1896 United States presidential election in Washington (state)

The 1896 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the 1896 United States presidential election. State voters chose four electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Washington was won by the People's Party nominees, former U.S. Representative William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska and his running mate Thomas E. Watson of Maine. Two electors cast their vice presidential ballots for Bryan's Democratic Party running mate Arthur Sewall. They defeated the Republican nominees, former Governor of Ohio William McKinley and his running mate Garret Hobart of New Jersey. Bryan won the state by a margin of 13.35%,

As a result of his win in the state, Bryan would become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Washington state. He would later lose the state against McKinley in 1900 and then against William Howard Taft in 1908. The state would not vote Democratic again until Woodrow Wilson won the state in 1916.

Until 2024, this was the only presidential election since statehood in which Clallam County gave more than 50% of its vote to the losing candidate nationwide.

Results + General Election ResultsAbstract of Votes Polled in the State of Washington, at a General Election held in the several voting precincts of said State, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday, being the third day of November, A.D. 1896, taken from the official returns.Party Pledged to Elector Votes People's Party William Jennings Bryan N. T. Caton51,646 People's Party William Jennings Bryan I. N. Maxwell50,895 People's Party William Jennings Bryan John B. Hart50,842 People's Party William Jennings Bryan D. C. Newman50,643 Republican Party William McKinley L. H. Anderson39,153 Republican Party William McKinley John N. Conna38,574 Republican Party William McKinley Solomon Smith38,573 Republican Party William McKinley W. K. Kennedy38,439 Democratic Party John M. Palmer Thomas Burke1,668 Democratic Party John M. Palmer George W. Stapleton1,526 Democratic Party John M. Palmer W. S. Yearsley1,517 Democratic Party John M. Palmer Y. C. Blalock1,503 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering D. T. Denny968 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering R. F. Whittum844 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering J. J. Ashby826 Prohibition Party Joshua Levering O. J. Gist795 National Party Charles E. Bentley Charles Goddard148 National Party Charles E. Bentley R. H. Peter135 National Party Charles E. Bentley J. B. Redford128 National Party Charles E. Bentley Boyd Tyler125Votes cast 93,583

Results by county CountyWilliam Jennings BryanPopulistJohn M. PalmerDemocraticWilliam McKinleyRepublicanJoshua LeveringProhibitionCharles BentleyNationalMarginTotal votescast # % # % # % # % # % # %Adams36357.99%91.44%24338.82%111.76%00.00%12019.17%626Asotin25452.16%153.08%21443.94%30.62%10.21%408.22%487Chehalis1,31249.68%381.44%1,26747.97%210.80%30.11%451.71%2,641Clallam67652.53%413.19%55943.43%60.47%50.39%1179.10%1,287Clarke1,49748.23%501.61%1,49748.23%511.64%0.29%00.00%3,104Columbia84751.30%150.91%77647.00%90.55%40.24%714.30%1,651Cowlitz93547.03%391.96%98949.75%231.16%20.10%-54-2.72%1,988Douglas72267.04%111.02%33431.01%100.93%00.00%38836.03%1,077Franklin10870.59%53.27%3824.84%21.31%00.00%7045.75%153Garfield46953.60%131.49%37843.20%141.60%10.11%9110.40%875Island18144.69%102.47%20650.86%71.73%10.25%-25-6.17%405Jefferson50040.00%362.88%70456.32%80.64%20.16%-204-16.32%1,250King7,49752.41%2361.65%6,41344.83%1441.01%150.10%1,0847.58%14,305Kitsap70247.15%261.75%72848.89%291.95%40.27%-26-1.74%1,489Kittitas1,29653.87%401.66%1,04443.39%230.96%30.12%25210.48%2,406Klickitat66441.63%442.76%87654.92%110.69%00.00%-212-13.29%1,595Lewis1,58448.04%702.12%1,59448.35%371.12%120.36%-10-0.31%3,297Lincoln1,71566.27%562.16%78130.18%311.20%50.19%93436.09%2,588Mason65060.35%171.58%39736.86%111.02%20.19%25323.49%1,077Okanogan91272.96%383.04%28422.72%110.88%50.40%62850.24%1,250Pacific51233.88%503.31%92561.22%191.26%50.33%-413-27.34%1,511Pierce5,40452.45%1661.61%4,65145.14%580.56%240.23%7537.31%10,303San Juan28340.14%81.13%41158.30%30.43%00.00%-128-18.16%705Skagit1,57353.85%501.71%1,26843.41%280.96%20.07%30510.44%2,921 Skamania23762.70%153.97%12232.28%41.06%00.00%11530.42%378Snohomish2,77558.13%831.74%1,87139.19%430.90%20.04%90418.94%4,774Spokane5,72566.17%1041.20%2,70131.22%1111.28%110.13%3,02434.95%8,652Stevens1,88078.50%461.92%43318.08%261.09%100.42%1,44760.42%2,395Thurston1,37155.08%441.77%1,05242.27%170.68%50.20%31912.81%2,489Wahkiakum37654.57%202.90%29042.09%30.44%00.00%8612.48%689 Walla Walla1,65249.30%641.91%1,59647.63%371.10%20.06%561.67%3,351Whatcom2,17750.98%501.17%1,97146.16%681.59%40.09%2064.82%4,270Whitman3,57866.67%1122.09%1,59229.66%771.43%80.15%1,98637.01%5,367Yakima1,21954.74%472.11%94842.57%120.54%10.04%27112.17%2,227Totals51,64655.19%1,6681.78%39,15341.84%9681.03%1480.16%12,49313.35%93,583

Counties that flipped from Republican to Populist

Adams Asotin Chehalis Clallam Clark Douglas Garfield King Kittitas Lewis Okanogan Pierce Skagit Snohomish Spokane Stevens Thurston Wahkiakum Walla Walla Whatcom Whitman Yakima

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Jefferson

See also United States presidential elections in Washington (state)

Notes

References