Who won Kentucky in the 1880 presidential election?

Hancock (Democratic) carried Kentucky in 1880, winning its 12 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Kentucky have in 1880?

Kentucky cast 12 electoral votes in the 1880 presidential election.

Did Kentucky vote for the national winner in 1880?

No. Kentucky backed Hancock, while James A. Garfield won the presidency nationally.

Gilded AgeKY · 12 EV

1880

Kentucky: Hancock carries 12 EV.

Kentucky cast its 12 electoral votes for Hancock (Democratic). National winner: James A. Garfield (Republican) — Kentucky voted against the national winner this cycle.

Reading the 1880 result in Kentucky

Kentucky backed Hancock (Democratic) in the 1880 presidential election, casting 12 electoral votes for the ticket. The presidency went elsewhere: James A. Garfield (Republican) won nationally, while Kentucky had backed a different ticket.

Kentucky stayed in the Democratic column for the 5th straight cycle, extending a run that began in 1864. The region divided — West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Missouri joined Kentucky for the Democratic ticket, while Indiana, Ohio, 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 Gilded Age — Industrialization, narrow margins, and patronage politics.

Nationally, James A. Garfield finished with 214 of the 369 electoral votes to Winfield Scott Hancock's 155. James A. Garfield led the national popular vote with 48.31% of the ballots cast.

The 1880 national map

Kentucky full history →