1900 United States presidential election in North Carolina

The 1900 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 6, 1900. All contemporary 45 states were part of the 1900 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

1900 United States presidential election in North Carolina

← 1896 November 6, 1900 1904 →
 
Nominee William Jennings Bryan William McKinley
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Nebraska Ohio
Running mate Adlai Stevenson I Theodore Roosevelt
Electoral vote 11 0
Popular vote 157,733 132,997
Percentage 53.92% 45.47%

County Results

President before election

William McKinley
Republican

Elected President

William McKinley
Republican

In the period between this election and that of 1896, North Carolina had seen the overthrow of its Populist/Republican fusion government by white Democrats in the 1898 Wilmington coup d'état. Following this momentous event, the state would see a radical restructuring of its politics due to the disenfranchisement of its large African-American population, who had provided a substantial – but unlike many Deep South states not overwhelming[1] – proportion of Republican Party support ever since that party first appeared in the state following Reconstruction.

At the same time, the state's Republican Party, now confined to the mountain and northwestern Piedmont areas that had resisted secession and viewed the Democratic Party as a “war party”,[2] would turn almost overnight towards a “lily-white” strategy based on attempting to appeal to businessmen who found the Democratic Party too anti-business and too favorable to using of low-cost black labor instead of whites.[3] The GOP had to some extent followed this strategy in the years before black disenfranchisement because it wanted to appeal to the state's budding industrialists, who were critical of Democratic policies favoring free trade over high tariffs.[4]

Despite the radical changes in the electorate over this and the following election, there was relatively little change in the overall statewide vote in a rematch between Democrat William Jennings Bryan and incumbent Republican President McKinley. Although McKinley lost almost all the GOP's black belt support as its black voters could no longer vote (such as Northampton County, a majority black county which has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the 1896 election), he did make extensive gains in majority-white and formerly Democratic regions of the Piedmont and secessionist parts of the mountains. Consequently, thirty-four of the state's ninety-seven counties switched parties despite a minimal statewide vote share change.[5] McKinley was the first Republican to carry Alexander County, Caldwell County, Graham County, Lincoln County, Macon County, Swain County and Yancey County in historically secessionist parts of the mountains and northwestern Piedmont, and also Orange County in the eastern Piedmont.[6]

In addition, Republicans made strong and persistent gains in historically secessionist Sampson County, home of Populist Senator Marion Butler, a key architect of both the Populist-Republican fusion at the state level in North Carolina and the Populist-Democratic fusion at the national level in 1896 with Bryan's nomination. In 1896 Sampson County overwhelmingly voted for Bryan as the Populist fusion candidate, but with the backlash to the overthrow of the Populist-Republican fusion state government, Sampson County swung heavily to the Republican McKinley, as a 67.63%-30.82% Bryan lead over McKinley in 1896 became a 58.64%-36.82% victory for McKinley over Bryan in 1900. Sampson County would remain an isolated island of Republican support down east for decades.

Along with having defeated McKinley in North Carolina four years earlier, Bryan would later win the state again in 1908 against William Howard Taft.

Results

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1900 United States presidential election in North Carolina[7]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 157,733 53.92% 11
Republican William McKinley (incumbent) 132,997 45.47% 0
Prohibition John G. Woolley 990 0.34% 0
Populist Wharton Barker 798 0.27% 0
Totals 292,518 100.00% 11
Voter turnout

Results by county

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1900 United States presidential election in North Carolina by county
County William Jennings Bryan[8]
Democratic
William McKinley[8]
Republican
John Granville Woolley[8]
Prohibition
Wharton Barker[8]
Populist
Margin
% # % # % # % # % #
New Hanover 97.40% 2,247 2.60% 60 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 94.80% 2,187
Scotland 95.26% 925 4.53% 44 0.21% 2 0.00% 0 90.73% 881
Robeson 74.14% 3,280 25.86% 1,144 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 48.28% 2,136
Anson 73.24% 1,856 26.56% 673 0.00% 0 0.20% 5 46.69% 1,183
Richmond 71.29% 1,264 28.43% 504 0.28% 5 0.00% 0 42.87% 760
Wilson 70.19% 2,816 29.76% 1,194 0.05% 2 0.00% 0 40.43% 1,622
Bertie 69.40% 2,420 30.60% 1,067 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 38.80% 1,353
Onslow 68.14% 1,322 31.86% 618 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 36.29% 704
Currituck 68.06% 927 31.94% 435 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 36.12% 492
Pender 67.40% 1,137 32.19% 543 0.30% 5 0.12% 2 35.21% 594
Union 66.89% 1,790 32.29% 864 0.00% 0 0.82% 22 34.60% 926
Gates 66.61% 1,125 33.39% 564 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 33.21% 561
Nash 66.04% 2,600 33.96% 1,337 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 32.08% 1,263
Edgecombe 64.78% 3,009 35.20% 1,635 0.02% 1 0.00% 0 29.58% 1,374
Halifax 64.73% 3,990 35.27% 2,174 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 29.46% 1,816
Hertford 64.62% 1,337 35.38% 732 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 29.24% 605
Duplin 63.05% 1,879 36.28% 1,081 0.00% 0 0.67% 20 26.78% 798
Franklin 62.45% 2,781 35.98% 1,602 0.29% 13 1.28% 57 26.48% 1,179
Cleveland 62.25% 2,228 36.63% 1,311 0.59% 21 0.53% 19 25.62% 917
Greene 62.61% 1,385 37.07% 820 0.00% 0 0.32% 7 25.54% 565
Mecklenburg 62.09% 3,786 36.63% 2,234 0.77% 47 0.51% 31 25.45% 1,552
Martin 62.57% 1,819 37.43% 1,088 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 25.15% 731
Stanly 61.50% 1,265 38.50% 792 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 22.99% 473
Lenoir 61.34% 1,942 38.66% 1,224 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 22.68% 718
Johnston 61.03% 3,154 38.64% 1,997 0.02% 1 0.31% 16 22.39% 1,157
Wayne 60.79% 3,104 38.48% 1,965 0.72% 37 0.00% 0 22.31% 1,139
Rowan 57.34% 2,460 36.25% 1,555 6.06% 260 0.35% 15 21.10% 905
Pitt 59.82% 3,264 39.52% 2,156 0.27% 15 0.38% 21 20.31% 1,108
Granville 58.80% 2,288 40.79% 1,587 0.05% 2 0.36% 14 18.02% 701
Vance 56.98% 1,233 40.71% 881 0.09% 2 2.22% 48 16.27% 352
Haywood 57.62% 1,735 41.75% 1,257 0.43% 13 0.20% 6 15.88% 478
Carteret 57.57% 1,046 42.21% 767 0.00% 0 0.22% 4 15.35% 279
Craven 57.45% 2,028 42.55% 1,502 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 14.90% 526
Cabarrus 56.29% 1,485 42.15% 1,112 0.61% 16 0.95% 25 14.14% 373
Columbus 56.75% 1,623 43.25% 1,237 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 13.50% 386
Beaufort 56.28% 2,316 43.72% 1,799 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 12.56% 517
Northampton 55.66% 1,992 44.34% 1,587 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 11.32% 405
Burke 55.25% 1,389 44.15% 1,110 0.28% 7 0.32% 8 11.10% 279
Iredell 54.32% 2,523 44.00% 2,044 0.37% 17 1.31% 61 10.31% 479
Dare 54.97% 404 45.03% 331 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 9.93% 73
Tyrrell 54.89% 466 45.11% 383 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 9.78% 83
Wake 54.65% 4,774 45.18% 3,947 0.17% 15 0.00% 0 9.47% 827
Montgomery 54.43% 1,100 45.52% 920 0.05% 1 0.00% 0 8.91% 180
Jones 54.26% 714 45.74% 602 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 8.51% 112
Gaston 53.42% 1,931 44.98% 1,626 1.38% 50 0.22% 8 8.44% 305
Rockingham 54.05% 2,652 45.89% 2,252 0.06% 3 0.00% 0 8.15% 400
Warren 54.05% 1,573 45.95% 1,337 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 8.11% 236
Durham 53.71% 2,373 45.86% 2,026 0.32% 14 0.11% 5 7.85% 347
Person 53.37% 1,466 46.38% 1,274 0.00% 0 0.25% 7 6.99% 192
Harnett 52.79% 1,342 47.17% 1,199 0.04% 1 0.00% 0 5.63% 143
Hyde 52.01% 867 47.87% 798 0.00% 0 0.12% 2 4.14% 69
Alleghany 51.71% 709 48.29% 662 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 3.43% 47
Washington 51.55% 834 48.45% 784 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 3.09% 50
Catawba 48.97% 1,612 46.23% 1,522 1.91% 63 2.89% 95 2.73% 90
Caswell 51.20% 1,342 48.72% 1,277 0.08% 2 0.00% 0 2.48% 65
Rutherford 51.22% 2,081 48.76% 1,981 0.02% 1 0.00% 0 2.46% 100
Jackson 50.30% 1,080 48.77% 1,047 0.00% 0 0.93% 20 1.54% 33
Clay 50.63% 404 49.37% 394 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 1.25% 10
Guilford 49.96% 3,335 49.37% 3,296 0.67% 45 0.00% 0 0.58% 39
Orange 49.71% 1,275 49.90% 1,280 0.00% 0 0.39% 10 -0.19% -5
McDowell 49.34% 1,014 49.83% 1,024 0.44% 9 0.39% 8 -0.49% -10
Perquimans 49.52% 830 50.48% 846 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -0.95% -16
Chowan 49.07% 898 50.93% 932 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -1.86% -34
Forsyth 48.70% 2,482 50.77% 2,588 0.53% 27 0.00% 0 -2.08% -106
Macon 48.46% 977 51.34% 1,035 0.00% 0 0.20% 4 -2.88% -58
Pasquotank 48.26% 1,196 51.74% 1,282 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -3.47% -86
Camden 48.21% 498 51.79% 535 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -3.58% -37
Bladen 47.62% 1,102 51.51% 1,192 0.00% 0 0.86% 20 -3.89% -90
Graham 48.05% 358 51.95% 387 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -3.89% -29
Cumberland 47.75% 1,964 51.98% 2,138 0.24% 10 0.02% 1 -4.23% -174
Randolph 47.37% 2,264 52.04% 2,487 0.59% 28 0.00% 0 -4.67% -223
Buncombe 47.15% 3,724 52.41% 4,140 0.42% 33 0.03% 2 -5.27% -416
Yancey 46.86% 954 53.14% 1,082 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -6.29% -128
Alamance 45.60% 1,923 53.50% 2,256 0.76% 32 0.14% 6 -7.90% -333
Transylvania 45.84% 529 53.90% 622 0.26% 3 0.00% 0 -8.06% -93
Caldwell 45.11% 1,111 53.47% 1,317 1.14% 28 0.28% 7 -8.36% -206
Alexander 44.53% 774 53.97% 938 1.50% 26 0.00% 0 -9.44% -164
Brunswick 43.97% 525 53.85% 643 0.00% 0 2.18% 26 -9.88% -118
Pamlico 45.02% 597 54.98% 729 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -9.95% -132
Stokes 44.52% 1,443 55.48% 1,798 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -10.95% -355
Moore 44.04% 1,606 55.63% 2,029 0.05% 2 0.27% 10 -11.60% -423
Lincoln 43.58% 892 55.35% 1,133 0.15% 3 0.93% 19 -11.77% -241
Davidson 43.44% 1,823 55.49% 2,329 0.45% 19 0.62% 26 -12.06% -506
Ashe 43.83% 1,513 56.11% 1,937 0.06% 2 0.00% 0 -12.28% -424
Surry 43.64% 1,898 56.36% 2,451 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -12.72% -553
Swain 43.00% 590 57.00% 782 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -13.99% -192
Polk 42.34% 484 57.04% 652 0.61% 7 0.00% 0 -14.70% -168
Davie 39.11% 831 58.87% 1,251 1.74% 37 0.28% 6 -19.76% -420
Cherokee 39.96% 774 59.73% 1,157 0.00% 0 0.31% 6 -19.77% -383
Chatham 39.65% 1,489 59.65% 2,240 0.05% 2 0.64% 24 -20.00% -751
Henderson 39.63% 973 60.37% 1,482 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -20.73% -509
Sampson 36.82% 1,257 58.64% 2,002 1.46% 50 3.08% 105 -21.82% -745
Watauga 39.04% 923 60.87% 1,439 0.08% 2 0.00% 0 -21.83% -516
Wilkes 37.48% 1,704 62.47% 2,840 0.04% 2 0.00% 0 -24.99% -1,136
Yadkin 35.32% 950 64.42% 1,733 0.26% 7 0.00% 0 -29.11% -783
Madison 34.79% 1,268 65.21% 2,377 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -30.43% -1,109
Mitchell 20.05% 491 79.95% 1,958 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 -59.90% -1,467

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210, 242 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  2. ^ Key (Jr.), Valdimer Orlando; Southern Politics in State and Nation (New York, 1949), pp. 282-283
  3. ^ Kousser, J. Morgan; The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910; p. 195 ISBN 0-300-01696-4
  4. ^ Kousser; The Shaping of Southern Politics, p. 183
  5. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 34 ISBN 0-7864-2217-3
  6. ^ Menendez, The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, pp. 265-267
  7. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina
  8. ^ a b c d "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1900". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)