1896 United States presidential election in Delaware
November 3, 1896
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County Results
McKinley 50–60%
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The 1896 United States presidential election in Delaware took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the 1896 United States presidential election. State voters chose three electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
Delaware was won by the Republican nominees, former Ohio Governor William McKinley and his running mate Garret Hobart of New Jersey. They defeated the Democratic nominee, former U.S. Representative from Nebraska William Jennings Bryan and his running mate Arthur Sewall. McKinley won the state by a (official) margin of 10.96%.
As a result of his win in Delaware, McKinley became the first Republican presidential candidate since Ulysses S. Grant in 1872 to win the state.
Bryan would lose Delaware to McKinley again four years later and would later lose the state again in 1908 to William Howard Taft.
Results
| Party | Pledged to | Elector | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Party | William McKinley | James G. Shaw | 16,883 | |
| Republican Party | William McKinley | Daniel F. Fooks | 16,805 | |
| Republican Party | William McKinley | Daniel M. Wilson | 16,789 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | John Harrington | 13,425 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | John H. Rodney | 13,417 | |
| Democratic Party | William Jennings Bryan | Paynter Frame | 13,327 | |
| Honest Money Democrat | John M. Palmer | Levi A. Bertolette | 877 | |
| Honest Money Democrat | John M. Palmer | Charles C. Stockley | 867 | |
| Honest Money Democrat | John M. Palmer | Edward Ridgely | 858 | |
| Prohibition Party | Joshua Levering | William W. Vincent | 353 | |
| Prohibition Party | Joshua Levering | Jefferson Cooper | 352 | |
| Prohibition Party | Joshua Levering | Henry M. Silver | 351 | |
| Votes cast[b] | 31,538 | |||
Results by county
| County[1][2][3] | William McKinley Republican |
William Jennings Bryan Democratic |
John M. Palmer Honest Money |
Joshua Levering Prohibition |
Margin | Total votes cast[b] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Kent[c] | 3,567 | 51.55% | 3,149 | 45.51% | 90 | 1.30% | 113 | 1.63% | 418 | 6.04% | 6,919 |
| New Castle | 12,344 | 53.70% | 9,632 | 41.90% | 778 | 3.38% | 233 | 1.01% | 2,712 | 11.80% | 22,987 |
| Sussex | 4,539 | 53.08% | 3,793 | 44.36% | 99 | 1.16% | 120 | 1.40% | 746 | 8.72% | 8,551 |
| Totals[d] | 16,883 | 53.53% | 13,425 | 42.57% | 877 | 2.78% | 353 | 1.12% | 3,458 | 10.96% | 31,538 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
See also
Notes
- ^ The election returns in Kent County were disputed and not included in the state's official canvass.
- ^ a b Based on highest elector on each ticket
- ^ The results were disputed in Kent County due to the rejection of the returns from several hundreds in the county. Ultimately, the state did not count any results from the county when canvassing the full vote. These results are therefore unofficial.
- ^ Does not include the disputed votes in Kent County
References
- ^ a b "Proclamation - State of Delaware, Executive Department". The Morning News. Wilmington. November 14, 1896. p. 2. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "Proclamation - State of Delaware, Executive Department". Every Evening. Wilmington. November 13, 1896. p. 3. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "For Presidential Electors". Delaware Gazette and State Journal. Wilmington. November 19, 1896. Retrieved December 17, 2025.