| |||||||||
| Presidential Candidate | Electoral Vote | Popular Vote | Pct | Party | Running Mate (Electoral Votes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Thomas) Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey (W) | 277 | 9,129,606 | 49.4 | Democrat | Thomas Riley Marshall of Indiana (277) |
| Charles Evans Hughes of New York | 254 | 8,538,221 | 46.2 | Republican | Charles Warren Fairbanks of Indiana (254) | Other | 5.4 |
| Total | 100.0% | ||||
| Other elections: 1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928 | |||||
In 1916, Europe was embroiled in World War I. American sentiment leaned towards the Allied Powers due to the German occupation of parts of France and Belgium, but most American voters wanted to avoid involvement in the war, and preferred a policy of strict neutrality.
The Republican Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois from 7 June to 10 June. Supreme Court justice Charles Evans Hughes was nominated as a compromise candidate to unite the Republican and Progressive factions which had split in 1912.
The Democratic Convention was held in Saint Louis, Missouri from 14 June to 16 June, renominating the sitting president Wilson.
The Progressives renominated former President Theodore Roosevelt, but he withdrew from the race and supported Hughes.
A. L. Benson of the Socialist Party received 589,924 popular votes (3.2%).
J. Frank Hanly of the Prohibition Party received 221,030 popular votes (1.2%).
Woodrow Wilson campaigned for reelection on a pledge of continued neutrality in the Great War in Europe. Hughes adopted a program of greater mobilization and preparedness, but narrowly lost the election.
See also: President of the United States, U.S. presidential election, 1916, History of the United States (1865-1918)
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