1848 Presidential Election

November 7, 1848 · Jacksonian Democracy · 290 electoral votes, 146 to win

Taylor, a Mexican War hero with no stated politics, won for the Whigs while Van Buren's Free Soil run took 10% and split the New York Democrats, previewing the coming sectional crisis.

Elected

Zachary Taylor

Whig

Electoral vote

163 of 290

Popular vote

47.3%

1,361,393 votes

Turnout

72.8%

The result

EV share
Zachary TaylorWhigMillard Fillmore163
1,361,39347.30%15
Lewis CassDemocraticWilliam Orlando Butler127
1,223,46042.50%15
Martin Van BurenFree SoilCharles Francis Adams Sr.291,50110.10%
Gerrit SmithLibertyCharles C. Foote2,5450.09%

2,878,899 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

AlabamaLewis Cass50.6%9Zachary Taylor · 49.4%
ArkansasLewis Cass55.1%3Zachary Taylor · 44.9%
ConnecticutZachary Taylor48.6%6Lewis Cass · 43.4%
DelawareZachary Taylor51.8%3Lewis Cass · 47.5%
FloridaZachary Taylor57.2%3Lewis Cass · 42.8%
GeorgiaZachary Taylor51.5%10Lewis Cass · 48.5%
IllinoisLewis Cass44.9%9Zachary Taylor · 42.4%
IndianaLewis Cass49.0%12Zachary Taylor · 45.7%
IowaLewis Cass50.5%4Zachary Taylor · 44.6%
KentuckyZachary Taylor57.5%12Lewis Cass · 42.5%
LouisianaZachary Taylor54.6%6Lewis Cass · 45.4%
MaineLewis Cass45.9%9Zachary Taylor · 40.3%
MarylandZachary Taylor52.1%8Lewis Cass · 47.7%
MassachusettsZachary Taylor45.3%12Lewis Cass · 26.2%
MichiganLewis Cass47.2%5Zachary Taylor · 36.8%
MississippiLewis Cass50.6%6Zachary Taylor · 49.4%
MissouriLewis Cass50.6%7Zachary Taylor · 44.9%
New HampshireLewis Cass55.1%6Zachary Taylor · 29.5%
New JerseyZachary Taylor51.5%7Lewis Cass · 47.5%
New YorkZachary Taylor47.9%36Lewis Cass · 25.1%
North CarolinaZachary Taylor55.2%11Lewis Cass · 44.8%
OhioLewis Cass47.1%23Zachary Taylor · 42.2%
PennsylvaniaZachary Taylor50.3%26Lewis Cass · 46.7%
Rhode IslandZachary Taylor60.7%4Lewis Cass · 32.7%
South CarolinaLewis Cass9
TennesseeZachary Taylor52.5%13Lewis Cass · 47.5%
TexasLewis Cass68.5%4Zachary Taylor · 31.1%
VermontZachary Taylor48.3%6Lewis Cass · 22.9%
VirginiaLewis Cass50.8%17Zachary Taylor · 49.2%
WisconsinLewis Cass38.3%4Zachary Taylor · 35.1%

The Congress it seated

31th Congress

1849–1851

Divided government

Senate

35–25

Democratic vs Whig · 2 others

House

113–108

Democratic vs Whig · 11 others