1908 Presidential Election

November 3, 1908 · Progressive Era to Normalcy · 483 electoral votes, 242 to win

Taft, Roosevelt's chosen successor, dispatched Bryan's third and final campaign comfortably; the Great Commoner remains the only major-party nominee beaten three times.

Elected

William Howard Taft

Republican

Electoral vote

321 of 483

Popular vote

51.6%

7,678,335 votes

Turnout

65.7%

The result

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William Howard Taft

Republican · 51.60% of votes

321

electoral votes

William Jennings Bryan

Democratic · 43.00% of votes

162

electoral votes

Eugene V. Debs

Socialist · 2.83% of votes

—

electoral votes

Eugene W. Chafin

Prohibition · 1.71% of votes

—

electoral votes

Thomas L. Hisgen

Independence · 0.55% of votes

—

electoral votes

Thomas E. Watson

Populist · 0.19% of votes

—

electoral votes


William Howard Taft	Republican	James S. Sherman	321	7,678,335	51.60%	29
William Jennings Bryan	Democratic	John W. Kern	162	6,408,979	43.00%	17
Eugene V. Debs	Socialist	Benjamin Hanford	—	420,852	2.83%	—
Eugene W. Chafin	Prohibition	Aaron S. Watkins	—	254,087	1.71%	—
Thomas L. Hisgen	Independence	John Temple Graves	—	82,574	0.55%	—
Thomas E. Watson	Populist	Samuel Williams	—	28,862	0.19%	—

14,873,689 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

Sort by

Alabama

William Jennings Bryan · 70.8% · runner-up William Howard Taft 24.3%

electoral votes

Arkansas

William Jennings Bryan · 57.3% · runner-up William Howard Taft 37.3%

electoral votes

California

William Howard Taft · 55.5% · runner-up William Jennings Bryan 33.0%

electoral votes

Colorado

William Jennings Bryan · 48.0% · runner-up William Howard Taft 46.9%

electoral votes

Connecticut

William Howard Taft · 59.4% · runner-up William Jennings Bryan 35.9%

electoral votes

Delaware

William Howard Taft · 52.1% · runner-up William Jennings Bryan 45.9%

electoral votes

Florida

William Jennings Bryan · 63.0% · runner-up William Howard Taft 21.6%

electoral votes

Georgia

William Jennings Bryan · 54.6% · runner-up William Howard Taft 31.2%

electoral votes

Idaho

William Howard Taft · 54.1% · runner-up William Jennings Bryan 37.2%

electoral votes

Illinois

William Howard Taft · 54.5% · runner-up William Jennings Bryan 39.0%

electoral votes

Indiana

William Howard Taft · 48.4% · runner-up William Jennings Bryan 46.9%

electoral votes

Iowa

William Howard Taft · 55.6% · runner-up William Jennings Bryan 40.6%

electoral votes


Alabama	William Jennings Bryan	70.8%	11	William Howard Taft · 24.3%
Arkansas	William Jennings Bryan	57.3%	9	William Howard Taft · 37.3%
California	William Howard Taft	55.5%	10	William Jennings Bryan · 33.0%
Colorado	William Jennings Bryan	48.0%	5	William Howard Taft · 46.9%
Connecticut	William Howard Taft	59.4%	7	William Jennings Bryan · 35.9%
Delaware	William Howard Taft	52.1%	3	William Jennings Bryan · 45.9%
Florida	William Jennings Bryan	63.0%	5	William Howard Taft · 21.6%
Georgia	William Jennings Bryan	54.6%	13	William Howard Taft · 31.2%
Idaho	William Howard Taft	54.1%	3	William Jennings Bryan · 37.2%
Illinois	William Howard Taft	54.5%	27	William Jennings Bryan · 39.0%
Indiana	William Howard Taft	48.4%	15	William Jennings Bryan · 46.9%
Iowa	William Howard Taft	55.6%	13	William Jennings Bryan · 40.6%
Kansas	William Howard Taft	52.5%	10	William Jennings Bryan · 42.9%
Kentucky	William Jennings Bryan	49.7%	13	William Howard Taft · 48.0%
Louisiana	William Jennings Bryan	84.6%	9	William Howard Taft · 11.9%
Maine	William Howard Taft	63.0%	6	William Jennings Bryan · 33.3%
Maryland	William Jennings Bryan	48.6%	6 Bryan · 2 Taft	William Howard Taft · 48.9%
Massachusetts	William Howard Taft	58.2%	16	William Jennings Bryan · 34.0%
Michigan	William Howard Taft	61.9%	14	William Jennings Bryan · 32.5%
Minnesota	William Howard Taft	59.3%	11	William Jennings Bryan · 33.1%
Mississippi	William Jennings Bryan	90.1%	10	William Howard Taft · 6.5%
Missouri	William Howard Taft	48.5%	18	William Jennings Bryan · 48.4%
Montana	William Howard Taft	46.9%	3	William Jennings Bryan · 42.6%
Nebraska	William Jennings Bryan	49.1%	8	William Howard Taft · 47.6%
Nevada	William Jennings Bryan	45.7%	3	William Howard Taft · 43.9%
New Hampshire	William Howard Taft	59.3%	4	William Jennings Bryan · 37.6%
New Jersey	William Howard Taft	56.8%	12	William Jennings Bryan · 39.1%
New York	William Howard Taft	53.1%	39	William Jennings Bryan · 40.7%
North Carolina	William Jennings Bryan	54.2%	12	William Howard Taft · 45.5%
North Dakota	William Howard Taft	61.0%	4	William Jennings Bryan · 34.8%
Ohio	William Howard Taft	51.0%	23	William Jennings Bryan · 44.8%
Oklahoma	William Jennings Bryan	48.1%	7	William Howard Taft · 43.5%
Oregon	William Howard Taft	56.5%	4	William Jennings Bryan · 34.2%
Pennsylvania	William Howard Taft	58.8%	34	William Jennings Bryan · 35.4%
Rhode Island	William Howard Taft	60.8%	4	William Jennings Bryan · 34.2%
South Carolina	William Jennings Bryan	93.8%	9	William Howard Taft · 5.9%
South Dakota	William Howard Taft	58.8%	4	William Jennings Bryan · 35.1%
Tennessee	William Jennings Bryan	52.7%	12	William Howard Taft · 45.9%
Texas	William Jennings Bryan	74.0%	18	William Howard Taft · 22.4%
Utah	William Howard Taft	56.2%	3	William Jennings Bryan · 39.2%
Vermont	William Howard Taft	75.1%	4	William Jennings Bryan · 21.8%
Virginia	William Jennings Bryan	60.5%	12	William Howard Taft · 38.4%
Washington	William Howard Taft	57.8%	5	William Jennings Bryan · 31.8%
West Virginia	William Howard Taft	53.4%	7	William Jennings Bryan · 43.2%
Wisconsin	William Howard Taft	54.5%	13	William Jennings Bryan · 36.7%
Wyoming	William Howard Taft	55.4%	3	William Jennings Bryan · 39.7%

The Congress it seated

61th Congress

1909–1911

Unified government

Senate

32–59

Republican control · Democratic–Republican

House

172–219

Republican control · Democratic–Republican