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 County Results
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The1896 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the1896 United States presidential election. Voters chose 14 electors to theElectoral College, which selected thepresident andvice president.
Ever since the formation of the Republican party,Michigan had been a Republican-leaning state due tothe Lower Peninsula’s strong history of settlement by anti-slaveryYankees, who after the end ofReconstruction continued to see the need for solid Republican voting to oppose the solidly DemocraticConfederate andBorder States.[1] During theThird Party System, heavily Catholic and immigrant-settledSoutheast Michigan would lean towards the Democratic Party, which was opposed to the moralistic pietism of Yankee Republicans.
In the1892 election, aided by favorable demographic changes[2] and a legislative change allocating electors by congressional district, the Democratic Party managed to carry five of Michigan's fourteen electoral votes, and also electa Governor and a majority to the state legislature. However, thePanic of 1893 turned expectations or hopes of Michigan becoming aswing state rudely on its head, especially when incumbent President Cleveland stood firm, sending in troops to break thePullman Strike. In the1894 elections, only one Democrat maintained a seat in the state legislature,[3] a loss of seventy seats compared tothe 1890 elections.
In the wake of this decline, Cleveland decided not to run for a third term, and endorsed the National Democratic Party ticket ofJohn M. Palmer.[4]The Populist Party seized control of the Democratic Party and nominated formerNebraska RepresentativeWilliam Jennings Bryan. During his campaign, Bryan traveled through Michigan in the latter stages of his October Midwestern tour. Polls late in that month, covering all but three of Michigan's counties, showed Republican candidateWilliam McKinley ahead of Bryan by almost three-to-one, which was an increase upon his margin in earlier polls.[5] Another poll a little later was also certain Michigan would vote for McKinley.[6]
Michigan ultimately voted for McKinley by a margin of 10.3 points, a much smaller margin than earlier polls, although a reduction was expected as some unpolled rural areas of the state had been believed to favor Bryan'sfree silver policy.[6] His margin was an increase of five points upon whatBenjamin Harrison had achieved over the state as a whole in 1892, though there were large variations. In the traditionally Democratic German Catholic areas, there was a large shift to McKinley due to Archbishop Ireland's opposition to free silver,[7][8] In the heavily Methodistcabinet counties ofMichiana, by contrast, Bryan gained substantially and was the first Democratic presidential candidate to carryBranch County,Calhoun County,Eaton County andIsabella County since Franklin Pierce in1852.[9]
Bryan would lose Michigan to McKinley againfour years later and would later lose the state again in1908 toWilliam Howard Taft.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William McKinley | 293,336 | 53.77% | |
| Populist | William Jennings Bryan | 237,166 | 43.47% | |
| National Democratic | John M. Palmer | 6,923 | 1.27% | |
| Prohibition | Joshua Levering | 4,978 | 0.91% | |
| National Prohibition | Charles E. Bentley | 1,816 | 0.33% | |
| Write-ins | 1,073 | 0.20% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Charles H. Matchett | 293 | 0.05% | |
| Total votes | 545,585 | 100% | ||
| County | William McKinley Republican | William Jennings Bryan Democratic | John M. Palmer National Democratic | Joshua Levering Prohibition | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast[11] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 743 | 70.90% | 275 | 26.24% | 22 | 2.10% | 6 | 0.57% | 2 | 0.19% | 468 | 44.66% | 1,048 |
| Alger | 801 | 58.42% | 539 | 39.31% | 26 | 1.90% | 5 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 262 | 19.11% | 1,371 |
| Allegan | 5,810 | 57.85% | 3,937 | 39.20% | 149 | 1.48% | 93 | 0.93% | 54 | 0.54% | 1,873 | 18.65% | 10,043 |
| Alpena | 1,777 | 51.03% | 1,665 | 47.82% | 26 | 0.75% | 13 | 0.37% | 1 | 0.03% | 112 | 3.22% | 3,482 |
| Antrim | 1,886 | 58.05% | 1,228 | 37.80% | 58 | 1.79% | 39 | 1.20% | 38 | 1.17% | 658 | 20.25% | 3,249 |
| Arenac | 611 | 37.39% | 997 | 61.02% | 18 | 1.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 8 | 0.49% | -386 | -23.62% | 1,634 |
| Baraga | 611 | 55.90% | 459 | 41.99% | 10 | 0.91% | 11 | 1.01% | 2 | 0.18% | 152 | 13.91% | 1,093 |
| Barry | 3,294 | 49.63% | 3,157 | 47.57% | 89 | 1.34% | 51 | 0.77% | 46 | 0.69% | 137 | 2.06% | 6,637 |
| Bay | 6,037 | 48.09% | 6,296 | 50.16% | 151 | 1.20% | 63 | 0.50% | 6 | 0.05% | -259 | -2.06% | 12,553 |
| Benzie | 1,366 | 60.39% | 803 | 35.50% | 30 | 1.33% | 53 | 2.34% | 10 | 0.44% | 563 | 24.89% | 2,262 |
| Berrien | 6,672 | 56.12% | 4,792 | 40.31% | 272 | 2.29% | 115 | 0.97% | 37 | 0.31% | 1,880 | 15.81% | 11,888 |
| Branch | 3,596 | 46.58% | 3,976 | 51.50% | 74 | 0.96% | 39 | 0.51% | 35 | 0.45% | -380 | -4.92% | 7,720 |
| Calhoun | 5,874 | 47.01% | 6,202 | 49.64% | 211 | 1.69% | 177 | 1.42% | 30 | 0.24% | -328 | -2.63% | 12,494 |
| Cass | 3,034 | 49.05% | 3,012 | 48.70% | 59 | 0.95% | 64 | 1.03% | 16 | 0.26% | 22 | 0.36% | 6,185 |
| Charlevoix | 1,653 | 61.06% | 978 | 36.13% | 24 | 0.89% | 38 | 1.40% | 14 | 0.52% | 675 | 24.94% | 2,707 |
| Cheboygan | 1,576 | 48.79% | 1,617 | 50.06% | 16 | 0.50% | 12 | 0.37% | 9 | 0.28% | -41 | -1.27% | 3,230 |
| Chippewa | 2,105 | 65.52% | 1,001 | 31.15% | 46 | 1.43% | 58 | 1.81% | 3 | 0.09% | 1,104 | 34.36% | 3,213 |
| Clare | 886 | 53.09% | 723 | 43.32% | 29 | 1.74% | 12 | 0.72% | 19 | 1.14% | 163 | 9.77% | 1,669 |
| Clinton | 3,480 | 48.95% | 3,467 | 48.76% | 65 | 0.91% | 62 | 0.87% | 36 | 0.51% | 13 | 0.18% | 7,110 |
| Crawford | 350 | 49.65% | 350 | 49.65% | 3 | 0.43% | 2 | 0.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 705 |
| Delta | 2,774 | 67.81% | 1,237 | 30.24% | 65 | 1.59% | 11 | 0.27% | 4 | 0.10% | 1,537 | 37.57% | 4,091 |
| Dickinson | 2,608 | 80.59% | 528 | 16.32% | 56 | 1.73% | 41 | 1.27% | 3 | 0.09% | 2,080 | 64.28% | 3,236 |
| Eaton | 4,270 | 46.97% | 4,631 | 50.95% | 108 | 1.19% | 63 | 0.69% | 18 | 0.20% | -361 | -3.97% | 9,090 |
| Emmet | 1,727 | 54.17% | 1,337 | 41.94% | 48 | 1.51% | 69 | 2.16% | 7 | 0.22% | 390 | 12.23% | 3,188 |
| Genesee | 5,638 | 52.00% | 4,915 | 45.33% | 102 | 0.94% | 127 | 1.17% | 61 | 0.56% | 723 | 6.67% | 10,843 |
| Gladwin | 748 | 67.09% | 323 | 28.97% | 28 | 2.51% | 13 | 1.17% | 3 | 0.27% | 425 | 38.12% | 1,115 |
| Gogebic | 1,982 | 67.53% | 873 | 29.74% | 48 | 1.64% | 26 | 0.89% | 6 | 0.20% | 1,109 | 37.79% | 2,935 |
| Grand Traverse | 2,533 | 57.20% | 1,745 | 39.41% | 71 | 1.60% | 72 | 1.63% | 7 | 0.16% | 788 | 17.80% | 4,428 |
| Gratiot | 3,380 | 44.97% | 3,971 | 52.83% | 72 | 0.96% | 59 | 0.78% | 34 | 0.45% | -591 | -7.86% | 7,516 |
| Hillsdale | 4,564 | 52.12% | 3,986 | 45.52% | 91 | 1.04% | 77 | 0.88% | 38 | 0.43% | 578 | 6.60% | 8,756 |
| Houghton | 6,141 | 71.85% | 1,996 | 23.35% | 178 | 2.08% | 225 | 2.63% | 7 | 0.08% | 4,145 | 48.50% | 8,547 |
| Huron | 3,396 | 53.64% | 2,808 | 44.35% | 88 | 1.39% | 30 | 0.47% | 9 | 0.14% | 588 | 9.29% | 6,331 |
| Ingham | 4,958 | 45.43% | 5,691 | 52.14% | 82 | 0.75% | 112 | 1.03% | 71 | 0.65% | -733 | -6.72% | 10,914 |
| Ionia | 4,593 | 48.35% | 4,757 | 50.08% | 65 | 0.68% | 58 | 0.61% | 26 | 0.27% | -164 | -1.73% | 9,499 |
| Iosco | 1,470 | 60.25% | 912 | 37.38% | 38 | 1.56% | 17 | 0.70% | 3 | 0.12% | 558 | 22.87% | 2,440 |
| Iron | 1,048 | 79.70% | 236 | 17.95% | 24 | 1.83% | 0 | 0.00% | 7 | 0.53% | 812 | 61.75% | 1,315 |
| Isabella | 2,424 | 46.71% | 2,679 | 51.63% | 24 | 0.46% | 40 | 0.77% | 22 | 0.42% | -255 | -4.91% | 5,189 |
| Jackson | 6,208 | 47.51% | 6,498 | 49.73% | 127 | 0.97% | 145 | 1.11% | 89 | 0.68% | -290 | -2.22% | 13,067 |
| Kalamazoo | 5,891 | 51.16% | 5,434 | 47.19% | 83 | 0.72% | 82 | 0.71% | 25 | 0.22% | 457 | 3.97% | 11,515 |
| Kalkaska | 940 | 66.38% | 422 | 29.80% | 27 | 1.91% | 18 | 1.27% | 9 | 0.64% | 518 | 36.58% | 1,416 |
| Kent | 17,053 | 54.34% | 13,582 | 43.28% | 319 | 1.02% | 395 | 1.26% | 35 | 0.11% | 3,471 | 11.06% | 31,384 |
| Keweenaw | 411 | 88.96% | 45 | 9.74% | 5 | 1.08% | 1 | 0.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 366 | 79.22% | 462 |
| Lake | 888 | 60.61% | 547 | 37.34% | 20 | 1.37% | 8 | 0.55% | 2 | 0.14% | 341 | 23.28% | 1,465 |
| Lapeer | 3,809 | 53.63% | 3,065 | 43.15% | 105 | 1.48% | 100 | 1.41% | 24 | 0.34% | 744 | 10.47% | 7,103 |
| Leelanau | 1,402 | 64.25% | 690 | 31.62% | 53 | 2.43% | 33 | 1.51% | 4 | 0.18% | 712 | 32.63% | 2,182 |
| Lenawee | 6,863 | 50.89% | 6,300 | 46.72% | 143 | 1.06% | 145 | 1.08% | 35 | 0.26% | 563 | 4.17% | 13,486 |
| Livingston | 2,893 | 47.69% | 2,994 | 49.36% | 76 | 1.25% | 73 | 1.20% | 30 | 0.49% | -101 | -1.67% | 6,066 |
| Luce | 358 | 57.01% | 236 | 37.58% | 16 | 2.55% | 17 | 2.71% | 1 | 0.16% | 122 | 19.43% | 628 |
| Mackinac | 806 | 48.73% | 804 | 48.61% | 36 | 2.18% | 7 | 0.42% | 1 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.12% | 1,654 |
| Macomb | 4,153 | 53.22% | 3,400 | 43.57% | 157 | 2.01% | 70 | 0.90% | 23 | 0.29% | 753 | 9.65% | 7,803 |
| Manistee | 2,697 | 50.65% | 2,487 | 46.70% | 94 | 1.77% | 35 | 0.66% | 12 | 0.23% | 210 | 3.94% | 5,325 |
| Marquette | 5,111 | 70.11% | 1,980 | 27.16% | 79 | 1.08% | 100 | 1.37% | 20 | 0.27% | 3,131 | 42.95% | 7,290 |
| Mason | 2,177 | 56.27% | 1,580 | 40.84% | 66 | 1.71% | 31 | 0.80% | 15 | 0.39% | 597 | 15.43% | 3,869 |
| Mecosta | 2,887 | 57.80% | 1,975 | 39.54% | 73 | 1.46% | 48 | 0.96% | 12 | 0.24% | 912 | 18.26% | 4,995 |
| Menominee | 3,105 | 66.39% | 1,499 | 32.05% | 47 | 1.00% | 21 | 0.45% | 5 | 0.11% | 1,606 | 34.34% | 4,677 |
| Midland | 1,524 | 48.83% | 1,507 | 48.29% | 47 | 1.51% | 34 | 1.09% | 9 | 0.29% | 17 | 0.54% | 3,121 |
| Missaukee | 899 | 55.15% | 687 | 42.15% | 14 | 0.86% | 26 | 1.60% | 4 | 0.25% | 212 | 13.01% | 1,630 |
| Monroe | 4,053 | 48.13% | 4,208 | 49.97% | 74 | 0.88% | 51 | 0.61% | 35 | 0.42% | -155 | -1.84% | 8,421 |
| Montcalm | 4,523 | 54.23% | 3,651 | 43.78% | 88 | 1.06% | 60 | 0.72% | 18 | 0.22% | 872 | 10.46% | 8,340 |
| Montmorency | 481 | 58.73% | 330 | 40.29% | 2 | 0.24% | 5 | 0.61% | 1 | 0.12% | 151 | 18.44% | 819 |
| Muskegon | 4,682 | 58.79% | 3,110 | 39.05% | 83 | 1.04% | 70 | 0.88% | 19 | 0.24% | 1,572 | 19.74% | 7,964 |
| Newaygo | 2,650 | 56.53% | 1,943 | 41.45% | 30 | 0.64% | 44 | 0.94% | 21 | 0.45% | 707 | 15.08% | 4,688 |
| Oakland | 5,846 | 46.01% | 5,271 | 41.49% | 182 | 1.43% | 129 | 1.02% | 1,277 | 10.05% | 575 | 4.53% | 12,705 |
| Oceana | 2,534 | 58.09% | 1,637 | 37.53% | 61 | 1.40% | 113 | 2.59% | 17 | 0.39% | 897 | 20.56% | 4,362 |
| Ogemaw | 793 | 56.64% | 560 | 40.00% | 24 | 1.71% | 18 | 1.29% | 5 | 0.36% | 233 | 16.64% | 1,400 |
| Ontonagon | 757 | 62.77% | 416 | 34.49% | 25 | 2.07% | 7 | 0.58% | 1 | 0.08% | 341 | 28.28% | 1,206 |
| Osceola | 2,268 | 62.90% | 1,177 | 32.64% | 69 | 1.91% | 52 | 1.44% | 40 | 1.11% | 1,091 | 30.26% | 3,606 |
| Oscoda | 308 | 80.84% | 63 | 16.54% | 9 | 2.36% | 1 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 245 | 64.30% | 381 |
| Otsego | 859 | 59.41% | 560 | 38.73% | 14 | 0.97% | 10 | 0.69% | 3 | 0.21% | 299 | 20.68% | 1,446 |
| Ottawa | 5,188 | 58.05% | 3,550 | 39.72% | 114 | 1.28% | 64 | 0.72% | 21 | 0.23% | 1,638 | 18.33% | 8,937 |
| Presque Isle | 763 | 66.06% | 371 | 32.12% | 10 | 0.87% | 10 | 0.87% | 1 | 0.09% | 392 | 33.94% | 1,155 |
| Roscommon | 282 | 65.43% | 141 | 32.71% | 3 | 0.70% | 4 | 0.93% | 1 | 0.23% | 141 | 32.71% | 431 |
| Saginaw | 8,361 | 47.92% | 8,792 | 50.39% | 182 | 1.04% | 75 | 0.43% | 37 | 0.21% | -431 | -2.47% | 17,447 |
| Sanilac | 3,634 | 51.74% | 3,156 | 44.93% | 90 | 1.28% | 91 | 1.30% | 53 | 0.75% | 478 | 6.81% | 7,024 |
| Schoolcraft | 973 | 62.86% | 548 | 35.40% | 13 | 0.84% | 13 | 0.84% | 1 | 0.06% | 425 | 27.45% | 1,548 |
| Shiawassee | 4,654 | 50.50% | 4,303 | 46.69% | 139 | 1.51% | 85 | 0.92% | 35 | 0.38% | 351 | 3.81% | 9,216 |
| St. Clair | 7,160 | 56.86% | 5,130 | 40.74% | 161 | 1.28% | 97 | 0.77% | 45 | 0.36% | 2,030 | 16.12% | 12,593 |
| St. Joseph | 3,184 | 43.76% | 3,968 | 54.54% | 51 | 0.70% | 60 | 0.82% | 13 | 0.18% | -784 | -10.78% | 7,276 |
| Tuscola | 4,277 | 53.10% | 3,564 | 44.25% | 87 | 1.08% | 87 | 1.08% | 40 | 0.50% | 713 | 8.85% | 8,055 |
| Van Buren | 4,510 | 51.95% | 3,982 | 45.87% | 93 | 1.07% | 73 | 0.84% | 24 | 0.28% | 528 | 6.08% | 8,682 |
| Washtenaw | 5,671 | 49.73% | 5,348 | 46.90% | 215 | 1.89% | 110 | 0.96% | 59 | 0.52% | 323 | 2.83% | 11,403 |
| Wayne | 36,400 | 56.73% | 26,231 | 40.89% | 915 | 1.43% | 258 | 0.40% | 354 | 0.55% | 10,169 | 15.85% | 64,158 |
| Wexford | 2,036 | 58.27% | 1,359 | 38.90% | 36 | 1.03% | 49 | 1.40% | 14 | 0.40% | 677 | 19.38% | 3,494 |
| Totals | 293,338 | 53.76% | 237,200 | 43.47% | 6,923 | 1.27% | 4,978 | 0.91% | 3,182 | 0.58% | 56,138 | 10.29% | 545,621 |
State and district results of the1896 United States presidential election | ||
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