1928 United States presidential election in Kentucky
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
County Results
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Elections in Kentucky |
---|
Government |
The1928 United States presidential election in Kentuckytook place on November 6, 1928, as part of the1928 United States presidential election.Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to theElectoral College,who voted forpresidentandvice president.
Ever sincethe Civil War,Kentucky had been shaped politically by divisions created by that war betweensecessionist,Democratic counties andUnionist,Republican ones,[1]although the state as a whole leaned Democratic throughout this era and the GOP carried the state only in 1896 and 1924.[2]
In 1928, as in all of the upland South, Kentucky's extremely stable Civil War partisan political pattern would become significantly disturbed due to the nomination, after all other prominent Democrats sat the election out due to the prevailing prosperity, of urban, anti-Prohibition CatholicAl Smith.[3]Once Smith was nominated – despite his attempt to dispel fears by nominating "dry" Southern DemocratJoseph T. Robinsonas his running mate[4]– extreme fear ensued in the South, which had no experience of the Southern and Eastern European Catholic immigrants who were Smith's local constituency. Southern fundamentalist Protestants believed that Smith would allowpapaland priestly leadership in the United States, which Protestantism was a reaction against.[5]In the east of the state where many communities were becomingsundown townsor counties[6]it was believed that Smith was unacceptable also because the Catholic Church officially opposed social and political segregation of the races.[7]
As with the former Confederate states, opposition to Smith in Kentucky was organised by the Protestant churches, led byJames Cannon Jr.andArthur J. Barton.[8]A major state paper,The Western Recorderhad been heavily opposing Smith for over a year before the campaign began.[9]When the campaign did begin, Smith's religion was the overwhelming concern,[10]and at the beginning of October it appeared as though Republican nomineeHerbert Hooverwas likely to carry the state.[11]Although later in October there were thoughts Smith would challenge the GOP nominee,[12]in the end Hoover won the state by a margin of 18.88 percent againstAl Smithgaining all thirteen of the state's electors as a result.[13]Traditional Democratic loyalties were maintained best in theJackson Purchase,where racial issues were of greatest importance and there was opposition from memories ofthe 1927 Mississippi floodto Hoover's record on flood relief.[14]
Hoover became the first Republican nominee to ever win Kentucky with a majority of the vote or to exceed his national vote share in the state, with Kentucky voting 1.40 points more Republican than the nation at-large. This, in combination withCalvin Coolidge's victory in the statefour years prior,also marked the first time that Kentucky voted Republican in consecutive elections. He was the solitary Republican presidential candidate to carryMenifee CountyuntilGeorge W. Bushin 2000, and also the first ever Republican victor in the following counties:Anderson,Barren,Boone,Bullitt,Daviess,Grant,Hardin,LaRue,Livingston,Mason,McCracken,McLean,Montgomery,Nicholas,Oldham,Powell,Robertson,Scott,ShelbyandSpencer.[15]
This was the last time Kentucky voted Republican untilDwight Eisenhowerwon the state in his re-election bid in1956.
Results
[edit]1928 United States presidential election in Kentucky | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Running mate | Popular vote | Electoral vote | ||||
Count | % | Count | % | |||||
Republican | Herbert HooverofCalifornia | Charles CurtisofKansas | 558,734 | 59.36% | 13 | 100% | ||
Democratic | Al SmithofNew York | Joseph Taylor RobinsonofArkansas | 381,070 | 40.48% | 0 | 0.00% | ||
Socialist | Norman Thomasof New York | James MaurerofPennsylvania | 837 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | ||
Socialist Labor | Verne L. ReynoldsofMichigan | Jeremiah D. CrowleyofNew York | 340 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | ||
Communist | William Z. FosterofMassachusetts | Benjamin GitlowofNew York | 293 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | ||
Total | 941,274 | 100% | 13 | 100% |
Results by county
[edit]1928 United States presidential election in Kentucky by county | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
County | Herbert Clark Hoover Republican |
Alfred Emmanuel Smith Democratic |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast[16] | ||||
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Adair | 3,856 | 69.01% | 1,732 | 30.99% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,124 | 38.01% | 5,588 |
Allen | 4,253 | 73.14% | 1,562 | 26.86% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,691 | 46.28% | 5,815 |
Anderson | 1,859 | 51.96% | 1,718 | 48.02% | 1 | 0.03% | 141 | 3.94% | 3,578 |
Ballard | 940 | 24.49% | 2,896 | 75.44% | 3 | 0.08% | -1,956 | -50.95% | 3,839 |
Barren | 5,101 | 59.07% | 3,530 | 40.88% | 5 | 0.06% | 1,571 | 18.19% | 8,636 |
Bath | 2,223 | 54.74% | 1,830 | 45.06% | 8 | 0.20% | 393 | 9.68% | 4,061 |
Bell | 6,570 | 71.84% | 2,551 | 27.90% | 24 | 0.26% | 4,019 | 43.95% | 9,145 |
Boone | 2,604 | 58.31% | 1,855 | 41.54% | 7 | 0.16% | 749 | 16.77% | 4,466 |
Bourbon | 4,512 | 58.34% | 3,218 | 41.61% | 4 | 0.05% | 1,294 | 16.73% | 7,734 |
Boyd | 9,118 | 66.38% | 4,611 | 33.57% | 7 | 0.05% | 4,507 | 32.81% | 13,736 |
Boyle | 3,517 | 54.01% | 2,992 | 45.95% | 3 | 0.05% | 525 | 8.06% | 6,512 |
Bracken | 2,820 | 69.98% | 1,201 | 29.80% | 9 | 0.22% | 1,619 | 40.17% | 4,030 |
Breathitt | 2,309 | 43.35% | 3,017 | 56.65% | 0 | 0.00% | -708 | -13.29% | 5,326 |
Breckinridge | 4,783 | 61.53% | 2,987 | 38.43% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,796 | 23.11% | 7,773 |
Bullitt | 1,793 | 50.45% | 1,758 | 49.47% | 3 | 0.08% | 35 | 0.98% | 3,554 |
Butler | 3,272 | 82.56% | 684 | 17.26% | 7 | 0.18% | 2,588 | 65.30% | 3,963 |
Caldwell | 2,855 | 62.61% | 1,695 | 37.17% | 10 | 0.22% | 1,160 | 25.44% | 4,560 |
Calloway | 1,557 | 31.13% | 3,431 | 68.59% | 14 | 0.28% | -1,874 | -37.47% | 5,002 |
Campbell | 17,317 | 54.25% | 14,508 | 45.45% | 95 | 0.30% | 2,809 | 8.80% | 31,920 |
Carlisle | 787 | 28.28% | 1,994 | 71.65% | 2 | 0.07% | -1,207 | -43.37% | 2,783 |
Carroll | 1,649 | 46.91% | 1,863 | 53.00% | 3 | 0.09% | -214 | -6.09% | 3,515 |
Carter | 5,342 | 68.73% | 2,392 | 30.77% | 39 | 0.50% | 2,950 | 37.95% | 7,773 |
Casey | 3,805 | 71.39% | 1,519 | 28.50% | 6 | 0.11% | 2,286 | 42.89% | 5,330 |
Christian | 7,069 | 55.35% | 5,702 | 44.65% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,367 | 10.70% | 12,771 |
Clark | 3,495 | 50.25% | 3,460 | 49.75% | 0 | 0.00% | 35 | 0.50% | 6,955 |
Clay | 4,439 | 86.97% | 651 | 12.75% | 14 | 0.27% | 3,788 | 74.22% | 5,104 |
Clinton | 2,580 | 88.81% | 325 | 11.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,255 | 77.62% | 2,905 |
Crittenden | 3,000 | 68.46% | 1,376 | 31.40% | 6 | 0.14% | 1,624 | 37.06% | 4,382 |
Cumberland | 2,593 | 82.79% | 538 | 17.18% | 1 | 0.03% | 2,055 | 65.61% | 3,132 |
Daviess | 8,896 | 54.77% | 7,332 | 45.14% | 15 | 0.09% | 1,564 | 9.63% | 16,243 |
Edmonson | 3,104 | 74.15% | 1,076 | 25.70% | 6 | 0.14% | 2,028 | 48.45% | 4,186 |
Elliott | 601 | 31.33% | 1,317 | 68.67% | 0 | 0.00% | -716 | -37.33% | 1,918 |
Estill | 3,641 | 65.82% | 1,886 | 34.09% | 5 | 0.09% | 1,755 | 31.72% | 5,532 |
Fayette | 16,988 | 65.11% | 9,065 | 34.74% | 39 | 0.15% | 7,923 | 30.37% | 26,092 |
Fleming | 3,798 | 64.50% | 2,086 | 35.43% | 4 | 0.07% | 1,712 | 29.08% | 5,888 |
Floyd | 5,109 | 47.17% | 5,721 | 52.83% | 0 | 0.00% | -612 | -5.65% | 10,830 |
Franklin | 3,485 | 47.45% | 3,853 | 52.46% | 7 | 0.10% | -368 | -5.01% | 7,345 |
Fulton | 1,366 | 30.34% | 3,132 | 69.55% | 5 | 0.11% | -1,766 | -39.22% | 4,503 |
Gallatin | 1,010 | 55.04% | 823 | 44.85% | 2 | 0.11% | 187 | 10.19% | 1,835 |
Garrard | 2,862 | 62.34% | 1,729 | 37.66% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,133 | 24.68% | 4,591 |
Grant | 2,448 | 59.48% | 1,662 | 40.38% | 6 | 0.15% | 786 | 19.10% | 4,116 |
Graves | 3,223 | 33.98% | 6,237 | 65.76% | 24 | 0.25% | -3,014 | -31.78% | 9,484 |
Grayson | 3,937 | 63.07% | 2,295 | 36.77% | 10 | 0.16% | 1,642 | 26.31% | 6,242 |
Green | 2,824 | 68.95% | 1,272 | 31.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,552 | 37.89% | 4,096 |
Greenup | 4,410 | 64.43% | 2,435 | 35.57% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,975 | 28.85% | 6,845 |
Hancock | 1,614 | 58.33% | 1,151 | 41.60% | 2 | 0.07% | 463 | 16.73% | 2,767 |
Hardin | 4,624 | 58.92% | 3,210 | 40.90% | 14 | 0.18% | 1,414 | 18.02% | 7,848 |
Harlan | 12,251 | 75.41% | 3,958 | 24.36% | 37 | 0.23% | 8,293 | 51.05% | 16,246 |
Harrison | 2,909 | 47.86% | 3,164 | 52.06% | 5 | 0.08% | -255 | -4.20% | 6,078 |
Hart | 3,480 | 59.66% | 2,339 | 40.10% | 14 | 0.24% | 1,141 | 19.56% | 5,833 |
Henderson | 5,443 | 57.03% | 4,068 | 42.62% | 33 | 0.35% | 1,375 | 14.41% | 9,544 |
Henry | 2,334 | 44.29% | 2,929 | 55.58% | 7 | 0.13% | -595 | -11.29% | 5,270 |
Hickman | 767 | 26.12% | 2,163 | 73.67% | 6 | 0.20% | -1,396 | -47.55% | 2,936 |
Hopkins | 6,330 | 48.69% | 6,640 | 51.08% | 30 | 0.23% | -310 | -2.38% | 13,000 |
Jackson | 3,552 | 96.52% | 123 | 3.34% | 5 | 0.14% | 3,429 | 93.18% | 3,680 |
Jefferson | 97,803 | 60.14% | 64,472 | 39.65% | 338 | 0.21% | 33,331 | 20.50% | 162,613 |
Jessamine | 2,857 | 55.45% | 2,295 | 44.55% | 0 | 0.00% | 562 | 10.91% | 5,152 |
Johnson | 5,339 | 73.98% | 1,869 | 25.90% | 9 | 0.12% | 3,470 | 48.08% | 7,217 |
Kenton | 21,043 | 53.67% | 18,165 | 46.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,878 | 7.34% | 39,208 |
Knott | 1,004 | 26.24% | 2,822 | 73.76% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,818 | -47.52% | 3,826 |
Knox | 5,928 | 79.76% | 1,497 | 20.14% | 7 | 0.09% | 4,431 | 59.62% | 7,432 |
Larue | 1,892 | 52.19% | 1,727 | 47.64% | 6 | 0.17% | 165 | 4.55% | 3,625 |
Laurel | 4,906 | 81.06% | 1,141 | 18.85% | 5 | 0.08% | 3,765 | 62.21% | 6,052 |
Lawrence | 3,277 | 59.59% | 2,217 | 40.32% | 5 | 0.09% | 1,060 | 19.28% | 5,499 |
Lee | 2,005 | 63.91% | 1,131 | 36.05% | 1 | 0.03% | 874 | 27.86% | 3,137 |
Leslie | 2,806 | 94.51% | 159 | 5.36% | 4 | 0.13% | 2,647 | 89.15% | 2,969 |
Letcher | 5,400 | 60.55% | 3,502 | 39.27% | 16 | 0.18% | 1,898 | 21.28% | 8,918 |
Lewis | 4,077 | 78.36% | 1,120 | 21.53% | 6 | 0.12% | 2,957 | 56.83% | 5,203 |
Lincoln | 3,903 | 62.68% | 2,314 | 37.16% | 10 | 0.16% | 1,589 | 25.52% | 6,227 |
Livingston | 1,767 | 59.12% | 1,217 | 40.72% | 5 | 0.17% | 550 | 18.40% | 2,989 |
Logan | 4,858 | 55.79% | 3,843 | 44.13% | 7 | 0.08% | 1,015 | 11.66% | 8,708 |
Lyon | 1,215 | 48.43% | 1,286 | 51.26% | 8 | 0.32% | -71 | -2.83% | 2,509 |
Madison | 6,325 | 57.03% | 4,736 | 42.71% | 29 | 0.26% | 1,589 | 14.33% | 11,090 |
Magoffin | 2,816 | 60.93% | 1,806 | 39.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,010 | 21.85% | 4,622 |
Marion | 2,395 | 40.85% | 3,461 | 59.03% | 7 | 0.12% | -1,066 | -18.18% | 5,863 |
Marshall | 1,879 | 47.87% | 2,036 | 51.87% | 10 | 0.25% | -157 | -4.00% | 3,925 |
Martin | 1,674 | 80.44% | 404 | 19.41% | 3 | 0.14% | 1,270 | 61.03% | 2,081 |
Mason | 5,012 | 59.79% | 3,364 | 40.13% | 6 | 0.07% | 1,648 | 19.66% | 8,382 |
McCracken | 7,368 | 56.93% | 5,535 | 42.76% | 40 | 0.31% | 1,833 | 14.16% | 12,943 |
McCreary | 3,622 | 89.10% | 435 | 10.70% | 8 | 0.20% | 3,187 | 78.40% | 4,065 |
McLean | 2,408 | 58.07% | 1,728 | 41.67% | 11 | 0.27% | 680 | 16.40% | 4,147 |
Meade | 1,610 | 48.54% | 1,700 | 51.25% | 7 | 0.21% | -90 | -2.71% | 3,317 |
Menifee | 732 | 50.24% | 725 | 49.76% | 0 | 0.00% | 7 | 0.48% | 1,457 |
Mercer | 3,462 | 61.76% | 2,140 | 38.17% | 4 | 0.07% | 1,322 | 23.58% | 5,606 |
Metcalfe | 2,314 | 66.92% | 1,144 | 33.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,170 | 33.83% | 3,458 |
Monroe | 3,127 | 78.59% | 843 | 21.19% | 9 | 0.23% | 2,284 | 57.40% | 3,979 |
Montgomery | 2,742 | 58.35% | 1,938 | 41.24% | 19 | 0.40% | 804 | 17.11% | 4,699 |
Morgan | 2,025 | 44.02% | 2,575 | 55.98% | 0 | 0.00% | -550 | -11.96% | 4,600 |
Muhlenberg | 6,651 | 56.22% | 5,130 | 43.36% | 49 | 0.41% | 1,521 | 12.86% | 11,830 |
Nelson | 2,926 | 42.04% | 4,031 | 57.92% | 3 | 0.04% | -1,105 | -15.88% | 6,960 |
Nicholas | 1,867 | 50.36% | 1,836 | 49.53% | 4 | 0.11% | 31 | 0.84% | 3,707 |
Ohio | 5,690 | 66.83% | 2,784 | 32.70% | 40 | 0.47% | 2,906 | 34.13% | 8,514 |
Oldham | 1,604 | 54.02% | 1,359 | 45.77% | 6 | 0.20% | 245 | 8.25% | 2,969 |
Owen | 1,573 | 38.04% | 2,552 | 61.72% | 10 | 0.24% | -979 | -23.68% | 4,135 |
Owsley | 2,107 | 89.55% | 241 | 10.24% | 5 | 0.21% | 1,866 | 79.30% | 2,353 |
Pendleton | 3,196 | 67.03% | 1,567 | 32.86% | 5 | 0.10% | 1,629 | 34.17% | 4,768 |
Perry | 6,099 | 61.44% | 3,814 | 38.42% | 14 | 0.14% | 2,285 | 23.02% | 9,927 |
Pike | 9,386 | 54.14% | 7,930 | 45.75% | 19 | 0.11% | 1,456 | 8.40% | 17,335 |
Powell | 1,160 | 61.31% | 732 | 38.69% | 0 | 0.00% | 428 | 22.62% | 1,892 |
Pulaski | 9,348 | 78.84% | 2,494 | 21.03% | 15 | 0.13% | 6,854 | 57.81% | 11,857 |
Robertson | 742 | 53.69% | 640 | 46.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 102 | 7.38% | 1,382 |
Rockcastle | 3,858 | 80.95% | 908 | 19.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,950 | 61.90% | 4,766 |
Rowan | 1,857 | 61.25% | 1,170 | 38.59% | 5 | 0.16% | 687 | 22.66% | 3,032 |
Russell | 3,028 | 78.45% | 823 | 21.32% | 9 | 0.23% | 2,205 | 57.12% | 3,860 |
Scott | 3,192 | 52.82% | 2,843 | 47.05% | 8 | 0.13% | 349 | 5.78% | 6,043 |
Shelby | 3,933 | 54.89% | 3,232 | 45.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 701 | 9.78% | 7,165 |
Simpson | 1,635 | 39.64% | 2,490 | 60.36% | 0 | 0.00% | -855 | -20.73% | 4,125 |
Spencer | 1,565 | 62.20% | 947 | 37.64% | 4 | 0.16% | 618 | 24.56% | 2,516 |
Taylor | 3,149 | 65.05% | 1,684 | 34.79% | 8 | 0.17% | 1,465 | 30.26% | 4,841 |
Todd | 2,496 | 50.78% | 2,416 | 49.16% | 3 | 0.06% | 80 | 1.63% | 4,915 |
Trigg | 2,346 | 53.55% | 2,031 | 46.36% | 4 | 0.09% | 315 | 7.19% | 4,381 |
Trimble | 573 | 30.21% | 1,317 | 69.43% | 7 | 0.37% | -744 | -39.22% | 1,897 |
Union | 2,350 | 37.64% | 3,884 | 62.21% | 9 | 0.14% | -1,534 | -24.57% | 6,243 |
Warren | 7,931 | 60.90% | 5,092 | 39.10% | 1 | 0.01% | 2,839 | 21.80% | 13,024 |
Washington | 2,933 | 56.36% | 2,266 | 43.54% | 5 | 0.10% | 667 | 12.82% | 5,204 |
Wayne | 2,907 | 64.00% | 1,635 | 36.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,272 | 28.01% | 4,542 |
Webster | 3,527 | 49.49% | 3,591 | 50.39% | 9 | 0.13% | -64 | -0.90% | 7,127 |
Whitley | 8,060 | 83.26% | 1,610 | 16.63% | 10 | 0.10% | 6,450 | 66.63% | 9,680 |
Wolfe | 1,270 | 48.36% | 1,356 | 51.64% | 0 | 0.00% | -86 | -3.27% | 2,626 |
Woodford | 2,490 | 54.71% | 2,056 | 45.18% | 5 | 0.11% | 434 | 9.54% | 4,551 |
Totals | 558,064 | 59.34% | 381,070 | 40.52% | 1,387 | 0.15% | 176,994 | 18.82% | 940,521 |
References
[edit]- ^Sullivan, Robert David;'How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century';America MagazineinThe National Catholic Review;June 29, 2016
- ^Phillips, Kevin P.;The Emerging Republican Majority,p. 350ISBN978-0-691-16324-6
- ^Warren, Kenneth F.;Encyclopedia of U.S. campaigns, elections, and electoral behavior: A-M,Volume 1, p. 620ISBN1412954894
- ^Nelson, Michael (1991);Historic documents on presidential elections, 1787–1988,p. 296
- ^Whisenhunt, Donald W.;President Herbert Hoover,p. 69ISBN1600214762
- ^Loewen, James A.;Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism,pp. 72-74ISBN0743294483
- ^Moore, Edmund A.A Catholic Runs For President(New York, 1956) p. 157
- ^Watson, Richard L., Jr.; 'Some Recent Interpretations of the Election of 1928';The High School Journal,May, 1967, Vol. 50, No. 8, "Teaching about Practical Politics" (May, 1967), pp. 428-448
- ^Miller, Robert Moats; 'A Footnote to the Role of the Protestant Churches in the Election of 1928';Church History,volume 25, no. 2 (June 1956), pp. 145-159
- ^Oulahan, Richard V.; 'Many Questions Enter into Kentucky Campaign: But Questions Raised by Smith's Religious Faith Seem to Be Dominant';The New York Times,September 27, 1928, p. 3
- ^'Dixie Hoover Men Predict a Break in the Solid South: State Chairmen Assert Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky Will Go Republican, Louisiana Held Doubtful';The New York Times,October 1, 1928, p. 1
- ^Henderson, William; 'G.O.P. in Kentucky Worried by Smith: Republicans Move to Check Tide Seen Moving Away From Hoover';The Washington Post,October 21, 1928, p. M4
- ^"1928 Presidential General Election Results – Kentucky".Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.RetrievedAugust 13,2020.
- ^Heersink, Boris; Peterson, Brenton D. and Jenkins, Jeffery A.; 'Disasters and Elections: Estimating the Net Effect of Damage and Relief in Historical Perspective';Political Analysis;volume 25, issue 2 (April 2017), pp. 260-268
- ^Menendez, Albert J.;The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868–2004,pp. 206-211ISBN0-7864-2217-3
- ^Scammon, Richard M. (compiler);America at the Polls: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics 1920–1964;pp. 176-177ISBN0405077114