1916 Presidential Election

November 7, 1916 · Progressive Era to Normalcy · 531 electoral votes, 266 to win

Wilson held on against Hughes by 23 electoral votes on 'He kept us out of war'; California's 13 votes, decided by under 4,000 ballots, settled it. Five months later America was at war.

Elected

Woodrow Wilson

Democratic

Electoral vote

277 of 531

Popular vote

49.2%

9,126,868 votes

Turnout

61.8%

The result

Sort by

Woodrow Wilson

Democratic · 49.20% of votes

277

electoral votes

Charles Evans Hughes

Republican · 46.10% of votes

254

electoral votes

Allan L. Benson

Socialist · 3.19% of votes

—

electoral votes

Frank Hanly

Prohibition · 1.19% of votes

—

electoral votes

None

Progressive Party (United States, 1912–1920) · 0.18% of votes

—

electoral votes

Arthur E. Reimer

Socialist Labor · 0.08% of votes

—

electoral votes


Woodrow Wilson	Democratic	Thomas R. Marshall	277	9,126,868	49.20%	30
Charles Evans Hughes	Republican	Charles W. Fairbanks	254	8,548,728	46.10%	18
Allan L. Benson	Socialist	George Ross Kirkpatrick	—	590,524	3.19%	—
Frank Hanly	Prohibition	Ira Landrith	—	221,302	1.19%	—
None	Progressive Party (United States, 1912–1920)	John M. Parker	—	33,406	0.18%	—
Arthur E. Reimer	Socialist Labor	Caleb Harrison	—	15,295	0.08%	—

18,536,123 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

Sort by

Alabama

Woodrow Wilson · 76.0% · runner-up Charles Evans Hughes 22.0%

electoral votes

Arizona

Woodrow Wilson · 57.2% · runner-up Charles Evans Hughes 35.4%

electoral votes

Arkansas

Woodrow Wilson · 66.0% · runner-up Charles Evans Hughes 28.7%

electoral votes

California

Woodrow Wilson · 46.6% · runner-up Charles Evans Hughes 46.3%

electoral votes

Colorado

Woodrow Wilson · 60.8% · runner-up Charles Evans Hughes 34.7%

electoral votes

Connecticut

Charles Evans Hughes · 49.8% · runner-up Woodrow Wilson 46.7%

electoral votes

Delaware

Charles Evans Hughes · 50.2% · runner-up Woodrow Wilson 47.8%

electoral votes

Florida

Woodrow Wilson · 69.3% · runner-up Charles Evans Hughes 18.1%

electoral votes

Georgia

Woodrow Wilson · 79.5% · runner-up Charles Evans Hughes 7.0%

electoral votes

Idaho

Woodrow Wilson · 52.2% · runner-up Charles Evans Hughes 41.1%

electoral votes

Illinois

Charles Evans Hughes · 52.6% · runner-up Woodrow Wilson 43.3%

electoral votes

Indiana

Charles Evans Hughes · 47.4% · runner-up Woodrow Wilson 46.5%

electoral votes


Alabama	Woodrow Wilson	76.0%	11	Charles Evans Hughes · 22.0%
Arizona	Woodrow Wilson	57.2%	3	Charles Evans Hughes · 35.4%
Arkansas	Woodrow Wilson	66.0%	9	Charles Evans Hughes · 28.7%
California	Woodrow Wilson	46.6%	13	Charles Evans Hughes · 46.3%
Colorado	Woodrow Wilson	60.8%	6	Charles Evans Hughes · 34.7%
Connecticut	Charles Evans Hughes	49.8%	7	Woodrow Wilson · 46.7%
Delaware	Charles Evans Hughes	50.2%	3	Woodrow Wilson · 47.8%
Florida	Woodrow Wilson	69.3%	6	Charles Evans Hughes · 18.1%
Georgia	Woodrow Wilson	79.5%	14	Charles Evans Hughes · 7.0%
Idaho	Woodrow Wilson	52.2%	4	Charles Evans Hughes · 41.1%
Illinois	Charles Evans Hughes	52.6%	29	Woodrow Wilson · 43.3%
Indiana	Charles Evans Hughes	47.4%	15	Woodrow Wilson · 46.5%
Iowa	Charles Evans Hughes	54.3%	13	Woodrow Wilson · 42.9%
Kansas	Woodrow Wilson	50.0%	10	Charles Evans Hughes · 44.1%
Kentucky	Woodrow Wilson	51.9%	13	Charles Evans Hughes · 46.5%
Louisiana	Woodrow Wilson	85.9%	10	Charles Evans Hughes · 7.0%
Maine	Charles Evans Hughes	51.0%	6	Woodrow Wilson · 47.0%
Maryland	Woodrow Wilson	52.8%	8	Charles Evans Hughes · 44.8%
Massachusetts	Charles Evans Hughes	50.5%	18	Woodrow Wilson · 46.6%
Michigan	Charles Evans Hughes	52.2%	15	Woodrow Wilson · 43.9%
Minnesota	Charles Evans Hughes	46.4%	12	Woodrow Wilson · 46.3%
Mississippi	Woodrow Wilson	93.3%	10	Charles Evans Hughes · 4.9%
Missouri	Woodrow Wilson	50.6%	18	Charles Evans Hughes · 46.9%
Montana	Woodrow Wilson	56.8%	4	Charles Evans Hughes · 37.6%
Nebraska	Woodrow Wilson	55.3%	8	Charles Evans Hughes · 41.0%
Nevada	Woodrow Wilson	53.4%	3	Charles Evans Hughes · 36.4%
New Hampshire	Woodrow Wilson	49.1%	4	Charles Evans Hughes · 49.1%
New Jersey	Charles Evans Hughes	54.4%	14	Woodrow Wilson · 42.7%
New Mexico	Woodrow Wilson	50.4%	3	Charles Evans Hughes · 46.5%
New York	Charles Evans Hughes	57.5%	45	Woodrow Wilson · 44.5%
North Carolina	Woodrow Wilson	58.1%	12	Charles Evans Hughes · 41.7%
North Dakota	Woodrow Wilson	47.8%	5	Charles Evans Hughes · 46.3%
Ohio	Woodrow Wilson	51.9%	24	Charles Evans Hughes · 44.2%
Oklahoma	Woodrow Wilson	50.7%	10	Charles Evans Hughes · 33.3%
Oregon	Charles Evans Hughes	48.5%	5	Woodrow Wilson · 45.9%
Pennsylvania	Charles Evans Hughes	54.3%	38	Woodrow Wilson · 40.2%
Rhode Island	Charles Evans Hughes	51.1%	5	Woodrow Wilson · 46.0%
South Carolina	Woodrow Wilson	96.7%	9	Charles Evans Hughes · 2.4%
South Dakota	Charles Evans Hughes	49.8%	5	Woodrow Wilson · 45.9%
Tennessee	Woodrow Wilson	56.3%	12	Charles Evans Hughes · 42.7%
Texas	Woodrow Wilson	77.0%	20	Charles Evans Hughes · 17.4%
Utah	Woodrow Wilson	58.8%	4	Charles Evans Hughes · 37.8%
Vermont	Charles Evans Hughes	62.4%	4	Woodrow Wilson · 35.2%
Virginia	Woodrow Wilson	67.0%	12	Charles Evans Hughes · 31.8%
Washington	Woodrow Wilson	48.1%	7	Charles Evans Hughes · 43.9%
West Virginia	Charles Evans Hughes	49.4%	7 Hughes · 1 Wilson	Woodrow Wilson · 48.5%
Wisconsin	Charles Evans Hughes	49.4%	13	Woodrow Wilson · 42.8%
Wyoming	Woodrow Wilson	54.7%	3	Charles Evans Hughes · 41.8%

The state table accounts for 276 of Woodrow Wilson's 277 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

65th Congress

1917–1919

Unified government

Senate

53–42 +1

Democratic control · Democratic–Republican +1 independent

House

210–216 +9

Republican control · Democratic–Republican +9 independents