1932 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 1932 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 8, 1932, as part of the 1932 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 11[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1932 United States presidential election in Tennessee

← 1928 November 8, 1932[1] 1936 →

All 11 Tennessee votes to the Electoral College
 
Nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt Herbert Hoover
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New York California
Running mate John Nance Garner Charles Curtis
Electoral vote 11 0
Popular vote 259,473 126,752
Percentage 66.49% 32.48%

County Results

President before election

Herbert Hoover
Republican

Elected President

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic

For over a century after the Civil War, Tennessee was divided according to political loyalties established in that war. Unionist regions covering almost all of East Tennessee, Kentucky Pennyroyal-allied Macon County, and the five West Tennessee Highland Rim counties of Carroll, Henderson, McNairy, Hardin and Wayne[3] voted Republican – generally by landslide margins – as they saw the Democratic Party as the "war party" who had forced them into a war they did not wish to fight.[4] Contrariwise, the rest of Middle and West Tennessee who had supported and driven the state's secession was equally fiercely Democratic as it associated the Republicans with Reconstruction.[5] After the disfranchisement of the state's African-American population by a poll tax was largely complete in the 1890s,[6] the Democratic Party was certain of winning statewide elections if united,[7] although unlike the Deep South Republicans would almost always gain thirty to forty percent of the statewide vote from mountain and Highland Rim support.

The 1920 elections saw a significant but not radical change, whereby by moving into a small number of traditionally Democratic areas in Middle Tennessee[8] and expanding turnout due to the Nineteenth Amendment and powerful isolationist sentiment,[9] the Republican Party was able to capture Tennessee's presidential electoral votes and win the governorship and take three congressional seats in addition to the rock-ribbed GOP First and Second Districts. In 1922 and 1924, with the ebbing of isolationist sympathy and a consequent decline in turnout,[10] the Democratic Party regained Tennessee's governorship and presidential electoral votes; however, in 1928 anti-Catholicism against Democratic nominee Al Smith in this powerfully fundamentalist state[11] meant that Herbert Hoover improved upon Harding’s performance, although he failed to gain the down-ballot coattails of 1920.

The Great Depression and the absence of anti-Catholic issues meant that it was universally expected Tennessee would return to Democratic ranks in 1932.[12] This was especially true because, despite a dispute over the Democratic gubernatorial primary that saw runner-up Lewis Pope make a third-party run in the general election, both Pope and primary winner Hill McAlister strongly backed Roosevelt.[12]

On polling day, the campaign managers for Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt (DNew York), running with Speaker John Nance Garner were confident that the Democratic Party would carry the state by at least one hundred thousand votes.[13] Although the campaign managers for incumbent President Hoover were confident he could retain the state, ultimately Roosevelt’s campaigns were conservative in their estimation. Tennessee would win by the Democrat with 66.49 percent of the popular vote, and Hoover would lose with only 32.48 percent.[14] Despite this, the crest of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains would be the most resistant region to Roosevelt’s appeal in the entire nation: Hoover’s 84.51 percent of the vote in Johnson County, although less than the Republican percentage in the previous four elections, would be the highest he received in any county nationwide,[15] whilst Sevier County and Carter County would be Hoover’s fifth- and sixth-best nationally.

Results

edit
1932 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt 259,473 66.49%
Republican Herbert Hoover (inc.) 126,752 32.48%
Prohibition William David Upshaw 1,998 0.51%
Socialist Norman Thomas 1,796 0.46%
Communist William Z. Foster 237 0.06%
Total votes 390,256 100%

Results by county

edit
1932 United States presidential election in Tennessee by county[16]
County Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Democratic
Herbert Clark Hoover
Republican
William David Upshaw
Prohibition
Norman Mattoon Thomas
Socialist
William Z. Foster
Communist
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Anderson 1,081 40.08% 1,605 59.51% 9 0.33% 2 0.07% 0 0.00% -524 -19.43% 2,697
Bedford 2,264 78.12% 630 21.74% 2 0.07% 2 0.07% 0 0.00% 1,634 56.38% 2,898
Benton 1,540 76.20% 455 22.51% 14 0.69% 9 0.45% 3 0.15% 1,085 53.69% 2,021
Bledsoe 1,034 51.86% 960 48.14% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 74 3.71% 1,994
Blount 1,515 31.13% 3,275 67.29% 61 1.25% 14 0.29% 2 0.04% -1,760 -36.16% 4,867
Bradley 1,295 44.62% 1,570 54.10% 24 0.83% 9 0.31% 4 0.14% -275 -9.48% 2,902
Campbell 1,834 39.79% 2,735 59.34% 22 0.48% 18 0.39% 0 0.00% -901 -19.55% 4,609
Cannon 1,207 76.63% 360 22.86% 5 0.32% 3 0.19% 0 0.00% 847 53.78% 1,575
Carroll 2,603 50.48% 2,505 48.58% 25 0.48% 15 0.29% 8 0.16% 98 1.90% 5,156
Carter 1,574 23.74% 5,055 76.26% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -3,481 -52.51% 6,629
Cheatham 1,370 87.71% 180 11.52% 3 0.19% 7 0.45% 2 0.13% 1,190 76.18% 1,562
Chester 985 72.59% 356 26.23% 10 0.74% 4 0.29% 2 0.15% 629 46.35% 1,357
Claiborne 3,518 66.82% 1,725 32.76% 16 0.30% 5 0.09% 1 0.02% 1,793 34.06% 5,265
Clay 819 68.48% 361 30.18% 6 0.50% 10 0.84% 0 0.00% 458 38.29% 1,196
Cocke 1,557 39.77% 2,324 59.36% 23 0.59% 7 0.18% 4 0.10% -767 -19.59% 3,915
Coffee 1,950 81.25% 430 17.92% 13 0.54% 5 0.21% 2 0.08% 1,520 63.33% 2,400
Crockett 1,934 78.39% 513 20.79% 10 0.41% 10 0.41% 0 0.00% 1,421 57.60% 2,467
Cumberland 996 50.71% 957 48.73% 11 0.56% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 39 1.99% 1,964
Davidson 21,233 74.07% 7,004 24.43% 105 0.37% 300 1.05% 24 0.08% 14,229 49.64% 28,666
Decatur 1,020 62.08% 601 36.58% 10 0.61% 6 0.37% 6 0.37% 419 25.50% 1,643
DeKalb 2,323 60.29% 1,530 39.71% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 793 20.58% 3,853
Dickson 2,007 84.33% 369 15.50% 4 0.17% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,638 68.82% 2,380
Dyer 3,805 90.12% 389 9.21% 27 0.64% 1 0.02% 0 0.00% 3,416 80.91% 4,222
Fayette 1,287 95.62% 42 3.12% 12 0.89% 5 0.37% 0 0.00% 1,245 92.50% 1,346
Fentress 961 39.13% 1,383 56.31% 7 0.29% 103 4.19% 2 0.08% -422 -17.18% 2,456
Franklin 3,029 88.65% 360 10.54% 20 0.59% 6 0.18% 2 0.06% 2,669 78.11% 3,417
Gibson 3,972 84.42% 704 14.96% 19 0.40% 9 0.19% 1 0.02% 3,268 69.46% 4,705
Giles 2,773 81.15% 619 18.12% 9 0.26% 12 0.35% 4 0.12% 2,154 63.04% 3,417
Grainger 995 42.29% 1,325 56.31% 22 0.93% 6 0.25% 5 0.21% -330 -14.02% 2,353
Greene 4,264 56.61% 3,223 42.79% 35 0.46% 10 0.13% 0 0.00% 1,041 13.82% 7,532
Grundy 978 82.12% 198 16.62% 2 0.17% 10 0.84% 3 0.25% 780 65.49% 1,191
Hamblen 2,032 57.69% 1,458 41.40% 32 0.91% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 574 16.30% 3,522
Hamilton 11,469 60.56% 7,090 37.44% 132 0.70% 225 1.19% 21 0.11% 4,379 23.12% 18,937
Hancock 551 33.60% 1,089 66.40% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -538 -32.80% 1,640
Hardeman 2,377 88.69% 281 10.49% 16 0.60% 3 0.11% 3 0.11% 2,096 78.21% 2,680
Hardin 806 43.54% 1,036 55.97% 5 0.27% 4 0.22% 0 0.00% -230 -12.43% 1,851
Hawkins 2,391 45.10% 2,890 54.51% 16 0.30% 5 0.09% 0 0.00% -499 -9.41% 5,302
Haywood 1,788 95.01% 77 4.09% 16 0.85% 1 0.05% 0 0.00% 1,711 90.91% 1,882
Henderson 958 47.22% 1,058 52.14% 5 0.25% 6 0.30% 2 0.10% -100 -4.93% 2,029
Henry 2,867 88.08% 340 10.45% 36 1.11% 11 0.34% 1 0.03% 2,527 77.63% 3,255
Hickman 1,812 82.18% 385 17.46% 8 0.36% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,427 64.72% 2,205
Houston 750 86.51% 112 12.92% 3 0.35% 2 0.23% 0 0.00% 638 73.59% 867
Humphreys 1,455 85.44% 231 13.56% 5 0.29% 8 0.47% 4 0.23% 1,224 71.87% 1,703
Jackson 1,726 86.91% 256 12.89% 3 0.15% 1 0.05% 0 0.00% 1,470 74.02% 1,986
Jefferson 975 29.39% 2,275 68.59% 55 1.66% 12 0.36% 0 0.00% -1,300 -39.19% 3,317
Johnson 425 14.96% 2,400 84.51% 14 0.49% 1 0.04% 0 0.00% -1,975 -69.54% 2,840
Knox 10,755 51.39% 9,774 46.71% 227 1.08% 171 0.82% 0 0.00% 981 4.69% 20,927
Lake 1,824 95.90% 78 4.10% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,746 91.80% 1,902
Lauderdale 2,137 90.94% 174 7.40% 18 0.77% 19 0.81% 2 0.09% 1,963 83.53% 2,350
Lawrence 3,240 65.48% 1,684 34.03% 19 0.38% 5 0.10% 0 0.00% 1,556 31.45% 4,948
Lewis 799 85.36% 137 14.64% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 662 70.73% 936
Lincoln 3,095 90.26% 288 8.40% 38 1.11% 7 0.20% 1 0.03% 2,807 81.86% 3,429
Loudon 1,629 46.50% 1,817 51.87% 19 0.54% 31 0.88% 7 0.20% -188 -5.37% 3,503
Macon 885 43.86% 1,123 55.65% 7 0.35% 3 0.15% 0 0.00% -238 -11.79% 2,018
Madison 4,813 79.83% 1,124 18.64% 65 1.08% 27 0.45% 0 0.00% 3,689 61.19% 6,029
Marion 2,212 61.14% 1,406 38.86% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 806 22.28% 3,618
Marshall 2,167 87.73% 283 11.46% 20 0.81% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,884 76.28% 2,470
Maury 3,392 85.83% 535 13.54% 19 0.48% 3 0.08% 3 0.08% 2,857 72.29% 3,952
McMinn 2,630 47.86% 2,790 50.77% 38 0.69% 35 0.64% 2 0.04% -160 -2.91% 5,495
McNairy 1,961 59.01% 1,350 40.63% 12 0.36% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 611 18.39% 3,323
Meigs 840 59.66% 564 40.06% 4 0.28% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 276 19.60% 1,408
Monroe 2,954 65.97% 1,504 33.59% 9 0.20% 9 0.20% 2 0.04% 1,450 32.38% 4,478
Montgomery 2,747 77.47% 799 22.53% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,948 54.94% 3,546
Moore 923 92.67% 65 6.53% 7 0.70% 1 0.10% 0 0.00% 858 86.14% 996
Morgan 983 44.99% 1,184 54.19% 9 0.41% 9 0.41% 0 0.00% -201 -9.20% 2,185
Obion 3,183 89.18% 334 9.36% 40 1.12% 12 0.34% 0 0.00% 2,849 79.83% 3,569
Overton 2,231 76.80% 661 22.75% 7 0.24% 4 0.14% 2 0.07% 1,570 54.04% 2,905
Perry 705 78.95% 182 20.38% 3 0.34% 2 0.22% 1 0.11% 523 58.57% 893
Pickett 712 50.28% 681 48.09% 14 0.99% 8 0.56% 1 0.07% 31 2.19% 1,416
Polk 2,540 60.74% 1,642 39.26% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 898 21.47% 4,182
Putnam 2,911 69.08% 1,281 30.40% 10 0.24% 7 0.17% 5 0.12% 1,630 38.68% 4,214
Rhea 1,550 51.05% 1,448 47.69% 23 0.76% 10 0.33% 5 0.16% 102 3.36% 3,036
Roane 1,625 43.81% 2,036 54.89% 48 1.29% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -411 -11.08% 3,709
Robertson 2,752 90.71% 252 8.31% 19 0.63% 9 0.30% 2 0.07% 2,500 82.40% 3,034
Rutherford 3,924 86.24% 606 13.32% 11 0.24% 9 0.20% 0 0.00% 3,318 72.92% 4,550
Scott 1,025 34.86% 1,890 64.29% 5 0.17% 18 0.61% 2 0.07% -865 -29.42% 2,940
Sequatchie 777 72.21% 289 26.86% 10 0.93% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 488 45.35% 1,076
Sevier 887 22.21% 3,075 77.01% 22 0.55% 9 0.23% 0 0.00% -2,188 -54.80% 3,993
Shelby 38,320 84.76% 6,332 14.01% 96 0.21% 417 0.92% 44 0.10% 31,988 70.76% 45,209
Smith 2,057 77.10% 595 22.30% 9 0.34% 7 0.26% 0 0.00% 1,462 54.80% 2,668
Stewart 1,548 88.76% 184 10.55% 7 0.40% 5 0.29% 0 0.00% 1,364 78.21% 1,744
Sullivan 5,322 63.04% 2,999 35.52% 112 1.33% 2 0.02% 7 0.08% 2,323 27.52% 8,442
Sumner 3,893 90.47% 382 8.88% 20 0.46% 7 0.16% 1 0.02% 3,511 81.59% 4,303
Tipton 2,892 94.23% 154 5.02% 16 0.52% 4 0.13% 3 0.10% 2,738 89.21% 3,069
Trousdale 835 92.78% 64 7.11% 1 0.11% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 771 85.67% 900
Unicoi 850 33.13% 1,716 66.87% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -866 -33.75% 2,566
Union 802 40.44% 1,169 58.95% 12 0.61% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -367 -18.51% 1,983
Van Buren 613 73.59% 196 23.53% 20 2.40% 1 0.12% 3 0.36% 417 50.06% 833
Warren 2,325 84.09% 410 14.83% 21 0.76% 7 0.25% 2 0.07% 1,915 69.26% 2,765
Washington 3,345 46.86% 3,691 51.71% 71 0.99% 31 0.43% 0 0.00% -346 -4.85% 7,138
Wayne 543 33.13% 1,082 66.02% 6 0.37% 4 0.24% 4 0.24% -539 -32.89% 1,639
Weakley 3,777 82.52% 783 17.11% 13 0.28% 3 0.07% 1 0.02% 2,994 65.41% 4,577
White 1,938 82.79% 390 16.66% 9 0.38% 4 0.17% 0 0.00% 1,548 66.13% 2,341
Williamson 2,777 89.96% 261 8.45% 23 0.75% 19 0.62% 7 0.23% 2,516 81.50% 3,087
Wilson 2,713 82.26% 567 17.19% 15 0.45% 3 0.09% 0 0.00% 2,146 65.07% 3,298
Totals 259,473 66.48% 126,752 32.48% 1,998 0.51% 1,796 0.46% 254 0.07% 132,721 34.01% 390,273

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "United States Presidential election of 1932 – Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  2. ^ "1932 Election for the Thirty-seventh Term (1933-37)". Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  3. ^ Wright, John K.; 'Voting Habits in the United States: A Note on Two Maps'; Geographical Review, vol. 22, no. 4 (October 1932), pp. 666-672
  4. ^ Key (Jr.), Valdimer Orlando; Southern Politics in State and Nation (New York, 1949), pp. 282-283
  5. ^ Lyons, William; Scheb (II), John M. and Stair Billy; Government and Politics in Tennessee, pp. 183-184 ISBN 1572331410
  6. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 208, 210 ISBN 9780691163246
  7. ^ Grantham, Dewey W.; 'Tennessee and Twentieth-Century American Politics'; Tennessee Historical Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Fall 1995), pp. 210-229
  8. ^ Reichard, Gary W.; 'The Aberration of 1920: An Analysis of Harding's Victory in Tennessee'; The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 36, No. 1 (February 1970), pp. 33-49
  9. ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 211
  10. ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 287
  11. ^ Larson, Edward J. (October 3, 2006). Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion. Basic Books. ISBN 9780465075102.
  12. ^ a b "Dixie Voters Will Again Cast Ballots as Solid South: G.O.P. Hoping to Hold Some Gains; Reunited Democrats Planning to Deliver Intact Block to Party Nominee". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. November 6, 1932. p. 8.
  13. ^ "Rain — and Votes — To Pour in County Today – All Governorship Candidates Confident; Shofner Predicts victories for Hoover and McCall over Tennessee". The Knoxville Journal. Knoxville, Tennessee. November 8, 1932. pp. 1, 5.
  14. ^ "1932 Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee". Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  15. ^ "1932 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
  16. ^ "TN US President, November 08, 1932". Our Campaigns.