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1892 United States presidential election in Idaho

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1892 United States presidential election in Idaho

November 8, 1892 1896 →
 
Nominee James B. Weaver Benjamin Harrison
Party Populist Republican
Alliance Democratic -
Home state Iowa Indiana
Running mate James G. Field Whitelaw Reid
Electoral vote 3 0
Popular vote 10,520 8,599
Percentage 54.21% 44.31%

County Results

President before election

Benjamin Harrison
Republican

Elected President

Grover Cleveland
Democratic

The 1892 United States presidential election in Idaho took place on November 8, 1892. All contemporary 44 states were part of the 1892 United States presidential election. State voters chose three electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

This was the first time Idaho participated in a presidential election, having become the 43rd state on July 3, 1890. During its period as a territory Idaho had been divided between a strongly Republican northern half and an anti-Republican Mormon south,[1] which in this first presidential election was in places (notably Oneida County) still excluded from voting.[1]

A wave of strikes in the silver-mining regions[2] and even deeper conflict whereby an idled ore concentrator was destroyed in Gem,[3] was to give the Populists a grip on the Mountain West that was not to be relinquished. Almost all the large number of dissenting farmers in the new state were to join with the silver interests[4] to back Weaver's policies of nationalization of railways and communications, restriction of immigration, shorter working days and direct election of senators.[5] Although Senator-to-be William Borah campaigned for Harrison under the slogan that “a vote for Weaver was a vote for Cleveland and therefore against their own interests”[6] Weaver's campaign against Republican Governor Norman Bushnell Willey’s declaration of martial law upon the miners, and against the absentee ownership of Idaho's land and water,[7] ensured that these campaigns for Harrison would not be decisive.

Owing to the unpopularity of Grover Cleveland in the West due to his gold standard platform, the Democratic Party decided to not enter a Cleveland ticket in the race and to instead back Weaver.[8] Idaho was won by the Populist nominees, James B. Weaver of Iowa and his running mate James G. Field of Virginia. Weaver and Field defeated the Republican nominees, incumbent President Benjamin Harrison of Indiana and his running mate Whitelaw Reid of New York. Weaver won the state by a margin of 9.9%.

Results

[edit]
1892 United States presidential election in Idaho[9]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
People's/Democratic James B. Weaver 10,520 54.21% 3
Republican Benjamin Harrison (incumbent) 8,599 44.31% 0
Prohibition John Bidwell 288 1.48% 0
Totals 19,407 100.00% 3
Voter turnout

Results by county

[edit]
County Benjamin Harrison[10]
Republican
James Baird Weaver[11]
People's/Democratic
John Bidwell[12]
Prohibition
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Ada 1,170 41.39% 1,597 56.49% 60 2.12% -427 -15.10% 2,827
Alturas 290 32.66% 596 67.12% 2 0.23% -306 -34.46% 888
Bear Lake 114 33.93% 220 65.48% 2 0.60% -106 -31.55% 336
Bingham 937 48.35% 933 48.14% 68 3.51% 4 0.21% 1,938
Boise 377 42.60% 500 56.50% 8 0.90% -123 -13.90% 885
Cassia 121 39.16% 173 55.99% 15 4.85% -52 -16.83% 309
Custer 187 36.45% 324 63.16% 1 0.19% -137 -26.71% 513[a]
Elmore 188 34.81% 351 65.00% 1 0.19% -163 -30.19% 540
Idaho 386 46.01% 448 53.40% 5 0.60% -62 -7.39% 839
Kootenai 713 47.95% 753 50.64% 21 1.41% -40 -2.69% 1,487
Latah 1,242 45.46% 1,432 52.42% 58 2.12% -190 -6.95% 2,732
Lemhi 330 57.39% 244 42.43% 1 0.17% 86 14.96% 575
Logan 306 36.69% 518 62.11% 9 1.08% -212 -25.42% 834[a]
Nez Perce 345 44.23% 428 54.87% 7 0.90% -83 -10.64% 780
Oneida 267 63.88% 137 32.78% 14 3.35% 130 31.10% 418
Owyhee 337 49.34% 340 49.78% 6 0.88% -3 -0.44% 683
Shoshone 936 48.95% 971 50.78% 5 0.26% -35 -1.83% 1,912
Washington 317 36.15% 555 63.28% 5 0.57% -238 -27.14% 877
Totals 8,563 44.21% 10,520 54.31% 288 1.49% -1,957 -10.10% 19,371

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b One write-in vote was recorded in this county for Democratic President Grover Cleveland.

References

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  1. ^ a b Idaho Historical Society (1988); ‘Idaho Yesterdays’, vol. 32, p. 13
  2. ^ Kennedy, David M. and Cohen, Lizabeth; American Pageant, Volume 2, p. 506 ISBN 1305537416
  3. ^ Schwantes, Carlos A.; The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History, p. 343
  4. ^ Martin, Boyd Archer (1975); Idaho Voting Trends: Party Realignment and Percentage of Votes for Candidates, Parties, and Elections, 1890-1974, p. 373
  5. ^ Kennedy and Cohen; American Pageant, Volume 2, p. 505
  6. ^ Johnson, Claudius O.; ‘The Story of Silver Politics in Idaho, 1892-1902’; The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 3 (July 1942), pp. 283-296
  7. ^ Larson, Robert W.; ‘Populism in the Mountain West: A Mainstream Movement’; Western Historical Quarterly, vol. 13, no. 2 (April 1982), pp. 143-164
  8. ^ The Society (1974); State Historic Preservation Plan, Idaho, Volume 1, p. 72
  9. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; 1892 Presidential General Election Results – Idaho
  10. ^ Géoelections; Presidential election of 1892 Popular Vote (.xlsx file for €15)
  11. ^ Géoelections; Popular Vote for James B. Weaver (.xlsx file for €15)
  12. ^ Géoelections; Popular Vote for John Bidwell (.xlsx file for €15)