%		2,456
	Franklin		3,029		88.65%		360		10.54%		20		0.59%		6		0.18%		2		0.06%		2,669		78.11%		3,417
	Gibson		3,972		84.42%		704		14.96%		19		0.40%		9		0.19%		1		0.02%		3,268		69.46%		4,705
	Giles		2,773		81.15%		619		18.12%		9		0.26%		12		0.35%		4		0.12%		2,154		63.04%		3,417
	Grainger		995		42.29%		1,325		56.31%		22		0.93%		6		0.25%		5		0.21%		-330		-14.02%		2,353
	Greene		4,264		56.61%		3,223		42.79%		35		0.46%		10		0.13%		0		0.00%		1,041		13.82%		7,532
	Grundy		978		82.12%		198		16.62%		2		0.17%		10		0.84%		3		0.25%		780		65.49%		1,191
	Hamblen		2,032		57.69%		1,458		41.40%		32		0.91%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		574		16.30%		3,522
	Hamilton		11,469		60.56%		7,090		37.44%		132		0.70%		225		1.19%		21		0.11%		4,379		23.12%		18,937
	Hancock		551		33.60%		1,089		66.40%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-538		-32.80%		1,640
	Hardeman		2,377		88.69%		281		10.49%		16		0.60%		3		0.11%		3		0.11%		2,096		78.21%		2,680
	Hardin		806		43.54%		1,036		55.97%		5		0.27%		4		0.22%		0		0.00%		-230		-12.43%		1,851
	Hawkins		2,391		45.10%		2,890		54.51%		16		0.30%		5		0.09%		0		0.00%		-499		-9.41%		5,302
	Haywood		1,788		95.01%		77		4.09%		16		0.85%		1		0.05%		0		0.00%		1,711		90.91%		1,882
	Henderson		958		47.22%		1,058		52.14%		5		0.25%		6		0.30%		2		0.10%		-100		-4.93%		2,029
	Henry		2,867		88.08%		340		10.45%		36		1.11%		11		0.34%		1		0.03%		2,527		77.63%		3,255
	Hickman		1,812		82.18%		385		17.46%		8		0.36%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		1,427		64.72%		2,205
	Houston		750		86.51%		112		12.92%		3		0.35%		2		0.23%		0		0.00%		638		73.59%		867
	Humphreys		1,455		85.44%		231		13.56%		5		0.29%		8		0.47%		4		0.23%		1,224		71.87%		1,703
	Jackson		1,726		86.91%		256		12.89%		3		0.15%		1		0.05%		0		0.00%		1,470		74.02%		1,986
	Jefferson		975		29.39%		2,275		68.59%		55		1.66%		12		0.36%		0		0.00%		-1,300		-39.19%		3,317
	Johnson		425		14.96%		2,400		84.51%		14		0.49%		1		0.04%		0		0.00%		-1,975		-69.54%		2,840
	Knox		10,755		51.39%		9,774		46.71%		227		1.08%		171		0.82%		0		0.00%		981		4.69%		20,927
	Lake		1,824		95.90%		78		4.10%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		1,746		91.80%		1,902
	Lauderdale		2,137		90.94%		174		7.40%		18		0.77%		19		0.81%		2		0.09%		1,963		83.53%		2,350
	Lawrence		3,240		65.48%		1,684		34.03%		19		0.38%		5		0.10%		0		0.00%		1,556		31.45%		4,948
	Lewis		799		85.36%		137		14.64%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		662		70.73%		936
	Lincoln		3,095		90.26%		288		8.40%		38		1.11%		7		0.20%		1		0.03%		2,807		81.86%		3,429
	Loudon		1,629		46.50%		1,817		51.87%		19		0.54%		31		0.88%		7		0.20%		-188		-5.37%		3,503
	Macon		885		43.86%		1,123		55.65%		7		0.35%		3		0.15%		0		0.00%		-238		-11.79%		2,018
	Madison		4,813		79.83%		1,124		18.64%		65		1.08%		27		0.45%		0		0.00%		3,689		61.19%		6,029
	Marion		2,212		61.14%		1,406		38.86%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		806		22.28%		3,618
	Marshall		2,167		87.73%		283		11.46%		20		0.81%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		1,884		76.28%		2,470
	Maury		3,392		85.83%		535		13.54%		19		0.48%		3		0.08%		3		0.08%		2,857		72.29%		3,952
	McMinn		2,630		47.86%		2,790		50.77%		38		0.69%		35		0.64%		2		0.04%		-160		-2.91%		5,495
	McNairy		1,961		59.01%		1,350		40.63%		12		0.36%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		611		18.39%		3,323
	Meigs		840		59.66%		564		40.06%		4		0.28%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		276		19.60%		1,408
	Monroe		2,954		65.97%		1,504		33.59%		9		0.20%		9		0.20%		2		0.04%		1,450		32.38%		4,478
	Montgomery		2,747		77.47%		799		22.53%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		1,948		54.94%		3,546
	Moore		923		92.67%		65		6.53%		7		0.70%		1		0.10%		0		0.00%		858		86.14%		996
	Morgan		983		44.99%		1,184		54.19%		9		0.41%		9		0.41%		0		0.00%		-201		-9.20%		2,185
	Obion		3,183		89.18%		334		9.36%		40		1.12%		12		0.34%		0		0.00%		2,849		79.83%		3,569
	Overton		2,231		76.80%		661		22.75%		7		0.24%		4		0.14%		2		0.07%		1,570		54.04%		2,905
	Perry		705		78.95%		182		20.38%		3		0.34%		2		0.22%		1		0.11%		523		58.57%		893
	Pickett		712		50.28%		681		48.09%		14		0.99%		8		0.56%		1		0.07%		31		2.19%		1,416
	Polk		2,540		60.74%		1,642		39.26%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		898		21.47%		4,182
	Putnam		2,911		69.08%		1,281		30.40%		10		0.24%		7		0.17%		5		0.12%		1,630		38.68%		4,214
	Rhea		1,550		51.05%		1,448		47.69%		23		0.76%		10		0.33%		5		0.16%		102		3.36%		3,036
	Roane		1,625		43.81%		2,036		54.89%		48		1.29%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-411		-11.08%		3,709
	Robertson		2,752		90.71%		252		8.31%		19		0.63%		9		0.30%		2		0.07%		2,500		82.40%		3,034
	Rutherford		3,924		86.24%		606		13.32%		11		0.24%		9		0.20%		0		0.00%		3,318		72.92%		4,550
	Scott		1,025		34.86%		1,890		64.29%		5		0.17%		18		0.61%		2		0.07%		-865		-29.42%		2,940
	Sequatchie		777		72.21%		289		26.86%		10		0.93%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		488		45.35%		1,076
	Sevier		887		22.21%		3,075		77.01%		22		0.55%		9		0.23%		0		0.00%		-2,188		-54.80%		3,993
	Shelby		38,320		84.76%		6,332		14.01%		96		0.21%		417		0.92%		44		0.10%		31,988		70.76%		45,209
	Smith		2,057		77.10%		595		22.30%		9		0.34%		7		0.26%		0		0.00%		1,462		54.80%		2,668
	Stewart		1,548		88.76%		184		10.55%		7		0.40%		5		0.29%		0		0.00%		1,364		78.21%		1,744
	Sullivan		5,322		63.04%		2,999		35.52%		112		1.33%		2		0.02%		7		0.08%		2,323		27.52%		8,442
	Sumner		3,893		90.47%		382		8.88%		20		0.46%		7		0.16%		1		0.02%		3,511		81.59%		4,303
	Tipton		2,892		94.23%		154		5.02%		16		0.52%		4		0.13%		3		0.10%		2,738		89.21%		3,069
	Trousdale		835		92.78%		64		7.11%		1		0.11%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		771		85.67%		900
	Unicoi		850		33.13%		1,716		66.87%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-866		-33.75%		2,566
	Union		802		40.44%		1,169		58.95%		12		0.61%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-367		-18.51%		1,983
	Van Buren		613		73.59%		196		23.53%		20		2.40%		1		0.12%		3		0.36%		417		50.06%		833
	Warren		2,325		84.09%		410		14.83%		21		0.76%		7		0.25%		2		0.07%		1,915		69.26%		2,765
	Washington		3,345		46.86%		3,691		51.71%		71		0.99%		31		0.43%		0		0.00%		-346		-4.85%		7,138
	Wayne		543		33.13%		1,082		66.02%		6		0.37%		4		0.24%		4		0.24%		-539		-32.89%		1,639
	Weakley		3,777		82.52%		783		17.11%		13		0.28%		3		0.07%		1		0.02%		2,994		65.41%		4,577
	White		1,938		82.79%		390		16.66%		9		0.38%		4		0.17%		0		0.00%		1,548		66.13%		2,341
	Williamson		2,777		89.96%		261		8.45%		23		0.75%		19		0.62%		7		0.23%		2,516		81.50%		3,087
	Wilson		2,713		82.26%		567		17.19%		15		0.45%		3		0.09%		0		0.00%		2,146		65.07%		3,298
Totals	259,473	66.48%	126,752	32.48%	1,998	0.51%	1,796	0.46%	254	0.07%	132,721	34.01%	390,273

Notes and References

1. Web site: United States Presidential election of 1932 – Encyclopædia Britannica. March 5, 2019.
2. Web site: 1932 Election for the Thirty-seventh Term (1933-37). March 5, 2019.
3. Wright, John K.; 'Voting Habits in the United States: A Note on Two Maps'; Geographical Review, vol. 22, no. 4 (October 1932), pp. 666-672
4. [Valdimer Orlando Key|Key (Jr.), Valdimer Orlando]
5. Lyons, William; Scheb (II), John M. and Stair Billy; Government and Politics in Tennessee, pp. 183-184
6. [Kevin Phillips (political commentator)|Phillips, Kevin P.]
7. Grantham, Dewey W.; 'Tennessee and Twentieth-Century American Politics'; Tennessee Historical Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Fall 1995), pp. 210-229
8. Reichard, Gary W.; 'The Aberration of 1920: An Analysis of Harding's Victory in Tennessee'; The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 36, No. 1 (February 1970), pp. 33-49
9. Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 211
10. Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 287
11. Book: Larson, Edward J.. Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion. 9780465075102.
12. News: November 6, 1932. Dixie Voters Will Again Cast Ballots as Solid South: G.O.P. Hoping to Hold Some Gains; Reunited Democrats Planning to Deliver Intact Block to Party Nominee. The Birmingham News. 8. Birmingham, Alabama.
13. News: Rain — and Votes — To Pour in County Today – All Governorship Candidates Confident; Shofner Predicts victories for Hoover and McCall over Tennessee. The Knoxville Journal. Knoxville, Tennessee. November 8, 1932. 1, 5.
14. Web site: 1932 Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee. March 5, 2019.
15. Web site: Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. 1932 Presidential Election Statistics.
16. Web site: Our Campaigns. TN US President, November 08, 1932.