1928 Presidential Election

November 6, 1928 · Progressive Era to Normalcy · 531 electoral votes, 266 to win

Hoover's landslide over Al Smith, the first Catholic major-party nominee, cracked the Solid South for the Republicans while Smith's urban gains quietly prefigured the New Deal coalition.

Elected

Herbert Hoover

Republican

Electoral vote

444 of 531

Popular vote

58.2%

21,427,123 votes

Turnout

56.9%

The result

Sort by

Herbert Hoover

Republican · 58.20% of votes

444

electoral votes

Al Smith

Democratic · 40.80% of votes

electoral votes

Norman Thomas

Socialist · 0.73% of votes

—

electoral votes

William Z. Foster

Communist · 0.13% of votes

—

electoral votes

Verne L. Reynolds

Socialist Labor · 0.06% of votes

—

electoral votes

William F. Varney

Prohibition · 0.05% of votes

—

electoral votes


Herbert Hoover	Republican	Charles Curtis	444	21,427,123	58.20%	40
Al Smith	Democratic	Joseph Taylor Robinson	87	15,015,464	40.80%	8
Norman Thomas	Socialist	James H. Maurer	—	267,478	0.73%	—
William Z. Foster	Communist	Benjamin Gitlow	—	48,551	0.13%	—
Verne L. Reynolds	Socialist Labor	Jeremiah D. Crowley	—	21,590	0.06%	—
William F. Varney	Prohibition	James A. Edgerton	—	20,095	0.05%	—

36,800,301 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

Sort by

Alabama

Al Smith · 51.3% · runner-up Herbert Hoover 48.5%

electoral votes

Arizona

Herbert Hoover · 57.6% · runner-up Al Smith 42.2%

electoral votes

Arkansas

Al Smith · 60.3% · runner-up Herbert Hoover 39.3%

electoral votes

California

Herbert Hoover · 63.9% · runner-up Al Smith 34.2%

electoral votes

Colorado

Herbert Hoover · 53.6% · runner-up Al Smith 34.0%

electoral votes

Connecticut

Herbert Hoover · 53.6% · runner-up Al Smith 45.6%

electoral votes

Delaware

Herbert Hoover · 65.8% · runner-up Al Smith 33.8%

electoral votes

Florida

Herbert Hoover · 57.1% · runner-up Al Smith 39.9%

electoral votes

Georgia

Al Smith · 56.6% · runner-up Herbert Hoover 43.4%

electoral votes

Idaho

Herbert Hoover · 64.2% · runner-up Al Smith 34.9%

electoral votes

Illinois

Herbert Hoover · 57.0% · runner-up Al Smith 42.2%

electoral votes

Indiana

Herbert Hoover · 59.7% · runner-up Al Smith 39.6%

electoral votes


Alabama	Al Smith	51.3%	11	Herbert Hoover · 48.5%
Arizona	Herbert Hoover	57.6%	3	Al Smith · 42.2%
Arkansas	Al Smith	60.3%	9	Herbert Hoover · 39.3%
California	Herbert Hoover	63.9%	13	Al Smith · 34.2%
Colorado	Herbert Hoover	53.6%	6	Al Smith · 34.0%
Connecticut	Herbert Hoover	53.6%	7	Al Smith · 45.6%
Delaware	Herbert Hoover	65.8%	3	Al Smith · 33.8%
Florida	Herbert Hoover	57.1%	6	Al Smith · 39.9%
Georgia	Al Smith	56.6%	14	Herbert Hoover · 43.4%
Idaho	Herbert Hoover	64.2%	4	Al Smith · 34.9%
Illinois	Herbert Hoover	57.0%	29	Al Smith · 42.2%
Indiana	Herbert Hoover	59.7%	15	Al Smith · 39.6%
Iowa	Herbert Hoover	61.8%	13	Al Smith · 37.6%
Kansas	Herbert Hoover	72.0%	10	Al Smith · 27.1%
Kentucky	Herbert Hoover	59.3%	13	Al Smith · 40.5%
Louisiana	Al Smith	76.3%	10	Herbert Hoover · 23.7%
Maine	Herbert Hoover	68.6%	6	Al Smith · 31.0%
Maryland	Herbert Hoover	57.1%	8	Al Smith · 42.3%
Massachusetts	Al Smith	50.2%	18	Herbert Hoover · 49.2%
Michigan	Herbert Hoover	70.4%	15	Al Smith · 28.9%
Minnesota	Herbert Hoover	57.8%	12	Al Smith · 40.8%
Mississippi	Al Smith	82.2%	10	Herbert Hoover · 17.3%
Missouri	Herbert Hoover	55.6%	18	Al Smith · 44.2%
Montana	Herbert Hoover	58.4%	4	Al Smith · 40.5%
Nebraska	Herbert Hoover	63.2%	8	Al Smith · 36.2%
Nevada	Herbert Hoover	56.5%	3	Al Smith · 43.5%
New Hampshire	Herbert Hoover	58.7%	4	Al Smith · 41.0%
New Jersey	Herbert Hoover	59.8%	14	Al Smith · 39.8%
New Mexico	Herbert Hoover	59.0%	3	Al Smith · 40.8%
New York	Herbert Hoover	49.8%	45	Al Smith · 47.4%
North Carolina	Herbert Hoover	54.9%	12	Al Smith · 45.1%
North Dakota	Herbert Hoover	54.8%	5	Al Smith · 44.5%
Ohio	Herbert Hoover	64.9%	24	Al Smith · 34.5%
Oklahoma	Herbert Hoover	63.7%	10	Al Smith · 35.4%
Oregon	Herbert Hoover	64.2%	5	Al Smith · 34.1%
Pennsylvania	Herbert Hoover	65.2%	38	Al Smith · 33.9%
Rhode Island	Al Smith	50.2%	5	Herbert Hoover · 49.6%
South Carolina	Al Smith	91.4%	9	Herbert Hoover · 8.5%
South Dakota	Herbert Hoover	60.2%	5	Al Smith · 39.2%
Tennessee	Herbert Hoover	55.5%	12	Al Smith · 44.4%
Texas	Herbert Hoover	51.7%	20	Al Smith · 48.1%
Utah	Herbert Hoover	53.5%	4	Al Smith · 45.9%
Vermont	Herbert Hoover	66.9%	4	Al Smith · 32.9%
Virginia	Herbert Hoover	53.9%	12	Al Smith · 45.9%
Washington	Herbert Hoover	67.1%	7	Al Smith · 31.4%
West Virginia	Herbert Hoover	58.4%	8	Al Smith · 41.0%
Wisconsin	Herbert Hoover	53.5%	13	Al Smith · 44.3%
Wyoming	Herbert Hoover	63.7%	3	Al Smith · 35.4%

The state table accounts for 86 of Al Smith's 87 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

71th Congress

1929–1931

Unified government

Senate

39–56 +1

Republican control · Democratic–Republican +1 independent

House

163–267 +1

Republican control · Democratic–Republican +1 independent