1908 United States presidential election

The **1908 United States presidential election** was the 31st election in the history of the United States. It occurred on November 3, 1908. This election was between Secretary of War William Howard Taft of Ohio and former Congressman from Ohio and Democratic Party Nominee in 1896 and 1900 William Jennings Bryan. Taft won the election with 321 electoral votes. Bryan got only 162 electoral votes.

This would be the fourth and most recent election in the history of the United States, where both major candidates share the same first name, with the last three being in 1860, 1896, and 1900.

### Republican Party

|style="width:3em; font-size:135%; background:#E81B23; width:200px;"|William Howard Taft|style="width:3em; font-size:135%; background:#E81B23; width:200px;"|James S. Sherman|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|colspan="30" style="background:#f1f1f1;"|<big>**1908 Republican Party ticket**</big>|||
|style="width:3em; width:200px;"|***for President***|style="width:3em; width:200px;"|***for Vice President***|
|42nd U.S. Secretary of War <small>(1904–1908)</small>|U.S. Representative from New York <small>(1887-1891, 1903–1909)</small>|||
|colspan="2"||||

#### Presidential

- William Howard Taft, 42nd U.S. Secretary of War from Ohio <small>(1904-1908)</small> <small>_(Nominee)_</small>
- Philander C. Knox, U.S. senator from Wisconsin <small>(1904-1909; 1917-1921)</small>
- Charles Evans Hughes, 36th Governor of New York <small>(1907-1910)</small>
- Joseph G. Cannon, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives <small>(1903-1911)</small>
- Charles W. Fairbanks, 26th Vice President of the United States from Indiana <small>(1905-1909)</small>
- Robert M. La Follette, U.S. senator from Wisconsin <small>(1906-1924)</small>
- Joseph B. Foraker, U.S. senator from Ohio <small>(1897-1909)</small>
- L. M. Shaw, Secretary of the Treasury <small>(1902-1907)</small>
- George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of the Treasury from New York <small>(1907-1909) _(Withdrew before convention)_</small>
- Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States from New York <small>(1901-1909) _(Declined to seek nomination)_</small>
- Elihu Root, 38th U.S. Secreatry of State from New York <small>(1905-1909) _(Declined to seek nomination)_</small>

#### Vice Presidential

- James S. Sherman, U.S. representative from New York <small>(1887-1891, 1893-1909)</small> <small>_(Vice presidential nominee)_</small>
- Franklin Murphy, 31st Governor of New Jersey <small>(1902-1905)</small>
- Curtis Guild Jr., 43rd Governor of Massachusetts <small>(1906-1909)</small>
- Charles W. Fairbanks, 26th Vice President of the United States from Indiana <small>(1905-1909)</small>

### Democratic Party

|style="width:3em; font-size:135%; background:#3333FF; width:200px;"|William Jennings Bryan|style="width:3em; font-size:135%; background:#3333FF; width:200px;"|John W. Kern|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|colspan="30" style="background:#f1f1f1;"|<big>**1908 Democratic Party ticket**</big>|||
|style="width:3em; font-size:100%; color:#000; background:#C8EBFF; width:200px;"|***for President***|style="width:3em; font-size:100%; color:#000; background:#C8EBFF; width:200px;"|***for Vice President***|
|U.S. Representative from Nebraska <small>(1891–1895)</small>|Indiana State Senator <small>(1893–1897)</small>|||
|colspan="2"||||

#### Presidential

- William Jennings Bryan, former U.S. representative from Nebraska <small>(1891-1895)</small> and presidential nominee in 1896 and 1900 <small>(Nominee)</small>
- George Gray, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit <small>(1899-1914)</small>
- John A. Johnson, Governor of Minnesota <small>(1905-1909)</small>

#### Vice Presidential

- John W. Kern, former Indiana State Senator <small>(1893–1897)</small> <small>_(Vice presidential nominee)_</small>

## Infobox (election)

- **election name**: 1908 United States presidential election
- **country**: United States
- **flag year**: 1908
- **type**: presidential
- **ongoing**: no
- **previous election**: 1904 United States presidential election
- **previous year**: 1904
- **election date**: November 3, 1908
- **next election**: 1912 United States presidential election
- **next year**: 1912
- **votes for election**: 483 members of the Electoral College
- **needed votes**: 242 electoral
- **turnout**: 65.7%  0.2 percentage point, pp
- **image1**:
- **nominee1**: **William Howard Taft**
- **party1**: Republican Party (United States)
- **home state1**: Ohio
- **running mate1**: **James S. Sherman**
- **electoral vote1**: **321**
- **states carried1**: **29**
- **popular vote1**: **7,678,395**
- **percentage1**: **51.6%**
- **image2**:
- **nominee2**: William Jennings Bryan
- **party2**: Democratic Party (United States)
- **home state2**: Nebraska
- **running mate2**: John W. Kern
- **electoral vote2**: 162
- **states carried2**: 17
- **popular vote2**: 6,408,984
- **percentage2**: 43.1%
- **map size**: 350px
- **map caption**: Presidential election results map. <span style="color:red;">Red</span> denotes states won by Taft/Sherman, <span style="color:blue;">blue</span> denotes those won by Bryan/Kern. Numbers indicate the number of electoral votes allotted to each state.
- **title**: President
- **before election**: Theodore Roosevelt
- **before party**: Republican Party (United States)
- **after election**: William Howard Taft
- **after party**: Republican Party (United States)
- **map image**: ElectoralCollege1908.svg