1896 United States presidential election in North Carolina

The 1896 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the 1896 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

1896 United States presidential election in North Carolina

← 1892 November 3, 1896 1900 →
 
Nominee William Jennings Bryan William McKinley
Party Democratic Republican
Alliance Populist
Home state Nebraska Ohio
Running mate Arthur Sewall (Democratic)
Thomas E. Watson (Populist)
Garret Hobart
Electoral vote 11 0
Popular vote 174,408 155,122
Percentage 52.64% 46.82%

County Results

President before election

Grover Cleveland
Democratic

Elected President

William McKinley
Republican

North Carolina was won by the Democratic nominees, former U.S. Representative William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska and his running mate Arthur Sewall of Maine. 5 electors cast their vice presidential ballots for Thomas E. Watson, who was nominated as Bryan's running mate under the Populist Party banner in a form of fusion, at the same time as the Populists were engaging in fusion with the North Carolina Republicans at the state level (both fusion efforts being orchestrated by Marion Butler.) They defeated the Republican nominees, former Governor of Ohio William McKinley and his running mate Garret Hobart of New Jersey. Bryan won the state by a margin of 5.82%.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last occasion Northampton County has voted for a Republican presidential candidate,[1] which stands as the second-longest Democratic streak in the nation.[note 1] While Northampton County had been majority Black and a Republican bastion since the Civil War, the 1899 disenfranchisement of Black voters by North Carolina Democrats following their White supremacy campaign of 1898 prevented Republicans from winning the county until long after political realignment had occurred.

Bryan would defeat McKinley in North Carolina again four years later and would later win the state again in 1908 against William Howard Taft.

Results edit

1896 United States presidential election in North Carolina[2]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 174,408 52.64% 6
Populist William Jennings Bryan 0 0.00% 5
Total William Jennings Bryan 174,408 52.64% 11
Republican William McKinley 155,122 46.82% 0
Prohibition Joshua Levering 635 0.19% 0
National Democratic John M. Palmer 578 0.17% 0
Write-ins Scattered 372 0.11% 0
National Prohibition Charles Eugene Bentley 222 0.07% 0
Totals 331,337 100.00% 11
Voter turnout

Results by county edit

1896 United States presidential election in North Carolina by county
County William Jennings Bryan[3]
Democratic
William McKinley[3]
Republican
Joshua Levering[3]
Prohibition
John McAuley Palmer[3]
National Democratic
Various candidates[3]
Other parties
Margin
% # % # % # % # % # % #
Stanly 73.53% 1,425 26.37% 511 0.05% 1 0.05% 1 0.00% 0 47.16% 914
Union 72.69% 2,747 26.70% 1,009 0.03% 1 0.58% 22 0.00% 0 45.99% 1,738
Onslow 72.58% 1,559 27.42% 589 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 45.16% 970
Catawba 71.94% 2,649 27.27% 1,004 0.54% 20 0.19% 7 0.05% 2 44.68% 1,645
Cabarrus 68.06% 2,250 30.13% 996 0.54% 18 1.09% 36 0.18% 6 37.93% 1,254
Anson 68.66% 2,322 31.34% 1,060 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 37.32% 1,262
Cleveland 67.89% 2,664 30.99% 1,216 0.13% 5 0.99% 39 0.00% 0 36.90% 1,448
Sampson 67.63% 2,789 30.82% 1,271 0.51% 21 0.00% 0 1.04% 43 36.81% 1,518
Duplin 67.59% 2,409 32.18% 1,147 0.03% 1 0.03% 1 0.17% 6 35.41% 1,262
Rowan 67.28% 3,095 31.91% 1,468 0.72% 33 0.02% 1 0.07% 3 35.37% 1,627
Currituck 66.09% 922 33.84% 472 0.00% 0 0.07% 1 0.00% 0 32.26% 450
Chatham 65.77% 2,892 33.89% 1,490 0.07% 3 0.00% 0 0.27% 12 31.89% 1,402
Wilson 65.37% 2,715 34.58% 1,436 0.00% 0 0.05% 2 0.00% 0 30.80% 1,279
Johnston 64.67% 3,343 35.29% 1,824 0.04% 2 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 29.39% 1,519
Haywood 64.07% 1,901 35.02% 1,039 0.27% 8 0.51% 15 0.13% 4 29.05% 862
Alexander 64.24% 1,119 35.59% 620 0.06% 1 0.11% 2 0.00% 0 28.65% 499
Franklin 63.68% 3,217 36.30% 1,834 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.02% 1 27.38% 1,383
Nash 63.17% 2,916 36.81% 1,699 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.02% 1 26.36% 1,217
Columbus 61.91% 1,918 37.51% 1,162 0.00% 0 0.58% 18 0.00% 0 24.40% 756
Harnett 61.03% 1,676 37.95% 1,042 0.80% 22 0.22% 6 0.00% 0 23.09% 634
Clay 61.42% 476 38.58% 299 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 22.84% 177
Swain 60.25% 808 39.60% 531 0.00% 0 0.15% 2 0.00% 0 20.66% 277
Iredell 59.45% 2,958 40.25% 2,003 0.10% 5 0.06% 3 0.14% 7 19.19% 955
Caldwell 57.93% 1,428 39.23% 967 2.39% 59 0.45% 11 0.00% 0 18.70% 461
Brunswick 59.27% 1,279 40.69% 878 0.00% 0 0.05% 1 0.00% 0 18.58% 401
Gates 58.86% 1,086 41.14% 759 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 17.72% 327
Wayne 58.56% 3,215 40.95% 2,248 0.42% 23 0.02% 1 0.05% 3 17.61% 967
Robeson 58.70% 3,457 41.25% 2,429 0.03% 2 0.02% 1 0.00% 0 17.46% 1,028
Lenoir 58.20% 1,966 41.74% 1,410 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.06% 2 16.46% 556
Carteret 57.95% 1,308 41.78% 943 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.27% 6 16.17% 365
Orange 57.09% 1,700 42.44% 1,264 0.00% 0 0.24% 7 0.24% 7 14.64% 436
Pamlico 57.25% 861 42.69% 642 0.00% 0 0.07% 1 0.00% 0 14.56% 219
Lincoln 56.63% 1,349 42.40% 1,010 0.50% 12 0.46% 11 0.00% 0 14.23% 339
Pitt 56.99% 3,181 42.82% 2,390 0.00% 0 0.04% 2 0.16% 9 14.17% 791
Bladen 56.94% 1,665 42.95% 1,256 0.00% 0 0.10% 3 0.00% 0 13.99% 409
Jackson 56.74% 1,145 43.26% 873 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 13.48% 272
Macon 56.02% 1,140 43.78% 891 0.10% 2 0.10% 2 0.00% 0 12.24% 249
Gaston 55.51% 2,069 43.60% 1,625 0.78% 29 0.08% 3 0.03% 1 11.91% 444
McDowell 55.79% 1,204 44.02% 950 0.14% 3 0.05% 1 0.00% 0 11.77% 254
Durham 55.20% 2,435 43.62% 1,924 0.00% 0 0.09% 4 1.09% 48 11.58% 511
Martin 55.02% 1,681 44.98% 1,374 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 10.05% 307
Person 54.99% 1,713 45.01% 1,402 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 9.98% 311
Alleghany 54.88% 737 45.05% 605 0.07% 1 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 9.83% 132
Hyde 54.55% 1,019 45.34% 847 0.00% 0 0.11% 2 0.00% 0 9.21% 172
Mecklenburg 53.63% 4,714 44.61% 3,921 0.55% 48 0.39% 34 0.83% 73 9.02% 793
Jones 54.27% 814 45.73% 686 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 8.53% 128
Wake 53.31% 5,396 46.19% 4,675 0.11% 11 0.19% 19 0.20% 20 7.12% 721
Greene 53.43% 1,222 46.57% 1,065 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 6.86% 157
Cumberland 52.88% 2,509 46.36% 2,200 0.63% 30 0.08% 4 0.04% 2 6.51% 309
Beaufort 52.98% 2,513 46.53% 2,207 0.15% 7 0.04% 2 0.30% 14 6.45% 306
Moore 52.96% 2,207 46.75% 1,948 0.19% 8 0.10% 4 0.00% 0 6.22% 259
Rockingham 52.78% 2,882 47.05% 2,569 0.00% 0 0.04% 2 0.13% 7 5.73% 313
Burke 52.22% 1,550 46.66% 1,385 0.40% 12 0.71% 21 0.00% 0 5.56% 165
Rutherford 52.15% 2,146 47.46% 1,953 0.10% 4 0.29% 12 0.00% 0 4.69% 193
Pender 52.30% 1,276 47.70% 1,164 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 4.59% 112
Yancey 51.82% 1,056 48.18% 982 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 3.63% 74
Graham 51.13% 363 48.87% 347 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 2.25% 16
Granville 50.90% 2,269 48.79% 2,175 0.00% 0 0.31% 14 0.00% 0 2.11% 94
Guilford 49.67% 3,479 49.33% 3,455 0.61% 43 0.26% 18 0.13% 9 0.34% 24
Alamance 49.34% 2,302 49.59% 2,314 0.21% 10 0.02% 1 0.84% 39 -0.26% -12
Camden 48.51% 554 51.49% 588 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -2.98% -34
Montgomery 48.31% 1,129 51.60% 1,206 0.00% 0 0.09% 2 0.00% 0 -3.29% -77
Transylvania 48.14% 595 51.54% 637 0.00% 0 0.32% 4 0.00% 0 -3.40% -42
Watauga 47.46% 1,063 52.05% 1,166 0.13% 3 0.18% 4 0.18% 4 -4.60% -103
Randolph 46.58% 2,482 51.47% 2,743 1.56% 83 0.00% 0 0.39% 21 -4.90% -261
Ashe 47.14% 1,574 52.74% 1,761 0.12% 4 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -5.60% -187
Buncombe 46.93% 4,098 52.80% 4,611 0.02% 2 0.18% 16 0.07% 6 -5.87% -513
Davidson 46.24% 2,072 53.00% 2,375 0.54% 24 0.11% 5 0.11% 5 -6.76% -303
Hertford 46.51% 1,240 53.49% 1,426 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -6.98% -186
Dare 46.42% 408 53.58% 471 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -7.17% -63
Richmond 46.08% 2,172 53.65% 2,529 0.00% 0 0.28% 13 0.00% 0 -7.57% -357
Vance 45.57% 1,465 54.28% 1,745 0.09% 3 0.06% 2 0.00% 0 -8.71% -280
Tyrrell 45.57% 411 54.43% 491 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -8.87% -80
Northampton 45.17% 1,906 54.74% 2,310 0.00% 0 0.09% 4 0.00% 0 -9.57% -404
Caswell 44.00% 1,372 54.55% 1,701 0.00% 0 0.03% 1 1.41% 44 -10.55% -329
Perquimans 43.64% 793 55.92% 1,016 0.00% 0 0.44% 8 0.00% 0 -12.27% -223
Cherokee 43.77% 770 56.11% 987 0.00% 0 0.11% 2 0.00% 0 -12.34% -217
Surry 43.73% 2,019 56.10% 2,590 0.00% 0 0.17% 8 0.00% 0 -12.37% -571
Bertie 43.03% 1,711 56.72% 2,255 0.00% 0 0.15% 6 0.10% 4 -13.68% -544
Edgecombe 42.34% 2,032 57.47% 2,758 0.00% 0 0.19% 9 0.00% 0 -15.13% -726
Forsyth 41.33% 2,778 57.85% 3,888 0.45% 30 0.33% 22 0.04% 3 -16.52% -1,110
Henderson 40.99% 1,022 58.52% 1,459 0.00% 0 0.44% 11 0.04% 1 -17.53% -437
Stokes 41.13% 1,447 58.81% 2,069 0.06% 2 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -17.68% -622
Chowan 40.84% 791 59.16% 1,146 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -18.33% -355
Davie 40.56% 894 59.26% 1,306 0.09% 2 0.09% 2 0.00% 0 -18.69% -412
Pasquotank 40.43% 1,037 59.22% 1,519 0.23% 6 0.12% 3 0.00% 0 -18.79% -482
New Hanover 38.38% 2,100 58.17% 3,183 0.00% 0 1.74% 95 1.72% 94 -19.79% -1,083
Yadkin 39.67% 1,093 59.75% 1,646 0.29% 8 0.07% 2 0.22% 6 -20.07% -553
Polk 38.66% 469 60.26% 731 1.07% 13 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -21.60% -262
Wilkes 38.80% 1,801 61.07% 2,835 0.09% 4 0.00% 0 0.04% 2 -22.27% -1,034
Craven 37.49% 1,810 60.50% 2,921 0.12% 6 0.25% 12 1.64% 79 -23.01% -1,111
Madison 37.39% 1,357 62.55% 2,270 0.00% 0 0.06% 2 0.00% 0 -25.16% -913
Washington 36.44% 739 63.56% 1,289 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -27.12% -550
Halifax 36.02% 2,255 63.94% 4,003 0.00% 0 0.05% 3 0.00% 0 -27.92% -1,748
Warren 35.75% 1,213 64.10% 2,175 0.00% 0 0.15% 5 0.00% 0 -28.35% -962
Mitchell 25.29% 630 74.71% 1,861 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -49.42% -1,231

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Starr County, Texas has the longest Democratic streak, going back one further election to 1892. Adjacent Brooks County and Jim Hogg County, as well as Menominee County in Wisconsin have never voted Republican but were only created in 1911, 1913 and 1959, respectively.

References edit

  1. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 265-271 ISBN 0786422173
  2. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina
  3. ^ a b c d e Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1896 (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)