See main article: 1940 United States presidential election.
| Election Name: | 1940 United States presidential election in Alabama |
| Country: | Alabama |
| Type: | Presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 United States presidential election in Alabama |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| Next Election: | 1944 United States presidential election in Alabama |
| Next Year: | 1944 |
| Nominee1: | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Home State1: | New York |
| Running Mate1: | Henry A. Wallace |
| Electoral Vote1: | 11 |
| Popular Vote1: | 250,726 |
| Percentage1: | 85.22% |
| President | |
| Before Election: | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Electoral Vote2: | 0 |
| Home State2: | New York |
| Nominee2: | Wendell Willkie |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Percentage2: | 14.34% |
| Popular Vote2: | 42,184 |
| Running Mate2: | Charles L. McNary |
| Map Size: | 300px |
The 1940 United States presidential election in Alabama took place on November 5, 1940, as part of the 1940 United States presidential election. Alabama voters chose 11 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. In Alabama, voters voted for electors individually instead of as a slate, as in the other states.
Since the 1890s, Alabama had been effectively a one-party state ruled by the Democratic Party. Disenfranchisement of almost all African-Americans and a large proportion of Poor Whites via poll taxes, literacy tests[1] and informal harassment had essentially eliminated opposition parties outside Unionist Winston County and a few nearby northern hill counties that had been Populist strongholds.[2] The only competitive statewide elections became Democratic Party primaries that were limited by law to white voters. Unlike most other Confederate states, however, soon after black disenfranchisement Alabama's remaining white Republicans made rapid efforts to expel blacks from the state Republican Party.[3] Indeed, under Oscar D. Street, who ironically was appointed state party boss as part of the pro-Taft "black and tan" faction in 1912,[4] the state GOP would permanently turn "lily-white", with the last black delegates from the state at any Republican National Convention serving in 1920.[3]
The 1920 election, aided by isolationism in Appalachia[5] and the whitening of the state GOP,[6] saw the Republicans even exceed forty percent in the House of Representatives races for the 4th, 7th and 10th congressional districts.[5] However, funding issues meant the Republicans would not emulate this achievement for several decades subsequently.[7] Nevertheless, a bitter "civil war" over how best to maintain white supremacy after the Democrats nominated urban, anti-Prohibition Catholic Al Smith saw so many Democrats defect to dry, Protestant Republican Herbert Hoover that he came within seven thousand votes of winning the state.[8]
However, the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression meant that this trend towards the GOP would be short-lived.[9] The Depression had extremely severe effects in the South, which had the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and many Southerners blamed this on the North and on Wall Street.[10] Consequently, the South gave Democratic nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt extremely heavy support in 1932 – he became the only presidential candidate to sweep all of Alabama's counties[11] — and in 1936.
For 1940, opposition amongst Alabama's ruling elite to the New Deal meant that planter and business interests led by former Congressman George Huddleston attempted to organise the "independent elector" movements that would proliferate after Harry S. Truman's civil rights proposals.[12] Other "Big Mules" already supported Republican nominees, corporate lawyer Wendell Willkie and Senate Minority Leader Charles L. McNary.[13] However, the hatred of the Republican label, in spite of five election cycles as a party exclusive of blacks,[14] meant that the state Democratic Party was far too strong to allow such a revolt.[15]
No polls were carried out in the state until a Gallup poll in the middle of September, which had Roosevelt winning 85 percent of the two-party vote to.[16] Another poll from late October said that Willkie could gain around one hundred thousand votes or one-third of the expected statewide total.[17]
Alabama was won in a landslide by Roosevelt – now running with Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace of Iowa — with 85.22 percent of the popular vote against Willkie's 14.34 percent for a Democratic margin of 70.88 percent. Third-party candidates only managed to pick up 0.44 percent of the vote.[18] Roosevelt was undoubtedly helped, especially in Appalachian regions of the state, by support for aid to Britain in World War II, which he had emphasised in his campaign.[19] In many Appalachian rural counties, Roosevelt indeed improved upon his 1932 and 1936 performances for this reason.
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Charles W. Edwards | 250,726 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Ben Bloodworth | 250,723 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Otis R. Burton | 250,714 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | W. F. Covington Jr. | 250,710 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Tully A. Goodwin | 250,709 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Roy Mayhall | 250,706 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Norvelle R. Leigh, III | 250,701 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Walter C. Lusk | 250,701 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | W. E. James | 250,692 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Bart J. Cowart | 250,687 | |
| bgcolor= | Democratic Party | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Walter F. Miller | 250,682 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | W. B. R. Pennington | 42,184 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | R. M. Wilbanks | 42,180 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | R. DuPont Thompson | 42,179 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | James S. Coleman Sr. | 42,174 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | J. E. Paterson | 42,174 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | William H. Armbrecht | 42,172 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | C. L. Burton | 42,170 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | Morris B. Malone | 42,168 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | David S. Anderson | 42,167 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | T. M. Jones Sr. | 42,161 | |
| bgcolor= | Republican Party | Wendell Willkie | G. C. Youngerman | 42,084 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | W. C. McMachan | 700 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | J. A. Fields | 699 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | W. A. Wheeler | 699 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | Frank Barnard | 698 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | L. E. Barton | 698 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | Charles Lehman | 696 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | J. B. Lockhart | 696 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | John C. Orr | 696 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | Joseph K. Suggs | 695 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | Leander M. Coop | 693 | |
| bgcolor= | Prohibition Party | Roger Babson | George W. Crosby | 693 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | John W. Campbell | 509 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | Bob F. Hall | 345 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | Reany Smith | 344 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | A. M. Forsman | 343 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | Anton Valla Jr. | 343 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | D. W. Gilbert | 342 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | Anna Kral | 341 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | Theron Ward | 341 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | Joseph Machulka | 339 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | Frank Maildorf | 337 | |
| bgcolor= | Communist Party USA | Earl Browder | Joe Stuchly | 337 | |
| bgcolor= | Socialist Party of America | Norman Thomas | D. R. Calloway | 100 | |
| bgcolor= | Socialist Party of America | Norman Thomas | John W. Estes Jr. | 96 | |
| bgcolor= | Socialist Party of America | Norman Thomas | Joseph Ciganek | 92 | |
| bgcolor= | Socialist Party of America | Norman Thomas | W. H. Chichester | 91 | |
| Total votes | 294,219 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt Democratic | Wendell Lewis Willkie Republican | Roger Ward Babson Prohibition | Earl Russell Browder Communist | Norman Mattoon Thomas Socialist | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Autauga | 1,630 | 93.62% | 99 | 5.69% | 10 | 0.57% | 2 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,531 | 87.94% | 1,741 | ||||||||||||||
| Baldwin | 2,681 | 76.58% | 617 | 17.62% | 24 | 0.72% | 12 | 0.36% | 5 | 0.15% | 2,064 | 61.85% | 3,501 | ||||||||||||||
| Barbour | 2,328 | 95.88% | 90 | 3.71% | 7 | 0.29% | 3 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,238 | 92.17% | 2,428 | ||||||||||||||
| Bibb | 1,821 | 90.51% | 173 | 8.60% | 9 | 0.45% | 9 | 0.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,647 | 81.90% | 2,012 | ||||||||||||||
| Blount | 2,784 | 75.71% | 855 | 23.25% | 32 | 0.87% | 5 | 0.14% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,929 | 52.46% | 3,677 | ||||||||||||||
| Bullock | 1,301 | 98.64% | 18 | 1.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,283 | 97.27% | 1,319 | ||||||||||||||
| Butler | 2,732 | 97.99% | 52 | 1.87% | 1 | 0.04% | 3 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,680 | 96.13% | 2,788 | ||||||||||||||
| Calhoun | 4,408 | 86.89% | 645 | 12.71% | 16 | 0.32% | 2 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,764 | 74.21% | 5,073 | ||||||||||||||
| Chambers | 4,141 | 97.16% | 110 | 2.58% | 10 | 0.23% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,031 | 94.58% | 4,262 | ||||||||||||||
| Cherokee | 2,617 | 86.94% | 381 | 12.66% | 10 | 0.33% | 1 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.03% | 2,236 | 74.29% | 3,010 | ||||||||||||||
| Chilton | 2,746 | 57.80% | 1,995 | 41.99% | 5 | 0.11% | 5 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 751 | 15.81% | 4,751 | ||||||||||||||
| Choctaw | 2,023 | 96.52% | 73 | 3.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,950 | 93.03% | 2,096 | ||||||||||||||
| Clarke | 3,753 | 98.71% | 48 | 1.26% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,705 | 97.45% | 3,802 | ||||||||||||||
| Clay | 2,153 | 71.22% | 854 | 28.25% | 6 | 0.20% | 10 | 0.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,299 | 42.97% | 3,023 | ||||||||||||||
| Cleburne | 1,369 | 75.72% | 434 | 24.00% | 4 | 0.19% | 1 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,205 | 57.99% | 1,808 | ||||||||||||||
| Coffee | 2,226 | 93.88% | 145 | 6.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,081 | 87.77% | 2,371 | ||||||||||||||
| Colbert | 3,998 | 91.47% | 365 | 8.35% | 4 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.02% | 3 | 0.07% | 3,633 | 83.12% | 4,371 | ||||||||||||||
| Conecuh | 2,345 | 97.71% | 50 | 2.08% | 5 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,295 | 95.63% | 2,400 | ||||||||||||||
| Coosa | 1,347 | 80.32% | 317 | 18.90% | 11 | 0.66% | 2 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,030 | 61.42% | 1,677 | ||||||||||||||
| Covington | 4,635 | 96.08% | 186 | 3.86% | 2 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,449 | 92.23% | 4,824 | ||||||||||||||
| Crenshaw | 2,680 | 96.65% | 84 | 3.03% | 7 | 0.25% | 2 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,596 | 93.62% | 2,773 | ||||||||||||||
| Cullman | 5,603 | 64.51% | 3,057 | 35.19% | 11 | 0.13% | 11 | 0.13% | 4 | 0.05% | 2,546 | 29.31% | 8,686 | ||||||||||||||
| Dale | 2,543 | 87.03% | 374 | 12.80% | 1 | 0.03% | 4 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,169 | 74.23% | 2,922 | ||||||||||||||
| Dallas | 3,106 | 95.10% | 157 | 4.81% | 2 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,949 | 90.29% | 3,266 | ||||||||||||||
| DeKalb | 5,432 | 65.77% | 2,810 | 34.02% | 13 | 0.16% | 2 | 0.02% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,622 | 31.75% | 8,259 | ||||||||||||||
| Elmore | 4,267 | 96.54% | 144 | 3.26% | 7 | 0.16% | 2 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,123 | 93.28% | 4,420 | ||||||||||||||
| Escambia | 2,772 | 95.03% | 137 | 4.70% | 5 | 0.17% | 3 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,635 | 90.33% | 2,917 | ||||||||||||||
| Etowah | 7,012 | 84.33% | 1,270 | 15.27% | 27 | 0.32% | 4 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.02% | 5,742 | 69.06% | 8,315 | ||||||||||||||
| Fayette | 2,091 | 73.42% | 737 | 25.88% | 10 | 0.35% | 10 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,354 | 47.54% | 2,848 | ||||||||||||||
| Franklin | 3,523 | 63.67% | 1,989 | 35.95% | 8 | 0.14% | 12 | 0.22% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,534 | 27.72% | 5,533 | ||||||||||||||
| Geneva | 2,565 | 87.19% | 364 | 12.37% | 6 | 0.20% | 7 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,201 | 74.81% | 2,942 | ||||||||||||||
| Greene | 894 | 92.07% | 77 | 7.93% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 817 | 84.14% | 971 | ||||||||||||||
| Hale | 1,691 | 98.14% | 32 | 1.86% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,659 | 96.29% | 1,723 | ||||||||||||||
| Henry | 1,960 | 96.50% | 69 | 3.40% | 2 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,891 | 93.11% | 2,031 | ||||||||||||||
| Houston | 3,941 | 88.78% | 483 | 10.88% | 13 | 0.29% | 2 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,458 | 77.90% | 4,439 | ||||||||||||||
| Jackson | 3,818 | 80.01% | 945 | 19.80% | 7 | 0.15% | 2 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,873 | 60.21% | 4,772 | ||||||||||||||
| Jefferson | 37,110 | 84.34% | 6,714 | 15.26% | 105 | 0.24% | 52 | 0.12% | 19 | 0.04% | 30,395 | 69.08% | 44,001 | ||||||||||||||
| Lamar | 2,665 | 90.28% | 275 | 9.32% | 8 | 0.27% | 4 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,391 | 80.97% | 2,952 | ||||||||||||||
| Lauderdale | 5,065 | 90.35% | 507 | 9.04% | 19 | 0.34% | 10 | 0.18% | 4 | 0.07% | 4,558 | 81.32% | 5,606 | ||||||||||||||
| Lawrence | 2,277 | 82.23% | 480 | 17.33% | 2 | 0.07% | 10 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,797 | 64.90% | 2,769 | ||||||||||||||
| Lee | 2,566 | 95.96% | 103 | 3.85% | 4 | 0.15% | 1 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,463 | 92.11% | 2,674 | ||||||||||||||
| Limestone | 2,941 | 96.58% | 95 | 3.12% | 9 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,846 | 93.46% | 3,045 | ||||||||||||||
| Lowndes | 1,132 | 98.86% | 12 | 1.05% | 1 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,120 | 97.82% | 1,145 | ||||||||||||||
| Macon | 1,259 | 96.77% | 41 | 3.15% | 1 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,218 | 93.62% | 1,301 | ||||||||||||||
| Madison | 5,515 | 90.44% | 566 | 9.28% | 9 | 0.15% | 3 | 0.05% | 5 | 0.08% | 4,959 | 81.46% | 6,098 | ||||||||||||||
| Marengo | 2,284 | 96.94% | 70 | 2.97% | 2 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,214 | 93.97% | 2,356 | ||||||||||||||
| Marion | 2,654 | 69.64% | 1,081 | 28.37% | 12 | 0.31% | 64 | 1.68% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,573 | 41.28% | 3,811 | ||||||||||||||
| Marshall | 4,142 | 81.55% | 913 | 17.98% | 18 | 0.35% | 4 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.04% | 3,229 | 63.58% | 5,079 | ||||||||||||||
| Mobile | 11,480 | 85.08% | 1,887 | 13.99% | 89 | 0.66% | 14 | 0.10% | 14 | 0.10% | 9,592 | 71.20% | 13,493 | ||||||||||||||
| Monroe | 2,953 | 98.17% | 40 | 1.33% | 12 | 0.40% | 3 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,913 | 96.84% | 3,008 | ||||||||||||||
| Montgomery | 11,311 | 97.74% | 230 | 1.99% | 16 | 0.14% | 16 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 11,081 | 95.75% | 11,573 | ||||||||||||||
| Morgan | 5,345 | 90.93% | 500 | 8.51% | 22 | 0.37% | 8 | 0.14% | 1 | 0.02% | 4,846 | 82.46% | 5,878 | ||||||||||||||
| Perry | 1,509 | 97.17% | 39 | 2.51% | 5 | 0.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,470 | 94.66% | 1,553 | ||||||||||||||
| Pickens | 1,714 | 92.00% | 140 | 7.51% | 7 | 0.45% | 2 | 0.13% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,277 | 81.55% | 1,863 | ||||||||||||||
| Pike | 3,049 | 95.94% | 121 | 3.81% | 1 | 0.03% | 7 | 0.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,928 | 92.13% | 3,178 | ||||||||||||||
| Randolph | 2,407 | 77.92% | 670 | 21.69% | 8 | 0.26% | 4 | 0.13% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,737 | 56.23% | 3,089 | ||||||||||||||
| Russell | 2,435 | 97.95% | 48 | 1.93% | 2 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,387 | 96.02% | 2,486 | ||||||||||||||
| Shelby | 2,777 | 74.61% | 938 | 25.20% | 5 | 0.13% | 2 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,839 | 49.41% | 4,024 | ||||||||||||||
| St. Clair | 2,462 | 61.18% | 1,540 | 38.27% | 9 | 0.22% | 6 | 0.15% | 7 | 0.17% | 922 | 22.91% | 3,722 | ||||||||||||||
| Sumter | 1,404 | 96.76% | 46 | 3.17% | 1 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,358 | 93.59% | 1,451 | ||||||||||||||
| Talladega | 3,965 | 87.88% | 534 | 11.84% | 9 | 0.20% | 4 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,431 | 76.04% | 4,512 | ||||||||||||||
| Tallapoosa | 4,325 | 96.65% | 139 | 3.11% | 7 | 0.16% | 3 | 0.07% | 1 | 0.02% | 4,186 | 93.54% | 4,475 | ||||||||||||||
| Tuscaloosa | 6,284 | 93.35% | 426 | 6.33% | 14 | 0.21% | 5 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.04% | 5,858 | 87.02% | 6,732 | ||||||||||||||
| Walker | 5,940 | 74.52% | 2,007 | 25.18% | 17 | 0.21% | 4 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.04% | 3,933 | 49.34% | 7,971 | ||||||||||||||
| Washington | 1,892 | 95.65% | 80 | 4.04% | 5 | 0.25% | 1 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,812 | 91.61% | 1,978 | ||||||||||||||
| Wilcox | 1,534 | 98.71% | 20 | 1.29% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,514 | 97.43% | 1,554 | ||||||||||||||
| Winston | 1,394 | 45.10% | 1,686 | 54.55% | 6 | 0.19% | 4 | 0.13% | 0 | 0.00% | -301 | -9.78% | 3,091 | ||||||||||||||
| Totals | 250,726 | 85.22% | 42,184 | 14.34% | 700 | 0.24%! | 509 | 0.17% | 100 | 0.03% | 208,542 | 70.88% | 294,219 | ||||||||||||||
Communist party candidate Earl Browder personally campaigned in the state giving speeches in Bullock County, Choctaw County, Clarke County, Coffee County, Conecuh County, Greene County and Hale County. Browder campaigned as an isolationist candidate advocating the United States not get involved in the war in Europe. Browder referred to the war as an "imperialist" war and he took a decidedly "anti-British tone" while campaigning in the aforementioned Alabama counties. In each of his speeches he condemned Winston Churchill and praised Joseph Stalin.[20] [21] However, Browder said he was "irked by how cold" the crowds there were towards him. In the seven counties where Browder campaigned he ultimately received zero votes in the election (however, in the state as a whole he won just over 500 votes in comparison to Roosevelt's 250,726 votes and Willkie's 42,184 votes.)[20]