The 1856 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 4, 1856, as part of the 1856 United States presidential election. Voters chose six representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Michigan voted for the Republican candidate, John C. Frémont, over Democratic candidate, James Buchanan. Frémont won Michigan by a margin of 15.63%.

With 57.15% of the popular vote, Michigan proved to be Fremont's fifth strongest in the 1856 election after Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island.

This marked the first of eighteen Republican victories in Michigan over the next nineteen presidential election cycles. Michigan would not vote for a Democratic candidate again until Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and it would not vote for a different candidate until Theodore Roosevelt's third-party bid in 1912. Michigan would also not send any Democratic electors to the Electoral College until Grover Cleveland won five of the state's 14 electoral votes in 1892. This is one of only four occasions since the founding of the Republican Party that Michigan and Pennsylvania have voted for different presidential candidates.

Results + General Election ResultsParty Pledged to Elector Votes Republican Party John C. Frémont Fernando C. Beaman71,762 Republican Party John C. Frémont Thomas J. Drake71,759 Republican Party John C. Frémont William H. Withey71,759 Republican Party John C. Frémont Chauncey H. Millen71,738 Republican Party John C. Frémont Harmon Chamberlin71,729 Republican Party John C. Frémont Oliver Johnson70,186 Democratic Party James Buchanan David A. Noble52,139 Democratic Party James Buchanan Robert Crouse52,138 Democratic Party James Buchanan Jonathan P. King52,137 Democratic Party James Buchanan Michael Shoemaker52,136 Democratic Party James Buchanan John C. Blanchard52,134 Democratic Party James Buchanan DeWitt C. Walker52,116 American Party Millard Fillmore Rodney C. Paine1,660 American Party Millard Fillmore George W. Perkins1,657 American Party Millard Fillmore Henry W. Welles1,657 American Party Millard Fillmore John V. Lyon1,654 American Party Millard Fillmore Peter R. Adams1,652 American Party Millard Fillmore Abram R. Coryell1,652 Write-in Scattering166Votes cast 125,727

Results By County County John C. FrémontRepublican James BuchananDemocratic Millard FillmoreAmerican Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Allegan1,52659.06%1,02739.74%291.12%49919.31%2,584Barry1,49561.85%87336.12%492.03%62225.73%2,417Berrien1,92653.53%1,54042.80%1323.67%38610.73%3,598Branch2,60865.83%1,32233.37%140.35%1,28632.46%3,962Calhoun3,49560.59%2,15137.29%1222.12%1,34423.30%5,768Cass1,70358.54%1,16540.05%411.41%53818.49%2,909Clinton1,35856.44%1,03442.98%140.58%32413.47%2,406Eaton1,88860.30%1,22839.22%150.48%66021.08%3,131Genesee2,63561.39%1,53835.83%1102.56%1,09725.56%4,292Grand Traverse15739.05%24360.45%20.50%-86-21.39%402Gratiot38874.05%13625.95%00.00%25248.09%524Hillsdale3,44670.46%1,40828.79%370.76%2,03841.67%4,891Houghton20133.50%39866.33%10.17%-197-32.83%600Ingham1,84954.25%1,53445.01%250.73%3159.24%3,408Ionia2,00263.00%1,15436.31%220.69%84826.68%3,178Jackson2,99657.77%2,11940.86%460.89%87716.91%5,186Kalamazoo2,80362.65%1,62036.21%501.12%1,18326.44%4,474Kent2,93152.91%2,51645.42%931.68%4157.49%5,540Lapeer1,57960.61%99538.20%311.19%58422.42%2,605Lenawee4,49960.28%2,77937.24%1672.24%1,72023.05%7,463Livingston1,76550.52%1,71148.97%180.52%541.55%3,494Macomb2,21054.09%1,84645.18%300.73%3648.91%4,086Marquette7944.89%7743.75%2011.36%21.14%176Mason3272.73%1227.27%00.00%2045.45%44Midland16978.97%4320.09%20.93%12658.88%214Monroe1,77750.04%1,70347.96%340.96%742.08%3,551Montcalm41460.35%26538.63%71.02%14921.72%686Oakland4,10554.82%3,27643.75%710.95%82911.07%7,488Oceana8279.61%2120.39%00.00%6159.22%103Ottawa1,39257.31%99841.09%391.61%39416.22%2,429Saginaw1,04245.68%1,22253.57%170.75%-180-7.89%2,281Sanilac80379.90%20120.00%10.10%60259.90%1,005Shiawassee1,30453.33%1,10545.19%361.47%1998.14%2,445St. Clair1,80753.92%1,52145.39%210.63%2868.53%3,351St. Joseph2,32460.98%1,47538.70%120.31%84922.28%3,811Tuscola44264.24%24235.17%40.58%20029.07%688Van Buren1,71061.62%1,03137.15%341.23%67924.47%2,775Washtenaw3,57054.67%2,83343.38%1091.67%73711.29%6,530Wayne5,25046.74%5,77751.43%2051.83%-527-4.69%11,232Total71,76257.08%52,13941.47%1,6601.32%19,62315.61%125,727

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Allegan Barry Berrien Branch Calhoun Eaton Hillsdale Ingham Ionia Jackson Kent Lapeer Lenawee Livingston Macomb Monroe Montcalm Oakland Ottawa Sanilac Shiawassee St. Clair St. Joseph Van Buren Washtenaw

Counties that flipped from Whig to Republican Cass Clinton Genesee Kalamazoo Tuscola

See also United States presidential elections in Michigan

Notes

References