1936 United States presidential election in Oregon explained

See main article: 1936 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1936 United States presidential election in Oregon
Country:Oregon
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1932 United States presidential election in Oregon
Previous Year:1932
Next Election:1940 United States presidential election in Oregon
Next Year:1940
Votes For Election:All 5 Oregon votes to the Electoral College
Election Date:November 3, 1936[1]
Image1:FDR in 1933 (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:Franklin D. Roosevelt
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State1:New York
Running Mate1:John Nance Garner
Electoral Vote1:5
Popular Vote1:266,733
Percentage1:64.42%
Nominee2:Alf Landon
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Home State2:Kansas
Running Mate2:Frank Knox
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:122,706
Percentage2:29.64%
Image3:WilliamLemke22.jpg
Nominee3:William Lemke
Party3:Independent (politician)
Alliance3:Union Party (United States)
Home State3:North Dakota
Running Mate3:Thomas C. O'Brien
Electoral Vote3:0
Popular Vote3:21,831
Percentage3:5.27%
Map Size:315px
President
Before Election:Franklin D. Roosevelt
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Franklin D. Roosevelt
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

The 1936 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 3, 1936, as part of the 1936 United States presidential election. Voters chose five[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt (DNew York), running with Vice President John Nance Garner, won Oregon in a landslide over Governor Alf Landon (R–Kansas) and running mate Frank Knox. Roosevelt took 64.42% of the popular vote to Landon's 29.64%, in what remains the strongest Democratic presidential performance in Oregon history.

Oregon was essentially a one-party Republican state during the Fourth Party System from 1896 to 1928, with the party winning almost every statewide election during the period. However, in 1932, due to massive economic discontent caused by the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first Democrat since Horatio Seymour in 1868 to win a majority of the state's vote, carrying Oregon by an overwhelming 21 point margin.[3] [4] In 1936, the extremely popular Roosevelt greatly improved upon his 1932 margin, winning Oregon by nearly 35 percentage points. Even amidst a massive Democratic landslide, Oregon weighed in more than 10 points to the left of the nation, a striking departure from its historical status as a Republican stronghold.

Before the election, the primary focus was on power development in the water-rich and mountainous Pacific Northwest, especially the construction of major Federal dams[5] and whether power rates for all users should be uniform.[6] The Republican Party strongly supported private utilities, whilst Democrats generally supported at least some degree of public ownership and control of electric utilities.[7]

As of 2020, Roosevelt remains the only Democrat (and the last candidate of any party) to sweep all of Oregon's counties in a presidential election. Out of FDR's four campaigns for president, this is the only one in which Benton County would support him. Additionally, the 1936 election remains the last in which a Democratic presidential candidate won Josephine County.[8]

Results

Results by county

CountyFranklin Delano Roosevelt
Democratic
Alfred Mossman Landon
Republican
William Frederick Lemke[9]
Independent
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast[10]
%%%%%
Baker4,99169.79%1,76824.72%3625.06%300.42%3,22345.07%7,151
Benton3,54747.78%3,39045.67%4466.01%400.54%1572.12%7,423
Clackamas14,20366.67%5,83027.37%1,1145.23%1560.73%8,37339.30%21,303
Clatsop6,26770.96%2,26125.60%2572.91%470.53%4,00645.36%8,832
Columbia5,58771.62%1,81523.27%3564.56%430.55%3,77248.35%7,801
Coos7,16767.42%2,57624.23%8347.85%530.50%4,59143.19%10,630
Crook1,08661.99%58933.62%714.05%60.34%49728.37%1,752
Curry91354.35%49729.58%24714.70%231.37%41624.76%1,680
Deschutes4,27872.71%1,29922.08%2574.37%500.85%2,97950.63%5,884
Douglas4,89348.40%4,25442.08%9199.09%440.44%6396.32%10,110
Gilliam98369.67%36225.66%654.61%10.07%62144.01%1,411
Grant1,43657.69%69728.00%34213.74%140.56%73929.69%2,489
Harney1,26265.05%54628.14%1226.29%100.52%71636.91%1,940
Hood River2,75965.77%1,24929.77%1553.69%320.76%1,51036.00%4,195
Jackson7,52054.05%4,86634.97%1,44910.41%790.57%2,65419.07%13,914
Jefferson51464.01%25331.51%344.23%20.25%26132.50%803
Josephine2,84047.69%1,99233.45%1,06717.92%560.94%84814.24%5,955
Klamath8,56270.05%3,22526.39%3693.02%660.54%5,33743.67%12,222
Lake1,27456.55%72532.18%24710.96%70.31%54924.37%2,253
Lane13,92657.51%8,30934.31%1,7047.04%2761.14%5,61723.20%24,215
Lincoln3,02459.98%1,58531.44%4017.95%320.63%1,43928.54%5,042
Linn5,85652.23%4,11036.66%1,17510.48%700.62%1,74615.57%11,211
Malheur2,63059.64%1,38531.41%3658.28%300.68%1,24528.23%4,410
Marion15,53659.59%8,59532.97%1,7106.56%2300.88%6,94126.62%26,071
Morrow1,18163.02%51827.64%1618.59%140.75%66335.38%1,874
Multnomah106,56169.96%41,40527.18%3,3582.20%9950.65%65,15642.78%152,319
Polk3,69456.85%2,24634.56%5147.91%440.68%1,44822.28%6,498
Sherman82367.85%33727.78%504.12%30.25%48640.07%1,213
Tillamook2,78160.68%1,38030.11%3998.71%230.50%1,40130.57%4,583
Umatilla5,75361.13%2,94331.27%6767.18%390.41%2,81029.86%9,411
Union4,64369.17%1,51722.60%5207.75%320.48%3,12646.57%6,712
Wallowa2,00063.86%81125.89%2959.42%260.83%1,18937.96%3,132
Wasco3,57368.92%1,27824.65%3186.13%150.29%2,29544.27%5,184
Washington8,64163.48%4,14830.47%7215.30%1020.75%4,49333.01%13,612
Wheeler66355.71%50242.18%221.85%30.25%16113.53%1,190
Yamhill5,36655.92%3,44335.88%7297.60%580.60%1,92320.04%9,596
Totals266,73364.55%122,70629.69%21,1025.11%2,6930.65%144,02734.85%413,234

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: United States Presidential election of 1936 - Encyclopædia Britannica. December 25, 2018.
  2. Web site: 1936 Election for the Thirty-eighth Term (1937-41). December 25, 2018.
  3. Web site: 1936 Presidential General Election Results - Oregon . December 25, 2018.
  4. Web site: The American Presidency Project - Election of 1936 . December 25, 2018.
  5. Tollefson, Gene; BPA and the Struggle for Power at Cost, p. 185 Published 1987 by Bonneville Power Association
  6. Tollefson; BPA and the Struggle for Power at Cost, p. 127
  7. Blumm, Michael C.; ‘The Northwest's Hydroelectric Heritage: Prologue to the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act’; Washington Law Review, volume 58|Issue 2 (April 1, 1983)
  8. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  9. Géoelections; 1936 Presidential Election Popular Vote (.xlsx file for €15)
  10. Scammon, Richard M. (compiler); America at the Polls: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics 1920-1964; p. 372