1920 United States presidential election in Indiana

1920 United States presidential election in Indiana

November 2, 1920
 
Nominee Warren G. Harding James M. Cox
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Ohio Ohio
Running mate Calvin Coolidge Franklin D. Roosevelt
Electoral vote 15 0
Popular vote 696,370 511,364
Percentage 55.1% 40.5%

County Results

President before election

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic

Elected President

Warren G. Harding
Republican

A presidential election was held in Indiana on November 2, 1920, as part of the 1920 United States presidential election. The Republican ticket of the junior U.S. senator from Ohio Warren G. Harding and the governor of Massachusetts Calvin Coolidge defeated the Democratic ticket of the governor of Ohio James M. Cox and the assistant secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt. Harding defeated Cox in the national election with 404 electoral votes.[1]

Background

Partisan coalitions in Indiana at the turn of the century reflected the regional, ethnic, and religious roots of the settler population, with the descendants of White Southerners, German Americans, and Irish Americans (especially Catholics) voting reliably Democratic, while Yankees, Nordic and Scandinavian Americans, and British Americans favored the Republican Party. Southern Indiana leaned Democratic and Northern Indiana leaned Republican, in line with the loose correlation between ethnicity and geography. The state's notable concentration of German Catholics contributed to its closeness in presidential elections during the Third Party System relative to other Lower North states. William Jennings Bryan's 1896 presidential campaign saw the state move more securely into the Republican column, as German Catholics alienated by Bryan's outspoken Evangelicalism, conservatives unnerved by the candidate's agrarian radicalism, and urban workers frightened by threats of mass layoffs in the event of a Bryan victory voted Republican for the first time. Following this political realignment, Woodrow Wilson became the only Democrat to carry Indiana during the Fourth Party System (1896–1932) in 1912. Republican support remained greater in urban areas than in rural areas based on the strength of Republican urban political machines.[2]

Primary elections

Republican Party

Indiana Republican primary, May 4, 1920[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Leonard Wood 85,708 37.93
Republican Hiram Johnson 79,840 35.33
Republican Frank O. Lowden 39,627 17.54
Republican Warren G. Harding 20,782 9.20
Total votes 225,957 100.00

Democratic Party

No candidates filed to run in the Indiana Democratic primary, and consequently no primary election was held.[4]

General election

Results

Indiana chose 15 electors on a statewide general ticket. Prevailing election laws required voters to elect each member of the Electoral College individually, rather than as a group.[5] This sometimes resulted in small differences in the number of votes cast for electors pledged to the same presidential candidate, if some voters did not vote for all the electors nominated by a party.[6] The following table quotes the official returns published by the secretary of state of Indiana, which list the votes for the first elector on each ticket.[7]

1920 United States presidential election in Indiana[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Warren G. Harding
Calvin Coolidge
696,370 55.14 7.71
Democratic James M. Cox
Franklin D. Roosevelt
511,364 40.49 6.00
Socialist Eugene V. Debs
Seymour Stedman
24,703 1.96 1.08
Farmer–Labor Parley P. Christensen
Max S. Hayes
16,499 1.31 1.31
Prohibition Aaron S. Watkins
D. Leigh Colvin
13,462 1.07 1.21
Single Tax Robert C. MacAuley
Richard C. Barnum
566 0.04 0.04
Total votes 1,262,964 100.00

Results by county

1920 United States presidential election in Indiana by county[7]
County Warren G. Harding
Republican
James M. Cox
Democratic
Eugene V. Debs
Socialist
Parley P. Christensen
Farmer–Labor
Aaron S. Watkins
Prohibition
Robert C. Macauley
Single Tax
Margin Total
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
Adams 4,144 51.81% 3,653 45.67% 21 0.26% 48 0.60% 131 1.64% 1 0.01% 491 6.14% 7,998
Allen 24,208 57.40% 13,804 32.73% 497 1.18% 3,344 7.93% 268 0.64% 56 0.13% 10,404 24.67% 42,177
Bartholomew 6,585 53.93% 5,420 44.39% 85 0.70% 4 0.03% 113 0.93% 3 0.02% 1,165 9.54% 12,210
Benton 3,900 64.13% 2,098 34.50% 13 0.21% 11 0.18% 59 0.97% 0 0.00% 1,802 29.63% 6,081
Blackford 3,145 51.79% 2,555 42.07% 224 3.69% 15 0.25% 129 2.12% 5 0.08% 590 9.72% 6,073
Boone 6,650 50.93% 6,178 47.31% 64 0.49% 1 0.01% 163 1.25% 2 0.02% 472 3.61% 13,058
Brown 788 36.75% 1,316 61.38% 16 0.75% 0 0.00% 24 1.12% 0 0.00% -528 -24.63% 2,144
Carroll 5,006 53.92% 4,186 45.09% 30 0.32% 4 0.04% 58 0.62% 0 0.00% 820 8.83% 9,284
Cass 9,545 52.12% 8,194 44.74% 190 1.04% 161 0.88% 221 1.21% 3 0.02% 1,351 7.38% 18,314
Clark 6,466 48.41% 6,729 50.38% 72 0.54% 54 0.40% 36 0.27% 0 0.00% -263 -1.97% 13,357
Clay 6,129 48.20% 5,612 44.13% 393 3.09% 456 3.59% 111 0.87% 15 0.12% 517 4.07% 12,716
Clinton 7,739 52.59% 6,721 45.67% 93 0.63% 6 0.04% 156 1.06% 2 0.01% 1,018 6.92% 14,717
Crawford 2,290 49.05% 2,213 47.40% 94 2.01% 2 0.04% 70 1.50% 0 0.00% 77 1.65% 4,669
Daviess 6,748 53.42% 5,587 44.23% 201 1.59% 36 0.28% 59 0.47% 2 0.02% 1,161 9.19% 12,633
Dearborn 5,159 50.66% 4,884 47.96% 66 0.65% 11 0.11% 63 0.62% 0 0.00% 275 2.70% 10,183
Decatur 5,516 57.66% 3,896 40.73% 48 0.50% 0 0.00% 106 1.11% 0 0.00% 1,620 16.93% 9,566
DeKalb 6,514 56.35% 4,750 41.09% 101 0.87% 33 0.29% 162 1.40% 0 0.00% 1,764 15.26% 11,560
Delaware 14,845 61.78% 8,329 34.66% 480 2.00% 40 0.17% 327 1.36% 9 0.04% 6,516 27.12% 24,030
Dubois 3,738 46.18% 4,238 52.35% 80 0.99% 10 0.12% 29 0.36% 0 0.00% -500 -6.18% 8,095
Elkhart 12,297 60.10% 5,770 28.20% 909 4.44% 929 4.54% 516 2.52% 40 0.20% 6,527 31.90% 20,461
Fayette 4,742 54.27% 3,768 43.12% 48 0.55% 108 1.24% 70 0.80% 2 0.02% 974 11.15% 8,738
Floyd 7,669 49.65% 7,391 47.85% 156 1.01% 112 0.73% 117 0.76% 2 0.01% 278 1.80% 15,447
Fountain 5,218 54.09% 4,088 42.38% 267 2.77% 8 0.08% 64 0.66% 2 0.02% 1,130 11.71% 9,647
Franklin 3,137 45.51% 3,671 53.26% 10 0.15% 16 0.23% 58 0.84% 1 0.01% -534 -7.75% 6,893
Fulton 4,618 53.99% 3,602 42.11% 229 2.68% 11 0.13% 92 1.08% 2 0.02% 1,016 11.88% 8,554
Gibson 7,498 51.32% 6,384 43.70% 225 1.54% 253 1.73% 241 1.65% 9 0.06% 1,114 7.62% 14,610
Grant 12,349 55.12% 7,900 35.26% 1,321 5.90% 17 0.08% 800 3.57% 18 0.08% 4,449 19.86% 22,405
Greene 7,486 48.65% 6,335 41.17% 1,209 7.86% 239 1.55% 119 0.77% 0 0.00% 1,151 7.48% 15,388
Hamilton 7,897 63.04% 4,280 34.17% 39 0.31% 28 0.22% 282 2.25% 1 0.01% 3,617 28.87% 12,527
Hancock 4,422 46.16% 4,958 51.76% 53 0.55% 4 0.04% 141 1.47% 1 0.01% -536 -5.60% 9,579
Harrison 4,271 51.45% 3,898 46.96% 52 0.63% 8 0.10% 72 0.87% 0 0.00% 373 4.49% 8,301
Hendricks 6,293 59.20% 4,192 39.44% 45 0.42% 4 0.04% 95 0.89% 1 0.01% 2,101 19.76% 10,630
Henry 8,742 57.03% 5,824 38.00% 335 2.19% 13 0.08% 412 2.69% 2 0.01% 2,918 19.04% 15,328
Howard 10,379 58.54% 5,767 32.53% 1,132 6.38% 104 0.59% 332 1.87% 16 0.09% 4,612 26.01% 17,730
Huntington 8,100 53.67% 6,506 43.11% 136 0.90% 73 0.48% 275 1.82% 3 0.02% 1,594 10.56% 15,093
Jackson 5,069 48.04% 5,319 50.41% 55 0.52% 3 0.03% 105 1.00% 1 0.01% -250 -2.37% 10,552
Jasper 3,942 66.87% 1,872 31.76% 14 0.24% 11 0.19% 56 0.95% 0 0.00% 2,070 35.11% 5,895
Jay 6,089 53.35% 4,759 41.69% 80 0.70% 119 1.04% 367 3.22% 0 0.00% 1,330 11.65% 11,414
Jefferson 5,732 58.02% 4,000 40.49% 45 0.46% 10 0.10% 93 0.94% 0 0.00% 1,732 17.53% 9,880
Jennings 3,404 55.65% 2,603 42.55% 30 0.49% 9 0.15% 70 1.14% 1 0.02% 801 13.09% 6,117
Johnson 4,863 45.36% 5,452 50.85% 324 3.02% 4 0.04% 77 0.72% 2 0.02% -589 -5.49% 10,722
Knox 10,011 51.39% 8,052 41.34% 919 4.72% 311 1.60% 176 0.90% 10 0.05% 1,959 10.06% 19,479
Kosciusko 8,326 61.66% 4,836 35.81% 114 0.84% 21 0.16% 207 1.53% 0 0.00% 3,490 25.84% 13,504
LaGrange 3,852 68.02% 1,687 29.79% 21 0.37% 17 0.30% 86 1.52% 0 0.00% 2,165 38.23% 5,663
Lake 26,296 69.15% 7,136 18.77% 1,449 3.81% 2,815 7.40% 292 0.77% 40 0.11% 19,160 50.38% 38,028
LaPorte 11,204 65.00% 5,459 31.67% 340 1.97% 105 0.61% 129 0.75% 1 0.01% 5,745 33.33% 17,238
Lawrence 6,808 58.15% 4,709 40.22% 146 1.25% 1 0.01% 44 0.38% 0 0.00% 2,099 17.93% 11,708
Madison 15,704 49.76% 13,325 42.22% 1,833 5.81% 17 0.05% 672 2.13% 11 0.03% 2,379 7.54% 31,562
Marion 79,957 54.93% 61,460 42.22% 3,262 2.24% 262 0.18% 582 0.40% 48 0.03% 18,497 12.71% 145,571
Marshall 5,708 53.64% 4,631 43.52% 75 0.70% 23 0.22% 204 1.92% 1 0.01% 1,077 10.12% 10,642
Martin 2,747 52.27% 2,443 46.49% 46 0.88% 4 0.08% 15 0.29% 0 0.00% 304 5.78% 5,255
Miami 7,336 51.94% 6,259 44.31% 310 2.19% 13 0.09% 206 1.46% 0 0.00% 1,077 7.63% 14,124
Monroe 5,633 53.65% 4,751 45.25% 51 0.49% 6 0.06% 59 0.56% 0 0.00% 882 8.40% 10,500
Montgomery 8,792 54.49% 7,159 44.37% 106 0.66% 6 0.04% 71 0.44% 1 0.01% 1,633 10.12% 16,135
Morgan 5,634 55.95% 4,254 42.25% 68 0.68% 2 0.02% 111 1.10% 0 0.00% 1,380 13.71% 10,069
Newton 3,129 64.37% 1,664 34.23% 30 0.62% 7 0.14% 31 0.64% 0 0.00% 1,465 30.14% 4,861
Noble 6,820 60.82% 4,148 36.99% 73 0.65% 48 0.43% 123 1.10% 1 0.01% 2,672 23.83% 11,213
Ohio 1,177 50.91% 1,097 47.45% 1 0.04% 0 0.00% 37 1.60% 0 0.00% 80 3.46% 2,312
Orange 4,726 58.86% 3,222 40.13% 60 0.75% 6 0.07% 15 0.19% 0 0.00% 1,504 18.73% 8,029
Owen 2,997 49.18% 2,948 48.38% 100 1.64% 14 0.23% 35 0.57% 0 0.00% 49 0.80% 6,094
Parke 4,989 56.13% 3,543 39.86% 148 1.67% 108 1.22% 93 1.05% 7 0.08% 1,446 16.27% 8,888
Perry 3,864 51.76% 3,560 47.69% 25 0.33% 7 0.09% 9 0.12% 0 0.00% 304 4.07% 7,465
Pike 4,069 51.75% 3,067 39.01% 256 3.26% 405 5.15% 31 0.39% 35 0.45% 1,002 12.74% 7,863
Porter 5,570 72.68% 1,671 21.80% 126 1.64% 233 3.04% 62 0.81% 2 0.03% 3,899 50.87% 7,664
Posey 4,802 49.72% 4,695 48.61% 45 0.47% 17 0.18% 98 1.01% 1 0.01% 107 1.11% 9,658
Pulaski 2,740 53.88% 2,228 43.82% 76 1.49% 5 0.10% 36 0.71% 0 0.00% 512 10.07% 5,085
Putnam 5,140 47.83% 5,417 50.41% 108 1.01% 4 0.04% 77 0.72% 0 0.00% -277 -2.58% 10,746
Randolph 8,773 65.28% 4,198 31.24% 85 0.63% 10 0.07% 370 2.75% 3 0.02% 4,575 34.04% 13,439
Ripley 5,372 56.83% 3,976 42.07% 48 0.51% 11 0.12% 45 0.48% 0 0.00% 1,396 14.77% 9,452
Rush 6,113 56.59% 4,513 41.78% 35 0.32% 0 0.00% 142 1.31% 0 0.00% 1,600 14.81% 10,803
Scott 1,709 47.51% 1,848 51.38% 9 0.25% 6 0.17% 25 0.70% 0 0.00% -139 -3.86% 3,597
Shelby 6,336 47.15% 6,845 50.94% 55 0.41% 10 0.07% 191 1.42% 0 0.00% -509 -3.79% 13,437
Spencer 5,270 57.03% 3,855 41.72% 39 0.42% 15 0.16% 57 0.62% 4 0.04% 1,415 15.31% 9,240
St. Joseph 17,675 56.46% 12,355 39.47% 798 2.55% 161 0.51% 310 0.99% 6 0.02% 5,320 16.99% 31,305
Starke 2,683 62.92% 1,467 34.40% 52 1.22% 25 0.59% 36 0.84% 1 0.02% 1,216 28.52% 4,264
Steuben 4,963 72.47% 1,676 24.47% 28 0.41% 10 0.15% 171 2.50% 0 0.00% 3,287 48.00% 6,848
Sullivan 5,376 41.38% 6,160 47.42% 365 2.81% 867 6.67% 164 1.26% 59 0.45% -784 -6.03% 12,991
Switzerland 2,525 50.12% 2,412 47.88% 27 0.54% 3 0.06% 71 1.41% 0 0.00% 113 2.24% 5,038
Tippecanoe 12,730 61.68% 7,562 36.64% 102 0.49% 90 0.44% 152 0.74% 3 0.01% 5,168 25.04% 20,639
Tipton 4,357 51.43% 3,956 46.69% 46 0.54% 9 0.11% 104 1.23% 0 0.00% 401 4.73% 8,472
Union 1,984 58.30% 1,375 40.41% 10 0.29% 2 0.06% 32 0.94% 0 0.00% 609 17.90% 3,403
Vanderburgh 19,357 52.39% 13,904 37.63% 666 1.80% 2,782 7.53% 177 0.48% 60 0.16% 5,453 14.76% 36,946
Vermillion 4,916 52.08% 3,218 34.09% 587 6.22% 580 6.14% 111 1.18% 27 0.29% 1,698 17.99% 9,439
Vigo 18,668 50.30% 15,739 42.41% 1,498 4.04% 935 2.52% 241 0.65% 33 0.09% 2,929 7.89% 37,114
Wabash 8,018 60.33% 4,827 36.32% 166 1.25% 24 0.18% 250 1.88% 5 0.04% 3,191 24.01% 13,290
Warren 3,337 70.89% 1,311 27.85% 21 0.45% 6 0.13% 32 0.68% 0 0.00% 2,026 43.04% 4,707
Warrick 4,675 51.75% 3,915 43.34% 199 2.20% 147 1.63% 92 1.02% 5 0.06% 760 8.41% 9,033
Washington 3,708 46.86% 4,157 52.53% 16 0.20% 1 0.01% 31 0.39% 0 0.00% -449 -5.67% 7,913
Wayne 12,631 59.52% 8,015 37.77% 330 1.56% 0 0.00% 245 1.15% 0 0.00% 4,616 21.75% 21,221
Wells 4,430 47.61% 4,653 50.01% 215 2.31% 7 0.08% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -223 -2.40% 9,305
White 4,871 58.57% 3,375 40.58% 12 0.14% 8 0.10% 51 0.61% 0 0.00% 1,496 17.99% 8,317
Whitley 4,530 52.50% 3,929 45.53% 34 0.39% 14 0.16% 122 1.41% 0 0.00% 601 6.96% 8,629
TOTAL 696,370 55.14% 511,364 40.49% 24,703 1.96% 16,499 1.31% 13,462 1.07% 566 0.04% 185,006 14.65% 1,262,964

See also

References

  1. ^ Petersen 1963, p. 83.
  2. ^ Phillips 1969, pp. 332–36, 310, 337.
  3. ^ Congressional Quarterly 1985, p. 392.
  4. ^ Congressional Quarterly 1985, p. 393n5.
  5. ^ Spencer & Tennant 1920, p. 59.
  6. ^ Petersen 1963, pp. vii.
  7. ^ a b c Indiana 1921, p. 61–62.

Bibliography

  • Congressional Quarterly (1985). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (2nd ed.). Washington D.C.: Congressional Quarterly. ISBN 978-0-87187-339-2.
  • Indiana (1921). Year Book of the State of Indiana for the Year 1920. Fort Wayne: Legislative Reference Bureau.
  • Phillips, Kevin P. (1969). The Emerging Republican Majority. New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House. LCCN 76-79602.
  • Petersen, Svend (1963). A Statistical History of the American Presidential Elections. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company. LCCN 62-21786.
  • Spencer, William W.; Tennant, Maurice E., eds. (1920). Election Laws of Indiana [...]. Indianapolis: State Board of Election Commissioners.