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County Results
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The1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1908, as part of the1908 United States presidential election. State voters chose 13 electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
Ever since the decline ofthe Populist movement,Wisconsin had become almost aone-party state dominated by the Republican Party.[1] The Democratic Party became entirely uncompetitive outside certain German Catholic counties adjoiningLake Michigan as the upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, completely fled fromWilliam Jennings Bryan’s agrarian andfree silver sympathies.[2] As Democratic strength weakened severely after 1894 – although the state did develop a strongSocialist Party to provide opposition to the GOP – Wisconsin developed the direct Republican primary in 1903 and this ultimately created competition between the “League” underRobert M. La Follette, and the conservative “Regular” faction.[3]
WhenWilliam Jennings Bryan was nominated for a third presidential bid, he visited Wisconsin in early August to urge the Democrats in the state legislature to support his state policies.[4] An earlier poll had suggest Bryan gaining a substantial part of the radical La Follette following,[5] and Bryan would ridicule new Republican nomineeWilliam Howard Taft in Milwaukee during the last week of September.[6]
Despite Bryan's campaigns, October polls by theChicago Record-Herald said that Wisconsin was certain to vote for Taft,[7] As things turned out, theRecord-Herald polls were accurate, with Taft winning by eighty-one thousand votes, and carrying all but six counties. However, Taft's victory, while still large, was considerably narrower than the Republican victories in the state in the previous three elections.
Bryan had previously lost Wisconsin toWilliam McKinley in both1896 and1900.
| Party | Pledged to | Elector | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | William C. Brumder | 247,747 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | Frank M. Durkee | 247,696 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | John Dengler | 247,689 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | John M. Beffel | 247,683 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | Robert H. DeLap | 247,681 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | W. T. Sarles | 247,681 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | Florian Lampert | 247,679 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | C. F. Greenwood | 247,678 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | Herbert L. Peterson | 247,678 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | John A. Stolper | 247,677 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | William Kohl | 247,675 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | D. E. Riordan | 247,668 | |
| Republican Party | William Howard Taft | O. K. Hawley | 247,666 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Ernest C. Zimmerman | 166,632 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Adolph J. Schmitz | 166,603 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Gilbert T. Hodges | 166,595 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Edward L. Luckow | 166,585 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | W. S. Henry | 166,583 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Edward C. Wall | 166,583 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | John Toohey | 166,574 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Patrick O'Meara | 166,571 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Thomas H. Ryan | 166,526 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Philip Sheridan | 166,503 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Frank J. Egerer | 166,488 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Emil Wittzack | 166,486 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Thomas Emmerton | 166,484 | |
| Social Democratic Party[b] | Eugene V. Debs | C. W. Staples | 28,170 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | J. E. Harris | 28,168 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | C. I. Sandquist | 28,168 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | Julius Crary | 28,167 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | Martin Georgenson | 28,167 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | Robert Seidel | 28,167 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | John C. Boll | 28,165 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | Walter Ramstack | 28,165 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | F. W. Hammond | 28,164 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | Frank Metcalf | 28,164 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | Joseph Paul | 28,164 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | Henry Durham | 28,163 | |
| Social Democratic Party | Eugene V. Debs | Arne Peterson | 28,161 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Lincoln Abraham | 11,572 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Olav Repsdal | 11,564 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Truman T. Parker | 11,557 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | John W. Evans | 11,554 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Richard B. Griggs | 11,554 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Dyer Walters | 11,554 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Moritz A. Schmoyer | 11,552 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Charles L. Allen | 11,551 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Will E. Mack | 11,550 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | William R. Nethercut | 11,550 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Charles W. Lomas | 11,548 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | George W. Wilson | 11,525 | |
| Prohibition Party | Eugene W. Chafin | Henry Jorgenson | 11,516 | |
| Socialist Labor Party[c] | August Gillhaus | Fred Bartsch | 314 | |
| Socialist Labor Party | August Gillhaus | Carl Schulz | 313 | |
| Socialist Labor Party | August Gillhaus | Henry Boll | 312 | |
| Socialist Labor Party | August Gillhaus | Fred Kremer | 312 | |
| Write-in | Scattering | 99[d] | ||
| Votes cast[e] | 454,534 | |||
| County[8] | William Howard Taft Republican | William Jennings Bryan Democratic | Eugene V. Debs Socialist | Eugene W. Chafin Prohibition | August Gillhaus Socialist Labor | Margin | Total votes cast[f] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,167 | 68.97% | 436 | 25.77% | 32 | 1.89% | 56 | 3.31% | 1 | 0.06% | 731 | 43.20% | 1,692 |
| Ashland | 2,259 | 54.21% | 1,582 | 37.96% | 213 | 5.11% | 110 | 2.64% | 3 | 0.07% | 677 | 16.25% | 4,167 |
| Barron | 3,247 | 66.43% | 1,266 | 25.90% | 130 | 2.66% | 243 | 4.97% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,981 | 40.53% | 4,888 |
| Bayfield | 1,957 | 70.52% | 569 | 20.50% | 174 | 6.27% | 72 | 2.59% | 3 | 0.11% | 1,388 | 50.02% | 2,775 |
| Brown | 4,947 | 55.25% | 3,353 | 37.45% | 517 | 5.77% | 129 | 1.44% | 8 | 0.09% | 1,594 | 17.80% | 8,954 |
| Buffalo | 1,937 | 63.72% | 1,027 | 33.78% | 20 | 0.66% | 56 | 1.84% | 0 | 0.00% | 910 | 29.93% | 3,040 |
| Burnett | 1,181 | 72.14% | 296 | 18.08% | 65 | 3.97% | 94 | 5.74% | 1 | 0.06% | 885 | 54.06% | 1,637 |
| Calumet | 1,576 | 46.33% | 1,711 | 50.29% | 85 | 2.50% | 30 | 0.88% | 0 | 0.00% | -135 | -3.97% | 3,402 |
| Chippewa | 3,526 | 59.07% | 2,203 | 36.91% | 90 | 1.51% | 148 | 2.48% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,323 | 22.16% | 5,969 |
| Clark | 3,491 | 65.74% | 1,576 | 29.68% | 90 | 1.69% | 153 | 2.88% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,915 | 36.06% | 5,310 |
| Columbia | 4,072 | 60.12% | 2,363 | 34.89% | 140 | 2.07% | 198 | 2.92% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,709 | 25.23% | 6,773 |
| Crawford | 2,041 | 54.25% | 1,586 | 42.16% | 63 | 1.67% | 72 | 1.91% | 0 | 0.00% | 455 | 12.09% | 3,762 |
| Dane | 9,441 | 52.42% | 7,818 | 43.41% | 257 | 1.43% | 488 | 2.71% | 5 | 0.03% | 1,623 | 9.01% | 18,011[g] |
| Dodge | 4,015 | 39.66% | 5,883 | 58.12% | 63 | 0.62% | 162 | 1.60% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,868 | -18.45% | 10,123 |
| Door | 2,463 | 73.92% | 778 | 23.35% | 37 | 1.11% | 52 | 1.56% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,685 | 50.57% | 3,332[h] |
| Douglas | 3,509 | 55.88% | 1,715 | 27.31% | 653 | 10.40% | 257 | 4.09% | 146 | 2.32% | 1,794 | 28.57% | 6,280 |
| Dunn | 3,297 | 74.36% | 914 | 20.61% | 119 | 2.68% | 104 | 2.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,383 | 53.74% | 4,434 |
| Eau Claire | 3,980 | 64.50% | 1,859 | 30.12% | 158 | 2.56% | 174 | 2.82% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,121 | 34.37% | 6,171 |
| Florence | 541 | 81.11% | 102 | 15.29% | 5 | 0.75% | 19 | 2.85% | 0 | 0.00% | 439 | 65.82% | 667 |
| Fond du Lac | 5,872 | 50.86% | 5,194 | 44.99% | 230 | 1.99% | 243 | 2.10% | 5 | 0.04% | 678 | 5.87% | 11,545[h] |
| Forest | 1,023 | 71.69% | 324 | 22.70% | 46 | 3.22% | 31 | 2.17% | 3 | 0.21% | 699 | 48.98% | 1,427 |
| Grant | 4,989 | 55.08% | 3,696 | 40.81% | 83 | 0.92% | 289 | 3.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,293 | 14.28% | 9,057 |
| Green | 2,617 | 54.49% | 1,856 | 38.64% | 121 | 2.52% | 209 | 4.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 761 | 15.84% | 4,803 |
| Green Lake | 2,094 | 55.15% | 1,608 | 42.35% | 32 | 0.84% | 63 | 1.66% | 0 | 0.00% | 486 | 12.80% | 3,797 |
| Iowa | 2,986 | 56.18% | 2,077 | 39.08% | 12 | 0.23% | 238 | 4.48% | 2 | 0.04% | 909 | 17.10% | 5,315 |
| Iron | 1,134 | 73.97% | 314 | 20.48% | 42 | 2.74% | 43 | 2.80% | 0 | 0.00% | 820 | 53.49% | 1,533 |
| Jackson | 2,603 | 77.91% | 631 | 18.89% | 40 | 1.20% | 65 | 1.95% | 2 | 0.06% | 1,972 | 59.02% | 3,341 |
| Jefferson | 3,207 | 40.41% | 4,492 | 56.60% | 71 | 0.89% | 162 | 2.04% | 2 | 0.03% | -1,285 | -16.19% | 7,936[g] |
| Juneau | 2,454 | 57.58% | 1,691 | 39.68% | 37 | 0.87% | 78 | 1.83% | 2 | 0.05% | 763 | 17.90% | 4,262 |
| Kenosha | 3,409 | 54.50% | 2,006 | 32.07% | 601 | 9.61% | 239 | 3.82% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,403 | 22.43% | 6,255 |
| Kewaunee | 1,590 | 46.48% | 1,731 | 50.60% | 63 | 1.84% | 37 | 1.08% | 0 | 0.00% | -141 | -4.12% | 3,421 |
| La Crosse | 4,382 | 50.14% | 4,054 | 46.38% | 112 | 1.28% | 190 | 2.17% | 2 | 0.02% | 328 | 3.75% | 8,740 |
| Lafayette | 2,832 | 55.92% | 2,100 | 41.47% | 24 | 0.47% | 107 | 2.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 732 | 14.45% | 5,064[h] |
| Langlade | 1,921 | 57.22% | 1,340 | 39.92% | 33 | 0.98% | 63 | 1.88% | 0 | 0.00% | 581 | 17.31% | 3,357 |
| Lincoln | 2,308 | 53.89% | 1,813 | 42.33% | 99 | 2.31% | 63 | 1.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 495 | 11.56% | 4,283 |
| Manitowoc | 4,126 | 45.37% | 3,952 | 43.45% | 950 | 10.45% | 62 | 0.68% | 5 | 0.05% | 174 | 1.91% | 9,095 |
| Marathon | 5,258 | 50.69% | 4,703 | 45.34% | 276 | 2.66% | 133 | 1.28% | 3 | 0.03% | 555 | 5.35% | 10,373 |
| Marinette | 3,454 | 63.49% | 1,597 | 29.36% | 154 | 2.83% | 235 | 4.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,857 | 34.14% | 5,440 |
| Marquette | 1,555 | 64.42% | 798 | 33.06% | 17 | 0.70% | 44 | 1.82% | 0 | 0.00% | 757 | 31.36% | 2,414 |
| Milwaukee | 28,625 | 38.94% | 26,000 | 35.37% | 17,496 | 23.80% | 1,277 | 1.74% | 57 | 0.08% | 2,625 | 3.57% | 73,506[i] |
| Monroe | 3,304 | 58.11% | 2,155 | 37.90% | 91 | 1.60% | 136 | 2.39% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,149 | 20.21% | 5,686 |
| Oconto | 3,020 | 64.78% | 1,453 | 31.17% | 114 | 2.45% | 74 | 1.59% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,567 | 33.61% | 4,662 |
| Oneida | 1,536 | 58.92% | 688 | 26.39% | 354 | 13.58% | 28 | 1.07% | 1 | 0.04% | 848 | 32.53% | 2,607 |
| Outagamie | 5,079 | 52.34% | 4,286 | 44.17% | 118 | 1.22% | 209 | 2.15% | 12 | 0.12% | 793 | 8.17% | 9,704 |
| Ozaukee | 1,216 | 38.47% | 1,856 | 58.72% | 60 | 1.90% | 28 | 0.89% | 1 | 0.03% | -640 | -20.25% | 3,161 |
| Pepin | 1,010 | 67.42% | 447 | 29.84% | 5 | 0.33% | 36 | 2.40% | 0 | 0.00% | 563 | 37.58% | 1,498 |
| Pierce | 2,988 | 71.62% | 978 | 23.44% | 56 | 1.34% | 150 | 3.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,010 | 48.18% | 4,172 |
| Polk | 2,788 | 71.99% | 816 | 21.07% | 124 | 3.20% | 145 | 3.74% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,972 | 50.92% | 3,873 |
| Portage | 3,269 | 56.42% | 2,362 | 40.77% | 50 | 0.86% | 112 | 1.93% | 1 | 0.02% | 907 | 15.65% | 5,794 |
| Price | 1,738 | 65.26% | 609 | 22.87% | 236 | 8.86% | 79 | 2.97% | 1 | 0.04% | 1,129 | 42.40% | 2,663 |
| Racine | 5,490 | 52.65% | 3,688 | 35.37% | 794 | 7.61% | 429 | 4.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,802 | 17.28% | 10,428[j] |
| Richland | 2,464 | 54.80% | 1,689 | 37.57% | 51 | 1.13% | 291 | 6.47% | 1 | 0.02% | 775 | 17.24% | 4,496 |
| Rock | 7,839 | 66.73% | 3,227 | 27.47% | 264 | 2.25% | 391 | 3.33% | 12 | 0.10% | 4,612 | 39.26% | 11,747[k] |
| Rusk | 1,431 | 67.82% | 532 | 25.21% | 96 | 4.55% | 48 | 2.27% | 3 | 0.14% | 899 | 42.61% | 2,110 |
| Sauk | 3,854 | 57.06% | 2,571 | 38.07% | 35 | 0.52% | 294 | 4.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,283 | 19.00% | 6,754 |
| Sawyer | 815 | 70.81% | 299 | 25.98% | 19 | 1.65% | 18 | 1.56% | 0 | 0.00% | 516 | 44.83% | 1,151 |
| Shawano | 3,349 | 63.90% | 1,750 | 33.39% | 40 | 0.76% | 102 | 1.95% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,599 | 30.51% | 5,241 |
| Sheboygan | 5,948 | 52.41% | 4,405 | 38.81% | 752 | 6.63% | 245 | 2.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,543 | 13.59% | 11,350 |
| St. Croix | 3,228 | 62.29% | 1,773 | 34.21% | 83 | 1.60% | 98 | 1.89% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,455 | 28.08% | 5,182 |
| Taylor | 1,627 | 60.80% | 924 | 34.53% | 82 | 3.06% | 42 | 1.57% | 1 | 0.04% | 703 | 26.27% | 2,676 |
| Trempealeau | 3,733 | 75.31% | 1,085 | 21.89% | 22 | 0.44% | 117 | 2.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,648 | 53.42% | 4,957 |
| Vernon | 4,114 | 69.72% | 1,561 | 26.45% | 38 | 0.64% | 188 | 3.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,553 | 43.26% | 5,901 |
| Vilas | 794 | 70.70% | 278 | 24.76% | 33 | 2.94% | 18 | 1.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 516 | 45.95% | 1,123 |
| Walworth | 4,151 | 62.20% | 1,960 | 29.37% | 73 | 1.09% | 488 | 7.31% | 2 | 0.03% | 2,191 | 32.83% | 6,674 |
| Washburn | 1,114 | 69.06% | 396 | 24.55% | 69 | 4.28% | 34 | 2.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 718 | 44.51% | 1,613 |
| Washington | 2,588 | 48.54% | 2,625 | 49.23% | 77 | 1.44% | 41 | 0.77% | 1 | 0.02% | -37 | -0.69% | 5,332 |
| Waukesha | 4,758 | 55.91% | 3,206 | 37.67% | 198 | 2.33% | 345 | 4.05% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,552 | 18.24% | 8,510 |
| Waupaca | 4,785 | 71.93% | 1,483 | 22.29% | 143 | 2.15% | 239 | 3.59% | 2 | 0.03% | 3,302 | 49.64% | 6,652 |
| Waushara | 2,821 | 79.73% | 507 | 14.33% | 82 | 2.32% | 114 | 3.22% | 14 | 0.40% | 2,314 | 65.40% | 3,538 |
| Winnebago | 6,797 | 52.24% | 5,511 | 42.36% | 287 | 2.21% | 413 | 3.17% | 3 | 0.02% | 1,286 | 9.88% | 13,011 |
| Wood | 3,013 | 50.92% | 2,498 | 42.22% | 274 | 4.63% | 132 | 2.23% | 0 | 0.00% | 515 | 8.70% | 5,917 |
| Total | 247,747 | 54.51% | 166,632 | 36.66% | 28,170 | 6.20% | 11,572 | 2.55% | 314 | 0.07% | 81,115 | 17.85% | 454,534 |