1892 United States presidential election in Michigan

The 1892 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 8, 1892. All contemporary 44 states were part of the 1892 United States presidential election. Voters chose 14 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

1892 United States presidential election in Michigan

← 1888 November 8, 1892 1896 →
 
Nominee Benjamin Harrison Grover Cleveland
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Indiana New York
Running mate Whitelaw Reid Adlai Stevenson I
Electoral vote 9 5
Popular vote 222,708 201,624
Percentage 47.79% 43.26%


President before election

Benjamin Harrison
Republican

Elected President

Grover Cleveland
Democratic

Uniquely, this remains the only presidential election where Michigan used the congressional district method of distributing electoral votes rather than the traditional winner-take-all system. The switch was made by the newly elected 1890 Democratic legislature, which had gained control of the state for the first time since before the Civil War.[1][2] The change was an attempt at boosting Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland's chances of winning a second, nonconsecutive term, who had run in the previous election and won the popular vote, but lost in the electoral college. Controversial among Republicans, the party fought all the way to the Supreme Court in efforts to prevent it, though were unsuccessful. The split ultimately had no effect in Cleveland's victory, and the system was quickly repealed when Republicans regained control after the election. This is the only instance of Michigan splitting its electoral votes among multiple candidates. A law later passed in 1954 that prohibits faithless electors prevents a similar occurrence, barring a return to the district method.[3][4]

Michigan was won by the Republican nominees: incumbent President Benjamin Harrison of Indiana and his running mate Whitelaw Reid of New York. The pair received nine of the state's electoral votes, while the Democratic ticket earned five.

Cleveland became the first Democratic presidential candidate since Franklin Pierce in 1852 to get electoral votes from Michigan, although the state wouldn't send a full slate of Democratic electors to the Electoral College until Franklin Delano Roosevelt won it in 1932.

Results edit

1892 United States presidential election in Michigan[5]
Party Candidate Votes % Electoral votes
Republican Benjamin Harrison (inc.) 222,708 47.79% 9
Democratic Grover Cleveland 201,624 43.26% 5
Prohibition John Bidwell 20,857 4.48% 0
People's James Weaver 19,931 4.28% 0
Write-ins 925 0.20% 0
Totals 466,045 100% 14

Results by county edit

County Benjamin Harrison
Republican
Stephen Grover Cleveland
Democratic
John Bidwell
Prohibition
James Baird Weaver
People's
Various candidates
Write-ins
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Alcona 556 57.32% 380 39.18% 29 2.99% 5 0.52% 176 18.14% 970
Alger 160 50.31% 156 49.06% 2 0.63% 0 0.00% 4 1.26% 318
Allegan 4,283 50.96% 3,207 38.16% 544 6.47% 371 4.41% 1,076 12.80% 8,405
Alpena 1,526 49.11% 1,536 49.44% 26 0.84% 19 0.61% -10 -0.32% 3,107
Antrim 1,140 52.17% 814 37.25% 164 7.51% 67 3.07% 326 14.92% 2,185
Arenac 322 27.81% 373 32.21% 26 2.25% 437 37.74% -64[a] -5.53% 1,158
Baraga 375 36.76% 630 61.76% 12 1.18% 3 0.29% -255 -25.00% 1,020
Barry 2,854 49.20% 1,800 31.03% 297 5.12% 850 14.65% 1,054 18.17% 5,801
Bay 4,587 42.96% 5,714 53.51% 187 1.75% 190 1.78% -1,127 -10.55% 10,678
Benzie 774 52.47% 498 33.76% 101 6.85% 102 6.92% 276 18.71% 1,475
Berrien 4,979 48.55% 4,716 45.98% 426 4.15% 135 1.32% 263 2.56% 10,256
Branch 3,271 49.68% 2,161 32.82% 426 6.47% 726 11.03% 1,110 16.86% 6,584
Calhoun 5,077 48.10% 4,150 39.31% 710 6.73% 619 5.86% 927 8.78% 10,556
Cass 2,731 47.71% 2,424 42.35% 180 3.14% 389 6.80% 307 5.36% 5,724
Charlevoix 1,101 53.14% 688 33.20% 141 6.81% 142 6.85% 413 19.93% 2,072
Cheboygan 1,094 44.27% 1,224 49.53% 74 2.99% 79 3.20% -130 -5.26% 2,471
Chippewa 1,247 52.33% 1,083 45.45% 35 1.47% 18 0.76% 164 6.88% 2,383
Clare 719 41.90% 811 47.26% 167 9.73% 0 0.00% 19 1.11% -92 -5.36% 1,716
Clinton 3,133 48.42% 2,756 42.60% 258 3.99% 323 4.99% 377 5.83% 6,470
Crawford 300 48.62% 306 49.59% 3 0.49% 8 1.30% -6 -0.97% 617
Delta 1,769 54.30% 1,412 43.34% 40 1.23% 37 1.14% 357 10.96% 3,258
Dickinson 1,606 51.05% 1,255 39.89% 255 8.11% 30 0.95% 351 11.16% 3,146
Eaton 3,788 48.24% 2,837 36.13% 498 6.34% 730 9.30% 951 12.11% 7,853
Emmet 1,015 46.28% 1,059 48.29% 102 4.65% 17 0.78% -44 -2.01% 2,193
Genesee 4,785 50.14% 3,712 38.90% 590 6.18% 456 4.78% 1,073 11.24% 9,543
Gladwin 531 60.76% 325 37.19% 14 1.60% 4 0.46% 206 23.57% 874
Gogebic 2,344 57.25% 1,615 39.45% 116 2.83% 19 0.46% 729 17.81% 4,094
Grand Traverse 1,734 54.70% 924 29.15% 185 5.84% 327 10.32% 810 25.55% 3,170
Gratiot 3,037 48.83% 1,661 26.70% 256 4.12% 1,266 20.35% 1,376 22.12% 6,220
Hillsdale 4,119 53.65% 2,613 34.03% 486 6.33% 460 5.99% 1,506 19.61% 7,678
Houghton 3,316 45.84% 2,607 36.04% 568 7.85% 0 0.00% 743 10.27% 709 9.80% 7,234
Huron 1,692 35.35% 2,222 46.42% 175 3.66% 698 14.58% -530 -11.07% 4,787
Ingham 4,341 44.08% 4,061 41.23% 499 5.07% 948 9.63% 280 2.84% 9,849
Ionia 4,288 49.45% 3,779 43.58% 379 4.37% 225 2.59% 509 5.87% 8,671
Iosco 1,393 49.57% 1,336 47.54% 58 2.06% 23 0.82% 57 2.03% 2,810
Iron 918 59.26% 587 37.90% 0 0.00% 15 0.97% 29 1.87% 331 21.37% 1,549
Isabella 1,859 45.42% 1,762 43.05% 153 3.74% 319 7.79% 97 2.37% 4,093
Jackson 5,130 45.02% 5,005 43.92% 571 5.01% 690 6.05% 125 1.10% 11,396
Kalamazoo 4,968 50.56% 4,018 40.90% 449 4.57% 390 3.97% 950 9.67% 9,825
Kalkaska 717 59.45% 389 32.26% 60 4.98% 40 3.32% 328 27.20% 1,206
Kent 12,388 46.31% 11,533 43.11% 1,411 5.27% 1,418 5.30% 855 3.20% 26,750
Keweenaw 400 65.36% 202 33.01% 5 0.82% 5 0.82% 198 32.35% 612
Lake 648 47.79% 610 44.99% 63 4.65% 35 2.58% 38 2.80% 1,356
Lapeer 3,126 49.11% 2,698 42.39% 313 4.92% 228 3.58% 428 6.72% 6,365
Leelanau 769 53.63% 492 34.31% 44 3.07% 129 9.00% 277 19.32% 1,434
Lenawee 5,833 46.86% 5,592 44.92% 910 7.31% 114 0.92% 241 1.94% 12,449
Livingston 2,447 43.76% 2,385 42.65% 365 6.53% 395 7.06% 62 1.11% 5,592
Luce 234 55.45% 160 37.91% 25 5.92% 3 0.71% 74 17.54% 422
Mackinac 478 35.41% 855 63.33% 9 0.67% 8 0.59% -377 -27.93% 1,350
Macomb 2,788 41.50% 3,584 53.35% 290 4.32% 56 0.83% -796 -11.85% 6,718
Manistee 1,481 35.42% 2,310 55.25% 231 5.52% 159 3.80% -829 -19.83% 4,181
Manitou 5 3.36% 144 96.64% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -139 -93.29% 149
Marquette 3,874 53.03% 2,850 39.01% 536 7.34% 45 0.62% 1,024 14.02% 7,305
Mason 1,426 45.85% 1,383 44.47% 258 8.30% 43 1.38% 43 1.38% 3,110
Mecosta 1,970 51.76% 1,484 38.99% 220 5.78% 132 3.47% 486 12.77% 3,806
Menominee 1,853 48.43% 1,801 47.07% 134 3.50% 38 0.99% 52 1.36% 3,826
Midland 1,069 46.16% 815 35.19% 118 5.09% 314 13.56% 254 10.97% 2,316
Missaukee 665 48.61% 622 45.47% 61 4.46% 20 1.46% 43 3.14% 1,368
Monroe 2,914 41.50% 3,769 53.68% 224 3.19% 114 1.62% -855 -12.18% 7,021
Montcalm 3,623 53.31% 2,205 32.45% 265 3.90% 703 10.34% 1,418 20.87% 6,796
Montmorency 246 47.67% 255 49.42% 10 1.94% 5 0.97% -9 -1.74% 516
Muskegon 3,830 49.76% 3,301 42.89% 322 4.18% 244 3.17% 529 6.87% 7,697
Newaygo 2,106 51.02% 1,531 37.09% 286 6.93% 205 4.97% 575 13.93% 4,128
Oakland 4,763 44.98% 4,925 46.51% 728 6.87% 174 1.64% -162 -1.53% 10,590
Oceana 1,635 47.38% 1,416 41.03% 312 9.04% 88 2.55% 219 6.35% 3,451
Ogemaw 594 50.64% 514 43.82% 26 2.22% 39 3.32% 80 6.82% 1,173
Ontonagon 678 38.68% 1,041 59.38% 19 1.08% 15 0.86% -363 -20.71% 1,753
Osceola 1,601 51.13% 1,092 34.88% 310 9.90% 128 4.09% 509 16.26% 3,131
Oscoda 273 59.09% 180 38.96% 5 1.08% 4 0.87% 93 20.13% 462
Otsego 525 47.60% 531 48.14% 32 2.90% 15 1.36% -6 -0.54% 1,103
Ottawa 3,643 50.82% 2,996 41.79% 180 2.51% 350 4.88% 647 9.02% 7,169
Presque Isle 290 34.77% 471 56.47% 7 0.84% 5 0.60% 61 7.31% -181 -21.70% 834
Roscommon 239 44.26% 286 52.96% 9 1.67% 6 1.11% -47 -8.70% 540
Saginaw 6,737 44.37% 7,601 50.07% 254 1.67% 590 3.89% -864 -5.69% 15,182
Sanilac 2,494 54.34% 1,730 37.69% 288 6.27% 78 1.70% 764 16.64% 4,590
Schoolcraft 570 41.79% 650 47.65% 101 7.40% 43 3.15% -80 -5.87% 1,364
Shiawassee 3,619 47.17% 2,994 39.02% 677 8.82% 383 4.99% 625 8.15% 7,673
St. Clair 5,371 48.82% 5,248 47.70% 228 2.07% 81 0.74% 73 0.66% 123 1.12% 11,001
St. Joseph 2,824 43.93% 2,441 37.97% 185 2.88% 978 15.21% 383 5.96% 6,428
Tuscola 3,201 49.42% 2,667 41.18% 397 6.13% 212 3.27% 534 8.24% 6,477
Van Buren 3,788 54.05% 2,182 31.14% 403 5.75% 635 9.06% 1,606 22.92% 7,008
Washtenaw 4,362 41.99% 5,508 53.02% 448 4.31% 70 0.67% -1,146 -11.03% 10,388
Wayne 26,361 47.81% 27,580 50.02% 702 1.27% 495 0.90% -1,219 -2.21% 55,138
Wexford 1,388 49.91% 1,156 41.57% 185 6.65% 52 1.87% 232 8.34% 2,781
Totals[b] 222,708 47.70% 202,396 43.35% 20,858 4.47% 20,031 4.29% 925 0.20% 19,891 4.35% 466,918

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ In this county where Weaver ran ahead of Harrison and also Cleveland, margin given is Cleveland vote minus Weaver vote and percentage margin Cleveland percentage minus Weaver percentage.
  2. ^ Data from Isle Royal County are uncertain, so that this total is larger than the sum for counties shown

References edit

  1. ^ Egan, Paul. “Democrats Once Pulled the Same Electoral College Stunt.” Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2014, http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/20/michigan-white-house-presidential-election-electoral-college/70028908/.
  2. ^ Braun, Ken. “Ken Braun: It Didn't Matter Much When Democrats Decided to Divide Michigan's Electoral College Votes.” MLive.com, 19 Nov. 2014, http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/11/ken_braun_it_didnt_matter_much.html.
  3. ^ “Section 168.47 .” Michigan Legislature - Section 168.47, Legislative Council, State of Michigan, http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-168-47.
  4. ^ “The Electoral College.” National Conference of State Legislators, 22 Aug. 2016, http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/the-electoral-college.aspx#faithless.
  5. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – Michigan