The 1948 United States presidential election in Ohio was held on November 2, 1948, as part of the 1948 United States presidential election. State voters chose 25 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() County Results
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ohio was narrowly won by Democratic Party candidate, incumbent President Harry S. Truman with 49.48% of the popular vote. Republican Party candidate Thomas E. Dewey received 49.24% of the popular vote. The state had previously gone to Dewey against Franklin D. Roosevelt four years earlier.
As of the 2020 presidential election[update], this is the last time a Democrat won Ohio but lost neighboring Pennsylvania; it is also the last time Ohio voted more Democratic than Pennsylvania. This was the closest margin of any state in the election.[1]
This was one of five states flipped by Truman (the others being Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, & Wyoming), and one of 18 states that changed party overall.
On June 4, 1948, Secretary of State Edward J. Hummel attempted to block the Progressives from appearing on the ballot citing a 1941 law prohibiting "parties or groups engaged in un-American activities". He claimed that three of Wallace's campaigners in the state were communists. The Progressives sued and the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled in their favor. The Progressives chose to petition to place Wallace onto the ballot as an independent as the option for creating a party required 500,000 signatures. Hummel rejected their petition claiming that independents could not appear on the presidential ballot, but the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled in favor of the Progressives. Voters would have to vote for all 25 Wallace electors individually rather than using the straight party option available for the major parties.[2]
Results
edit1948 United States presidential election in Ohio | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
Democratic | Harry S. Truman (incumbent) | 1,452,791 | 49.48% | 25 | |
Republican | Thomas E. Dewey | 1,445,684 | 49.24% | 0 | |
Progressive | Henry A. Wallace | 37,596 | 1.28% | 0 | |
Totals | 2,936,071 | 100.0% | 25 |
Results by county
editCounty | Harry S. Truman[3] Democratic |
Thomas E. Dewey Republican |
Henry A. Wallace Progressive |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Adams | 4,293 | 45.63% | 5,103 | 54.24% | 12 | 0.13% | -810 | -8.61% | 9,408 |
Allen | 13,161 | 42.91% | 17,380 | 56.67% | 127 | 0.41% | -4,219 | -13.76% | 30,668 |
Ashland | 6,095 | 42.95% | 8,027 | 56.56% | 69 | 0.49% | -1,932 | -13.61% | 14,191 |
Ashtabula | 12,560 | 44.34% | 15,389 | 54.33% | 377 | 1.33% | -2,829 | -9.99% | 28,326 |
Athens | 7,398 | 45.24% | 8,902 | 54.43% | 54 | 0.33% | -1,504 | -9.20% | 16,354 |
Auglaize | 5,670 | 45.28% | 6,818 | 54.45% | 34 | 0.27% | -1,148 | -9.17% | 12,522 |
Belmont | 23,217 | 62.51% | 13,283 | 35.76% | 643 | 1.73% | 9,934 | 26.75% | 37,143 |
Brown | 5,140 | 56.49% | 3,931 | 43.20% | 28 | 0.31% | 1,209 | 13.29% | 9,099 |
Butler | 24,276 | 52.78% | 21,393 | 46.52% | 322 | 0.70% | 2,883 | 6.27% | 45,991 |
Carroll | 2,996 | 40.97% | 4,283 | 58.57% | 34 | 0.46% | -1,287 | -17.60% | 7,313 |
Champaign | 4,585 | 41.31% | 6,492 | 58.49% | 23 | 0.21% | -1,907 | -17.18% | 11,100 |
Clark | 17,236 | 47.99% | 18,548 | 51.64% | 133 | 0.37% | -1,312 | -3.65% | 35,917 |
Clermont | 8,224 | 48.70% | 8,592 | 50.88% | 71 | 0.42% | -368 | -2.18% | 16,887 |
Clinton | 3,758 | 38.35% | 6,009 | 61.32% | 32 | 0.33% | -2,251 | -22.97% | 9,799 |
Columbiana | 16,588 | 48.03% | 17,724 | 51.32% | 226 | 0.65% | -1,136 | -3.29% | 34,538 |
Coshocton | 6,457 | 47.36% | 7,096 | 52.05% | 81 | 0.59% | -639 | -4.69% | 13,634 |
Crawford | 7,600 | 46.05% | 8,862 | 53.70% | 41 | 0.25% | -1,262 | -7.65% | 16,503 |
Cuyahoga | 257,958 | 52.58% | 214,889 | 43.80% | 17,781 | 3.62% | 43,069 | 8.78% | 490,628 |
Darke | 8,770 | 49.23% | 8,956 | 50.28% | 87 | 0.49% | -186 | -1.04% | 17,813 |
Defiance | 4,454 | 42.79% | 5,927 | 56.94% | 28 | 0.27% | -1,473 | -14.15% | 10,409 |
Delaware | 4,371 | 34.95% | 8,089 | 64.68% | 46 | 0.37% | -3,718 | -29.73% | 12,506 |
Erie | 8,644 | 47.23% | 9,568 | 52.28% | 90 | 0.49% | -924 | -5.05% | 18,302 |
Fairfield | 9,375 | 49.58% | 9,471 | 50.09% | 61 | 0.32% | -96 | -0.51% | 18,907 |
Fayette | 3,513 | 41.85% | 4,865 | 57.95% | 17 | 0.20% | -1,352 | -16.10% | 8,395 |
Franklin | 84,806 | 45.84% | 98,707 | 53.36% | 1,486 | 0.80% | -13,901 | -7.51% | 184,999 |
Fulton | 2,672 | 28.95% | 6,523 | 70.67% | 35 | 0.38% | -3,851 | -41.72% | 9,230 |
Gallia | 3,430 | 37.25% | 5,743 | 62.38% | 34 | 0.37% | -2,313 | -25.12% | 9,207 |
Geauga | 2,960 | 34.33% | 5,535 | 64.20% | 127 | 1.47% | -2,575 | -29.87% | 8,622 |
Greene | 8,970 | 49.02% | 9,186 | 50.20% | 144 | 0.79% | -216 | -1.18% | 18,300 |
Guernsey | 6,639 | 46.17% | 7,651 | 53.21% | 90 | 0.63% | -1,012 | -7.04% | 14,380 |
Hamilton | 135,290 | 46.91% | 151,055 | 52.37% | 2,068 | 0.72% | -15,765 | -5.47% | 288,413 |
Hancock | 6,598 | 36.50% | 11,427 | 63.21% | 54 | 0.30% | -4,829 | -26.71% | 18,079 |
Hardin | 5,474 | 42.21% | 7,441 | 57.38% | 52 | 0.40% | -1,967 | -15.17% | 12,967 |
Harrison | 3,422 | 44.44% | 4,215 | 54.74% | 63 | 0.82% | -793 | -10.30% | 7,700 |
Henry | 3,689 | 42.29% | 5,024 | 57.59% | 11 | 0.13% | -1,335 | -15.30% | 8,724 |
Highland | 5,675 | 45.26% | 6,849 | 54.62% | 16 | 0.13% | -1,174 | -9.36% | 12,540 |
Hocking | 4,462 | 54.34% | 3,733 | 45.46% | 17 | 0.21% | 729 | 8.88% | 8,212 |
Holmes | 2,480 | 49.78% | 2,496 | 50.10% | 6 | 0.12% | -16 | -0.32% | 4,982 |
Huron | 6,073 | 40.13% | 9,004 | 59.50% | 57 | 0.38% | -2,931 | -19.37% | 15,134 |
Jackson | 5,059 | 46.52% | 5,782 | 53.17% | 33 | 0.30% | -723 | -6.65% | 10,874 |
Jefferson | 23,725 | 61.77% | 14,230 | 37.05% | 454 | 1.18% | 9,495 | 24.72% | 38,409 |
Knox | 6,120 | 41.48% | 8,607 | 58.33% | 28 | 0.19% | -2,487 | -16.86% | 14,755 |
Lake | 10,844 | 44.98% | 12,973 | 53.81% | 291 | 1.21% | -2,129 | -8.83% | 24,108 |
Lawrence | 9,495 | 53.69% | 8,113 | 45.88% | 76 | 0.43% | 1,382 | 7.81% | 17,684 |
Licking | 12,511 | 45.07% | 15,164 | 54.62% | 87 | 0.31% | -2,653 | -9.56% | 27,762 |
Logan | 5,149 | 38.70% | 8,118 | 61.01% | 38 | 0.29% | -2,969 | -22.31% | 13,305 |
Lorain | 21,397 | 49.03% | 21,616 | 49.53% | 625 | 1.43% | -219 | -0.50% | 43,638 |
Lucas | 74,064 | 51.85% | 66,798 | 46.76% | 1,991 | 1.39% | 7,266 | 5.09% | 142,853 |
Madison | 3,356 | 41.46% | 4,730 | 58.44% | 8 | 0.10% | -1,374 | -16.98% | 8,094 |
Mahoning | 62,468 | 61.76% | 37,365 | 36.94% | 1,313 | 1.30% | 25,103 | 24.82% | 101,146 |
Marion | 8,223 | 44.20% | 10,333 | 55.54% | 50 | 0.27% | -2,110 | -11.34% | 18,606 |
Medina | 5,133 | 34.88% | 9,462 | 64.29% | 122 | 0.83% | -4,329 | -29.41% | 14,717 |
Meigs | 3,595 | 39.11% | 5,564 | 60.52% | 34 | 0.37% | -1,969 | -21.42% | 9,193 |
Mercer | 5,928 | 52.92% | 5,266 | 47.01% | 8 | 0.07% | 662 | 5.91% | 11,202 |
Miami | 10,066 | 43.29% | 13,100 | 56.33% | 89 | 0.38% | -3,034 | -13.05% | 23,255 |
Monroe | 3,873 | 60.01% | 2,574 | 39.88% | 7 | 0.11% | 1,299 | 20.13% | 6,454 |
Montgomery | 76,879 | 55.66% | 60,048 | 43.48% | 1,187 | 0.86% | 16,831 | 12.19% | 138,114 |
Morgan | 1,783 | 33.79% | 3,480 | 65.96% | 13 | 0.25% | -1,697 | -32.16% | 5,276 |
Morrow | 2,616 | 37.61% | 4,327 | 62.21% | 12 | 0.17% | -1,711 | -24.60% | 6,955 |
Muskingum | 12,765 | 44.18% | 16,049 | 55.54% | 81 | 0.28% | -3,284 | -11.37% | 28,895 |
Noble | 2,425 | 40.80% | 3,494 | 58.79% | 24 | 0.40% | -1,069 | -17.99% | 5,943 |
Ottawa | 6,157 | 52.25% | 5,591 | 47.45% | 35 | 0.30% | 566 | 4.80% | 11,783 |
Paulding | 2,512 | 41.11% | 3,579 | 58.58% | 19 | 0.31% | -1,067 | -17.46% | 6,110 |
Perry | 5,264 | 47.89% | 5,692 | 51.78% | 36 | 0.33% | -428 | -3.89% | 10,992 |
Pickaway | 5,290 | 51.55% | 4,965 | 48.38% | 7 | 0.07% | 325 | 3.17% | 10,262 |
Pike | 4,516 | 63.06% | 2,639 | 36.85% | 6 | 0.08% | 1,877 | 26.21% | 7,161 |
Portage | 11,987 | 50.21% | 11,621 | 48.67% | 268 | 1.12% | 366 | 1.53% | 23,876 |
Preble | 4,656 | 44.28% | 5,837 | 55.51% | 23 | 0.22% | -1,181 | -11.23% | 10,516 |
Putnam | 5,114 | 50.39% | 5,006 | 49.33% | 28 | 0.28% | 108 | 1.06% | 10,148 |
Richland | 14,712 | 47.63% | 15,894 | 51.46% | 280 | 0.91% | -1,182 | -3.83% | 30,886 |
Ross | 9,524 | 47.71% | 10,398 | 52.08% | 42 | 0.21% | -874 | -4.38% | 19,964 |
Sandusky | 7,216 | 39.87% | 10,847 | 59.93% | 36 | 0.20% | -3,631 | -20.06% | 18,099 |
Scioto | 17,923 | 51.43% | 16,800 | 48.20% | 129 | 0.37% | 1,123 | 3.22% | 34,852 |
Seneca | 7,954 | 40.74% | 11,493 | 58.87% | 77 | 0.39% | -3,539 | -18.13% | 19,524 |
Shelby | 6,939 | 56.06% | 5,406 | 43.68% | 32 | 0.26% | 1,533 | 12.39% | 12,377 |
Stark | 47,533 | 47.46% | 51,482 | 51.40% | 1,135 | 1.13% | -3,949 | -3.94% | 100,150 |
Summit | 78,096 | 55.41% | 60,174 | 42.69% | 2,680 | 1.90% | 17,922 | 12.72% | 140,950 |
Trumbull | 37,097 | 58.52% | 25,297 | 39.91% | 998 | 1.57% | 11,800 | 18.61% | 63,392 |
Tuscarawas | 14,799 | 55.19% | 11,873 | 44.27% | 145 | 0.54% | 2,926 | 10.91% | 26,817 |
Union | 3,008 | 34.52% | 5,688 | 65.28% | 17 | 0.20% | -2,680 | -30.76% | 8,713 |
Van Wert | 5,127 | 42.95% | 6,785 | 56.84% | 24 | 0.20% | -1,658 | -13.89% | 11,936 |
Vinton | 2,016 | 46.29% | 2,323 | 53.34% | 16 | 0.37% | -307 | -7.05% | 4,355 |
Warren | 5,793 | 43.20% | 7,584 | 56.56% | 32 | 0.24% | -1,791 | -13.36% | 13,409 |
Washington | 7,542 | 42.05% | 10,349 | 57.70% | 45 | 0.25% | -2,807 | -15.65% | 17,936 |
Wayne | 8,868 | 42.05% | 12,152 | 57.62% | 70 | 0.33% | -3,284 | -15.57% | 21,090 |
Williams | 3,662 | 34.98% | 6,784 | 64.79% | 24 | 0.23% | -3,122 | -29.82% | 10,470 |
Wood | 9,725 | 42.21% | 13,197 | 57.28% | 119 | 0.52% | -3,472 | -15.07% | 23,041 |
Wyandot | 3,308 | 40.43% | 4,849 | 59.26% | 25 | 0.31% | -1,541 | -18.83% | 8,182 |
Totals | 1,452,791 | 49.48% | 1,445,684 | 49.24% | 37,596 | 1.28% | 7,107 | 0.24% | 2,936,071 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "1948 Presidential General Election Data – National". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
- ^ Schmidt 1960, pp. 143–145.
- ^ Géoelections; 1948 Presidential Election Popular Vote (xlsx file for €15)
Works cited
edit- Schmidt, Karl (1960). Henry A. Wallace: Quixotic Crusade 1948. Syracuse University Press.