1952
The 1952 U.S. presidential election was won by Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican) with 442 of 531 electoral votes, defeating Adlai Stevenson II (Democratic). Electoral vote margin: 353 EV, popular-vote margin +10.9%; turnout 62.3%. The cycle falls in the New Deal Coalition era of American electoral history.
Dwight D. Eisenhower and the 1952 map
World War II hero Dwight Eisenhower ended 20 years of Democratic presidential rule with a decisive victory over Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson. 'Ike' appealed across party lines as a non-partisan national hero, and his promise to 'go to Korea' — resolving the unpopular Korean War — resonated powerfully. The election also saw the first extensive use of television campaign advertising. Richard Nixon's 'Checkers speech' on television saved his spot on the ticket after a campaign finance controversy.
Korean War; communist threat (McCarthyism); corruption in Truman administration
First major use of TV political ads; Nixon's 'Checkers speech' saved his VP candidacy
States · 48 reporting
Embed
Drop this map on your site · coming soon
Free iframe with attribution. White-label option in the works.
Get notified →Classroom
All 300 packets, free
60 cycles · K-2 through AP · open download.
Browse packets →Poster
Wall-worthy print · coming soon
Every-election grid and single-state series in the works.
Get notified →Read further
Curated picksFreedom from Fear
David M. Kennedy
Pulitzer-winning history of the Depression and WWII.
Buy on Amazon →Master of the Senate
Robert A. Caro
Volume 3 of the LBJ biography.
Buy on Amazon →Recommendations are editorial.
Free, ad-light, no paywall
Built by one person. Tips fund the next 60 elections of editorial.