1872 United States presidential election in Delaware
November 5, 1872
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County Results
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The 1872 United States presidential election in Delaware took place on November 5, 1872, as part of the 1872 United States presidential election. Voters chose three representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Delaware voted for the Republican candidate, Ulysses S. Grant, over Liberal Republican candidate Horace Greeley. Grant won Delaware by a narrow margin of 4.24%, making him the first Republican to win the state in a presidential election. It would not be carried by another Republican presidential candidate until 1896.
Results
| Party | Pledged to | Elector | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Party | Ulysses S. Grant | David W. Moore | 11,129 | |
| Republican Party | Ulysses S. Grant | Benjamin S. Booth | 11,115 | |
| Republican Party | Ulysses S. Grant | William T. Collins | 11,113 | |
| Liberal Republican Party | Horace Greeley | Albert Whiteley | 10,208 | |
| Liberal Republican Party | Horace Greeley | William G. Whiteley | 10,205 | |
| Liberal Republican Party | Horace Greeley | George W. Willen | 10,172 | |
| Straight-Out Democratic Party | Charles O'Conor | William H. Ross | 487 | |
| Straight-Out Democratic Party | Charles O'Conor | William Reynolds | 483 | |
| Straight-Out Democratic Party | Charles O'Conor | Thomas D. Cubbage | 466 | |
| Write-in | Scattering | 1[a] | ||
| Votes cast[b] | 21,822 | |||
Results by county
| County[1][2] | Ulysses S. Grant Republican |
Horace Greeley Liberal Republican |
Charles O'Conor Straight-Out Democratic |
Margin | Total votes cast[b] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Kent | 2,436 | 45.37% | 2,863 | 53.32% | 69 | 1.29% | -427 | -7.95% | 5,369[c] |
| New Castle | 5,844 | 55.36% | 4,564 | 43.23% | 149 | 1.41% | 1,280 | 12.12% | 10,557 |
| Sussex | 2,849 | 48.32% | 2,778 | 47.12% | 269 | 4.56% | 71 | 1.20% | 5,896 |
| Totals | 11,129 | 51.00% | 10,205 | 46.76% | 487 | 2.23% | 924 | 4.23% | 21,822 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
See also
Notes
- ^ There was one vote each for George G. Harmon, John G. Graham, and Edward Lord in Kent County. These appear to have been cast by a single voter for a separate slate of electors. Some sources count this as a vote for O'Conor. Burnham correctly lists 488 "Other" votes, but notes on page 901 that the breakdown was 487 for O'Conor and 1 Scattering.
- ^ a b Based on highest elector on each ticket
- ^ Includes 1 Scattering vote
References
- ^ a b "Proclamation - State of Delaware, Executive Department". Wilmington Daily Gazette. Wilmington. November 20, 1872. p. 2. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ a b Burnham, W. Dean (1955). Presidential Ballots, 1836-1892. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press. p. 321. Retrieved December 17, 2025.