In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, faced Republican Charles Evans Hughes, who had resigned from the Supreme Court to run.1 The outcome was not clear until two days after the election, when the returns from California and Ohio came in.2 When California's results were official, Wilson had won the state by 3,773 votes out of about one million cast.3 Wilson won the Electoral College 277 to 254, with 266 needed, so California's 13 votes would have given Hughes 267 and the presidency.4
California Republicans were still divided over 1912, when Governor Hiram Johnson had run for vice president on Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive ticket.5 In 1916 Johnson was running for the U.S. Senate, and Hughes declined to endorse him in the primary.6 Hughes toured California for four days without appearing with Johnson, though the two spent several hours in the same Long Beach hotel, and Johnson's supporters took the visit as a snub.7 Johnson won his Senate race by about 300,000 votes.8
The Miller Center's essay on Wilson concludes that had Hughes not slighted Johnson and California's labor unions, he might have carried the state and the Electoral College.9
Sources for each sentence
Each numbered entry quotes the words that support that sentence, as they appear on the linked page.
- Back to sentence 1
President Woodrow Wilson [D] Main Opponent Charles E. Hughes [R]
archives.gov/electoral-college/1916 In June 1916, Hughes resigned from the court to run for president
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision - Back to sentence 2
It was not clear until two days later, when the returns from California and Ohio came in, that Wilson had squeaked to a narrow victory
millercenter.org/president/wilson/campaigns-and-elections - Back to sentence 3
When the California results were finally official, Wilson had won the state by 3,773 votes out of one million votes cast.
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision - Back to sentence 4
Electoral Vote Winner: 277 Main Opponent: 254 Total/Majority: 531/266
archives.gov/electoral-college/1916 Arkansas 9 9 - 9 - California 13 13 - 13 - Colorado 6
archives.gov/electoral-college/1916 - Back to sentence 5
Governor Johnson bolted too, serving as Roosevelt's running mate on the Progressive "Bull Moose" Party ticket.
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision The wounds of 1912 were still fresh in California.
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision - Back to sentence 6
the irascible progressive who was in the midst of his own campaign for the U.S. Senate.
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision However, Hughes declined to endorse Johnson in the primary, not wishing to play favorites in local political matters.
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision - Back to sentence 7
Hughes spent four days traveling through California, never once seeing or appearing with Governor Johnson.
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision the two candidates spent several hours in the same hotel-the Virginia Hotel in Long Beach.
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision Governor Johnson's progressive supporters in California took the entire Hughes visit as a snub
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision - Back to sentence 8
Meanwhile, Hiram Johnson won his California Senate race by an enviable 300,000 votes.
usdchs.org/2016/11/08/almost-president-hughes-the-benson-decision - Back to sentence 9
Had Hughes not slighted Senator Hiram Johnson and California's labor unions, he might have carried that state to victory in the Electoral College.
millercenter.org/president/wilson/campaigns-and-elections
Sources checked on October 3, 2026
Every sentence above links to the page it comes from, with the exact words quoted. On that date a script re-read each cited page and confirmed that every quote is on it. How these stories are made · Report an error