1924 United States presidential election in Tennessee

none June 2025 September 2023 1924 United States presidential election 1924 United States presidential election in Tennessee Tennessee presidential no November 4, 1924 All 12 Tennessee votes to the Electoral College 1920 United States presidential election in Tennessee 1920 1928 United States presidential election in Tennessee 1928 x200px John William Davis.jpg John W. Davis Democratic Party (United States) West Virginia Charles W. Bryan 12 158,682 52.86% Calvin Coolidge cph.3g10777 crop.jpg Calvin Coolidge Republican Party (United States) Massachusetts Charles G. Dawes 0 130,728 43.54% 350px County results Davis #b9d7ff 40–50% #86b6f2 50–60% #4389e3 60–70% #1666cb 70–80% #0645b4 80–90% #002b84 90–100% Coolidge #f2b3be 40–50% #e27f90 50–60% #cc2f4a 60–70% #d40000 70–80% #aa0000 80–90% #800000 90–100% President Calvin Coolidge Republican Party (United States) Calvin Coolidge Republican Party (United States) The 1924 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 4, 1924, as part of the 1924 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. 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 WayneWright, John K.; ‘Voting Habits in the United States: A Note on Two Maps’; Geographical Review, vol. 22, no. 4 (October 1932), pp. 666–672 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.Key (Jr.), Valdimer Orlando; Southern Politics in State and Nation (New York, 1949), pp. 282–283 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.Lyons, William; Scheb (II), John M. and Stair Billy; Government and Politics in Tennessee, pp. 183–184 1572331410 After the disfranchisement of the state's African-American population by a poll tax was largely complete in the 1890s,Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 208, 210 9780691163246 the Democratic Party was certain of winning statewide elections if united,Grantham, Dewey W.; ‘Tennessee and Twentieth-Century American Politics’; Tennessee Historical Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Fall 1995), pp. 210–229 although unlike the Deep South Republicans would almost always gain thirty to forty percent of the statewide vote from mountain and Highland Rim support. When the Democratic Party was bitterly divided, the Republicans did win the governorship in 1910 and 1912, but did not gain at other levels. The 1920 election saw a significant but not radical change, whereby by moving into a small number of traditionally Democratic areas in Middle TennesseeReichard, 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 and expanding turnout due to the Nineteenth Amendment and powerful isolationist sentiment,Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 211 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, with the ebbing of isolationist sympathy and a consequent decline in turnout,Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 287 the Democratic Party regained the three seats lost in 1920 and also regained Tennessee's governorship under Austin Peay, later to become notorious for attempting to prohibit the teaching of evolution. During the deeply divided Democratic presidential primaries and 1924 Democratic National Convention, Governor Peay was Tennessee's main representative‘Who's Who Among the Convention Leaders: Democratic Big Guns, Including Favorite Sons and Dark Horses, From All Parts of the Country, Will Be at Madison Square Garden’; The New York Times, June 22, 1924, p. XX5 Despite Tennessee's strong prohibitionist leanings and "Bible Belt" anti-Catholicism, it was thought popular Catholic New York Governor Al Smith would have to carry the state at this convention to win the Democratic nomination.See McAdoo's Hopes Go as Smith's Gain: Democratic Leaders Predict a Deadlock on Nominations for President The New York Times February 12, 1924 3 However, in May, Tennessee went to Smith's rival William Gibbs McAdoo, who represented the rural, southern, historically secessionist and prohibitionist wing of the party.Price, Harry N. Compromise Seen Democrats' Choice; Deadlock Possible: No Leading Candidate Will Win, Shrewd Observers Declare The Washington Post May 25, 1924 1 Ultimately neither Smith nor McAdoo could prove acceptable to all Democratic delegates and the nomination went to a compromise candidate in Wall Street lawyer John W. Davis of West Virginia. Although West Virginia was a border state whose limited African-American population had not been disenfranchised as in all former Confederate States,Ranney, Joseph A.; In the Wake of Slavery: Civil War, Civil Rights, and the Reconstruction of Southern Law; p. 141 0275989720 Davis did share the extreme social conservatism of Southern Democrats of his era. He supported poll taxes, opposed women's suffrage, and believed in strictly limited government with no expansion in nonmilitary fields.Newman, Roger K.; The Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law, p. 153 0300113005 At the same time a progressive third-party run was predicted as early as winter 1923–24, and ultimately Wisconsin Senator Robert M. La Follette Sr. would be nominated by the "Committee for Progressive Political Action".Richardson, Danny G.; Others: "Fighting Bob" La Follette and the Progressive Movement: Third-Party Politics in the 1920s, pp. 180–183 0595481264 Campaign The possibility of large La Follette votes in the Midwest and West tying up the Electoral College led Coolidge and Davis to give major priority to Tennessee and the border states – where Progressive candidate Robert M. La Follette generally had little appeal – in the early fall campaigns.Price, Harry N.; ‘Both Parties Count on Tennessee and Kentucky Victories: Vote of Border States Important if La Follette Ties Up Electoral College’; The Washington Post, September 15, 1924, p. 3 In polling from the beginning of October, Tennessee was without representation, but at the end of that month it was rated as doubtful between Coolidge and Davis,Henning, Arthur Sears; ‘Coolidge Majority Is Forecast at 33 Votes As Minimum: Likely to Reach 180 or 190 Electoral Ballots, Writer Declares’; The Washington Post, October 26, 1924, p. 1 although during the third week of that month, Davis himself had said he would carry the state by thirty to fifty thousand votes.Third Party Victory in 6 to 8 States Expected by Davis: He Holds Democrats Have Nothing to Fear, as Only Menace Is to Republican Party The New York Times October 20, 1924 1 At the beginning of November, a drift to Coolidge was predicted by the New York Times, though Davis was still expected to carry the state by fewer than twenty thousand votes.Tennessee: Correspondents See Drift to Coolidge The New York Times As it proved, Davis won Tennessee by slightly more than the New York Times expected – with a twenty-eight-thousand vote plurality. Although La Follette would relegate Davis to third in twelve states and carry his home state of Wisconsin, he had very little appeal amongst Tennessee's poll-tax-restricted electorate, with the exception of small nitrate-mining communities in and around Grundy County where he even ran second ahead of Coolidge. It was predicted in the latest polls that La Follette would gain less than ten percent of Tennessee's ballots, and in the end he finished with only 3.55%, making Tennessee La Follette's fourth-weakest state nationwide. 2024 11 As of 2024, Coolidge remains the last Republican to win the presidency without carrying Tennessee. Results Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV)Popular Vote (PV)John W. Davis of West VirginiaCharles W. BryanDemocratic12https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1924&fips=47&f=0&off=0&elect=0&minper=0 1924 Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas158,68252.86%Calvin CoolidgeCharles G. DawesRepublican0130,72843.54%Robert M. La FolletteBurton K. WheelerProgressive010,6103.53%Herman P. FarisMarie C. BrehmProhibition01000.03%Gilbert NationsCharles Hiram RandallAmerican01000.03% Results by county 1924 United States presidential election in Tennessee by countyTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Elections (untitled)CountyJohn W. DavisDemocraticCalvin CoolidgeRepublicanRobert M. La FolletteProgressiveVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal votescast # % # % # % # % # %Anderson54825.31%1,49569.05%1084.99%70.65% -947 -43.74%2,158Bedford1,79964.60%92533.21%592.12%10.07%87431.38%2,784Benton1,09758.92%71438.35%331.77%90.97%38320.57%1,853Bledsoe48540.96%69058.28%90.76%00.00% -205 -17.31%1,184Blount96825.51%2,75472.57%350.92%191.00% -1,786 -47.06%3,776Bradley99935.40%1,77963.04%361.28%40.28% -780 -27.64%2,818Campbell64818.25%2,62073.78%2837.97%00.00% -1,972 -55.53%3,551Cannon58166.17%28532.46%121.37%00.00%29633.71%878Carroll1,96245.98%2,19951.54%942.20%60.28% -237 -5.55%4,261Carter55113.01%3,65786.33%280.66%00.00% -3,106 -73.32%4,236Cheatham86881.20%18116.93%141.31%30.56%68764.27%1,066Chester75860.25%48438.47%161.27%00.00%27421.78%1,258Claiborne1,09136.86%1,77559.97%943.18%00.00% -684 -23.11%2,960Clay66856.80%48841.50%100.85%50.85%18015.31%1,171Cocke92126.35%2,55673.13%180.52%00.00% -1,635 -46.78%3,495Coffee1,69175.52%48821.80%602.68%00.00%1,20353.73%2,239Crockett1,16865.80%58733.07%201.13%00.00%58132.73%1,775Cumberland53835.63%88558.61%875.76%00.00% -347 -22.98%1,510Davidson11,36365.69%4,51626.11%1,3227.64%480.56%6,84739.58%17,249Decatur87751.71%79947.11%201.18%00.00%784.60%1,696DeKalb1,82956.16%1,40643.17%220.68%00.00%42312.99%3,257Dickson1,64872.38%51622.66%994.35%70.61%1,13249.71%2,270Dyer2,33682.57%47816.90%50.18%50.35%1,85865.68%2,824Fayette1,18192.63%655.10%251.96%20.31%1,11687.53%1,273Fentress42024.62%1,19770.16%895.22%00.00% -777 -45.55%1,706Franklin2,07273.03%70724.92%582.04%00.00%1,36548.11%2,837Gibson3,23574.97%1,03724.03%350.81%40.19%2,19850.94%4,311Giles2,50976.94%67720.76%752.30%00.00%1,83256.18%3,261Grainger65130.59%1,46468.80%130.61%00.00% -813 -38.20%2,128Greene2,58643.83%3,28255.63%260.44%30.10% -696 -11.80%5,897Grundy39451.37%17322.56%19425.29%30.78%200In this county where La Follette ran second ahead of Coolidge, margin given is Davis vote minus La Follette vote and percentage margin Davis percentage minus La Follette percentage.26.08%764Hamblen1,31748.56%1,34249.48%531.95%00.00% -25 -0.92%2,712Hamilton7,51144.76%8,42150.18%8485.05%00.00% -910 -5.42%16,780Hancock30522.76%1,02876.72%70.52%00.00% -723 -53.96%1,340Hardeman1,58683.52%25413.38%552.90%20.21%1,33270.14%1,897Hardin61834.39%1,17565.39%40.22%00.00% -557 -31.00%1,797Hawkins1,59637.58%2,60061.22%511.20%00.00% -1,004 -23.64%4,247Haywood1,87296.15%603.08%150.77%00.00%1,81293.07%1,947Henderson1,00937.68%1,61660.34%511.90%10.07% -607 -22.67%2,677Henry2,47877.36%56217.55%1434.46%100.62%1,91659.82%3,193Hickman92273.29%31525.04%211.67%00.00%60748.25%1,258Houston44476.82%9716.78%335.71%20.69%34760.03%576Humphreys1,00579.89%21617.17%372.94%00.00%78962.72%1,258Jackson1,07474.69%35424.62%100.70%00.00%72050.07%1,438Jefferson71220.68%2,69978.39%320.93%00.00% -1,987 -57.71%3,443Johnson2548.29%2,79991.35%110.36%00.00% -2,545 -83.06%3,064Knox6,93536.53%10,70956.41%1,3407.06%00.00% -3,774 -19.88%18,984Lake81789.39%879.52%80.88%10.22%73079.87%913Lauderdale1,59685.44%24212.96%301.61%00.00%1,35472.48%1,868Lawrence2,18547.34%2,37551.45%561.21%00.00% -190 -4.12%4,616Lewis31058.94%19136.31%254.75%00.00%11922.62%526Lincoln2,35685.67%35712.98%250.91%60.44%1,99972.69%2,744Loudon70330.49%1,53366.48%622.69%40.35% -830 -35.99%2,302Macon68927.43%1,80871.97%150.60%00.00% -1,119 -44.55%2,512Madison3,42269.40%1,11022.51%3998.09%00.00%2,31246.89%4,931Marion1,03646.84%1,07448.55%1024.61%00.00% -38 -1.72%2,212Marshall1,69681.34%34916.74%401.92%00.00%1,34764.60%2,085Maury3,00076.06%84421.40%1002.54%00.00%2,15654.67%3,944McMinn1,61735.85%2,65458.85%2395.30%00.00% -1,037 -22.99%4,510McNairy1,12540.53%1,62558.54%260.94%00.00% -500 -18.01%2,776Meigs57446.10%65752.77%141.12%00.00% -83 -6.67%1,245Monroe2,22647.18%2,48052.56%120.25%00.00% -254 -5.38%4,718Montgomery1,94666.10%94131.96%511.73%30.20%1,00534.14%2,941Moore49291.62%417.64%40.74%00.00%45183.99%537Morgan41123.39%1,10362.78%24313.83%00.00% -692 -39.39%1,757Obion3,22385.51%48512.87%611.62%00.00%2,73872.65%3,769Overton1,53261.85%90036.33%451.82%00.00%63225.51%2,477Perry49464.49%26834.99%40.52%00.00%22629.50%766Pickett64348.56%67651.06%50.38%00.00% -33 -2.49%1,324Polk1,15047.31%1,24751.30%341.40%00.00% -97 -3.99%2,431Putnam2,47461.47%1,48936.99%481.19%70.35%98524.47%4,018Rhea1,16948.59%1,16848.55%652.70%20.17%10.04%2,404Roane79530.75%1,63563.25%1395.38%80.62% -840 -32.50%2,577Robertson1,64585.50%22911.90%381.98%60.62%1,41673.60%1,918Rutherford2,13775.01%68023.87%321.12%00.00%1,45751.14%2,849Scott27413.22%1,61177.71%1889.07%00.00% -1,337 -64.50%2,073Sequatchie37459.74%24739.46%50.80%00.00%12720.29%626Sevier44811.23%3,51788.17%240.60%00.00% -3,069 -76.94%3,989Shelby13,69659.37%7,36931.95%2,0028.68%00.00%6,32727.43%23,067Smith1,70169.86%70028.75%220.90%60.49%1,00141.11%2,429Stewart1,36982.57%26415.92%251.51%00.00%1,10566.65%1,658Sullivan3,31358.90%2,24739.95%651.16%00.00%1,06618.95%5,625Sumner2,63184.25%43513.93%571.83%00.00%2,19670.32%3,123Tipton1,91787.98%21810.00%401.84%20.18%1,69977.97%2,177Trousdale68482.31%14317.21%40.48%00.00%54165.10%831Unicoi38120.02%1,38172.57%1357.09%30.32% -1,000 -52.55%1,900Union36818.73%1,54078.37%572.90%00.00% -1,172 -59.64%1,965Van Buren35773.91%12325.47%30.62%00.00%23448.45%483Warren1,35672.17%49026.08%231.22%50.53%86646.09%1,874Washington1,83935.65%3,24362.87%761.47%00.00% -1,404 -27.22%5,158Wayne44824.11%1,39875.24%120.65%00.00% -950 -51.13%1,858Weakley3,14972.78%1,15426.67%240.55%00.00%1,99546.11%4,327White1,16270.17%45227.29%422.54%00.00%71042.87%1,656Williamson1,62684.86%24212.63%482.51%00.00%1,38472.23%1,916Wilson2,04376.78%58021.80%260.98%60.45%1,46354.98%2,655Totals158,68252.82%130,72843.52%10,6103.53%2000.13%27,9549.30%300,220 See also United States presidential elections in Tennessee 1924 United States Senate election in Tennessee 1924 Tennessee gubernatorial election Notes References 30em Category:1924 Tennessee elections Tennessee 1924