1916 United States presidential election in New Mexico

The 1916 United States presidential election in New Mexico took place on November 7, 1916. All contemporary forty-eight states were part of 1916 United States presidential election. Voters chose three electors to represent them in the Electoral College, which voted for President and Vice President.

During the period between New Mexico's annexation by the United States and statehood, the area was divided between largely Republican machine-run highland regions and its firmly Southern Democrat and Baptist "Little Texas" region to the southeast.Chilton, Lance; New Mexico: A Guide to the Colorful State, p. 95 A split in the "Old Guard" of highland Republicanism meant that in the state's inaugural presidential election in 1912 Woodrow Wilson carried the state through overwhelming "Little Texas" and southern desert support over Progressive Theodore Roosevelt and incumbent Republican William Howard Taft.Hodgson, Illa D. and Garthwaite, Eloyse M.; 'New Mexico's Early Elections: Statehood to New Deal'; New Mexico Historical Review, January 1, 1995; vol. 70, issue 1, pp. 29-46 Nonetheless, New Mexico was still Taft's fourth-strongest state by vote percentage reflecting the strong Hispanic machine loyalties to him in the northern highlands.Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 42

In the East, supporters of Theodore Roosevelt's "Bull Moose" Party rapidly returned to the Republicans, in the Mountain States many if not most of these supporters turned to the Democratic Party not only in presidential elections, but also in state and federal legislative ones.Sarasohn, David; 'The Election of 1916: Realigning the Rockies', Western Historical Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 3 (July 1980), pp. 285-305 Wilson was also helped by a powerful "peace vote" in the Western statesMenendez; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, p. 47 due to opposition to participation in World War I.

New Mexico was won by incumbent President Woodrow Wilson, who secured a tumultuous reelection against Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes, and Socialist Party icon Allan L. Benson. Wilson's reluctance to bid armed forces in World War I improved his image for this election, as a "peace candidate". However, whilst many Progressive business leaders believed the Republican Old Guard stood for fraud and dishonesty, they nonetheless supported Hughes even whilst opposing GOP candidates for other statewide positions. Consequently, despite its strong Democratic base at a local level that was completely absent in most parts of the West during the "System of 1896",Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179 New Mexico was Wilson's third-weakest state in the West.

Results + General Election ResultsParty Pledged to Elector Votes Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson Felix Garcia33,693 Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson James N. Upton33,649 Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson Jose G. Chaves33,555 Republican Party Charles Evans Hughes C. L. Hill31,163 Republican Party Charles Evans Hughes Juan Ortiz31,097 Republican Party Charles Evans Hughes H. J. Hammond31,035 Socialist Party Allan L. Benson Ira N. Crisp1,999 Socialist Party Allan L. Benson W. T. Holmes1,997 Socialist Party Allan L. Benson McB. Smith1,977 Prohibition Party Frank Hanly Lester Sands112 Prohibition Party Frank Hanly F. C. Peterson109 Prohibition Party Frank Hanly W. G. Ogilvie108Votes cast 66,967

Results by county County Woodrow WilsonDemocratic Charles Evans HughesRepublican Allan L. BensonSocialist Frank HanlyProhibition Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # %Bernalillo2,39946.17%2,71452.23%771.48%60.12%-315-6.06%5,196Chaves2,27968.40%86225.87%1865.58%50.15%1,41742.53%3,332Colfax2,02451.87%1,83947.13%380.97%10.03%1854.74%3,902Curry1,20563.89%35618.88%32317.13%20.11%84945.02%1,886Doña Ana1,07939.86%1,60659.33%220.81%00.00%-527-19.47%2,707Eddy1,40572.61%42521.96%995.12%60.31%98050.65%1,935Grant2,30553.93%1,86943.73%962.25%40.09%43610.20%4,274Guadalupe1,17351.54%1,06746.88%361.58%00.00%1064.66%2,276Lincoln87048.25%88949.31%432.38%10.06%-19-1.05%1,803Luna79663.02%41833.10%453.56%40.32%37829.93%1,263McKinley56445.48%66953.95%20.16%50.40%-105-8.47%1,240Mora1,50548.42%1,59051.16%130.42%00.00%-85-2.73%3,108Otero82454.39%56137.03%1288.45%20.13%26317.36%1,515Quay1,56264.55%59824.71%2349.67%261.07%96439.83%2,420Rio Arriba1,52843.40%1,99256.57%10.03%00.00%-464-13.18%3,521Roosevelt1,08873.56%23015.55%15010.14%110.74%85858.01%1,479San Juan63759.64%38536.05%464.31%00.00%25223.60%1,068San Miguel2,26343.24%2,93356.04%290.55%90.17%-670-12.80%5,234Sandoval73454.57%61145.43%00.00%00.00%1239.14%1,345Santa Fe1,40643.16%1,83056.17%150.46%70.21%-424-13.01%3,258Sierra49350.51%46047.13%232.36%00.00%333.38%976Socorro1,57544.33%1,95655.05%160.45%60.17%-381-10.72%3,553Taos91039.95%1,32057.95%462.02%20.09%-410-18.00%2,278Torrance67939.99%94855.83%684.00%30.18%-269-15.84%1,698Union1,99653.24%1,49539.88%2466.56%120.32%50113.36%3,749Valencia39420.19%1,54078.93%170.87%00.00%-1,146-58.74%1,951Total 33,69350.31%31,16346.53%1,9992.99%1120.17%2,5303.78%66,967

Counties that flipped from Progressive to Democratic Sandoval

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Lincoln Socorro

Counties that flipped from Progressive to Republican Bernalillo

Notes

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