1916 United States presidential election in Oklahoma

1916 United States presidential election in Oklahoma
Wilson 30-40% 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80%	Hughes 30-40% 40-50%
President before election; Woodrow Wilson; Democratic	Elected President ; Woodrow Wilson; Democratic

The 1916 United States presidential election in Oklahoma took place on November 7, 1916, as part of the 1916 United States presidential election.

In its early years, Oklahoma was a “Solid South” Democratic state whose founding fathers like "Alfalfa Bill" Murray and Charles N. Haskell had disfranchised most of its black population via literacy tests and grandfather clauses,^[1] the latter of which would be declared unconstitutional in Guinn v. United States.^[2] Partly owing to the absence of the poll taxes found in other Southern states due to the strength of populism amongst the state’s white settlers,^[3] the state became a stronghold of the Socialist Party in the 1910s, especially in the southeast and the northwestern Plains.

Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly voted for Democratic incumbent Wilson, over the Republican nominee, Associate Justice Charles Evans Hughes.^[4]

Despite a strong showing from the Socialist candidate Allan L. Benson, the state was won handily by President Wilson. He garnered 50.65 percent of the vote, compared to Justice Hughes who won 33.25 percent of the vote. Wilson carried the state by a margin of 17.4 percent. Oklahoma proved to be the best showing for Benson of any state in this election, where he gained 15.43 percent the vote.^[5]

This election continued the Democratic trend in the state. Oklahoma would only vote Republican in the elections of 1920 and 1928 until the trend flipped after the 1952 presidential election.

^ Ewing, Cortez Arthur Milton; An Introduction to the Government of Oklahoma (1939), p. 72. Published by Americanism Committee, American Legion, Department of Oklahoma
^ Fairclough, Adam; Better Day Coming: Blacks and Equality, 1890-2000, p. 82 ISBN 0142001295
^ Finkelman, Paul; African-Americans and the right to vote (Garland Publishing, 1992), pp. 418, 438
^ "Election of 1916: Now just two parties, but same results as 1912".
^ "1916 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Elections.

[1] Ewing, Cortez Arthur Milton; An Introduction to the Government of Oklahoma (1939), p. 72. Published by Americanism Committee, American Legion, Department of Oklahoma

[2] Fairclough, Adam; Better Day Coming: Blacks and Equality, 1890-2000, p. 82 ISBN 0142001295

[3] Finkelman, Paul; African-Americans and the right to vote (Garland Publishing, 1992), pp. 418, 438

[4] "Election of 1916: Now just two parties, but same results as 1912".

[5] "1916 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Elections.

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