Election of 1856

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Abbreviations Definitions Sources

BASICS

Category Result
Incumbent Franklin Pierce (D)
Prior streak D (1)
Prior five elections D (3), W (2)
Population 27,838,856
States 31
Electoral votes 296
Popular votes 4,054,647
Voter turnout 78.9%

FIELD OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES

Candidate Party PI Age State Position Nom Win CS ROP
James Buchanan D 5.1 65.52 Pennsylvania Former Cabinet member X X 79.35 156
John Fremont R 5.3 43.78 California Former senator X 68.16 129
Millard Fillmore AW 7.4 56.82 New York Former president 45.15 61
Franklin Pierce D 8.1 51.94 New Hampshire President 43.05 53
Stephen Douglas D 7.1 43.52 Illinois Senator 18.86 27
John McLean R 4.2 71.64 Ohio Supreme Court justice 15.19 36

GENERAL ELECTION

Candidate Party SC PV PV% EV EV% PV*EQ EV*EQ
James Buchanan D 19 1,836,072 45.28% 174 58.78% 45,283,153 316
John Fremont R 11 1,342,345 33.11% 114 38.51% 33,106,335 207
Millard Fillmore AW 1 873,053 21.53% 8 2.70% 21,532,158 15

REGIONAL SPLITS

Candidate Party PV% East South Midwest West EV East South Midwest West
James Buchanan D 45.28% 38.85% 57.29% 45.60% 48.38% 174 37 100 33 4
John Fremont R 33.11% 43.19% 0.00% 43.03% 18.78% 114 76 0 38 0
Millard Fillmore AW 21.53% 17.79% 42.71% 11.36% 32.83% 8 8 0 0 0

PV BY STATES

State Total PV Buchanan Fremont Fillmore Other
Alabama 75,291 46,739 28,552
Arkansas 32,642 21,910 10,732
California 110,255 53,342 20,704 36,195 14
Connecticut 80,360 35,028 42,717 2,615
Delaware 14,598 8,004 310 6,275 9
Florida 11,191 6,358 4,833
Georgia 99,020 56,581 42,439
Illinois 239,334 105,528 96,275 37,531
Indiana 235,401 118,670 94,375 22,356
Iowa 92,310 37,568 45,073 9,669
Kentucky 142,058 74,642 67,416
Louisiana 42,873 22,164 20,709
Maine 109,689 39,140 67,279 3,270
Maryland 86,860 39,123 285 47,452
Massachusetts 170,048 39,244 108,172 19,626 3,006
Michigan 125,558 52,136 71,762 1,660
Mississippi 59,647 35,456 24,191
Missouri 106,486 57,964 48,522
New Hampshire 69,774 31,891 37,473 410
New Jersey 99,396 46,943 28,338 24,115
New York 596,486 195,878 276,004 124,604
North Carolina 84,963 48,243 36,720
Ohio 386,640 170,874 187,497 28,121 148
Pennsylvania 460,937 230,772 147,963 82,202
Rhode Island 19,822 6,680 11,467 1,675
South Carolina
Tennessee 133,582 69,704 63,878
Texas 48,005 31,995 16,010
Vermont 50,675 10,569 39,561 545
Virginia 150,233 90,083 60,150
Wisconsin 120,513 52,843 67,090 580
Total 4,054,647 1,836,072 1,342,345 873,053 3,177

PV% BY STATES

State PV winner Buchanan Fremont Fillmore Other
Alabama Buchanan 62.08% 37.92%
Arkansas Buchanan 67.12% 32.88%
California Buchanan 48.38% 18.78% 32.83% 0.01%
Connecticut Fremont 43.59% 53.16% 3.25%
Delaware Buchanan 54.83% 2.12% 42.99% 0.06%
Florida Buchanan 56.81% 43.19%
Georgia Buchanan 57.14% 42.86%
Illinois Buchanan 44.09% 40.23% 15.68%
Indiana Buchanan 50.41% 40.09% 9.50%
Iowa Fremont 40.70% 48.83% 10.47%
Kentucky Buchanan 52.54% 47.46%
Louisiana Buchanan 51.70% 48.30%
Maine Fremont 35.68% 61.34% 2.98%
Maryland Fillmore 45.04% 0.33% 54.63%
Massachusetts Fremont 23.08% 63.61% 11.54% 1.77%
Michigan Fremont 41.52% 57.15% 1.32%
Mississippi Buchanan 59.44% 40.56%
Missouri Buchanan 54.43% 45.57%
New Hampshire Fremont 45.71% 53.71% 0.59%
New Jersey Buchanan 47.23% 28.51% 24.26%
New York Fremont 32.84% 46.27% 20.89%
North Carolina Buchanan 56.78% 43.22%
Ohio Fremont 44.20% 48.49% 7.27% 0.04%
Pennsylvania Buchanan 50.07% 32.10% 17.83%
Rhode Island Fremont 33.70% 57.85% 8.45%
South Carolina
Tennessee Buchanan 52.18% 47.82%
Texas Buchanan 66.65% 33.35%
Vermont Fremont 20.86% 78.07% 1.08%
Virginia Buchanan 59.96% 40.04%
Wisconsin Fremont 43.85% 55.67% 0.48%
Total Buchanan 45.28% 33.11% 21.53% 0.08%

EV BY STATES

State Total EV Buchanan Fremont Fillmore
Alabama 9 9 0 0
Arkansas 4 4 0 0
California 4 4 0 0
Connecticut 6 0 6 0
Delaware 3 3 0 0
Florida 3 3 0 0
Georgia 10 10 0 0
Illinois 11 11 0 0
Indiana 13 13 0 0
Iowa 4 0 4 0
Kentucky 12 12 0 0
Louisiana 6 6 0 0
Maine 8 0 8 0
Maryland 8 0 0 8
Massachusetts 13 0 13 0
Michigan 6 0 6 0
Mississippi 7 7 0 0
Missouri 9 9 0 0
New Hampshire 5 0 5 0
New Jersey 7 7 0 0
New York 35 0 35 0
North Carolina 10 10 0 0
Ohio 23 0 23 0
Pennsylvania 27 27 0 0
Rhode Island 4 0 4 0
South Carolina 8 8 0 0
Tennessee 12 12 0 0
Texas 4 4 0 0
Vermont 5 0 5 0
Virginia 15 15 0 0
Wisconsin 5 0 5 0
Total 296 174 114 8

MARGINS AND FLIPS

State PV winner Runnerup Gap (votes) Gap (points) Flip
Alabama Buchanan Fillmore 18,187 24.16 9,094
Arkansas Buchanan Fillmore 11,178 34.24 5,590
California Buchanan Fillmore 17,147 15.55 8,574
Connecticut Fremont Buchanan 7,689 9.57 3,845
Delaware Buchanan Fillmore 1,729 11.84 865
Florida Buchanan Fillmore 1,525 13.63 763
Georgia Buchanan Fillmore 14,142 14.28 7,072
Illinois Buchanan Fremont 9,253 3.87 4,627
Indiana Buchanan Fremont 24,295 10.32 12,148
Iowa Fremont Buchanan 7,505 8.13 3,753
Kentucky Buchanan Fillmore 7,226 5.09 3,614
Louisiana Buchanan Fillmore 1,455 3.39 728
Maine Fremont Buchanan 28,139 25.65 14,070
Maryland Fillmore Buchanan 8,329 9.59 4,165
Massachusetts Fremont Buchanan 68,928 40.54 34,465
Michigan Fremont Buchanan 19,626 15.63 9,814
Mississippi Buchanan Fillmore 11,265 18.89 5,633
Missouri Buchanan Fillmore 9,442 8.87 4,722
New Hampshire Fremont Buchanan 5,582 8.00 2,792
New Jersey Buchanan Fremont 18,605 18.72 9,303
New York Fremont Buchanan 80,126 13.43 40,064
North Carolina Buchanan Fillmore 11,523 13.56 5,762
Ohio Fremont Buchanan 16,623 4.30 8,312
Pennsylvania Buchanan Fremont 82,809 17.97 41,405
Rhode Island Fremont Buchanan 4,787 24.15 2,394
South Carolina
Tennessee Buchanan Fillmore 5,826 4.36 2,914
Texas Buchanan Fillmore 15,985 33.30 7,993
Vermont Fremont Buchanan 28,992 57.21 14,497
Virginia Buchanan Fillmore 29,933 19.92 14,967
Wisconsin Fremont Buchanan 14,247 11.82 7,124
Total Buchanan Fremont 493,727 12.18 246,864
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