Election of 1896
LINKS
| Abbreviations | Definitions | Sources |
BASICS
| Category | Result |
|---|---|
| Incumbent | Grover Cleveland (D) |
| Prior streak | D (1) |
| Prior five elections | R (3), D (2) |
| Population | 70,614,681 |
| States | 45 |
| Electoral votes | 447 |
| Popular votes | 13,904,866 |
| Voter turnout | 79.3% |
FIELD OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES
| Candidate | Party | PI | Age | State | Position | Nom | Win | CS | ROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William McKinley | R | 8.2 | 53.76 | Ohio | Former governor | X | X | 81.24 | 99 |
| William Jennings Bryan | D-POP | 4.6 | 36.62 | Nebraska | Former representative | X | — | 70.98 | 154 |
| Richard Bland | D | 5.5 | 61.20 | Missouri | Former representative | — | — | 30.20 | 55 |
| Robert Pattison | D | 7.2 | 45.90 | Pennsylvania | Former governor | — | — | 18.30 | 25 |
| Thomas Reed | R | 5.2 | 57.04 | Maine | Representative | — | — | 17.27 | 33 |
| Joseph Blackburn | D | 6.2 | 58.08 | Kentucky | Senator | — | — | 17.03 | 27 |
| Horace Boies | D | 6.3 | 68.90 | Iowa | Former governor | — | — | 15.75 | 25 |
| Matthew Quay | R | 7.5 | 63.09 | Pennsylvania | Senator | — | — | 15.35 | 20 |
| Levi Morton | R | 7.8 | 72.46 | New York | Governor | — | — | 15.03 | 19 |
| John McLean | D | 5.0 | 48.12 | Ohio | Journalist | — | — | 14.63 | 29 |
| Claude Matthews | D | 7.3 | 50.88 | Indiana | Governor | — | — | 13.19 | 18 |
GENERAL ELECTION
| Candidate | Party | SC | PV | PV% | EV | EV% | PV*EQ | EV*EQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William McKinley | R | 23 | 7,105,076 | 51.10% | 271 | 60.63% | 51,097,767 | 326 |
| William Jennings Bryan | D-POP | 22 | 6,370,897 | 45.82% | 176 | 39.37% | 45,817,752 | 212 |
REGIONAL SPLITS
| Candidate | Party | PV% | East | South | Midwest | West | EV | East | South | Midwest | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William McKinley | R | 51.10% | 60.52% | 37.80% | 52.60% | 34.79% | 271 | 134 | 12 | 113 | 12 |
| William Jennings Bryan | D-POP | 45.82% | 35.86% | 57.26% | 45.72% | 60.94% | 176 | 0 | 113 | 39 | 24 |
PV BY STATES
| State | Total PV | McKinley | Bryan | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 194,580 | 55,673 | 130,298 | 8,609 |
| Arkansas | 149,396 | 37,512 | 110,103 | 1,781 |
| California | 298,695 | 146,688 | 123,143 | 28,864 |
| Colorado | 189,539 | 26,271 | 161,005 | 2,263 |
| Connecticut | 174,394 | 110,285 | 56,740 | 7,369 |
| Delaware | 31,540 | 16,883 | 13,425 | 1,232 |
| Florida | 46,468 | 11,298 | 30,683 | 4,487 |
| Georgia | 163,309 | 60,107 | 94,733 | 8,469 |
| Idaho | 29,631 | 6,324 | 23,135 | 172 |
| Illinois | 1,090,766 | 607,130 | 465,593 | 18,043 |
| Indiana | 637,089 | 323,754 | 305,538 | 7,797 |
| Iowa | 521,550 | 289,293 | 223,744 | 8,513 |
| Kansas | 336,085 | 159,484 | 173,049 | 3,552 |
| Kentucky | 445,928 | 218,171 | 217,894 | 9,863 |
| Louisiana | 101,046 | 22,037 | 77,175 | 1,834 |
| Maine | 118,419 | 80,403 | 34,587 | 3,429 |
| Maryland | 250,249 | 136,959 | 104,150 | 9,140 |
| Massachusetts | 401,269 | 278,976 | 105,414 | 16,879 |
| Michigan | 545,583 | 293,336 | 237,164 | 15,083 |
| Minnesota | 341,762 | 193,503 | 139,735 | 8,524 |
| Mississippi | 69,591 | 4,819 | 63,355 | 1,417 |
| Missouri | 674,032 | 304,940 | 363,667 | 5,425 |
| Montana | 53,330 | 10,509 | 42,628 | 193 |
| Nebraska | 223,181 | 103,064 | 115,007 | 5,110 |
| Nevada | 10,314 | 1,938 | 7,802 | 574 |
| New Hampshire | 83,670 | 57,444 | 21,271 | 4,955 |
| New Jersey | 371,014 | 221,367 | 133,675 | 15,972 |
| New York | 1,423,876 | 819,838 | 551,369 | 52,669 |
| North Carolina | 331,337 | 155,122 | 174,408 | 1,807 |
| North Dakota | 47,391 | 26,335 | 20,686 | 370 |
| Ohio | 1,014,295 | 525,991 | 474,882 | 13,422 |
| Oregon | 97,335 | 48,700 | 46,739 | 1,896 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,194,355 | 728,300 | 427,125 | 38,930 |
| Rhode Island | 54,785 | 37,437 | 14,459 | 2,889 |
| South Carolina | 68,938 | 9,313 | 58,801 | 824 |
| South Dakota | 82,937 | 41,040 | 41,225 | 672 |
| Tennessee | 320,903 | 148,683 | 167,168 | 5,052 |
| Texas | 515,987 | 163,413 | 267,803 | 84,771 |
| Utah | 78,098 | 13,491 | 64,607 | — |
| Vermont | 63,831 | 51,127 | 10,179 | 2,525 |
| Virginia | 294,674 | 135,379 | 154,708 | 4,587 |
| Washington | 93,435 | 39,153 | 51,646 | 2,636 |
| West Virginia | 201,757 | 105,379 | 94,480 | 1,898 |
| Wisconsin | 447,409 | 268,135 | 165,523 | 13,751 |
| Wyoming | 21,093 | 10,072 | 10,376 | 645 |
| Total | 13,904,866 | 7,105,076 | 6,370,897 | 428,893 |
PV% BY STATES
| State | PV winner | McKinley | Bryan | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Bryan | 28.61% | 66.96% | 4.42% |
| Arkansas | Bryan | 25.11% | 73.70% | 1.19% |
| California | McKinley | 49.11% | 41.23% | 9.66% |
| Colorado | Bryan | 13.86% | 84.95% | 1.19% |
| Connecticut | McKinley | 63.24% | 32.54% | 4.23% |
| Delaware | McKinley | 53.53% | 42.57% | 3.91% |
| Florida | Bryan | 24.31% | 66.03% | 9.66% |
| Georgia | Bryan | 36.81% | 58.01% | 5.19% |
| Idaho | Bryan | 21.34% | 78.08% | 0.58% |
| Illinois | McKinley | 55.66% | 42.69% | 1.65% |
| Indiana | McKinley | 50.82% | 47.96% | 1.22% |
| Iowa | McKinley | 55.47% | 42.90% | 1.63% |
| Kansas | Bryan | 47.45% | 51.49% | 1.06% |
| Kentucky | McKinley | 48.93% | 48.86% | 2.21% |
| Louisiana | Bryan | 21.81% | 76.38% | 1.82% |
| Maine | McKinley | 67.90% | 29.21% | 2.90% |
| Maryland | McKinley | 54.73% | 41.62% | 3.65% |
| Massachusetts | McKinley | 69.52% | 26.27% | 4.21% |
| Michigan | McKinley | 53.77% | 43.47% | 2.77% |
| Minnesota | McKinley | 56.62% | 40.89% | 2.49% |
| Mississippi | Bryan | 6.93% | 91.04% | 2.04% |
| Missouri | Bryan | 45.24% | 53.95% | 0.81% |
| Montana | Bryan | 19.71% | 79.93% | 0.36% |
| Nebraska | Bryan | 46.18% | 51.53% | 2.29% |
| Nevada | Bryan | 18.79% | 75.65% | 5.57% |
| New Hampshire | McKinley | 68.66% | 25.42% | 5.92% |
| New Jersey | McKinley | 59.67% | 36.03% | 4.31% |
| New York | McKinley | 57.58% | 38.72% | 3.70% |
| North Carolina | Bryan | 46.82% | 52.64% | 0.55% |
| North Dakota | McKinley | 55.57% | 43.65% | 0.78% |
| Ohio | McKinley | 51.86% | 46.82% | 1.32% |
| Oregon | McKinley | 50.03% | 48.02% | 1.95% |
| Pennsylvania | McKinley | 60.98% | 35.76% | 3.26% |
| Rhode Island | McKinley | 68.33% | 26.39% | 5.27% |
| South Carolina | Bryan | 13.51% | 85.30% | 1.20% |
| South Dakota | Bryan | 49.48% | 49.71% | 0.81% |
| Tennessee | Bryan | 46.33% | 52.09% | 1.57% |
| Texas | Bryan | 31.67% | 51.90% | 16.43% |
| Utah | Bryan | 17.27% | 82.73% | — |
| Vermont | McKinley | 80.10% | 15.95% | 3.96% |
| Virginia | Bryan | 45.94% | 52.50% | 1.56% |
| Washington | Bryan | 41.90% | 55.28% | 2.82% |
| West Virginia | McKinley | 52.23% | 46.83% | 0.94% |
| Wisconsin | McKinley | 59.93% | 37.00% | 3.07% |
| Wyoming | Bryan | 47.75% | 49.19% | 3.06% |
| Total | McKinley | 51.10% | 45.82% | 3.08% |
EV BY STATES
| State | Total EV | McKinley | Bryan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Arkansas | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| California | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| Colorado | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Connecticut | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Delaware | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Florida | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Georgia | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Idaho | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Illinois | 24 | 24 | 0 |
| Indiana | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Iowa | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| Kansas | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Kentucky | 13 | 12 | 1 |
| Louisiana | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Maine | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Maryland | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Massachusetts | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Michigan | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Mississippi | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Missouri | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Montana | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Nebraska | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Nevada | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| New Hampshire | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| New Jersey | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| New York | 36 | 36 | 0 |
| North Carolina | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| North Dakota | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Ohio | 23 | 23 | 0 |
| Oregon | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Pennsylvania | 32 | 32 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| South Carolina | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| South Dakota | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Tennessee | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Texas | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Utah | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Vermont | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Virginia | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Washington | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| West Virginia | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Wyoming | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 447 | 271 | 176 |
MARGINS AND FLIPS
| State | PV winner | Runnerup | Gap (votes) | Gap (points) | Flip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Bryan | McKinley | 74,625 | 38.35 | 37,313 |
| Arkansas | Bryan | McKinley | 72,591 | 48.59 | 36,296 |
| California | McKinley | Bryan | 23,545 | 7.88 | 11,773 |
| Colorado | Bryan | McKinley | 134,734 | 71.09 | 67,368 |
| Connecticut | McKinley | Bryan | 53,545 | 30.70 | 26,773 |
| Delaware | McKinley | Bryan | 3,458 | 10.96 | 1,730 |
| Florida | Bryan | McKinley | 19,385 | 41.72 | 9,693 |
| Georgia | Bryan | McKinley | 34,626 | 21.20 | 17,314 |
| Idaho | Bryan | McKinley | 16,811 | 56.73 | 8,406 |
| Illinois | McKinley | Bryan | 141,537 | 12.98 | 70,769 |
| Indiana | McKinley | Bryan | 18,216 | 2.86 | 9,109 |
| Iowa | McKinley | Bryan | 65,549 | 12.57 | 32,775 |
| Kansas | Bryan | McKinley | 13,565 | 4.04 | 6,783 |
| Kentucky | McKinley | Bryan | 277 | 0.06 | 139 |
| Louisiana | Bryan | McKinley | 55,138 | 54.57 | 27,570 |
| Maine | McKinley | Bryan | 45,816 | 38.69 | 22,909 |
| Maryland | McKinley | Bryan | 32,809 | 13.11 | 16,405 |
| Massachusetts | McKinley | Bryan | 173,562 | 43.25 | 86,782 |
| Michigan | McKinley | Bryan | 56,172 | 10.30 | 28,087 |
| Minnesota | McKinley | Bryan | 53,768 | 15.73 | 26,885 |
| Mississippi | Bryan | McKinley | 58,536 | 84.11 | 29,269 |
| Missouri | Bryan | McKinley | 58,727 | 8.71 | 29,364 |
| Montana | Bryan | McKinley | 32,119 | 60.23 | 16,060 |
| Nebraska | Bryan | McKinley | 11,943 | 5.35 | 5,972 |
| Nevada | Bryan | McKinley | 5,864 | 56.86 | 2,933 |
| New Hampshire | McKinley | Bryan | 36,173 | 43.23 | 18,087 |
| New Jersey | McKinley | Bryan | 87,692 | 23.64 | 43,847 |
| New York | McKinley | Bryan | 268,469 | 18.86 | 134,235 |
| North Carolina | Bryan | McKinley | 19,286 | 5.82 | 9,644 |
| North Dakota | McKinley | Bryan | 5,649 | 11.92 | 2,825 |
| Ohio | McKinley | Bryan | 51,109 | 5.04 | 25,555 |
| Oregon | McKinley | Bryan | 1,961 | 2.01 | 981 |
| Pennsylvania | McKinley | Bryan | 301,175 | 25.22 | 150,588 |
| Rhode Island | McKinley | Bryan | 22,978 | 41.94 | 11,490 |
| South Carolina | Bryan | McKinley | 49,488 | 71.79 | 24,745 |
| South Dakota | Bryan | McKinley | 185 | 0.22 | 93 |
| Tennessee | Bryan | McKinley | 18,485 | 5.76 | 9,243 |
| Texas | Bryan | McKinley | 104,390 | 20.23 | 52,196 |
| Utah | Bryan | McKinley | 51,116 | 65.45 | 25,559 |
| Vermont | McKinley | Bryan | 40,948 | 64.15 | 20,475 |
| Virginia | Bryan | McKinley | 19,329 | 6.56 | 9,665 |
| Washington | Bryan | McKinley | 12,493 | 13.37 | 6,247 |
| West Virginia | McKinley | Bryan | 10,899 | 5.40 | 5,450 |
| Wisconsin | McKinley | Bryan | 102,612 | 22.94 | 51,307 |
| Wyoming | Bryan | McKinley | 304 | 1.44 | 153 |
| Total | McKinley | Bryan | 734,179 | 5.28 | 367,090 |