1908 United States presidential election in Virginia

none June 2025 September 2023 1908 United States presidential election 1908 United States presidential election in Virginia Virginia 1904 presidential no 1904 United States presidential election in Virginia 1904 1912 United States presidential election in Virginia 1912 November 3, 1908 x200px Unsuccessful 1908.jpg William Jennings Bryan Democratic Party (United States) Nebraska John W. Kern 12 82,946 60.52% William Howard Taft, Bain bw photo portrait, 1908.jpg William Howard Taft Republican Party (United States) Ohio James S. Sherman 0 52,572 38.36% 435px 435px County and independent city results Bryan #b9d7ff 40–50% #86b6f2 50–60% #4389e3 60–70% #1666cb 70–80% #0645b4 80–90% Taft #f2b3be 40–50% #e27f90 50–60% #cc2f4a 60–70% #d40000 70–80% President Theodore Roosevelt Republican Party (United States) William Howard Taft Republican Party (United States) The 1908 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 3, 1908, as part of the 1908 United States presidential election. Voters chose twelve representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. The 1900s had seen Virginia, like all former Confederate States, almost completely disenfranchise its black and poor white populations through the use of a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.Kousser J. Morgan The Shaping of Southern Politics Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910 1974 Yale University Press 178–181 0-300-01696-4 So severe was the disenfranchising effect of the new 1902 Constitution that the electorate for the 1904 presidential election was halved compared to that of previous elections, and it has been calculated that a third of those who voted were state employees and officeholders. The limited electorate meant Virginian politics was controlled by political machines — firstly one led by Thomas Staples Martin and after he died the Byrd Organization. However, unlike the Deep South, historical fusion with the “Readjuster” Democrats,Heersink Boris Jenkins Jeffrey A. Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865-1968 March 19, 2020 217–221 Cambridge University Press 978-1107158436 defection of substantial proportions of the Northeast-aligned white electorate of the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia over free silver,Moger Allen The Rift in Virginia Democracy in 1896 The Journal of Southern History 4 3 295–317 10.2307/2191291 2191291 and an early move towards a “lily white” Jim Crow party meant that in general elections the Republicans retained around one-third of the small statewide electorate.Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210, 242 978-0-691-16324-6 Following the failure of Theodore Roosevelt to reconcile with the South, and a hiccup when Republican elector and long-time Lily-White party leader William H. Robinson refused to support party nominee, former Secretary of War William Howard Taft because he was a Unitarian,Taft Man for Bryan 1 Talladega, Alabama Our Mountain Home August 19, 1908 Taft would in July stay for a month in Hot SpringsTaft Leaves for Virginia; Bryan Dissects His Speech July 30, 1908 The Lexington Herald Lexington, Kentucky 1 and in October become the first Republican candidate to tour the Confederacy.Tindall George B. Southern Strategy: A Historical Perspective North Carolina Historical Review 48 2 April 1971 126–141 Early in the campaign third-time Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan criticised Taft as adopting Democratic policies in a slavish manner, but during his later tour of Virginia, Taft was very critical of Bryan for focusing too much on short-term issues.Taft Scores Bryan in Virginia Town October 20, 1908 The Morning Post Camden, New Jersey 7 In front of a crowd of twelve thousand in Richmond, Taft argued that he was the man to bring Virginia and the northern states closer together, and that voting for Republican candidates and policies was highly reasonable.October 18, 1908 The Baltimore Sun 1 Baltimore Virginia Cheers Taft: He Speaks to an Audience of 12,000 in Richmond Despite the enthusiastic reception Taft received in Richmond, he was hindered by the fact that the Richmond Times-Dispatch, which had endorsed William McKinley twelve years previously,Moger Allen The Rift in Virginia Democracy in 1896 The Journal of Southern History 4 3 295–317 10.2307/2191291 2191291 endorsed Bryan this time. Polls in mid-October saw Virginia as safe for Bryan, which would be confirmed at the beginning of the fourth week of that month.Taft Regarded a Sure Winner: Republican Candidate Is Conceded 298 Electoral Votes, or 56 More than Necessary — Bryan Conceded 161 — 24 Doubtful October 22, 2008 Tazewell Republican Tazewell, Virginia Bryan ultimately would win the state by a margin of 22.16 percentage points. At the time this was the largest margin in Virginia since Andrew Jackson won the state by 49.93 percentage points in 1832, although Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan have since surpassed Bryan's performance. Bryan had previously won Virginia against William McKinley in both 1896 and 1900. Results 1908 United States presidential election in Virginia1908 Presidential General Election Results — Virginia http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1908&fips=51&f=0&off=0&elect=0&minper=0 U.S. Election Atlas 12 April 2013PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Democratic William Jennings Bryan 82,946 60.52% 12 Republican William Howard Taft 52,572 38.36% 0 Prohibition Eugene W. Chafin 1,111 0.81% 0 Socialist Eugene V. Debs 255 0.19% 0 Populist Thomas E. Watson 105 0.08% 0 Independence Thomas L. Hisgen 51 0.04% 0 Socialist Labor August Gillhaus 25 0.02% 0 Totals 137,065 100.0% 12 Results by county 1908 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent citiesRobinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 354-361 9780804716963 County orIndependent City William Jennings BryanDemocratic William Howard TaftRepublican Eugene W. ChafinProhibition Other candidatesVarious parties Margin Total votescast # % # % # % # % # % Accomack County 1,748 81.64% 337 15.74% 58 2.71% 0 0.00% 1,411 65.90% 2,141 Albemarle County 999 71.05% 380 27.03% 7 0.50% 20 1.42% 619 44.03% 1,406 Alexandria County 354 67.82% 165 31.61% 54 5.58% 8 0.83% 189 36.21% 522 Alleghany County 422 43.64% 483 49.95% 2 0.62% 0 0.00% -61 -6.31% 967 Amelia County 247 76.71% 73 22.67% 1 0.10% 1 0.10% 174 54.04% 322 Amherst County 849 83.65% 164 16.16% 2 0.27% 0 0.00% 685 67.49% 1,015 Appomattox County 633 84.18% 117 15.56% 0 0.00% 3 0.57% 516 68.62% 752 Augusta County 1,435 56.56% 987 38.90% 109 4.30% 6 0.24% 448 17.66% 2,537 Bath County 340 58.02% 232 39.59% 12 2.05% 2 0.34% 108 18.43% 586 Bedford County 1,275 71.11% 463 25.82% 45 2.51% 10 0.56% 812 45.29% 1,793 Bland County 339 45.81% 397 53.65% 4 0.54% 0 0.00% -58 -7.84% 740 Botetourt County 808 50.16% 792 49.16% 11 0.68% 0 0.00% 16 0.99% 1,611 Brunswick County 507 79.84% 123 19.37% 5 0.79% 0 0.00% 384 60.47% 635 Buchanan County 395 38.35% 635 61.65% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -240 -23.30% 1,030 Buckingham County 676 66.86% 333 32.94% 2 0.20% 0 0.00% 343 33.93% 1,011 Campbell County 624 76.94% 174 21.45% 9 1.11% 4 0.49% 450 55.49% 811 Caroline County 494 59.73% 326 39.42% 6 0.73% 1 0.12% 168 20.31% 827 Carroll County 859 36.09% 1,521 63.91% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -662 -27.82% 2,380 Charles City County 99 53.51% 84 45.41% 0 0.00% 2 1.08% 15 8.11% 185 Charlotte County 537 68.49% 242 30.87% 4 0.51% 1 0.13% 295 37.63% 784 Chesterfield County 608 76.57% 167 21.03% 11 1.39% 8 1.01% 441 55.54% 794 Clarke County 517 85.88% 74 12.29% 7 1.16% 4 0.66% 443 73.59% 602 Craig County 364 61.38% 224 37.77% 5 0.84% 0 0.00% 140 23.61% 593 Culpeper County 962 80.37% 233 19.47% 2 0.17% 0 0.00% 729 60.90% 1,197 Cumberland County 374 84.62% 68 15.38% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 306 69.23% 442 Dickenson County 551 44.87% 671 54.64% 0 0.00% 6 0.49% -120 -9.77% 1,228 Dinwiddie County 445 73.80% 157 26.04% 1 0.17% 0 0.00% 288 47.76% 603 Elizabeth City County 673 71.67% 251 26.73% 10 1.06% 5 0.53% 422 44.94% 939 Essex County 364 74.74% 123 25.26% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 241 49.49% 487 Fairfax County 1,143 73.27% 404 25.90% 10 0.64% 3 0.19% 739 47.37% 1,560 Fauquier County 1,354 78.58% 363 21.07% 4 0.23% 2 0.12% 991 57.52% 1,723 Floyd County 390 25.28% 1,149 74.47% 4 0.26% 0 0.00% -759 -49.19% 1,543 Fluvanna County 451 76.83% 135 23.00% 0 0.00% 1 0.17% 316 53.83% 587 Franklin County 1,218 52.50% 1,101 47.46% 1 0.04% 0 0.00% 117 5.04% 2,320 Frederick County 866 69.56% 354 28.43% 25 2.01% 0 0.00% 512 41.12% 1,245 Giles County 705 53.13% 605 45.59% 14 1.06% 3 0.23% 100 7.54% 1,327 Gloucester County 477 83.10% 94 16.38% 0 0.00% 3 0.52% 383 66.72% 574 Goochland County 294 53.85% 246 45.05% 2 0.37% 4 0.73% 48 8.79% 546 Grayson County 841 40.36% 1,243 59.64% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -402 -19.29% 2,084 Greene County 252 40.78% 366 59.22% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -114 -18.45% 618 Greensville County 273 76.69% 77 21.63% 3 0.84% 3 0.84% 196 55.06% 356 Halifax County 1,268 65.63% 650 33.64% 8 0.41% 6 0.31% 618 31.99% 1,932 Hanover County 522 70.92% 204 27.72% 6 0.82% 4 0.54% 318 43.21% 736 Henrico County 627 74.11% 215 25.41% 3 0.35% 1 0.12% 412 48.70% 846 Henry County 761 51.11% 716 48.09% 7 0.47% 5 0.34% 45 3.02% 1,489 Highland County 292 47.25% 305 49.35% 21 3.40% 0 0.00% -13 -2.10% 618 Isle of Wight County 530 72.70% 199 27.30% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 331 45.40% 729 James City County 132 67.35% 62 31.63% 2 1.02% 0 0.00% 70 35.71% 196 King and Queen County 349 65.60% 181 34.02% 2 0.38% 0 0.00% 168 31.58% 532 King George County 296 59.80% 198 40.00% 0 0.00% 1 0.20% 98 19.80% 495 King William County 276 54.33% 228 44.88% 4 0.79% 0 0.00% 48 9.45% 508 Lancaster County 468 78.00% 122 20.33% 3 0.50% 7 1.17% 346 57.67% 600 Lee County 805 37.56% 1,334 62.25% 3 0.14% 1 0.05% -529 -24.69% 2,143 Loudoun County 1,570 75.05% 447 21.37% 66 3.15% 9 0.43% 1,123 53.68% 2,092 Louisa County 692 69.83% 290 29.26% 6 0.61% 3 0.30% 402 40.57% 991 Lunenburg County 414 79.46% 105 20.15% 1 0.19% 1 0.19% 309 59.31% 521 Madison County 466 60.28% 305 39.46% 1 0.13% 1 0.13% 161 20.83% 773 Mathews County 577 86.25% 86 12.86% 4 0.60% 2 0.30% 491 73.39% 669 Mecklenburg County 1,000 79.24% 252 19.97% 6 0.48% 4 0.32% 748 59.27% 1,262 Middlesex County 413 71.58% 164 28.42% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 249 43.15% 577 Montgomery County 734 47.45% 795 51.39% 11 0.71% 7 0.45% -61 -3.94% 1,547 Nansemond County 857 75.04% 272 23.82% 11 0.96% 2 0.18% 585 51.23% 1,142 Nelson County 742 70.27% 308 29.17% 5 0.47% 1 0.09% 434 41.10% 1,056 New Kent County 193 54.52% 159 44.92% 0 0.00% 2 0.56% 34 9.60% 354 Norfolk County 879 54.33% 739 45.67% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 140 8.65% 1,618 Northampton County 673 78.44% 174 20.28% 11 1.28% 0 0.00% 499 58.16% 858 Northumberland County 410 68.68% 185 30.99% 2 0.34% 0 0.00% 225 37.69% 597 Nottoway County 481 78.85% 118 19.34% 10 1.64% 1 0.16% 363 59.51% 610 Orange County 587 74.02% 198 24.97% 8 1.01% 0 0.00% 389 49.05% 793 Page County 804 49.42% 802 49.29% 14 0.86% 7 0.43% 2 0.12% 1,627 Patrick County 723 39.77% 1,092 60.07% 0 0.00% 3 0.17% -369 -20.30% 1,818 Pittsylvania County 1,471 60.19% 962 39.36% 9 0.37% 2 0.08% 509 20.83% 2,444 Powhatan County 255 63.43% 146 36.32% 0 0.00% 1 0.25% 109 27.11% 402 Prince Edward County 561 82.38% 117 17.18% 3 0.44% 0 0.00% 444 65.20% 681 Prince George County 171 66.02% 88 33.98% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 83 32.05% 259 Prince William County 738 77.77% 200 21.07% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 538 56.69% 949 Princess Anne County 403 80.28% 99 19.72% 9 0.95% 2 0.21% 304 60.56% 502 Pulaski County 714 47.44% 780 51.83% 5 0.33% 6 0.40% -66 -4.39% 1,505 Rappahannock County 433 73.02% 158 26.64% 2 0.34% 0 0.00% 275 46.37% 593 Richmond County 338 62.13% 205 37.68% 0 0.00% 1 0.18% 133 24.45% 544 Roanoke County 732 61.67% 426 35.89% 26 2.19% 3 0.25% 306 25.78% 1,187 Rockbridge County 1,000 54.82% 810 44.41% 10 0.55% 4 0.22% 190 10.42% 1,824 Rockingham County 1,736 50.66% 1,580 46.10% 103 3.01% 8 0.23% 156 4.55% 3,427 Russell County 827 41.10% 1,173 58.30% 8 0.40% 4 0.20% -346 -17.20% 2,012 Scott County 1,145 39.09% 1,781 60.81% 0 0.00% 3 0.10% -636 -21.71% 2,929 Shenandoah County 1,294 46.71% 1,449 52.31% 18 0.65% 9 0.32% -155 -5.60% 2,770 Smyth County 906 40.07% 1,350 59.71% 4 0.18% 1 0.04% -444 -19.64% 2,261 Southampton County 818 78.88% 206 19.86% 10 0.96% 3 0.29% 612 59.02% 1,037 Spotsylvania County 346 53.89% 282 43.93% 13 2.02% 1 0.16% 64 9.97% 642 Stafford County 406 45.93% 474 53.62% 0 0.00% 4 0.45% -68 -7.69% 884 Surry County 269 75.99% 82 23.16% 1 0.28% 2 0.56% 187 52.82% 354 Sussex County 412 78.18% 115 21.82% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 297 56.36% 527 Tazewell County 809 36.38% 1,398 62.86% 7 0.31% 10 0.45% -589 -26.48% 2,224 Warren County 562 71.68% 209 26.66% 13 1.66% 0 0.00% 353 45.03% 784 Warwick County 101 62.35% 58 35.80% 1 0.62% 2 1.23% 43 26.54% 162 Washington County 1,558 46.91% 1,741 52.42% 18 0.54% 4 0.12% -183 -5.51% 3,321 Westmoreland County 353 68.68% 161 31.32% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 192 37.35% 514 Wise County 993 39.19% 1,527 60.26% 4 0.16% 10 0.39% -534 -21.07% 2,534 Wythe County 950 38.98% 1,487 61.02% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -537 -22.04% 2,437 York County 214 75.89% 61 21.63% 6 2.13% 1 0.35% 153 54.26% 282 Alexandria City 1,218 82.69% 247 16.77% 4 0.27% 4 0.27% 971 65.92% 1,473 Bristol City 405 67.61% 187 31.22% 5 0.83% 2 0.33% 218 36.39% 599 Buena Vista City 137 62.56% 80 36.53% 1 0.46% 1 0.46% 57 26.03% 219 Charlottesville City 428 82.63% 82 15.83% 2 0.39% 6 1.16% 346 66.80% 518 Clifton Forge City 402 73.36% 133 24.27% 7 1.28% 6 1.09% 269 49.09% 548 Danville City 963 80.99% 206 17.33% 14 1.18% 6 0.50% 757 63.67% 1,189 Fredericksburg City 285 52.88% 252 46.75% 4 0.74% 0 0.00% 33 6.12% 539 Lynchburg City 962 66.39% 473 32.64% 13 0.90% 1 0.07% 489 33.75% 1,449 Manchester City 363 74.85% 114 23.51% 1 0.21% 7 1.44% 249 51.34% 485 Newport News City 788 59.88% 498 37.84% 5 0.38% 25 1.90% 290 22.04% 1,316 Norfolk City 2,271 68.99% 991 30.10% 20 0.61% 10 0.30% 1,280 38.88% 3,292 Petersburg City 905 81.17% 205 18.39% 4 0.36% 1 0.09% 700 62.78% 1,115 Portsmouth City 1,154 73.50% 407 25.92% 3 0.19% 6 0.38% 747 47.58% 1,570 Radford City 204 57.79% 141 39.94% 4 1.13% 4 1.13% 63 17.85% 353 Richmond City 4,142 77.68% 1,135 21.29% 22 0.41% 33 0.62% 3,007 56.40% 5,332 Roanoke City 1,408 70.19% 593 29.56% 3 0.15% 2 0.10% 815 40.63% 2,006 Staunton City 514 55.93% 347 37.76% 56 6.09% 2 0.22% 167 18.17% 919 Williamsburg City 120 70.59% 48 28.24% 2 1.18% 0 0.00% 72 42.35% 170 Winchester City 449 60.35% 266 35.75% 26 3.49% 3 0.40% 183 24.60% 744Totals82,93660.55%52,56838.38%1,1110.81%3680.27%30,36822.17%136,979 See also United States presidential elections in Virginia References Virginia 1908 Category:1908 Virginia elections