1912 United States presidential election in South Dakota

The 1912 United States presidential election in South Dakota took place on November 5, 1912, as part of the 1912 United States presidential election. Voters chose five representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. South Dakota voted for the Republican nominee, former president Theodore Roosevelt, over the Democratic nominee, New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson, by a margin of 8.49%.

1912 United States presidential election in South Dakota

November 5, 1912

Nominee Theodore Roosevelt Woodrow Wilson Party Republican Democratic Home state New York New Jersey Running mate Hiram Johnson Thomas R. Marshall Electoral vote 5 0 Popular vote 58,811 48,942 Percentage 50.56% 42.07%

County Results Roosevelt   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80% Wilson   40-50%   50-60%   70-80%

President before election William Howard Taft Republican Elected President Woodrow Wilson Democratic

Elections in South Dakota
Federal government Presidential Elections 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Presidential Primaries Democratic 2008 2012 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2012 2016 2020 U.S. Senate elections 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 U.S. House elections 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Special elections At-large, 2004
State government General elections 2010 2014 2018 Gubernatorial elections 1889 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018
Ballot measures 2006 Amendment C

Despite incumbent president William Howard Taft winning the national Republican nomination the South Dakota Republican Party, under the control of progressives and heavily influenced by senator Coe I. Crawford, instead nominated electors pledged to Theodore Roosevelt, with the Progressive Party not appearing on the ballot.[1] This selection proved controversial with conservative Taft supporting Republicans who unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the decision in court.[2] As a result South Dakota was the only state in the 1912 election not to have president Taft either on the ballot or as a write in option (such as in California).[lower-alpha 1] The state's other senator Robert J. Gamble, who supported Taft, predicted that the anger amongst conservative Republicans was such that many would support Woodrow Wilson purely to defeat Roosevelt.[3] Despite this Roosevelt carried the state albeit with a much reduced margin from Taft's victory in 1908.

With 50.56% of the popular vote, South Dakota would prove to be Roosevelt's strongest state in terms of popular vote percentage in the 1912 election and the only one in which he achieved a majority of the vote.[4]