1956 Republican Party presidential primaries

From March 11 to June 5, 1956, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1956 United States presidential election. Incumbent President Dwight D. Eisenhower was again selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1956 Republican National Convention held from August 20 to August 23, 1956, in San Francisco, California.

1956 Republican Party presidential primaries

March 11 to June 5, 1956

Candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower John W. Bricker Home state Kansas Ohio Contests won 16 0 Popular vote 5,008,132 478,453 Percentage 85.9% 8.21%

Previous Republican nominee Dwight D. Eisenhower Republican nominee Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eisenhower sought re-nomination and faced no formidable opposition. He swept the primaries without difficulty. Senator William F. Knowland of California was on the ballot for a number of them. Knowland had announced he would run if Ike would not, and the president announced so late that there was no time for Knowland to withdraw.

Candidates

Nominee

• 
  President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Withdrew

• John W. Bricker, U.S. Senator from Ohio
• William F. Knowland, U.S. Senator from California

Favorite sons

• S. C. Arnold, Montana Secretary of State
• Joe Foss, Governor of South Dakota

Polling

National polling

Poll source	Publication	John Bricker	Dwight Eisenhower	William Knowland	Richard Nixon
Gallup	Aug. 1954	—	79%	–	—
Gallup	Dec. 1954	—	74%	–	—
Gallup	Apr. 1955	2%	62%	2%	4%
Gallup	Aug. 1955	—	85%	2%	2%
Gallup	Jan. 1956	–	82%	—	—

Results

Statewide contest won by candidates

		Dwight Eisenhower	John W. Bricker	William F. Knowland	Joe Foss [a]	S.C. Arnold [a]	Unpledged
March 13	New Hampshire	99%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
March 20	Minnesota	98%	0%	2%	0%	0%	0%
April 3	Wisconsin	96%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
April 10	Illinois	95%	0%	4%	0%	0%	0%
April 17	New Jersey	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
April 24	Alaska	94%	0%	6%	0%	0%	0%
April 24	Massachusetts	95%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
April 24	Pennsylvania	96%	0%	4%	0%	0%	0%
May 1	Washington, D.C.	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
May 7	Maryland	96%	0%	0%	0%	0%	4%
May 8	Indiana	96%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
May 8	Ohio	0%	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%
May 8	West Virginia	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	100%
May 15	Nebraska	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
May 18	Oregon	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
May 29	Florida	92%	0%	8%	0%	0%	0%
June 6	California	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
June 5	Montana	0%	0%	0%	0%	86%	0%
June 5	South Dakota	0%	0%	0%	100%	0%	0%

a. ^{stand-in candidate for Eisenhower.}

Total popular vote results

Primaries total popular vote results

• Dwight Eisenhower - 5,008,132 (85.93%)
• John W. Bricker - 478,453 (8.21%)
• Unpledged - 115,014 (1.97%)
• William F. Knowland - 84,446 (1.45%)
• Joe Foss - 59,374 (1.02%)
• S.C. Arnold - 32,732 (0.56%)
• Others - 50,283 (0.86%)

See also

• 1956 Democratic Party presidential primaries

External links

• Republican Party Platform of 1956, The American Presidency Project