1908 United States elections

Summary

The 1908 United States elections elected the members of the 61st United States Congress, occurring during the Fourth Party System. Oklahoma joined the union during the 61st Congress. Despite the Panic of 1907, Republicans continued to control the presidency and both houses of Congress.

1908 United States elections
1906          1907          1908          1909          1910
Presidential election year
Election dayNovember 3
Incumbent presidentTheodore Roosevelt (Republican)
Next Congress61st
Presidential election
Partisan controlRepublican hold
Popular vote marginRepublican +8.6%
Electoral vote
William Howard Taft (R)321
William Jennings Bryan (D)162
1908 United States presidential election in California1908 United States presidential election in Oregon1908 United States presidential election in Washington (state)1908 United States presidential election in Idaho1908 United States presidential election in Nevada1908 United States presidential election in Utah1908 United States presidential election in Montana1908 United States presidential election in Wyoming1908 United States presidential election in Colorado1908 United States presidential election in North Dakota1908 United States presidential election in South Dakota1908 United States presidential election in Nebraska1908 United States presidential election in Kansas1908 United States presidential election in Oklahoma1908 United States presidential election in Texas1908 United States presidential election in Minnesota1908 United States presidential election in Iowa1908 United States presidential election in Missouri1908 United States presidential election in Arkansas1908 United States presidential election in Louisiana1908 United States presidential election in Wisconsin1908 United States presidential election in Illinois1908 United States presidential election in Michigan1908 United States presidential election in Indiana1908 United States presidential election in Ohio1908 United States presidential election in Kentucky1908 United States presidential election in Tennessee1908 United States presidential election in Mississippi1908 United States presidential election in Alabama1908 United States presidential election in Georgia1908 United States presidential election in Florida1908 United States presidential election in South Carolina1908 United States presidential election in North Carolina1908 United States presidential election in Virginia1908 United States presidential election in West Virginia1908 United States presidential election in Maryland1908 United States presidential election in Delaware1908 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania1908 United States presidential election in New Jersey1908 United States presidential election in New York1908 United States presidential election in Connecticut1908 United States presidential election in Rhode Island1908 United States presidential election in Maryland1908 United States presidential election in Vermont1908 United States presidential election in New Hampshire1908 United States presidential election in Maine1908 United States presidential election in Massachusetts1908 United States presidential election in Maryland1908 United States presidential election in Delaware1908 United States presidential election in New Jersey1908 United States presidential election in Connecticut1908 United States presidential election in Rhode Island1908 United States presidential election in Massachusetts1908 United States presidential election in Vermont1908 United States presidential election in New Hampshire
1908 presidential election results. Red denotes states won by Taft, blue denotes states won by Bryan. Numbers indicate the electoral votes won by each candidate.
Senate elections
Overall controlRepublican hold
Seats contested31 of 92 seats[1]
Net seat changeDemocratic +1[2]
Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican gain      Republican hold
House elections
Overall controlRepublican hold
Seats contestedAll 391 voting members
Net seat changeDemocratic +5[2]
Gubernatorial elections
Seats contested33
Net seat changeDemocratic +2
1908 Rhode Island gubernatorial election1908 Illinois gubernatorial election1908 Wisconsin gubernatorial election1908 Iowa gubernatorial election1908 Arkansas gubernatorial election1908 Kansas gubernatorial election1908 Texas gubernatorial election1908 Florida gubernatorial election1908 Massachusetts gubernatorial election1908 Michigan gubernatorial election1908 Nebraska gubernatorial election1908 South Dakota gubernatorial election1908 Minnesota gubernatorial election1908 Maine gubernatorial election1908 Colorado gubernatorial election1908 Ohio gubernatorial election1908 Tennessee gubernatorial election1908 Connecticut gubernatorial election1908 Idaho gubernatorial election1908 Georgia gubernatorial election1908 New York gubernatorial election1908 South Carolina gubernatorial election1908 Delaware gubernatorial election1908 Indiana gubernatorial election1908 Missouri gubernatorial election1908 Montana gubernatorial election1908 New Hampshire gubernatorial election1908 North Carolina gubernatorial election1908 North Dakota gubernatorial election1908 Utah gubernatorial election1908 Vermont gubernatorial election1908 Washington gubernatorial election1908 West Virginia gubernatorial election
1908 gubernatorial election results

  Democratic gain   Democratic hold

  Republican gain   Republican hold

In the presidential election, Republican former Secretary of War William Howard Taft defeated Democratic former Representative William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska.[3] Taft and Bryan won both of their respective parties' nominations on the first ballot. Taft easily won the election, taking most states outside the South. Bryan's loss made him the only presidential nominee of a major party to lose three general elections.

Democrats made minor gains in the House, but Republicans maintained a solid majority in the chamber.[4]

In the Senate, Democrats picked up one seat, but Republicans continued to hold a commanding majority.[5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Not counting special elections
  2. ^ a b Congressional seat gain figures only reflect the results of the regularly-scheduled elections, and do not take special elections into account.
  3. ^ "1908 Presidential Election". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  5. ^ "Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present". United States Senate. Retrieved 25 June 2014.