Who won North Carolina in the 1840 presidential election?

VanBuren (Democratic) carried North Carolina in 1840, winning its 15 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did North Carolina have in 1840?

North Carolina cast 15 electoral votes in the 1840 presidential election.

Did North Carolina vote for the national winner in 1840?

No. North Carolina backed VanBuren, while William Henry Harrison won the presidency nationally.

Second Party SystemNC · 15 EV

1840

North Carolina: VanBuren carries 15 EV.

North Carolina cast its 15 electoral votes for VanBuren (Democratic). National winner: William Henry Harrison (Whig) — North Carolina voted against the national winner this cycle.

North Carolina in 1840

The 1840 contest saw North Carolina line up behind VanBuren, delivering 15 electoral votes to the Democratic ticket. Nationally the result broke the other way — William Henry Harrison (Whig) won the presidency, leaving North Carolina among the states he did not carry.

It marked the 4th consecutive election in which North Carolina backed the Democratic party, a streak reaching back to 1828. The region divided — Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina joined North Carolina for the Democratic ticket, while Tennessee did not. Across the 58 presidential elections North Carolina has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Democratic party (32 times). The vote fell within the Second Party System — Jackson, Whigs, and the rise of mass politics.

In the national count, William Henry Harrison took 234 of the 294 electoral votes, against Martin Van Buren's 60. William Henry Harrison led the national popular vote with 52.87% of the ballots cast.

The 1840 national map

North Carolina full history →