Who won Kentucky in the 1844 presidential election?

Clay (Whig) carried Kentucky in 1844, winning its 12 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Kentucky have in 1844?

Kentucky cast 12 electoral votes in the 1844 presidential election.

Did Kentucky vote for the national winner in 1844?

No. Kentucky backed Clay, while James K. Polk won the presidency nationally.

Second Party SystemKY · 12 EV

1844

Kentucky: Clay carries 12 EV.

Kentucky cast its 12 electoral votes for Clay (Whig). National winner: James K. Polk (Democratic) — Kentucky voted against the national winner this cycle.

Reading the 1844 result in Kentucky

Kentucky backed Clay (Whig) in the 1844 presidential election, casting 12 electoral votes for the ticket. The presidency went elsewhere: James K. Polk (Democratic) won nationally, while Kentucky had backed a different ticket.

Kentucky stayed in the Whig column for the 3rd straight cycle, extending a run that began in 1836. The region divided — Ohio and Tennessee joined Kentucky for the Whig ticket, while Indiana, Virginia, Missouri, and Illinois did not. Over its 59 recorded presidential cycles, Kentucky has backed the Democratic party more than any other — 28 times in all. The vote fell within the Second Party System — Jackson, Whigs, and the rise of mass politics.

Nationally, James K. Polk finished with 170 of the 275 electoral votes to Henry Clay's 105. James K. Polk led the national popular vote with 49.54% of the ballots cast.

The 1844 national map

Kentucky full history →