Who won Wisconsin in the 1896 presidential election?

McKinley (Republican) carried Wisconsin in 1896, winning its 12 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Wisconsin have in 1896?

Wisconsin cast 12 electoral votes in the 1896 presidential election.

Did Wisconsin vote for the national winner in 1896?

Yes. Wisconsin backed William McKinley, who won the presidency that year.

Progressive EraWI · 12 EV

1896

Wisconsin: McKinley carries 12 EV.

Wisconsin cast its 12 electoral votes for McKinley (Republican). National winner: William McKinley (Republican) — Wisconsin voted with the national winner this cycle.

Wisconsin in 1896

The 1896 contest saw Wisconsin line up behind McKinley, delivering 12 electoral votes to the Republican ticket. Wisconsin ended up on the winning side — William McKinley captured the White House that year.

The result flipped Wisconsin away from the Democratic it had supported in 1892. Wisconsin did not move alone — neighboring Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan broke the same way in 1896. Across the 45 presidential elections Wisconsin has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Republican party (24 times). The vote fell within the Progressive Era — Trust-busting, suffrage, and World War I.

In the national count, William McKinley took 271 of the 447 electoral votes, against William Jennings Bryan's 176. William McKinley led the national popular vote with 51.02% of the ballots cast.

The 1896 national map

Wisconsin full history →