1912
A split party changes the map
Democrat Woodrow Wilson won in a landslide as Roosevelt's 'Bull Moose' Progressive Party split the Republican vote with incumbent Taft. Roosevelt, dissatisfied with Taft's conservatism, launched an independent campaign after losing the Republican nomination, finishing second in both popular and electoral votes — the best third-party performance in US history. Wilson won only 41.8% of the popular vote but carried 40 states. Eugene Debs, running as a Socialist, won 6% of the vote.
Progressive reform; trust-busting; tariff; Republican Party civil war
Roosevelt's best-ever third-party finish (27.4% popular, 88 EV); best third-party performance in history
States · 48 reporting
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Curated picksThe Bully Pulpit
Doris Kearns Goodwin
TR, Taft, and the muckraking press.
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A. Scott Berg
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