1908 United States presidential election in New Jersey

The 1908 United States presidential election in New Jersey took place on November 3, 1908. All contemporary 46 states were part of the 1908 United States presidential election. Voters chose 14 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

1908 United States presidential election in New Jersey

← 1904November 3, 19081912 →
 
NomineeWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Jennings Bryan
PartyRepublicanDemocratic
Home stateOhioNebraska
Running mateJames S. ShermanJohn W. Kern
Electoral vote120
Popular vote265,298182,522
Percentage56.80%39.07%

County Results

President before election

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Elected President

William Howard Taft
Republican

New Jersey was won by the Republican nominees, United States Secretary of War William Howard Taft of Ohio and his running mate Congressman James S. Sherman of New York. Taft and Sherman defeated the Democratic nominees, former Congressman and two-time prior presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska and his running mate Senator John W. Kern of Indiana. Also in the running was the Socialist Party candidate, Eugene V. Debs, who ran with Ben Hanford.

Taft carried New Jersey comfortably with 56.80 percent of the vote to Bryan's 39.07 percent, a victory margin of 17.72 percent.[1]

Eugene Debs came in a distant third, with 2.19 percent.

Like much of the Northeast, New Jersey in the early decades of the 20th century was a staunchly Republican state, having not given a majority of the vote to a Democratic presidential candidate since 1892. While winning a comfortable victory nationwide, Taft easily held New Jersey in the Republican column in 1908. On the county-level map, Taft carried 18 of the state's 21 counties, breaking 60% of the vote in 8 counties. Bryan won only the three rural counties in western North Jersey, Warren, Sussex, and Hunterdon, which had long been non-Yankee Democratic enclaves in the otherwise Republican Northeast.[2]

New Jersey's election result in 1908 made the state over 9% more Republican than the national average. This is the last time a Republican won the election without Hunterdon, Warren, and Sussex counties.

Bryan had previously lost New Jersey twice to William McKinley in 1896 and 1900.

Results edit

1908 United States presidential election in New Jersey
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
RepublicanWilliam Howard Taft265,29856.80%12
DemocraticWilliam Jennings Bryan182,52239.07%0
SocialistEugene V. Debs10,2492.19%0
ProhibitionEugene W. Chafin4,9301.06%0
Independence LeagueThomas L. Hisgen2,9160.62%0
Socialist LaborAugust Gillhaus1,1960.26%0
Totals467,111100.0%12

Results by county edit

CountyWilliam Howard Taft[3]
Republican
William Jennings Bryan[3]
Democratic
Eugene Victor Debs[3]
Socialist
Eugene Wilder Chafin[3]
Prohibition
Various candidates[3]
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
#%#%#%#%#%#%
Atlantic8,82263.71%4,57733.05%760.55%3422.47%300.22%4,24530.66%13,847
Bergen14,04261.51%7,62833.42%5752.52%2190.96%3641.59%6,41428.10%22,828
Burlington9,02057.16%6,27439.76%1400.89%2991.89%460.29%2,74617.40%15,779
Camden18,99961.32%10,46933.79%6972.25%7112.29%1070.35%8,53027.53%30,983
Cape May2,93763.27%1,55333.46%330.71%1112.39%80.17%1,38429.81%4,642
Cumberland6,77056.56%4,52137.77%1581.32%4763.98%450.38%2,24918.79%11,970
Essex53,68761.71%30,19134.70%2,2052.53%3170.36%6040.69%23,49627.01%87,004
Gloucester5,31856.37%3,70739.29%720.76%3223.41%150.16%1,61117.08%9,434
Hudson41,96748.91%39,63746.20%2,7763.24%1720.20%1,2441.45%2,3302.72%85,796
Hunterdon3,73343.04%4,73754.62%290.33%1401.61%340.39%-1,004-11.58%8,673
Mercer14,94158.99%9,28936.67%6872.71%2841.12%1280.51%5,65222.31%25,329
Middlesex11,26157.57%7,94040.59%980.50%1340.69%1270.65%3,32116.98%19,560
Monmouth12,51956.29%9,25241.60%1370.62%2040.92%1270.57%3,26714.69%22,239
Morris9,08961.16%5,02633.82%3672.47%2431.64%1370.92%4,06327.34%14,862
Ocean3,32665.15%1,63432.01%220.43%891.74%340.67%1,69233.14%5,105
Passaic17,63555.96%11,96137.96%1,0863.45%2410.76%5881.87%5,67418.01%31,511
Salem3,71352.91%3,17345.22%360.51%881.25%70.10%5407.70%7,017
Somerset5,04359.43%3,27138.55%240.28%941.11%530.62%1,77220.88%8,485
Sussex2,65344.25%3,21453.61%360.60%701.17%220.37%-561-9.36%5,995
Union15,91960.90%8,80633.69%9123.49%1320.50%3701.42%7,11327.21%26,139
Warren3,90439.38%5,66257.12%830.84%2422.44%220.22%-1,758-17.73%9,913
Totals265,29856.80%182,52239.07%10,2492.19%4,9301.06%4,1120.88%82,77617.72%467,111

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "1908 Presidential General Election Results – New Jersey". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  2. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 121-134 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  3. ^ a b c d e Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1908 (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)