1916 United States presidential election in Minnesota
← 1912 November 7, 1916 1920 →
 
Nominee Charles Evans Hughes Woodrow Wilson Allan L. Benson
Party Republican Democratic Socialist
Home state New York New Jersey New York
Running mate Charles W. Fairbanks Thomas R. Marshall George Ross Kirkpatrick
Electoral vote 12 0 0
Popular vote 179,544 179,152 20,117
Percentage 46.35% 46.25% 5.19%
County Results
President before election

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

Elected President

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

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The 1916 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 7, 1916 as part of the 1916 United States presidential election. Minnesota voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president. Minnesota held its first Presidential Primary on March 14, 1916.

Minnesota was won by the Republican candidate, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Charles Evans Hughes won the state over incumbent President Woodrow Wilson by a margin of just 392 votes, or 0.1011968% (one vote in 988). This is the fifteenth-closest statewide presidential election on record, and although it was only the second-closest result in 1916 after New Hampshire, there was not to be a closer result until Adlai Stevenson II won Kentucky in 1952 by 700 of 993,148 votes.

Wilson's performance was the closest any Democrat had come to carrying the Republican stronghold of Minnesota since Minnesota's statehood inception in 1858[1] – he was almost five percent ahead of his losing margin in 1912 when the state was won by Progressive Theodore Roosevelt. Wilson comfortably won the urban counties of Ramsey, Hennepin, and St. Louis, which became rigid strongholds for the Democratic Party. Wilson also led Hughes in the socialist strongholds of the forestry- and mining-dominated northern counties. Nevertheless, Hughes won the state with the dominance of the farming districts in the south and his ability to carry fifty-three of eighty-seven state counties. Wilson was however the first Democrat to ever carry Lake, Kandiyohi, Saint Louis, Norman, Todd, Lyon, Murray and Martin Counties,[2] the first to carry Carlton County since Winfield S. Hancock in 1880, and the first to win Hubbard County since Grover Cleveland in 1888.[2]

As of the 2020 presidential election, this would be the last time that a Democrat would win the presidency without carrying Minnesota, and the only time they won two terms without ever carrying the state.

Primary elections

Republican primary

The Republican primary took place on March 14, 1916. Albert B. Cummins, Henry D. Estabrook and William Grant Webster were the three candidates.

1916 Minnesota Republican presidential primary[3]
Candidate Votes %
Albert B. Cummins 54,214 76.77
Henry D. Estabrook 12,693 17.97
Wm. Grant Webster 3,710 5.25
Total 70,617 100.0

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary took place on March 14, 1916. Incumbent president, Woodrow Wilson, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

1916 Minnesota Democratic presidential primary[4]
Candidate Votes %
Woodrow Wilson 45,136 100.00
Total 45,136 100.0

Prohibition primary

The Prohibition primary took place on March 14, 1916. William Sulzer, Eugene Foss were the two candidates, neither of which were members of the Prohibition party, although Sulzer had been nominated by the Prohibition party for Governor of New York in 1914.

1916 Minnesota Prohibition presidential primary[5]
Candidate Votes %
William Sulzer 3,334 57.49
Eugene N. Foss 2,465 42.51
Total 5,799 100.0

Results

1916 United States presidential election in Minnesota[6]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Charles Evans Hughes 179,544 46.35% 12
Democratic Woodrow Wilson 179,152 46.25% 0
Socialist Allan L. Benson 20,117 5.19% 0
Prohibition Frank Hanly 7,793 2.01% 0
Socialist Labor Arthur E. Reimer 468 0.12% 0
Progressive No candidate 290 0.07% 0
Totals 387,364 100.00% 12

Results by county

County Charles Evans Hughes
Republican 		Thomas Woodrow Wilson
Democratic 		Allan Louis Benson[7]
Socialist 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast[8]
# % # % # % # % # %
Aitkin 1,122 46.23% 877 36.14% 385 15.59% 43 1.77% 245 10.09% 2,427
Anoka 1,262 48.95% 1,171 45.42% 77 2.91% 68 2.64% 91 3.53% 2,578
Becker 1,761 50.44% 1,453 41.62% 181 5.05% 96 2.75% 308 8.82% 3,491
Beltrami 1,331 33.04% 1,912 47.47% 716 17.48% 69 1.71% -581 -14.42% 4,028
Benton 1,020 49.09% 945 45.48% 81 3.84% 32 1.54% 75 3.61% 2,078
Big Stone 810 44.88% 869 48.14% 77 4.15% 49 2.71% -59 -3.27% 1,805
Blue Earth 2,864 53.96% 2,211 41.65% 95 1.74% 138 2.60% 653 12.30% 5,308
Brown 2,078 59.68% 1,101 31.62% 252 7.13% 51 1.46% 977 28.06% 3,482
Carlton 1,096 40.18% 1,115 40.87% 425 15.07% 92 3.37% -19 -0.70% 2,728
Carver 1,950 65.57% 960 32.28% 34 1.13% 30 1.01% 990 33.29% 2,974
Cass 982 38.21% 1,260 49.03% 281 10.74% 47 1.83% -278 -10.82% 2,570
Chippewa 1,311 46.79% 1,134 40.47% 261 9.01% 96 3.43% 177 6.32% 2,802
Chisago 1,749 61.22% 944 33.04% 130 4.50% 34 1.19% 805 28.18% 2,857
Clay 1,549 44.79% 1,716 49.62% 104 2.93% 89 2.57% -167 -4.83% 3,458
Clearwater 493 39.92% 544 44.05% 158 12.39% 40 3.24% -51 -4.13% 1,235
Cook 125 34.44% 162 44.63% 63 16.76% 13 3.58% -37 -10.19% 363
Cottonwood 1,425 60.23% 762 32.21% 116 4.78% 63 2.66% 663 28.02% 2,366
Crow Wing 1,715 44.42% 1,568 40.61% 445 11.14% 133 3.44% 147 3.81% 3,861
Dakota 1,881 41.73% 2,373 52.64% 144 3.12% 110 2.44% -492 -10.91% 4,508
Dodge 1,260 55.80% 895 39.64% 45 1.94% 58 2.57% 365 16.16% 2,258
Douglas 1,709 50.26% 1,398 41.12% 176 5.00% 117 3.44% 311 9.15% 3,400
Faribault 2,184 61.71% 1,123 31.73% 76 2.06% 156 4.41% 1,061 29.98% 3,539
Fillmore 2,945 65.20% 1,313 29.07% 92 1.96% 167 3.70% 1,632 36.13% 4,517
Freeborn 2,418 60.07% 1,347 33.47% 106 2.54% 154 3.83% 1,071 26.61% 4,025
Goodhue 2,471 53.09% 1,875 40.29% 122 2.09% 186 3.29% 1,596 28.23% 4,654
Grant 878 49.19% 778 43.59% 66 3.57% 63 3.53% 100 5.60% 1,785
Hennepin 27,957 40.78% 36,395 53.09% 3,302 4.75% 902 1.32% -8,438 -12.31% 68,556
Houston 1,783 69.08% 744 28.83% 23 0.88% 31 1.20% 1,039 40.26% 2,581
Hubbard 685 40.39% 799 47.11% 171 9.84% 41 2.42% -114 -6.72% 1,696
Isanti 1,123 48.18% 935 40.11% 217 9.09% 56 2.40% 188 8.07% 2,331
Itasca 1,163 36.89% 1,504 47.70% 429 13.36% 57 1.81% -341 -10.82% 3,153
Jackson 1,503 51.95% 1,272 43.97% 75 2.55% 43 1.49% 231 7.98% 2,893
Kanabec 776 49.02% 608 38.41% 174 10.82% 25 1.58% 168 10.61% 1,583
Kandiyohi 1,612 41.82% 1,968 51.05% 167 4.21% 108 2.80% -356 -9.23% 3,855
Kittson 709 43.98% 749 46.46% 107 6.45% 47 2.92% -40 -2.48% 1,612
Koochiching 474 25.68% 1,089 58.99% 255 13.61% 28 1.52% -615 -33.32% 1,846
Lac qui Parle 1,614 56.30% 1,047 36.52% 100 3.36% 106 3.70% 567 19.78% 2,867
Lake 401 30.22% 506 38.13% 366 26.50% 54 4.07% -105 -7.91% 1,327
Le Sueur 1,430 43.89% 1,723 52.89% 53 1.60% 52 1.60% -293 -8.99% 3,258
Lincoln 777 38.18% 1,174 57.69% 40 1.92% 44 2.16% -397 -19.51% 2,035
Lyon 1,389 38.97% 1,893 53.11% 200 5.49% 82 2.30% -504 -14.14% 3,564
McLeod 1,772 55.22% 1,305 40.67% 69 2.11% 63 1.96% 467 14.55% 3,209
Mahnomen 262 36.39% 411 57.08% 43 5.94% 4 0.56% -149 -20.69% 720
Marshall 1,461 44.73% 1,513 46.33% 204 6.08% 88 2.69% -52 -1.59% 3,266
Martin 1,741 47.16% 1,756 47.56% 88 2.32% 107 2.90% -15 -0.41% 3,692
Meeker 1,780 52.69% 1,475 43.66% 67 1.95% 56 1.66% 305 9.03% 3,378
Mille Lacs 1,127 44.58% 1,113 44.03% 248 9.66% 40 1.58% 14 0.55% 2,528
Morrison 1,887 48.84% 1,650 42.70% 225 5.67% 102 2.64% 237 6.13% 3,864
Mower 2,520 59.43% 1,572 37.08% 64 1.48% 84 1.98% 948 22.36% 4,240
Murray 1,137 46.64% 1,193 48.93% 69 2.79% 39 1.60% -56 -2.30% 2,438
Nicollet 1,288 58.44% 814 36.93% 38 1.68% 64 2.90% 474 21.51% 2,204
Nobles 1,413 50.39% 1,280 45.65% 46 1.60% 65 2.32% 133 4.74% 2,804
Norman 1,046 42.11% 1,076 43.32% 227 8.67% 135 5.43% -30 -1.21% 2,484
Olmsted 2,101 49.67% 1,926 45.53% 90 2.07% 113 2.67% 175 4.14% 4,230
Otter Tail 4,238 53.81% 2,858 36.29% 502 6.09% 278 3.49% 1,470 18.45% 7,876
Pennington 868 40.47% 1,004 46.81% 237 10.87% 36 1.68% -136 -6.34% 2,145
Pine 1,531 44.38% 1,507 43.68% 341 9.68% 71 2.06% 24 0.70% 3,450
Pipestone 1,010 52.44% 732 38.01% 151 7.71% 33 1.71% 278 14.43% 1,926
Polk 2,471 37.93% 3,498 53.70% 381 5.71% 164 2.52% -1,027 -15.77% 6,514
Pope 1,321 51.18% 1,121 43.43% 57 2.14% 82 3.18% 200 7.75% 2,581
Ramsey 13,317 35.08% 22,291 58.72% 1,684 4.36% 669 1.76% -8,974 -23.64% 37,961
Red Lake 463 37.70% 694 56.51% 50 4.00% 21 1.71% -231 -18.81% 1,228
Redwood 2,029 56.98% 1,361 38.22% 121 3.35% 50 1.40% 668 18.76% 3,561
Renville 2,432 55.25% 1,660 37.71% 115 2.50% 195 4.43% 772 17.54% 4,402
Rice 2,408 51.66% 2,083 44.69% 56 1.17% 114 2.45% 325 6.97% 4,661
Rock 1,196 59.68% 705 35.18% 66 3.23% 37 1.85% 491 24.50% 2,004
Roseau 821 38.71% 834 39.32% 405 18.56% 61 2.88% -13 -0.61% 2,121
Saint Louis 10,834 41.47% 12,056 46.15% 2,544 9.49% 690 2.64% -1,222 -4.68% 26,124
Scott 972 40.86% 1,361 57.21% 13 0.54% 33 1.39% -389 -16.35% 2,379
Sherburne 965 54.09% 731 40.98% 41 2.24% 47 2.63% 234 13.12% 1,784
Sibley 1,737 62.37% 973 34.94% 37 1.31% 38 1.36% 764 27.43% 2,785
Stearns 4,312 54.44% 3,350 42.29% 141 1.75% 118 1.49% 962 12.14% 7,921
Steele 1,734 52.20% 1,497 45.06% 41 1.22% 50 1.51% 237 7.13% 3,322
Stevens 943 52.56% 787 43.87% 24 1.31% 40 2.23% 156 8.70% 1,794
Swift 1,335 50.21% 1,181 44.42% 85 3.13% 58 2.18% 154 5.79% 2,659
Todd 1,919 44.50% 1,922 44.57% 339 7.63% 132 3.06% -3 -0.07% 4,312
Traverse 774 48.71% 779 49.02% 27 1.69% 9 0.57% -5 -0.31% 1,589
Wabasha 1,787 53.11% 1,449 43.06% 41 1.19% 88 2.62% 338 10.04% 3,365
Wadena 938 54.31% 651 37.70% 116 6.63% 22 1.27% 287 16.62% 1,727
Waseca 1,522 54.11% 1,178 41.88% 47 1.63% 66 2.35% 344 12.23% 2,813
Washington 2,167 53.55% 1,610 39.78% 149 3.57% 121 2.99% 557 13.76% 4,047
Watonwan 1,300 59.94% 801 36.93% 30 1.36% 38 1.75% 499 23.01% 2,169
Wilkin 690 44.20% 808 51.76% 42 2.65% 21 1.35% -118 -7.56% 1,561
Winona 2,916 47.94% 2,907 47.80% 133 2.14% 126 2.07% 9 0.15% 6,082
Wright 2,683 52.24% 2,262 44.04% 87 1.66% 104 2.02% 421 8.20% 5,136
Yellow Medicine 1,501 50.08% 1,238 41.31% 149 4.80% 109 3.64% 263 8.78% 2,997
Totals 179,544 46.35% 179,152 46.25% 20,117 5.08% 8,551 2.21% 392 0.10% 387,364

See also

References

  1. ^ "Minnesota", Counting the Votes.
  2. ^ a b Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 228-231 ISBN 0786422173
  3. ^ "Presidential Preference Primary" (PDF). Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  4. ^ "Presidential Preference Primary" (PDF). Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "Presidential Preference Primary" (PDF). Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "1916 Presidential Election Results, 1916". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  7. ^ Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State Elections; ‘Abstract of Votes Polled for President by Counties, 1916’; The Legislative Manual for the State of Minnesota 1917 pp. 508-509
  8. ^ Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 234-241 ISBN 9780804716963
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