1912 Presidential Election

November 5, 1912 · Progressive Era to Normalcy · 531 electoral votes, 266 to win

Roosevelt, denied the Republican nomination, ran as a Progressive and outpolled Taft, the only time a third party has beaten a major party. The split handed Wilson 435 electoral votes on 41.8%, and Debs took 6% for the Socialists.

Elected

Woodrow Wilson

Democratic

Electoral vote

435 of 531

Popular vote

41.8%

6,296,284 votes

Turnout

59.0%

The result

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic · 41.80% of votes
435
electoral votes
Theodore Roosevelt
Progressive · 27.00% of votes
88
electoral votes
William Howard Taft
Republican · 23.20% of votes
8
electoral votes
Eugene V. Debs
Socialist · 6.00% of votes
—
electoral votes
Eugene W. Chafin
Prohibition · 1.38% of votes
—
electoral votes
Arthur E. Reimer
Socialist Labor · 0.19% of votes
—
electoral votes

15,044,278 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

Alabama
Woodrow Wilson · 69.9% · runner-up Theodore Roosevelt 19.2%
11
electoral votes
Arizona
Woodrow Wilson · 43.6% · runner-up Theodore Roosevelt 29.3%
3
electoral votes
Arkansas
Woodrow Wilson · 55.0% · runner-up William Howard Taft 20.5%
9
electoral votes
California
Theodore Roosevelt · 41.8% · runner-up Woodrow Wilson 41.8%
11 Roosevelt · 2 Wilson
electoral votes
Colorado
Woodrow Wilson · 42.8% · runner-up Theodore Roosevelt 27.0%
6
electoral votes
Connecticut
Woodrow Wilson · 39.2% · runner-up William Howard Taft 35.9%
7
electoral votes
Delaware
Woodrow Wilson · 46.5% · runner-up William Howard Taft 32.9%
3
electoral votes
Florida
Woodrow Wilson · 69.5% · runner-up Theodore Roosevelt 9.0%
6
electoral votes
Georgia
Woodrow Wilson · 76.6% · runner-up Theodore Roosevelt 18.1%
14
electoral votes
Idaho
Woodrow Wilson · 32.1% · runner-up William Howard Taft 31.0%
4
electoral votes
Illinois
Woodrow Wilson · 35.3% · runner-up Theodore Roosevelt 33.7%
29
electoral votes
Indiana
Woodrow Wilson · 43.1% · runner-up Theodore Roosevelt 24.8%
15
electoral votes

The state table accounts for 434 of Woodrow Wilson's 435 official electoral votes. The remainder reflect split delegations, district allocations, faithless electors or votes not counted, as recorded at the electoral count.

The Congress it seated

63th Congress

1913–1915

Unified government

Senate

51–44 +1

Democratic control · Democratic–Republican +1 independent

House

290–127 +18

Democratic control · Democratic–Republican +18 independents