1888
Reading the 1888 result in Texas
Texas backed Cleveland (Democratic) in the 1888 presidential election, casting 13 electoral votes for the ticket. The presidency went elsewhere: Benjamin Harrison (Republican) won nationally, while Texas had backed a different ticket.
Texas stayed in the Democratic column for the 5th straight cycle, extending a run that began in 1872. Texas did not move alone — neighboring Arkansas and Louisiana broke the same way in 1888. Over its 44 recorded presidential cycles, Texas 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, Benjamin Harrison finished with 233 of the 401 electoral votes to Grover Cleveland's 168. Though Benjamin Harrison won the Electoral College, Grover Cleveland drew more of the national popular vote — 48.63% to 47.8%.
Texas in nearby cycles
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