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1920 United States presidential election in New York

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Main article: 1920 United States presidential election

The 1920 United States presidential election in New York took place on November 2, 1920. All contemporary 48 states were part of the 1920 United States presidential election. Voters chose 45 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

1920 United States presidential election in New York
← 1916 November 2, 1920 1924 →
Turnout56.4%[1] Decrease 15.2 pp
 
Nominee Warren G. Harding James M. Cox Eugene V. Debs
Party Republican Democratic Socialist
Home state Ohio Ohio Indiana
Running mate Calvin Coolidge Franklin D. Roosevelt Seymour Stedman
Electoral vote 45 0 0
Popular vote 1,871,167 781,238 203,201
Percentage 64.56% 26.95% 7.01%
County Results
Harding
  50–60%
  60–70%
  70–80%

President before election

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

Elected President

Warren G. Harding
Republican

New York was won by Republican Senator Warren G. Harding of Ohio, who was running against Democratic Ohio Governor James M. Cox. Harding's running mate was Governor Calvin Coolidge of Massachusetts, while Cox ran with Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York. Also running that year was Socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs of Indiana and his running mate Seymour Stedman of Illinois.

Harding won New York State with an overwhelming landslide of 64.56% of the vote to Cox's 26.95%, a victory margin of 37.61%. Socialist Party candidate Eugene Debs finished with a relatively strong showing for a third party candidate, taking 7.01% of the vote, more than twice his national vote share, making New York his third strongest state in the nation. The strongest county for Debs within the state was the New York City borough of the Bronx, where Debs broke 15% of the vote.

With the deeply unpopular Democratic administration of Woodrow Wilson as the backdrop for the 1920 campaign,[2] Warren G. Harding promised a "return to normalcy" that appealed to many voters,[3] while Cox was tied to the policies of the Wilson administration, which had even in 1916 been criticized for insensitivity to Irish-American wishes.[4] Harding won nationally in one of the most decisive landslides in American history, and New York, already a fiercely Republican state during the Fourth Party System, went even harder for Harding than the nation, making New York a solid 12% more Republican than the national average.[5] The Irish-Americans were offended by Cox' close ties to Wilson's proposed League of Nations;[6] whilst Palatine Germans who had been the Democratic Party's other base in New York since before the Civil War were similarly offended by Wilson's pro-British policies. Schoharie County, which had been the only New York county to stay Democratic during the "free silver" election of 1896, went Republican for the first time ever[7] and has only twice voted Democratic since.[note 1]

Results

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1920 United States presidential election in New York[8]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Warren G. Harding 1,871,167 64.56% 45
Democratic James Cox 781,238 26.95% 0
Socialist Eugene V. Debs 203,201 7.01% 0
Prohibition Aaron S. Watkins 19,653 0.68% 0
Farmer-Labor Parley P. Christensen 18,413 0.64% 0
Socialist Labor William Wesley Cox 4,841 0.17% 0
Totals 2,898,513 100.0% 45

New York City results

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1920 Presidential Election in New York City Manhattan The Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten Island Total
Republican Warren G. Harding 275,013 106,050 292,692 94,360 17,844 785,959 61.42%
59.22% 56.61% 63.32% 68.71% 63.15%
Democratic James M. Cox 135,249 45,741 119,612 35,296 9,373 345,271 26.98%
29.12% 24.42% 25.88% 25.70% 33.17%
Socialist Eugene V. Debs 46,049 32,923 45,100 6,143 712 130,927 10.23%
9.92% 17.57% 9.76% 4.47% 2.52%
Farmer-Labor Parley P. Christensen 7,079 1,949 3,473 1,204 170 13,875 1.08%
1.52% 1.04% 0.75% 0.88% 0.60%
Socialist Labor William W. Cox 567 452 638 179 48 1,884 0.15%
0.12% 0.24% 0.14% 0.13% 0.17%
Prohibition Aaron S. Watkins 463 214 733 142 111 1,663 0.13%
0.10% 0.11% 0.16% 0.10% 0.39%
TOTAL 464,420 187,329 462,248 137,324 28,258 1,279,579 100.00%

Results by county

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Results by Manhattan assembly district. Colors are as above with the following additions:
  Harding—30-40%
  Cox—40-50%
  Cox—80-90%
 
Results by Bronx assembly district.
County Warren G. Harding
Republican 		James M. Cox
Democratic 		Eugene V. Debs
Socialist 		Aaron Watkins
Prohibition 		Parley P. Christensen
Farmer-Labor 		William W. Cox
Socialist Labor 		Margin Total votes cast[9]
# % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Albany 48,750 61.72% 28,376 35.92% 1,438 1.82% 244 0.31% 118 0.15% 63 0.08% 20,374 25.79% 78,989
Allegany 10,898 74.15% 2,799 19.04% 513 3.49% 441 3.00% 22 0.15% 24 0.16% 8,099 55.11% 14,697
Bronx 106,050 56.61% 45,741 24.42% 32,923 17.57% 214 0.11% 1,949 1.04% 452 0.24% 60,309 32.19% 187,329
Broome 24,759 68.96% 9,251 25.77% 1,120 3.12% 623 1.74% 90 0.25% 60 0.17% 15,508 43.19% 35,903
Cattaraugus 16,083 66.93% 6,693 27.85% 658 2.74% 481 2.00% 75 0.31% 39 0.16% 9,390 39.08% 24,029
Cayuga 15,234 67.68% 6,343 28.18% 639 2.84% 191 0.85% 33 0.15% 70 0.31% 8,891 39.50% 22,510
Chautauqua 27,618 71.57% 6,781 17.57% 3,143 8.15% 869 2.25% 62 0.16% 114 0.30% 20,837 54.00% 38,587
Chemung 17,864 68.53% 7,060 27.08% 431 1.65% 633 2.43% 46 0.18% 34 0.13% 10,804 41.45% 26,068
Chenango 10,116 71.12% 3,735 26.26% 68 0.48% 282 1.98% 14 0.10% 9 0.06% 6,381 44.86% 14,224
Clinton 9,062 67.70% 4,110 30.71% 29 0.22% 166 1.24% 11 0.08% 7 0.05% 4,952 37.00% 13,385
Columbia 9,284 62.63% 5,203 35.10% 211 1.42% 95 0.64% 15 0.10% 15 0.10% 4,081 27.53% 14,823
Cortland 9,606 76.75% 2,541 20.30% 136 1.09% 218 1.74% 6 0.05% 9 0.07% 7,065 56.45% 12,516
Delaware 11,719 70.17% 4,528 27.11% 150 0.90% 269 1.61% 27 0.16% 8 0.05% 7,191 43.06% 16,701
Dutchess 21,152 65.60% 9,938 30.82% 882 2.74% 167 0.52% 71 0.22% 36 0.11% 11,214 34.78% 32,246
Erie 99,762 63.22% 40,436 25.63% 15,111 9.58% 1,430 0.91% 521 0.33% 536 0.34% 59,326 37.60% 157,796
Essex 8,042 77.48% 2,218 21.37% 47 0.45% 61 0.59% 9 0.09% 2 0.02% 5,824 56.11% 10,379
Franklin 9,786 70.58% 3,825 27.59% 62 0.45% 178 1.28% 12 0.09% 2 0.01% 5,961 42.99% 13,865
Fulton 10,946 70.44% 3,192 20.54% 888 5.71% 436 2.81% 35 0.23% 42 0.27% 7,754 49.90% 15,539
Genesee 9,628 74.50% 2,570 19.89% 539 4.17% 152 1.18% 13 0.10% 21 0.16% 7,058 54.62% 12,923
Greene 6,323 61.50% 3,498 34.02% 264 2.57% 160 1.56% 20 0.19% 17 0.17% 2,825 27.48% 10,282
Hamilton 881 62.66% 516 36.70% 3 0.21% 4 0.28% 2 0.14% 0 0.00% 365 25.96% 1,406
Herkimer 14,310 65.27% 6,507 29.68% 793 3.62% 264 1.20% 25 0.11% 25 0.11% 7,803 35.59% 21,924
Jefferson 22,072 70.74% 7,925 25.40% 252 0.81% 406 1.30% 510 1.63% 36 0.12% 14,147 45.34% 31,201
Kings 292,692 63.32% 119,612 25.88% 45,100 9.76% 733 0.16% 3,473 0.75% 638 0.14% 173,080 37.44% 462,248
Lewis 5,906 67.95% 2,673 30.75% 24 0.28% 76 0.87% 10 0.12% 3 0.03% 3,233 37.20% 8,692
Livingston 9,488 68.84% 3,571 25.91% 497 3.61% 192 1.39% 17 0.12% 18 0.13% 5,917 42.93% 13,783
Madison 11,094 72.28% 3,797 24.74% 230 1.50% 182 1.19% 22 0.14% 23 0.15% 7,297 47.54% 15,348
Monroe 73,809 63.78% 28,523 24.65% 11,089 9.58% 1,324 1.14% 678 0.59% 298 0.26% 45,286 39.13% 115,721
Montgomery 12,835 66.07% 5,911 30.43% 476 2.45% 134 0.69% 26 0.13% 43 0.22% 6,924 35.64% 19,425
Nassau 33,099 76.39% 8,595 19.84% 1,254 2.89% 155 0.36% 182 0.42% 46 0.11% 24,504 56.55% 43,331
New York 275,013 59.22% 135,249 29.12% 46,049 9.92% 463 0.10% 7,079 1.52% 567 0.12% 139,764 30.09% 464,420
Niagara 21,193 68.29% 7,416 23.90% 1,872 6.03% 380 1.22% 104 0.34% 67 0.22% 13,777 44.40% 31,032
Oneida 36,311 66.27% 15,560 28.40% 2,297 4.19% 412 0.75% 78 0.14% 133 0.24% 20,751 37.87% 54,791
Onondaga 57,008 66.25% 23,308 27.09% 4,707 5.47% 640 0.74% 163 0.19% 221 0.26% 33,700 39.16% 86,047
Ontario 13,361 66.20% 5,678 28.13% 914 4.53% 186 0.92% 24 0.12% 21 0.10% 7,683 38.06% 20,184
Orange 24,558 66.13% 10,567 28.46% 1,573 4.24% 292 0.79% 93 0.25% 52 0.14% 13,991 37.68% 37,135
Orleans 8,305 72.79% 2,266 19.86% 620 5.43% 176 1.54% 30 0.26% 13 0.11% 6,039 52.93% 11,410
Oswego 17,905 66.37% 8,045 29.82% 491 1.82% 474 1.76% 36 0.13% 28 0.10% 9,860 36.55% 26,979
Otsego 12,112 63.88% 6,275 33.09% 134 0.71% 391 2.06% 36 0.19% 13 0.07% 5,837 30.78% 18,961
Putnam 3,447 70.19% 1,405 28.61% 23 0.47% 20 0.41% 8 0.16% 8 0.16% 2,042 41.58% 4,911
Queens 94,360 68.71% 35,296 25.70% 6,143 4.47% 142 0.10% 1,204 0.88% 179 0.13% 59,064 43.01% 137,324
Rensselaer 28,810 56.08% 20,224 39.37% 1,849 3.60% 278 0.54% 116 0.23% 94 0.18% 8,586 16.71% 51,371
Richmond 17,844 63.15% 9,373 33.17% 712 2.52% 111 0.39% 170 0.60% 48 0.17% 8,471 29.98% 28,258
Rockland 11,169 66.10% 5,057 29.93% 498 2.95% 80 0.47% 67 0.40% 26 0.15% 6,112 36.17% 16,897
Saratoga 16,222 67.99% 6,905 28.94% 351 1.47% 290 1.22% 73 0.31% 17 0.07% 9,317 39.05% 23,858
Schenectady 19,208 57.20% 8,741 26.03% 4,941 14.71% 509 1.52% 66 0.20% 117 0.35% 10,467 31.17% 33,582
Schoharie 5,572 58.43% 3,697 38.76% 30 0.31% 215 2.25% 12 0.13% 11 0.12% 1,875 19.66% 9,537
Schuyler 3,827 71.29% 1,231 22.93% 151 2.81% 138 2.57% 9 0.17% 12 0.22% 2,596 48.36% 5,368
Seneca 6,260 64.56% 3,023 31.18% 250 2.58% 135 1.39% 12 0.12% 16 0.17% 3,237 33.38% 9,696
St. Lawrence 24,651 75.60% 7,213 22.12% 372 1.14% 282 0.86% 56 0.17% 32 0.10% 17,438 53.48% 32,606
Steuben 18,335 65.79% 7,401 26.56% 1,217 4.37% 784 2.81% 52 0.19% 79 0.28% 10,934 39.23% 27,868
Suffolk 26,737 73.10% 8,852 24.20% 596 1.63% 233 0.64% 118 0.32% 38 0.10% 17,885 48.90% 36,574
Sullivan 8,029 64.45% 3,623 29.08% 671 5.39% 98 0.79% 26 0.21% 11 0.09% 4,406 35.37% 12,458
Tioga 6,772 71.20% 2,406 25.30% 83 0.87% 223 2.34% 16 0.17% 11 0.12% 4,366 45.90% 9,511
Tompkins 9,508 70.05% 3,487 25.69% 288 2.12% 250 1.84% 21 0.15% 19 0.14% 6,021 44.36% 13,573
Ulster 19,001 66.41% 8,759 30.61% 301 1.05% 455 1.59% 76 0.27% 20 0.07% 10,242 35.80% 28,612
Warren 9,009 71.76% 3,227 25.70% 189 1.51% 101 0.80% 20 0.16% 9 0.07% 5,782 46.05% 12,555
Washington 13,647 75.43% 4,124 22.79% 162 0.90% 123 0.68% 24 0.13% 13 0.07% 9,523 52.63% 18,093
Wayne 13,333 73.24% 4,289 23.56% 304 1.67% 241 1.32% 18 0.10% 20 0.11% 9,044 49.68% 18,205
Westchester 76,020 68.28% 28,060 25.20% 6,097 5.48% 435 0.39% 485 0.44% 238 0.21% 47,960 43.08% 111,335
Wyoming 9,134 75.48% 2,442 20.18% 294 2.43% 194 1.60% 21 0.17% 16 0.13% 6,692 55.30% 12,101
Yates 5,638 76.28% 1,571 21.26% 52 0.70% 122 1.65% 6 0.08% 2 0.03% 4,067 55.03% 7,391
Totals 1,871,167 64.56% 781,238 26.95% 203,201 7.01% 19,653 0.68% 18,413 0.64% 4,841 0.17% 1,089,929 37.60% 2,898,513

Analysis

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Harding swept every county in the state of New York, winning every upstate county as well as winning all five boroughs of New York City and Long Island. All but five of New York State's 62 counties went Republican with more than 60% of the vote.

Harding won heavily populated New York City as a whole with a commanding majority, sweeping all 5 boroughs. Harding received over 60% of the vote in the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, and also won majorities in Manhattan and the Bronx.[10] 1920 was the first of only two occasions in which a Republican presidential candidate won all 5 boroughs of New York City since the city's incorporation in 1898, the other occasion being 1924. 1920 remains the only election ever in which a Republican presidential candidate has won an absolute majority of the vote in all five boroughs as well as in New York City as a whole. In 1924, Calvin Coolidge would win every borough of New York City for the GOP once more, but with mere pluralities in every borough sans Queens. This is the second of three elections in which Republicans won New York City as a whole (along with 1896 and 1924).

Likewise, this was the first of only two occasions (the other being 1924) in which a Republican has won the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx since they took their modern forms with the creation of Bronx County in 1914.[11]

Harding also won decisive majorities in upstate New York in rural and urban counties. Harding won over 60% in Albany County, home to the state capital of Albany, as well as in Erie County, home to the city of Buffalo, and in Monroe County, home to the city of Rochester. 1920 made Warren G. Harding the first of three presidential candidates of either party who has been able to sweep every county in New York State, the only others being Republican Calvin Coolidge in 1924 and Democrat Lyndon Johnson in 1964. As of 2020, this is the most recent election where New York's most Democratic county was not one of the five boroughs of New York City, as Cox had his best performance in Upstate Rensselaer County.

Harding's 64.56% of the vote in New York State remains the highest vote share any Republican presidential candidate has ever received in the state, and the second-highest vote share any candidate of either party has ever gotten in the state, beaten only by Democrat Lyndon Johnson's 68.56% in the Democratic landslide of 1964. Harding's landslide victory margin of 37.61% remains the widest margin by which any candidate of either party has ever won New York State, beating even Lyndon Johnson's 37.25% in 1964.[12]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ These were for Lyndon Johnson against Barry Goldwater in 1964 and for Bill Clinton against Bob Dole in 1996.

References

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  1. ^ Bicentennial Edition: Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, part 2, p. 1072.
  2. ^ McGerr, Michael E.; The Decline of Popular Politics: The American North, 1865-1928; p. 169 ISBN 0195363760
  3. ^ Carr, Richard and Hart, Bradley W.; The Global 1920s: Politics, Economics and Society, p. 143 ISBN 1317277872
  4. ^ Lichtman, Allan J.; Prejudice and the Old Politics: The Presidential Election of 1928, p. 103 ISBN 0739101269
  5. ^ Counting the Votes; New York
  6. ^ Yanoso, Nicole Anderson; The Irish and the American Presidency, p. 143 ISBN 1351480642
  7. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 121 ISBN 9780691163246
  8. ^ "1920 Presidential Election Results - New York". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  9. ^ New York State Board of Elections; 'Vote for Electors of President in 1920'; New York Red Book (1921) p. 530
  10. ^ Keuchtenberg, William E.; The Perils of Prosperity, 1914-1932; p. 88 ISBN 0226473716
  11. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; 'How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  12. ^ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; Presidential General Election Results Comparison – New York
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