1908 United States presidential election in Nevada

The 1908 United States presidential election in Nevada was held on November 3, 1908, as part of the 1908 United States presidential election. Voters chose three representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1908 United States presidential election in Nevada

← 1904 November 3, 1908 1912 →
 
Nominee William Jennings Bryan William Howard Taft Eugene V. Debs
Party Democratic Republican Socialist
Home state Nebraska Ohio Indiana
Running mate John W. Kern James S. Sherman Ben Hanford
Electoral vote 3 0 0
Popular vote 11,212 10,775 2,103
Percentage 45.71% 43.93% 8.57%

County Results

President before election

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Elected President

William Howard Taft
Republican

Nevada was won by Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan and his running mate John W. Kern. They defeated the Republican Party nominee William Howard Taft and his running mate James S. Sherman. Bryan won the state by a narrow margin of 1.78%.[1]

Socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs received his highest percentage nationally in Nevada with 8.57% of the vote. Bryan, who had also carried the state against William McKinley in both 1896 and 1900 saw a loss of 35.50% from his 1896 vote and of 16.54% from his 1900 vote.

The six Democratic Nevada delegates were selected at the state convention held in Carson City and consisted of Senator Francis G. Newlands, Governor Denver S. Dickerson, Winfield Scott Elliott, Ed W. Clark, John Sunderland, and Charles R. Evans with A. W. Dawley, Charles Green, Thomas Dunn, journalist A. P. Bettersworth, Fred L. White, and Captain G. W. Thatcher serving as alternative delegates with instruction to vote for Bryan. Recently elected Governor Dickerson lead the Nevada delegation at the Democratic national convention.[2][3]

The five Republican Nevada delegates were selected at the state convention held in Winnemucca and consisted of J. F. Douglas, P. L. Flanigan, Wm. Easton, Hugh Brown, and Geo Russell and were to be accompanied by Senator George S. Nixon and were left uninstructed as to whom to vote for, but stated that they favored Taft. M. D. Staunton, John G. Thompson, O. R. Morgan, O. J. Smith, and R. W. Parry were selected as alternative delegates.[4][5]

In September Eugene V. Debs made a short stop in Caliente and addressed a crowd during a train stop.[6] On October 31 a political rally in favor of Taft was held in Reno where Senatorial candidate P. L. Flanigan, former Nevada Supreme Court Justice William A. Massey, and others spoke in favor of Taft, their candidacies, and of the Republican platform.[7]

This was the last presidential election where a Democrat carried Nevada without winning the presidency until 2016, and remains the last time that the state has supported a Democrat who lost the popular vote.

Results

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General Election Results[8]
Party Pledged to Elector Votes
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan Charles S. Sprague 11,212
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan L. L. Hudson 11,192
Democratic Party William Jennings Bryan J. A. Miller Sr. 11,164
Republican Party William Howard Taft J. G. Thompson 10,775
Republican Party William Howard Taft H. A. Comins 10,726
Republican Party William Howard Taft W. R. Thomas 10,703
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs J. B. Gibson 2,103
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs Charles T. Williams 2,078
Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs E. A. Anderson 2,076
Independence Party Thomas L. Hisgen H. W. Miles 436
Independence Party Thomas L. Hisgen Martin Dean 436
Independence Party Thomas L. Hisgen J. G. Hagerman 425
Votes cast[a] 24,526

Results by county

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County William Jennings Bryan
Democratic
William Howard Taft
Republican
Eugene V. Debs
Socialist
Thomas L. Hisgen
Independence League
Margin Total votes cast[b]
# % # % # % # % # %
Churchill 382 45.53% 389 46.36% 56 6.67% 12 1.43% -7 -0.83% 839
Douglas 173 41.29% 229 54.65% 17 4.06% 0 0.00% -56 -13.37% 419
Elko 804 48.49% 737 44.45% 89 5.37% 28 1.69% 67 4.04% 1,658
Esmeralda 2,787 48.18% 2,208 38.17% 632 10.93% 157 2.71% 579 10.01% 5,784
Eureka 218 45.32% 224 46.57% 26 5.41% 13 2.70% -6 -1.25% 481
Humboldt 1,009 49.12% 823 40.07% 194 9.44% 28 1.36% 186 9.06% 2,054
Lander 276 48.08% 257 44.77% 34 5.92% 7 1.22% 19 3.31% 574
Lincoln 768 47.55% 690 42.72% 139 8.61% 18 1.11% 78 4.83% 1,615
Lyon 364 39.78% 458 50.05% 74 8.09% 19 2.08% -94 -10.27% 915
Nye 1,219 43.96% 1,124 40.53% 333 12.01% 97 3.50% 95 3.43% 2,773
Ormsby 343 45.67% 350 46.60% 52 6.92% 6 0.80% -7 -0.93% 751
Storey 402 43.93% 447 48.85% 54 5.90% 12 1.31% -45 -4.92% 915
Washoe 1,745 42.51% 2,053 50.01% 281 6.85% 26 0.63% -308 -7.50% 4,105
White Pine 722 43.94% 786 47.84% 122 7.43% 13 0.79% -64 -3.90% 1,643
Totals 11,212 45.71% 10,775 43.93% 2,103 8.57% 436 1.78% 437 1.78% 24,526

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Based on totals for highest elector on each ticket
  2. ^ Based on highest elector on each ticket

References

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  1. ^ "1908 Presidential General Election Results – Nevada". Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  2. ^ "Democrats Elect Their Delegates". The Pioche Record. June 6, 1908. p. 4. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Dickerson In The Forefront". Nevada State Journal. July 10, 1908. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Nevada Republicans Complete Their Labors After Enthusiastic And Harmonious Convention". Reno Gazette-Journal. August 21, 1908. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Nevada Republicans Complete Their Labors". Reno Gazette-Journal. August 21, 1908. p. 2. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Debs Train Stop". The Pioche Record. September 12, 1908. p. 4. Archived from the original on November 7, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Flanigan and Brown Win Approval of Voters At Closing Rally of Campaign Held in Reno Saturday Night". Reno Gazette-Journal. November 2, 1908. p. 2. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Biennial Report of the Secretary of State 1907-1908. Carson City, Nevada: State Printing Office. p. 192. Retrieved July 9, 2024.