In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) won 472 of 531 electoral votes, defeating Herbert Hoover by 413 EV during the New Deal Coalition era. In 1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) won 523 of 531, defeating Alf Landon by 515 EV during the New Deal Coalition era. Turnout: 56.9% vs 61%.
vs
1932
New Deal Coalition
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic
Electoral votes
472 of 531
EV margin
413
Popular vote
57.4%
Turnout
56.9%
Runner-up
Herbert Hoover (Rep)
Franklin Roosevelt won in a massive landslide over incumbent Herbert Hoover as the Great Depression devastated the nation. With 25% unemployment, Hoover was blamed for economic catastrophe and humiliated at the polls. Roosevelt promised a 'New Deal' for the American people and brought hope with his famous declaration that 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' FDR built a broad coalition of urban workers, farmers, ethnic minorities, and the Solid South that would dominate American politics for decades.
1936
New Deal Coalition
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic
Electoral votes
523 of 531
EV margin
515
Popular vote
60.8%
Turnout
61.0%
Runner-up
Alf Landon (Rep)
Roosevelt won the greatest Electoral College landslide of the 20th century, carrying 46 of 48 states against Kansas Governor Alf Landon. FDR's New Deal coalition was at its peak, with massive support from labor, ethnic communities, and the poor. The Literary Digest's infamous poll had wrongly predicted a Landon victory, based on a biased sample of telephone and automobile owners (the affluent), leading to the poll's demise and the rise of scientific polling. Only Maine and Vermont voted for Landon.