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 County Results
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The1896 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the1896 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 electors to theElectoral College, which selected thepresident andvice president.
Kentucky was won by theRepublican nominees,former Ohio GovernorWilliam McKinley and his running mateGarret Hobart ofNew Jersey. They defeated theDemocratic andPopulist nominees, formerNebraska RepresentativeWilliam Jennings Bryan and his running mateArthur Sewall ofMaine. McKinley won the state by a very narrow margin of 0.07%.
As a result of his win, McKinley became the first Republican presidential candidate to ever win Kentucky. He would also be the only Republican presidential candidate to win the state untilCalvin Coolidge in1924.
Ever since theCivil War, Kentucky had been shaped politically by divisions created by that war betweensecessionist, Democratic counties andUnionist, Republican ones,[1] although the state as a whole leaned Democratic throughout this era and the GOP would never carry the state during theThird Party System.[2] However, the Democratic Party in the state was heavily divided overfree silver and the role of corporations in the middle 1890s, and it lost the governorship for the first time in forty years in 1895 due toPopulist defections.[3] For the 1896 election, the Democratic Party would aim to fuse with the Populists, and adopted the Populistfree silver platform under former Nebraska Representative William Jennings Bryan.[3]
In contrast to the majority of antebellum slave states and despite the majority of the state's economy being an agricultural one revolving around tobacco and its historical plantation economy. Tobacco farmers in Central and Western Kentucky tended to be supportive of free silver. Kentucky was sufficiently close to the industrial Northeast that it had a significant urban working class in itsOhio River cities that opposed free silver[4] because it would cause inflation.[5] Similar views were held by workers in Kentucky's developingcoal mining industry. Polls late in October nonetheless showed Bryan carrying the state by a margin only slightly reduced from what discredited incumbentPresidentGrover Cleveland had achieved in1892.[6] A week later, however, polls had McKinley and Hobart carrying Kentucky by seventeen thousand votes.[7] As it turned out, the state was exceedingly close, with McKinley becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to carry Kentucky, by a mere 277 votes, or 0.06352%. Owing to the direct election of presidential electors and the extreme closeness of the result, one Bryan elector and twelve McKinley electors were chosen.
McKinley's victory is, by percentage margin, the seventh-closest popular results for presidential electors on record.[a]
McKinley would later lose Kentucky to Bryanfour years later and Bryan would later win the state again in1908 againstWilliam Howard Taft.
| 1896 United States presidential election in Kentucky[8] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | William McKinley | 218,171 | 48.93% | 12 | |
| Democratic | William Jennings Bryan | 217,894 | 48.86% | 1 | |
| National Democratic | John M. Palmer | 5,084 | 1.14% | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Joshua Levering | 4,779 | 1.07% | 0 | |
| Totals | 445,928 | 100.00% | 13 | ||
| Voter turnout | — | ||||
| County | William McKinley[9] Republican | William Jennings Bryan[9] Democratic | John McAuley Palmer[9] National Democratic | Joshua Levering[9] Prohibition | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adair | 1,612 | 53.40% | 1,345 | 44.55% | 40 | 1.32% | 22 | 0.73% | 267 | 8.84% | 3,019 |
| Allen | 1,595 | 51.45% | 1,460 | 47.10% | 13 | 0.42% | 32 | 1.03% | 135 | 4.35% | 3,100 |
| Anderson | 1,151 | 46.06% | 1,286 | 51.46% | 45 | 1.80% | 17 | 0.68% | -135 | -5.40% | 2,499 |
| Ballard | 495 | 22.41% | 1,670 | 75.60% | 9 | 0.41% | 35 | 1.58% | -1,175 | -53.19% | 2,209 |
| Barren | 2,092 | 40.25% | 3,006 | 57.84% | 43 | 0.83% | 56 | 1.08% | -914 | -17.59% | 5,197 |
| Bath | 1,579 | 45.98% | 1,791 | 52.15% | 23 | 0.67% | 41 | 1.19% | -212 | -6.17% | 3,434 |
| Bell | 1,900 | 74.54% | 615 | 24.13% | 21 | 0.82% | 13 | 0.51% | 1,285 | 50.41% | 2,549 |
| Boone | 781 | 24.83% | 2,317 | 73.65% | 13 | 0.41% | 35 | 1.11% | -1,536 | -48.82% | 3,146 |
| Bourbon | 2,578 | 52.76% | 2,210 | 45.23% | 58 | 1.19% | 40 | 0.82% | 368 | 7.53% | 4,886 |
| Boyd | 2,087 | 61.26% | 1,241 | 36.43% | 35 | 1.03% | 44 | 1.29% | 846 | 24.83% | 3,407 |
| Boyle | 1,687 | 56.25% | 1,206 | 40.21% | 71 | 2.37% | 35 | 1.17% | 481 | 16.04% | 2,999 |
| Bracken | 1,226 | 40.21% | 1,762 | 57.79% | 14 | 0.46% | 47 | 1.54% | -536 | -17.58% | 3,049 |
| Breathitt | 776 | 38.92% | 1,204 | 60.38% | 5 | 0.25% | 9 | 0.45% | -428 | -21.46% | 1,994 |
| Breckinridge | 2,274 | 49.76% | 2,202 | 48.18% | 43 | 0.94% | 51 | 1.12% | 72 | 1.58% | 4,570 |
| Bullitt | 799 | 39.01% | 1,168 | 57.03% | 55 | 2.69% | 26 | 1.27% | -369 | -18.02% | 2,048 |
| Butler | 1,907 | 61.50% | 1,139 | 36.73% | 16 | 0.52% | 39 | 1.26% | 768 | 24.77% | 3,101 |
| Caldwell | 1,544 | 49.66% | 1,530 | 49.21% | 24 | 0.77% | 11 | 0.35% | 14 | 0.45% | 3,109 |
| Calloway | 561 | 17.38% | 2,572 | 79.70% | 9 | 0.28% | 85 | 2.63% | -2,011 | -62.32% | 3,227 |
| Campbell | 5,821 | 56.72% | 4,304 | 41.94% | 36 | 0.35% | 102 | 0.99% | 1,517 | 14.78% | 10,263 |
| Carlisle | 390 | 18.68% | 1,624 | 77.78% | 16 | 0.77% | 58 | 2.78% | -1,234 | -59.10% | 2,088 |
| Carroll | 685 | 27.19% | 1,778 | 70.58% | 26 | 1.03% | 30 | 1.19% | -1,093 | -43.39% | 2,519 |
| Carter | 2,440 | 58.46% | 1,665 | 39.89% | 39 | 0.93% | 30 | 0.72% | 775 | 18.57% | 4,174 |
| Casey | 1,643 | 59.46% | 1,061 | 38.40% | 26 | 0.94% | 33 | 1.19% | 582 | 21.06% | 2,763 |
| Christian | 4,525 | 57.87% | 3,145 | 40.22% | 66 | 0.84% | 83 | 1.06% | 1,380 | 17.65% | 7,819 |
| Clark | 2,032 | 48.17% | 2,055 | 48.72% | 98 | 2.32% | 33 | 0.78% | -23 | -0.55% | 4,218 |
| Clay | 1,725 | 69.98% | 707 | 28.68% | 7 | 0.28% | 26 | 1.05% | 1,018 | 41.30% | 2,465 |
| Clinton | 1,004 | 72.44% | 360 | 25.97% | 11 | 0.79% | 11 | 0.79% | 644 | 46.46% | 1,386 |
| Crittenden | 1,574 | 49.59% | 1,576 | 49.65% | 9 | 0.28% | 15 | 0.47% | -2 | -0.06% | 3,174 |
| Cumberland | 1,154 | 64.25% | 621 | 34.58% | 12 | 0.67% | 9 | 0.50% | 533 | 29.68% | 1,796 |
| Daviess | 3,105 | 37.28% | 4,952 | 59.46% | 122 | 1.46% | 149 | 1.79% | -1,847 | -22.18% | 8,328 |
| Edmonson | 952 | 51.88% | 863 | 47.03% | 8 | 0.44% | 12 | 0.65% | 89 | 4.85% | 1,835 |
| Elliott | 577 | 30.56% | 1,294 | 68.54% | 3 | 0.16% | 14 | 0.74% | -717 | -37.98% | 1,888 |
| Estill | 1,153 | 55.04% | 929 | 44.34% | 9 | 0.43% | 4 | 0.19% | 224 | 10.69% | 2,095 |
| Fayette | 5,143 | 55.54% | 3,938 | 42.53% | 89 | 0.96% | 90 | 0.97% | 1,205 | 13.01% | 9,260 |
| Fleming | 1,935 | 47.97% | 2,013 | 49.90% | 51 | 1.26% | 35 | 0.87% | -78 | -1.93% | 4,034 |
| Floyd | 1,057 | 42.50% | 1,410 | 56.69% | 5 | 0.20% | 15 | 0.60% | -353 | -14.19% | 2,487 |
| Franklin | 2,175 | 45.77% | 2,465 | 51.87% | 84 | 1.77% | 28 | 0.59% | -290 | -6.10% | 4,752 |
| Fulton | 603 | 28.70% | 1,414 | 67.30% | 47 | 2.24% | 37 | 1.76% | -811 | -38.60% | 2,101 |
| Gallatin | 396 | 29.44% | 933 | 69.37% | 8 | 0.59% | 8 | 0.59% | -537 | -39.93% | 1,345 |
| Garrard | 1,595 | 55.61% | 1,171 | 40.83% | 45 | 1.57% | 57 | 1.99% | 424 | 14.78% | 2,868 |
| Grant | 1,417 | 42.41% | 1,852 | 55.43% | 35 | 1.05% | 37 | 1.11% | -435 | -13.02% | 3,341 |
| Graves | 1,628 | 25.15% | 4,699 | 72.58% | 53 | 0.82% | 94 | 1.45% | -3,071 | -47.44% | 6,474 |
| Grayson | 1,874 | 47.73% | 2,002 | 50.99% | 31 | 0.79% | 19 | 0.48% | -128 | -3.26% | 3,926 |
| Green | 1,389 | 54.36% | 1,142 | 44.70% | 17 | 0.67% | 7 | 0.27% | 247 | 9.67% | 2,555 |
| Greenup | 1,802 | 55.65% | 1,369 | 42.28% | 15 | 0.46% | 52 | 1.61% | 433 | 13.37% | 3,238 |
| Hancock | 1,026 | 48.08% | 1,080 | 50.61% | 13 | 0.61% | 15 | 0.70% | -54 | -2.53% | 2,134 |
| Hardin | 1,885 | 38.68% | 2,848 | 58.44% | 58 | 1.19% | 82 | 1.68% | -963 | -19.76% | 4,873 |
| Harlan | 1,189 | 83.15% | 216 | 15.10% | 11 | 0.77% | 14 | 0.98% | 973 | 68.04% | 1,430 |
| Harrison | 1,705 | 37.66% | 2,690 | 59.42% | 61 | 1.35% | 71 | 1.57% | -985 | -21.76% | 4,527 |
| Hart | 1,999 | 49.59% | 1,951 | 48.40% | 62 | 1.54% | 19 | 0.47% | 48 | 1.19% | 4,031 |
| Henderson | 2,750 | 40.05% | 4,004 | 58.31% | 69 | 1.00% | 44 | 0.64% | -1,254 | -18.26% | 6,867 |
| Henry | 1,711 | 43.24% | 2,115 | 53.45% | 92 | 2.32% | 39 | 0.99% | -404 | -10.21% | 3,957 |
| Hickman | 727 | 26.53% | 1,928 | 70.36% | 26 | 0.95% | 59 | 2.15% | -1,201 | -43.83% | 2,740 |
| Hopkins | 2,490 | 41.14% | 3,470 | 57.34% | 54 | 0.89% | 38 | 0.63% | -980 | -16.19% | 6,052 |
| Jackson | 1,517 | 87.79% | 189 | 10.94% | 15 | 0.87% | 7 | 0.41% | 1,328 | 76.85% | 1,728 |
| Jefferson | 29,107 | 61.57% | 16,707 | 35.34% | 1,078 | 2.28% | 380 | 0.80% | 12,400 | 26.23% | 47,272 |
| Jessamine | 1,343 | 46.53% | 1,428 | 49.48% | 48 | 1.66% | 67 | 2.32% | -85 | -2.95% | 2,886 |
| Johnson | 1,794 | 64.07% | 975 | 34.82% | 12 | 0.43% | 19 | 0.68% | 819 | 29.25% | 2,800 |
| Kenton | 6,165 | 46.28% | 7,008 | 52.60% | 41 | 0.31% | 108 | 0.81% | -843 | -6.33% | 13,322 |
| Knott | 404 | 33.50% | 795 | 65.92% | 3 | 0.25% | 4 | 0.33% | -391 | -32.42% | 1,206 |
| Knox | 2,237 | 71.93% | 833 | 26.78% | 15 | 0.48% | 25 | 0.80% | 1,404 | 45.14% | 3,110 |
| Larue | 955 | 41.49% | 1,324 | 57.52% | 10 | 0.43% | 13 | 0.56% | -369 | -16.03% | 2,302 |
| Laurel | 1,921 | 64.48% | 969 | 32.53% | 41 | 1.38% | 48 | 1.61% | 952 | 31.96% | 2,979 |
| Lawrence | 1,966 | 51.39% | 1,820 | 47.57% | 22 | 0.58% | 18 | 0.47% | 146 | 3.82% | 3,826 |
| Lee | 881 | 59.09% | 587 | 39.37% | 12 | 0.80% | 11 | 0.74% | 294 | 19.72% | 1,491 |
| Leslie | 913 | 91.39% | 81 | 8.11% | 3 | 0.30% | 2 | 0.20% | 832 | 83.28% | 999 |
| Letcher | 813 | 66.58% | 388 | 31.78% | 11 | 0.90% | 9 | 0.74% | 425 | 34.81% | 1,221 |
| Lewis | 2,348 | 61.29% | 1,433 | 37.41% | 20 | 0.52% | 30 | 0.78% | 915 | 23.88% | 3,831 |
| Lincoln | 1,833 | 50.27% | 1,628 | 44.65% | 61 | 1.67% | 124 | 3.40% | 205 | 5.62% | 3,646 |
| Livingston | 872 | 38.41% | 1,346 | 59.30% | 48 | 2.11% | 4 | 0.18% | -474 | -20.88% | 2,270 |
| Logan | 2,484 | 42.09% | 3,266 | 55.34% | 91 | 1.54% | 61 | 1.03% | -782 | -13.25% | 5,902 |
| Lyon | 763 | 42.84% | 969 | 54.41% | 24 | 1.35% | 25 | 1.40% | -206 | -11.57% | 1,781 |
| Madison | 3,100 | 51.69% | 2,756 | 45.96% | 74 | 1.23% | 67 | 1.12% | 344 | 5.74% | 5,997 |
| Magoffin | 1,148 | 57.46% | 833 | 41.69% | 4 | 0.20% | 13 | 0.65% | 315 | 15.77% | 1,998 |
| Marion | 1,575 | 45.03% | 1,873 | 53.54% | 42 | 1.20% | 8 | 0.23% | -298 | -8.52% | 3,498 |
| Marshall | 568 | 22.21% | 1,926 | 75.32% | 16 | 0.63% | 47 | 1.84% | -1,358 | -53.11% | 2,557 |
| Martin | 730 | 75.73% | 227 | 23.55% | 4 | 0.41% | 3 | 0.31% | 503 | 52.18% | 964 |
| Mason | 2,575 | 48.16% | 2,698 | 50.46% | 32 | 0.60% | 42 | 0.79% | -123 | -2.30% | 5,347 |
| McCracken | 2,284 | 42.62% | 2,955 | 55.14% | 31 | 0.58% | 89 | 1.66% | -671 | -12.52% | 5,359 |
| McLean | 935 | 38.97% | 1,389 | 57.90% | 25 | 1.04% | 50 | 2.08% | -454 | -18.92% | 2,399 |
| Meade | 781 | 33.35% | 1,519 | 64.86% | 30 | 1.28% | 12 | 0.51% | -738 | -31.51% | 2,342 |
| Menifee | 359 | 35.58% | 636 | 63.03% | 4 | 0.40% | 10 | 0.99% | -277 | -27.45% | 1,009 |
| Mercer | 1,765 | 48.33% | 1,745 | 47.78% | 91 | 2.49% | 51 | 1.40% | 20 | 0.55% | 3,652 |
| Metcalfe | 1,153 | 54.21% | 908 | 42.69% | 33 | 1.55% | 33 | 1.55% | 245 | 11.52% | 2,127 |
| Monroe | 1,613 | 66.16% | 794 | 32.57% | 18 | 0.74% | 13 | 0.53% | 819 | 33.59% | 2,438 |
| Montgomery | 1,484 | 47.32% | 1,624 | 51.79% | 11 | 0.35% | 17 | 0.54% | -140 | -4.46% | 3,136 |
| Morgan | 910 | 35.27% | 1,642 | 63.64% | 11 | 0.43% | 17 | 0.66% | -732 | -28.37% | 2,580 |
| Muhlenberg | 2,217 | 55.20% | 1,700 | 42.33% | 49 | 1.22% | 50 | 1.25% | 517 | 12.87% | 4,016 |
| Nelson | 1,446 | 38.66% | 2,223 | 59.44% | 46 | 1.23% | 25 | 0.67% | -777 | -20.78% | 3,740 |
| Nicholas | 1,159 | 37.28% | 1,878 | 60.41% | 19 | 0.61% | 53 | 1.70% | -719 | -23.13% | 3,109 |
| Ohio | 2,653 | 48.16% | 2,679 | 48.63% | 58 | 1.05% | 119 | 2.16% | -26 | -0.47% | 5,509 |
| Oldham | 691 | 40.48% | 946 | 55.42% | 46 | 2.69% | 24 | 1.41% | -255 | -14.94% | 1,707 |
| Owen | 1,086 | 23.94% | 3,373 | 74.34% | 38 | 0.84% | 40 | 0.88% | -2,287 | -50.41% | 4,537 |
| Owsley | 983 | 82.12% | 197 | 16.46% | 12 | 1.00% | 5 | 0.42% | 786 | 65.66% | 1,197 |
| Pendleton | 1,585 | 44.11% | 1,939 | 53.97% | 26 | 0.72% | 43 | 1.20% | -354 | -9.85% | 3,593 |
| Perry | 824 | 68.84% | 340 | 28.40% | 27 | 2.26% | 6 | 0.50% | 484 | 40.43% | 1,197 |
| Pike | 2,141 | 52.57% | 1,900 | 46.65% | 13 | 0.32% | 19 | 0.47% | 241 | 5.92% | 4,073 |
| Powell | 625 | 46.61% | 688 | 51.30% | 14 | 1.04% | 14 | 1.04% | -63 | -4.70% | 1,341 |
| Pulaski | 3,668 | 62.48% | 2,099 | 35.75% | 58 | 0.99% | 46 | 0.78% | 1,569 | 26.72% | 5,871 |
| Robertson | 449 | 39.49% | 666 | 58.58% | 3 | 0.26% | 19 | 1.67% | -217 | -19.09% | 1,137 |
| Rockcastle | 1,480 | 62.63% | 846 | 35.80% | 16 | 0.68% | 21 | 0.89% | 634 | 26.83% | 2,363 |
| Rowan | 767 | 53.01% | 650 | 44.92% | 10 | 0.69% | 20 | 1.38% | 117 | 8.09% | 1,447 |
| Russell | 1,038 | 60.95% | 612 | 35.94% | 37 | 2.17% | 16 | 0.94% | 426 | 25.01% | 1,703 |
| Scott | 2,111 | 47.11% | 2,237 | 49.92% | 61 | 1.36% | 72 | 1.61% | -126 | -2.81% | 4,481 |
| Shelby | 2,029 | 42.92% | 2,524 | 53.40% | 122 | 2.58% | 52 | 1.10% | -495 | -10.47% | 4,727 |
| Simpson | 888 | 35.27% | 1,531 | 60.80% | 31 | 1.23% | 68 | 2.70% | -643 | -25.54% | 2,518 |
| Spencer | 596 | 37.23% | 969 | 60.52% | 21 | 1.31% | 15 | 0.94% | -373 | -23.30% | 1,601 |
| Taylor | 1,050 | 46.60% | 1,166 | 51.75% | 24 | 1.07% | 13 | 0.58% | -116 | -5.15% | 2,253 |
| Todd | 1,793 | 49.26% | 1,707 | 46.90% | 72 | 1.98% | 68 | 1.87% | 86 | 2.36% | 3,640 |
| Trigg | 1,295 | 43.44% | 1,633 | 54.78% | 28 | 0.94% | 25 | 0.84% | -338 | -11.34% | 2,981 |
| Trimble | 418 | 23.93% | 1,267 | 72.52% | 32 | 1.83% | 30 | 1.72% | -849 | -48.60% | 1,747 |
| Union | 1,249 | 27.55% | 3,183 | 70.22% | 43 | 0.95% | 58 | 1.28% | -1,934 | -42.66% | 4,533 |
| Warren | 2,866 | 41.96% | 3,716 | 54.41% | 97 | 1.42% | 151 | 2.21% | -850 | -12.45% | 6,830 |
| Washington | 1,573 | 49.51% | 1,536 | 48.35% | 38 | 1.20% | 30 | 0.94% | 37 | 1.16% | 3,177 |
| Wayne | 1,413 | 53.44% | 1,190 | 45.01% | 17 | 0.64% | 24 | 0.91% | 223 | 8.43% | 2,644 |
| Webster | 1,484 | 37.16% | 2,471 | 61.87% | 21 | 0.53% | 18 | 0.45% | -987 | -24.71% | 3,994 |
| Whitley | 3,130 | 77.02% | 862 | 21.21% | 29 | 0.71% | 43 | 1.06% | 2,268 | 55.81% | 4,064 |
| Wolfe | 583 | 36.69% | 981 | 61.74% | 12 | 0.76% | 13 | 0.82% | -398 | -25.05% | 1,589 |
| Woodford | 1,665 | 50.64% | 1,546 | 47.02% | 32 | 0.97% | 45 | 1.37% | 119 | 3.62% | 3,288 |
| Totals | 218,171 | 48.93% | 217,894 | 48.86% | 5,084 | 1.14% | 4,779 | 1.07% | 277 | 0.06% | 445,928 |
State and district results of the1896 United States presidential election | ||
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See also:Political party strength in Kentucky | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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