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Deutsch1940 United States presidential election in California
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| Turnout | 81.44% (of registered voters)  1.92 pp 78.32% (of eligible voters)  7.76 pp[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County Results
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| Elections in California |
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The 1940 United States presidential election in California took place on November 5, 1940, as part of the 1940 United States presidential election. State voters chose 22 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
California voted for the Democratic incumbent, Franklin Roosevelt, over the Republican challenger, businessman Wendell Willkie.
Willkie did nonetheless make considerable gains vis-à-vis the previous Republican nominee, Alf Landon, who remains the solitary Republican nominee to not carry a single county in the state. Willkie carried seven counties scattered across the state and gained ten percentage points on Landon's performance.
This is the last election where the Democrats won Sutter County, which, as of the 2020 presidential election,[2] stands as the longest run voting for one party by any California county.[3] Mono County would not vote Democratic again until John Kerry in 2004,[4] and Orange County would not vote Democratic again until Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Results
[edit]| 1940 United States presidential election in California[5] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Franklin D. Roosevelt (incumbent) | 1,877,618 | 57.44% | 22 | |
| Republican | Wendell Willkie | 1,351,419 | 41.34% | 0 | |
| Progressive[a] | Norman Thomas | 16,506 | 0.50% | 0 | |
| Communist | Earl Russell Browder | 13,586 | 0.42% | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Roger Babson | 9,400 | 0.29% | 0 | |
| No party | Write-ins | 262 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Invalid or blank votes | — | ||||
| Totals | 3,268,791 | 100.00% | 22 | ||
| Voter turnout | — | ||||
Results by county
[edit]| County | Franklin D. Roosevelt Democratic | Wendell Willkie Republican | Norman Thomas Progressive | Earl Browder Communist | Roger Babson Prohibition | Scattering Write-in | Margin | Total votes cast[5] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alameda | 148,224 | 55.21% | 116,961 | 43.56% | 1,618 | 0.60% | 1,285 | 0.48% | 408 | 0.15% | 0 | 0.00% | 31,263 | 11.64% | 268,496 |
| Alpine | 62 | 32.98% | 125 | 66.49% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.53% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -63 | -33.51% | 188 |
| Amador | 2,762 | 66.14% | 1,372 | 32.85% | 15 | 0.36% | 9 | 0.22% | 18 | 0.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,390 | 33.29% | 4,176 |
| Butte | 10,684 | 58.15% | 7,433 | 40.46% | 117 | 0.64% | 77 | 0.42% | 61 | 0.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,251 | 17.70% | 18,372 |
| Calaveras | 2,405 | 58.90% | 1,649 | 40.39% | 21 | 0.51% | 4 | 0.10% | 4 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 756 | 18.52% | 4,083 |
| Colusa | 2,655 | 59.48% | 1,774 | 39.74% | 15 | 0.34% | 5 | 0.11% | 15 | 0.34% | 0 | 0.00% | 881 | 19.74% | 4,464 |
| Contra Costa | 30,900 | 61.75% | 18,627 | 37.22% | 238 | 0.48% | 209 | 0.42% | 63 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.01% | 12,273 | 24.53% | 50,040 |
| Del Norte | 1,034 | 44.92% | 1,233 | 53.56% | 26 | 1.13% | 5 | 0.22% | 4 | 0.17% | 0 | 0.00% | -199 | -8.64% | 2,302 |
| El Dorado | 4,144 | 66.44% | 2,019 | 32.37% | 37 | 0.59% | 15 | 0.24% | 22 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,125 | 34.07% | 6,237 |
| Fresno | 48,866 | 69.07% | 21,079 | 29.79% | 354 | 0.50% | 143 | 0.20% | 308 | 0.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 27,787 | 39.27% | 70,750 |
| Glenn | 3,095 | 54.96% | 2,473 | 43.92% | 31 | 0.55% | 2 | 0.04% | 30 | 0.53% | 0 | 0.00% | 622 | 11.05% | 5,631 |
| Humboldt | 12,329 | 55.98% | 9,470 | 43.00% | 92 | 0.42% | 78 | 0.35% | 55 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,859 | 12.98% | 22,024 |
| Imperial | 7,728 | 52.53% | 6,854 | 46.59% | 64 | 0.44% | 25 | 0.17% | 41 | 0.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 874 | 5.94% | 14,712 |
| Inyo | 1,820 | 54.65% | 1,483 | 44.53% | 12 | 0.36% | 3 | 0.09% | 12 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 337 | 10.12% | 3,330 |
| Kern | 32,202 | 61.78% | 19,445 | 37.30% | 219 | 0.42% | 106 | 0.20% | 154 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 12,757 | 24.47% | 52,126 |
| Kings | 8,307 | 67.43% | 3,911 | 31.75% | 41 | 0.33% | 9 | 0.07% | 52 | 0.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,396 | 35.68% | 12,320 |
| Lake | 1,897 | 45.70% | 2,215 | 53.36% | 23 | 0.55% | 5 | 0.12% | 11 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | -318 | -7.66% | 4,151 |
| Lassen | 4,367 | 69.17% | 1,902 | 30.13% | 20 | 0.32% | 11 | 0.17% | 13 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,465 | 39.05% | 6,313 |
| Los Angeles | 822,718 | 58.13% | 574,266 | 40.58% | 6,971 | 0.49% | 6,914 | 0.49% | 4,151 | 0.29% | 249 | 0.02% | 248,452 | 17.56% | 1,415,269 |
| Madera | 5,749 | 67.61% | 2,653 | 31.20% | 32 | 0.38% | 35 | 0.41% | 34 | 0.40% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,096 | 36.41% | 8,503 |
| Marin | 11,365 | 50.20% | 10,974 | 48.47% | 151 | 0.67% | 130 | 0.57% | 20 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 391 | 1.73% | 22,640 |
| Mariposa | 1,935 | 64.44% | 1,035 | 34.47% | 13 | 0.43% | 11 | 0.37% | 9 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 900 | 29.97% | 3,003 |
| Mendocino | 7,055 | 56.13% | 5,345 | 42.53% | 70 | 0.56% | 66 | 0.53% | 33 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,710 | 13.60% | 12,569 |
| Merced | 10,501 | 62.57% | 6,101 | 36.35% | 84 | 0.50% | 27 | 0.16% | 71 | 0.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,400 | 26.22% | 16,784 |
| Modoc | 2,232 | 61.49% | 1,371 | 37.77% | 14 | 0.39% | 4 | 0.11% | 6 | 0.17% | 3 | 0.08% | 861 | 23.72% | 3,630 |
| Mono | 523 | 52.56% | 459 | 46.13% | 2 | 0.20% | 5 | 0.50% | 6 | 0.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 64 | 6.43% | 995 |
| Monterey | 14,758 | 55.00% | 11,810 | 44.01% | 120 | 0.45% | 76 | 0.28% | 69 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,948 | 10.99% | 26,833 |
| Napa | 6,771 | 52.68% | 5,924 | 46.09% | 60 | 0.47% | 34 | 0.26% | 64 | 0.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 847 | 6.59% | 12,853 |
| Nevada | 5,782 | 66.01% | 2,863 | 32.69% | 57 | 0.65% | 27 | 0.31% | 30 | 0.34% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,919 | 33.33% | 8,759 |
| Orange | 28,236 | 43.44% | 36,070 | 55.49% | 255 | 0.39% | 82 | 0.13% | 354 | 0.54% | 0 | 0.00% | -7,834 | -12.05% | 64,997 |
| Placer | 8,402 | 67.56% | 3,887 | 31.26% | 73 | 0.59% | 35 | 0.28% | 39 | 0.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,515 | 36.31% | 12,436 |
| Plumas | 3,418 | 72.11% | 1,270 | 26.79% | 34 | 0.72% | 10 | 0.21% | 8 | 0.17% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,148 | 45.32% | 4,740 |
| Riverside | 20,003 | 47.20% | 21,779 | 51.39% | 197 | 0.46% | 56 | 0.13% | 345 | 0.81% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,776 | -4.19% | 42,380 |
| Sacramento | 51,351 | 68.09% | 23,201 | 30.76% | 452 | 0.60% | 225 | 0.30% | 187 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 28,150 | 37.33% | 75,416 |
| San Benito | 2,441 | 49.99% | 2,407 | 49.29% | 17 | 0.35% | 11 | 0.23% | 7 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 34 | 0.70% | 4,883 |
| San Bernardino | 37,520 | 54.47% | 30,511 | 44.30% | 320 | 0.46% | 138 | 0.20% | 389 | 0.56% | 0 | 0.00% | 7,009 | 10.18% | 68,878 |
| San Diego | 71,188 | 55.57% | 55,434 | 43.27% | 684 | 0.53% | 348 | 0.27% | 456 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 15,754 | 12.30% | 128,110 |
| San Francisco | 185,607 | 59.51% | 122,449 | 39.26% | 1,513 | 0.49% | 1,935 | 0.62% | 374 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 63,158 | 20.25% | 311,878 |
| San Joaquin | 26,536 | 52.55% | 23,403 | 46.34% | 239 | 0.47% | 141 | 0.28% | 179 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,133 | 6.20% | 50,498 |
| San Luis Obispo | 8,499 | 53.39% | 7,204 | 45.25% | 79 | 0.50% | 67 | 0.42% | 71 | 0.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,295 | 8.13% | 15,920 |
| San Mateo | 29,831 | 52.38% | 26,539 | 46.60% | 290 | 0.51% | 211 | 0.37% | 80 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,292 | 5.78% | 56,951 |
| Santa Barbara | 17,237 | 54.41% | 14,107 | 44.53% | 182 | 0.57% | 91 | 0.29% | 61 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,130 | 9.88% | 31,678 |
| Santa Clara | 40,449 | 49.63% | 40,100 | 49.20% | 458 | 0.56% | 294 | 0.36% | 195 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 349 | 0.43% | 81,496 |
| Santa Cruz | 10,683 | 47.51% | 11,453 | 50.93% | 175 | 0.78% | 71 | 0.32% | 104 | 0.46% | 0 | 0.00% | -770 | -3.42% | 22,486 |
| Shasta | 8,662 | 68.03% | 3,909 | 30.70% | 66 | 0.52% | 71 | 0.56% | 25 | 0.20% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,753 | 37.33% | 12,733 |
| Sierra | 1,057 | 66.98% | 511 | 32.38% | 7 | 0.44% | 2 | 0.13% | 1 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 546 | 34.60% | 1,578 |
| Siskiyou | 7,714 | 63.17% | 4,387 | 35.92% | 56 | 0.46% | 18 | 0.15% | 36 | 0.29% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,327 | 27.24% | 12,212 |
| Solano | 15,054 | 70.58% | 6,081 | 28.51% | 83 | 0.39% | 53 | 0.25% | 57 | 0.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 8,973 | 42.07% | 21,328 |
| Sonoma | 15,230 | 47.04% | 16,819 | 51.94% | 145 | 0.45% | 119 | 0.37% | 60 | 0.19% | 6 | 0.02% | -1,589 | -4.91% | 32,379 |
| Stanislaus | 16,494 | 51.96% | 14,803 | 46.63% | 155 | 0.49% | 58 | 0.18% | 236 | 0.74% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,691 | 5.33% | 31,746 |
| Sutter | 4,195 | 57.11% | 3,089 | 42.06% | 26 | 0.35% | 15 | 0.20% | 20 | 0.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,106 | 15.06% | 7,345 |
| Tehama | 3,618 | 54.59% | 2,913 | 43.95% | 53 | 0.80% | 13 | 0.20% | 31 | 0.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 705 | 10.64% | 6,628 |
| Trinity | 1,431 | 63.83% | 780 | 34.79% | 12 | 0.54% | 15 | 0.67% | 4 | 0.18% | 0 | 0.00% | 651 | 29.04% | 2,242 |
| Tulare | 20,129 | 55.96% | 15,414 | 42.85% | 209 | 0.58% | 41 | 0.11% | 178 | 0.49% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,715 | 13.11% | 35,971 |
| Tuolumne | 3,541 | 62.96% | 2,004 | 35.63% | 27 | 0.48% | 29 | 0.52% | 23 | 0.41% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,537 | 27.33% | 5,624 |
| Ventura | 15,182 | 57.00% | 11,225 | 42.15% | 84 | 0.32% | 64 | 0.24% | 79 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,957 | 14.86% | 26,634 |
| Yolo | 6,380 | 58.78% | 4,373 | 40.29% | 63 | 0.58% | 19 | 0.18% | 19 | 0.18% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,007 | 18.49% | 10,854 |
| Yuba | 4,660 | 64.57% | 2,471 | 34.24% | 35 | 0.48% | 33 | 0.46% | 18 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,189 | 30.33% | 7,217 |
| Total | 1,877,618 | 57.44% | 1,351,419 | 41.34% | 16,506 | 0.50% | 13,586 | 0.42% | 9,400 | 0.29% | 262 | 0.01% | 526,199 | 16.10% | 3,268,791 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
[edit]Electors
[edit]Up through 1936, voters in California chose presidential electors directly. Starting in 1940, however, California adopted the modern "short ballot" where voters select from the actual candidates' names and each vote is treated as being for a candidate and his or her party's entire slate of electors. The individuals below were nominated by each party to serve as the state's members of the 1940 Electoral College should their party's ticket win the state:[5]
| Franklin D. Roosevelt & Henry A. Wallace Democratic Party | Wendell Willkie & Charles L. McNary Republican Party | Norman Thomas & Maynard Krueger Progressive Party | Earl Browder & James W. Ford Communist Party | Roger Babson & Edgar V. Moorman Prohibition Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Notes
[edit]- ^ Thomas was the Socialist nominee on the national ticket but in California ran on the "Progressive" ticket. This Progressive Party is different both Theodore Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party and Robert M. La Follette's Progressive Party
References
[edit]- ^ "Historical Voter Registration and Participation in Statewide General Elections 1910-2018" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
- ^ "California Election Results". The New York Times. November 3, 2020.
- ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868–2004, p. 131 ISBN 0786422173
- ^ a b c California Secretary of State. State of California Statement of Vote, General Election, November 5, 1940. Sacramento, California: State Printing Office. pp. 4–6. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
