1916 United States presidential election in North Carolina

The 1916 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 7, 1916, as part of the 1916 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all contemporary forty-eight states. Voters chose twelve representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1916 United States presidential election in North Carolina

November 7, 1916

All 12 North Carolina votes to the Electoral College
 
Nominee Woodrow Wilson Charles Evans Hughes
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New Jersey New York
Running mate Thomas R. Marshall Charles W. Fairbanks
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 168,383 120,890
Percentage 58.10% 41.71%

County Results

President before election

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

Elected President

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

Background

Like all former Confederate states, North Carolina would during its “Redemption” develop a politics based upon Jim Crow laws, disfranchisement of its African-American population and dominance of the Democratic Party. Unlike the Deep South, the Republican Party possessed sufficient historic Unionist white support from the mountains and northwestern Piedmont to gain a stable one-third of the statewide vote total in general elections even after blacks lost the right to vote.[1] Like Virginia, Tennessee and Oklahoma, the relative strength of Republican opposition meant that North Carolina did not have statewide white primaries, although certain counties did use the white primary.[2] Although with disfranchisement of blacks the state introduced a poll tax, it was less severe than any other former Confederate state.[3]

Since the tail end of the 1900s, proposals to reform what was recognised as an inefficient and regressive tax system[4] had become the major issue in North Carolina,[5] especially after the Sixteenth Amendment was ratified.[4]

Vote

Neither candidate campaigned in the state, which had voted Democratic at every election since 1876. At no point was there any serious question of Wilson carrying the state.[6] On election day projections were for a majority for Wilson of between forty-five thousand and fifty thousand,[7] which closely approximated the final result. Nonetheless, North Carolina was one of only three states where Wilson failed to improve upon his 1912 percentage, and indeed his 16.39 point win was three points smaller than conservative Democrat Alton B. Parker managed in 1904. Hughes, in fact, was the first Republican to ever carry Carteret and Clay Counties, suggesting latent opposition to Wilson in the Outer Banks and Appalachia.[8]

Results

Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV)
Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey Thomas R. Marshall Democratic 12[9] 168,383 58.10%
Charles Evans Hughes Charles W. Fairbanks Republican 0 120,890 41.71%
Allan L. Benson George Kirkpatrick Socialist 0 509 0.18%
Frank Hanly Ira Landrith Prohibition 0 53 0.02%

Results by county

County Thomas Woodrow Wilson[10]
Democratic
Charles Evans Hughes[10]
Republican
Allan Louis Benson[10]
Socialist
James Franklin Hanly[10]
Prohibition
Margin
% # % # % # % # % #
Northampton 97.12% 1,518 2.88% 45 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 94.24% 1,473
Edgecombe 92.69% 2,028 6.17% 135 1.10% 24 0.05% 1 86.52% 1,893
Bertie 92.64% 1,461 7.36% 116 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 85.29% 1,345
Currituck 91.48% 945 8.42% 87 0.00% 0 0.10% 1 83.06% 858
Halifax 88.51% 2,312 11.45% 299 0.04% 1 0.00% 0 77.07% 2,013
Hoke 87.64% 780 12.36% 110 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 75.28% 670
Scotland 87.26% 938 12.74% 137 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 74.51% 801
Anson 87.18% 2,046 12.82% 301 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 74.35% 1,745
Chowan 86.89% 610 12.96% 91 0.00% 0 0.14% 1 73.93% 519
Warren 84.28% 1,217 15.72% 227 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 68.56% 990
Martin 83.97% 1,472 16.03% 281 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 67.94% 1,191
Franklin 83.86% 2,057 16.14% 396 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 67.71% 1,661
New Hanover 82.72% 2,355 17.28% 492 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 65.44% 1,863
Hertford 82.31% 977 17.61% 209 0.00% 0 0.08% 1 64.70% 768
Pasquotank 81.28% 1,177 18.65% 270 0.00% 0 0.07% 1 62.64% 907
Camden 80.70% 368 18.86% 86 0.00% 0 0.44% 2 61.84% 282
Pitt 79.79% 2,839 20.21% 719 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 59.58% 2,120
Union 79.04% 2,662 20.84% 702 0.12% 4 0.00% 0 58.19% 1,960
Greene 78.38% 1,066 21.62% 294 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 56.76% 772
Mecklenburg 78.11% 4,508 21.78% 1,257 0.10% 6 0.00% 0 56.33% 3,251
Craven 76.66% 1,780 23.34% 542 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 53.32% 1,238
Jones 75.34% 712 24.66% 233 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 50.69% 479
Hyde 74.73% 840 24.64% 277 0.36% 4 0.27% 3 50.09% 563
Wilson 73.76% 2,052 26.24% 730 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 47.52% 1,322
Gates 72.78% 826 27.22% 309 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 45.55% 517
Granville 72.55% 1,713 27.45% 648 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 45.11% 1,065
Nash 72.15% 2,189 27.22% 826 0.63% 19 0.00% 0 44.92% 1,363
Vance 72.22% 1,451 27.78% 558 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 44.45% 893
Caswell 71.52% 849 28.48% 338 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 43.05% 511
Lenoir 71.35% 1,666 28.57% 667 0.09% 2 0.00% 0 42.78% 999
Pender 70.80% 970 29.20% 400 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 41.61% 570
Richmond 70.49% 1,553 29.51% 650 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 40.99% 903
Perquimans 69.06% 645 30.84% 288 0.00% 0 0.11% 1 38.22% 357
Robeson 66.57% 2,894 33.43% 1,453 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 33.15% 1,441
Bladen 65.95% 1,261 34.05% 651 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 31.90% 610
Wake 65.23% 4,627 34.70% 2,461 0.07% 5 0.00% 0 30.54% 2,166
Cleveland 64.87% 2,764 35.13% 1,497 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 29.73% 1,267
Lee 64.78% 1,054 35.22% 573 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 29.56% 481
Wayne 64.40% 2,625 35.48% 1,446 0.07% 3 0.05% 2 28.93% 1,179
Cumberland 61.83% 1,971 38.17% 1,217 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 23.65% 754
Columbus 61.72% 2,143 38.22% 1,327 0.00% 0 0.06% 2 23.50% 816
Iredell 61.67% 3,335 38.33% 2,073 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 23.34% 1,262
Haywood 61.21% 2,403 38.79% 1,523 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 22.41% 880
Beaufort 60.55% 1,957 39.42% 1,274 0.00% 0 0.03% 1 21.13% 683
Onslow 60.27% 1,197 39.53% 785 0.00% 0 0.20% 4 20.75% 412
Pamlico 56.57% 710 41.99% 527 1.43% 18 0.00% 0 14.58% 183
Durham 57.28% 2,463 42.72% 1,837 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 14.56% 626
Washington 57.26% 651 42.74% 486 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 14.51% 165
Rowan 56.82% 3,053 43.18% 2,320 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 13.64% 733
Rutherford 56.65% 2,445 43.35% 1,871 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 13.30% 574
Dare 56.42% 470 43.58% 363 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 12.85% 107
Moore 55.57% 1,337 43.52% 1,047 0.91% 22 0.00% 0 12.05% 290
Guilford 55.41% 4,616 44.06% 3,670 0.53% 44 0.00% 0 11.36% 946
Harnett 55.29% 1,992 44.49% 1,603 0.22% 8 0.00% 0 10.80% 389
Alleghany 55.39% 796 44.61% 641 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 10.79% 155
Chatham 54.83% 1,839 44.75% 1,501 0.42% 14 0.00% 0 10.08% 338
Johnston 54.83% 3,468 45.17% 2,857 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 9.66% 611
Duplin 54.43% 1,824 45.57% 1,527 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 8.86% 297
Gaston 54.18% 3,019 45.62% 2,542 0.00% 0 0.20% 11 8.56% 477
Rockingham 54.20% 2,316 45.80% 1,957 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 8.40% 359
Yancey 54.06% 1,273 45.94% 1,082 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 8.11% 191
Forsyth 51.84% 4,115 45.16% 3,585 3.00% 238 0.00% 0 6.68% 530
Lincoln 52.47% 1,521 47.22% 1,369 0.28% 8 0.03% 1 5.24% 152
Buncombe 52.48% 4,229 47.52% 3,830 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 4.95% 399
Burke 52.37% 1,621 47.63% 1,474 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 4.75% 147
Stanly 51.97% 2,110 47.81% 1,941 0.12% 5 0.10% 4 4.16% 169
Alamance 52.03% 2,476 47.87% 2,278 0.11% 5 0.00% 0 4.16% 198
Macon 51.74% 1,146 48.26% 1,069 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 3.48% 77
Orange 51.51% 1,230 48.49% 1,158 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 3.02% 72
Tyrrell 51.49% 416 48.51% 392 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 2.97% 24
McDowell 51.08% 1,274 48.84% 1,218 0.00% 0 0.08% 2 2.25% 56
Caldwell 50.98% 1,725 49.02% 1,659 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 1.95% 66
Person 50.96% 953 49.04% 917 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 1.93% 36
Graham 50.85% 476 49.15% 460 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 1.71% 16
Montgomery 50.54% 1,222 49.46% 1,196 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 1.08% 26
Jackson 50.35% 1,306 49.65% 1,288 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.69% 18
Cherokee 50.00% 1,362 50.00% 1,362 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0
Catawba 49.34% 2,569 50.39% 2,624 0.08% 4 0.19% 10 -1.06% -55
Ashe 49.47% 1,898 50.53% 1,939 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -1.07% -41
Transylvania 49.40% 821 50.60% 841 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -1.20% -20
Davidson 48.74% 2,675 51.04% 2,801 0.22% 12 0.00% 0 -2.30% -126
Carteret 48.32% 1,165 51.68% 1,246 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -3.36% -81
Randolph 47.52% 2,747 52.43% 3,031 0.00% 0 0.05% 3 -4.91% -284
Polk 47.48% 679 52.45% 750 0.07% 1 0.00% 0 -4.97% -71
Cabarrus 47.10% 2,080 52.40% 2,314 0.50% 22 0.00% 0 -5.30% -234
Clay 46.89% 400 53.11% 453 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -6.21% -53
Stokes 45.58% 1,569 53.81% 1,852 0.61% 21 0.00% 0 -8.22% -283
Watauga 45.77% 1,141 54.23% 1,352 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -8.46% -211
Brunswick 45.00% 810 54.94% 989 0.06% 1 0.00% 0 -9.94% -179
Alexander 44.56% 954 55.44% 1,187 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -10.88% -233
Swain 42.36% 829 57.64% 1,128 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -15.28% -299
Davie 42.11% 910 57.61% 1,245 0.28% 6 0.00% 0 -15.50% -335
Surry 40.43% 2,029 59.33% 2,977 0.24% 12 0.00% 0 -18.89% -948
Henderson 39.38% 1,166 60.62% 1,795 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -21.24% -629
Yadkin 33.81% 879 66.19% 1,721 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -32.38% -842
Sampson 33.42% 1,369 66.58% 2,727 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -33.15% -1,358
Madison 33.09% 972 66.91% 1,965 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -33.81% -993
Wilkes 31.99% 1,632 68.01% 3,470 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -36.03% -1,838
Mitchell 26.25% 462 73.75% 1,298 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -47.50% -836
Avery 23.68% 360 76.18% 1,158 0.00% 0 0.13% 2 -52.50% -798

References

  1. Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210, 242 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  2. Klarman, Michael J.; ‘The White Primary Rulings: A Case Study in the Consequences of Supreme Court Decision-Making’; Florida State University Law Review, volume 29 (2001), pp. 55-107
  3. Rusk. J.J, and Stucker J.J.; ‘The Effect of Southern Election Laws on Turnout Rates’ in Silbey, Joel H. and Bogue, Allan G., The History of American Electoral Behavior, p. 246 ISBN 0691606625
  4. Steelman, Joseph F.; ‘Origins of the Campaign for Constitutional Reform in North Carolina, 1912-1913’; The North Carolina Historical Review, vol. 56, no. 4 (October, 1979) pp. 396-418
  5. ‘Poll-Tax Abolition Urged.: North Carolina Board Favors Levy of 2-3 Per Cent on Assessments’; Special to the Washington Post, December 24, 1908, p. 3
  6. Curtis, Sumner; ‘Close Election Seen: Unbiased Observers Unable to Form General Opinion’; The Washington Post, November 5, 1916, p. A4
  7. ‘Early Returns from States in Presidential Election’; Evening Capital News (Boise, Idaho), November 8, 1916, p. 5
  8. Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 48 ISBN 0786422173
  9. "1916 Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
  10. North Carolina State Board of Elections; ‘Election Returns Vote for President’ in North Carolina Manual 1917
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