1848 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

The 1848 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 7, 1848, as part of the 1848 United States presidential election. It was the first presidential election held in Wisconsin since its admission to the Union on May 29, earlier the same year. Democratic candidate Lewis Cass won the state with 38% of the vote, carrying the state's 4 electoral votes.

1848 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

November 7, 1848 1852 →
 
Nominee Lewis Cass Zachary Taylor Martin Van Buren
Party Democratic Whig Free Soil
Home state Michigan Louisiana New York
Running mate William O. Butler Millard Fillmore Charles F. Adams
Electoral vote 4 0 0
Popular vote 14,924 13,642 10,261
Percentage 38.41% 35.11% 26.41%

County Results

President before election

James K. Polk
Democratic

Elected President

Zachary Taylor
Whig

With 26.41% of the popular vote, Wisconsin would prove to be Van Buren's third strongest state after Vermont and Massachusetts.[1]

The 1848 election began a trend in Wisconsin where the state would vote the same as neighboring Iowa, as the two states have voted in lockstep with each other on all but 6 occasions - 1892, 1924, 1940, 1976, 2004, and 2020. This was the last time until 1988 that Wisconsin would back a losing Democrat in a presidential election.

Participating in its first presidential election, Portage County would ultimately be carried by the statewide winner in every election until 1916. Meanwhile, Winnebago County would not vote for the statewide loser again until 1924.

Results

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General Election Results[2]
Party Pledged to Elector Votes
Democratic Party Lewis Cass Francis Huebschman 14,924
Democratic Party Lewis Cass William Dinwiddie 14,910
Democratic Party Lewis Cass David F. Maples 14,886
Democratic Party Lewis Cass Samuel P. Nichols 14,767
Whig Party Zachary Taylor James Maxwell 13,642
Whig Party Zachary Taylor Rufus King 13,642
Whig Party Zachary Taylor Jacob J. Enos 13,634
Whig Party Zachary Taylor Harrison Reed 13,632
Free Soil Party Martin Van Buren David Giddings 10,261
Free Soil Party Martin Van Buren James D. Reymert 10,257
Free Soil Party Martin Van Buren Erastus B. Wolcott 10,257
Free Soil Party Martin Van Buren Edward A. Tappan 10,254
Write-in Scattering 32
Votes cast[a] 38,859

Results by county

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County[2] Lewis Cass
Democratic
Zachary Taylor
Whig
Martin Van Buren
Free Soil
Scattering
Write-in
Margin Total votes cast[b]
# % # % # % # % # %
Brown 309 55.48% 248 44.52% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 61 10.95% 557
Calumet 79 51.30% 65 42.21% 10 6.49% 0 0.00% 14 9.09% 154
Columbia 145 23.62% 303 49.35% 166 27.04% 0 0.00% -137[c] -22.31% 614
Crawfor 215 63.99% 109 32.44% 12 3.57% 0 0.00% 106 31.55% 336
Dane 757 39.32% 724 37.61% 443 23.01% 1 0.05% 33 1.71% 1,925
Dodge 797 40.64% 527 26.87% 637 32.48% 0 0.00% 160[d] 8.16% 1,961
Fond du Lac 483 33.87% 446 31.28% 497 34.85% 0 0.00% -14 -0.98% 1,426
Grant 1,148 39.03% 1,649 56.07% 144 4.90% 0 0.00% -501 -17.04% 2,941
Green 391 33.79% 479 41.40% 287 24.81% 0 0.00% -88 -7.61% 1,157
Iowa 848 45.84% 884 47.78% 118 6.38% 0 0.00% -36 -1.95% 1,850
Jefferson 840 39.72% 713 33.71% 562 26.57% 0 0.00% 127 6.00% 2,115
Lafayette 1,105 53.72% 921 44.77% 31 1.51% 0 0.00% 184 8.95% 2,057
Manitowoc 159 51.46% 76 24.60% 70 22.65% 4 1.29% 83 26.86% 309
Marquette 174 30.96% 214 38.08% 174 30.96% 0 0.00% -40 -7.12% 562
Milwaukee 2,150 54.21% 1,190 30.01% 626 15.78% 0 0.00% 960 24.21% 3,966
Portage 225 51.02% 216 48.98% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 9 2.04% 441
Racine 644 18.50% 904 25.96% 1,930 55.43% 4 0.11% -1,026[e] -29.47% 3,482
Rock 491 15.65% 1,300 41.43% 1,338 42.64% 9 0.29% -38[e] -1.21% 3,138
Sauk[f][3] 158 33.91% 149 31.97% 159 34.12% 0 0.00% -1 -0.21% 466
Sheboygan 442 44.69% 372 37.61% 175 17.69% 0 0.00% 70 7.08% 989
St. Croix 67 57.26% 37 31.62% 1 0.85% 12 10.26% 30 25.64% 117
Walworth 550 19.30% 804 28.21% 1,494 52.42% 2 0.07% -690[e] -24.21% 2,850
Washington 1,720 71.70% 355 14.80% 324 13.51% 0 0.00% 1,365 56.90% 2,399
Waukesha 963 34.75% 806 29.09% 1,002 36.16% 0 0.00% -39 -1.41% 2,771
Winnebago 222 29.92% 300 40.43% 220 29.65% 0 0.00% -78 -10.51% 742
Total[g] 14,924 38.41% 13,642 35.11% 10,261 26.41% 32 0.08% 1,282 3.30% 38,859

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Based on totals for highest elector on each ticket
  2. ^ Based on highest elector on each ticket
  3. ^ Taylor's margin over Van Buren
  4. ^ Cass's margin over Van Buren
  5. ^ a b c Van Buren's margin over Taylor
  6. ^ The official canvass at the Historical Society does not list any votes in Sauk County for presidential electors, although there are votes listed for Superintendent and the 2nd Congressional District.
  7. ^ Does not include the votes from Sauk County

References

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  1. ^ "1848 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Abstract of votes cast at an Election held in the State of Wisconsin, on Tuesday, the seventh day of November, in the year A.D. 1848
  3. ^ "Official Vote of Wisconsin". Chronicling America. Southport Telegraph. December 8, 1848. Retrieved August 13, 2024.