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 County Results
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| Elections in Nebraska |
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 Government |
The 1940 United States presidential election in Nebraska took place on November 5, 1940, as part of the 1940 United States presidential election. Voters chose seven[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Nebraska was won by the Republican candidate, business man Wendell Willkie, running with Senate Minority Leader Charles L. McNary, with 57.19% of the popular vote, against incumbent Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt, running with Secretary Henry A. Wallace, with 42.81% of the popular vote.[3][4]
Though he had carried the state by over 16 points just four years earlier in 1936, Roosevelt's popularity with Nebraskans completely eroded in 1940, and with 57.19% of the popular vote, Nebraska would prove to be Willkie's second strongest state in the 1940 election in terms of popular vote percentage after neighboring South Dakota, and the vote percentages for each of the candidates was almost exactly the same as 1936, however with the parties switched.[5] With a Republican victory margin of 14.4%, the results in Nebraska represented an incredible 30.8% shift to the right from 1936, and it weighed in as a drastic 24.3% more Republican than the nation as whole.
Key to Willkie's landslide victory was his overperformance among rural farmers in Nebraska, whom Roosevelt had carried decisively in 1936. Willkie flipped an astounding 39 counties that had been reliably Democratic just 4 years earlier, those being: Banner, Blaine, Box Butte, Boyd, Burt, Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dodge, Dundy, Frontier, Gosper, Grant, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Keith, Kimball, Knox, Madison, Merrick, Morrill, Pawnee, Perkins, Phelps, Pierce, Red Willow, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sioux, Stanton, Thomas and Wayne.
Indeed, the 1940 election would mark a turning point in Nebraska's politics, as the state would vote for the Republican nominee by double digits in every election since except for when it choose the Democratic nominee one more time, in Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide victory over Barry Goldwater, and even he was only able to carry the state by a fairly narrow margin of 5.2%. FDR's implosion among farmers can likely be attributed to his New Deal programs that paid farmers *not* to produce food and destroy some of it, which was an attempt to cure the problem of food overproduction, however ended up with the country having to import food from other countries and Americans paying more for that food.[6][7] Additionally, as Roosevelt was running for his third consecutive term, many voters were warying of breaking the two term tradition, established by the nation's first President, George Washington, in the 1790s.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Wendell Willkie | 352,201 | 57.19% | |
| Democratic | Franklin D. Roosevelt (inc.) | 263,677 | 42.81% | |
| Total votes | 615,878 | 100% | ||
Results by county
| County[8] | Wendell Lewis Willkie Republican |
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Democratic |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 6,630 | 60.60% | 4,311 | 39.40% | 2,319 | 21.20% | 10,941 |
| Antelope | 4,331 | 66.77% | 2,155 | 33.23% | 2,176 | 33.55% | 6,486 |
| Arthur | 348 | 64.21% | 194 | 35.79% | 154 | 28.41% | 542 |
| Banner | 450 | 66.57% | 226 | 33.43% | 224 | 33.14% | 676 |
| Blaine | 454 | 59.35% | 311 | 40.65% | 143 | 18.69% | 765 |
| Boone | 3,334 | 62.34% | 2,014 | 37.66% | 1,320 | 24.68% | 5,348 |
| Box Butte | 2,942 | 57.27% | 2,195 | 42.73% | 747 | 14.54% | 5,137 |
| Boyd | 1,734 | 62.13% | 1,057 | 37.87% | 677 | 24.26% | 2,791 |
| Brown | 1,783 | 64.65% | 975 | 35.35% | 808 | 29.30% | 2,758 |
| Buffalo | 6,387 | 61.14% | 4,060 | 38.86% | 2,327 | 22.27% | 10,447 |
| Burt | 3,443 | 57.08% | 2,589 | 42.92% | 854 | 14.16% | 6,032 |
| Butler | 2,966 | 47.75% | 3,246 | 52.25% | -280 | -4.51% | 6,212 |
| Cass | 4,704 | 56.46% | 3,627 | 43.54% | 1,077 | 12.93% | 8,331 |
| Cedar | 4,397 | 62.67% | 2,619 | 37.33% | 1,778 | 25.34% | 7,016 |
| Chase | 1,557 | 63.27% | 904 | 36.73% | 653 | 26.53% | 2,461 |
| Cherry | 2,705 | 60.30% | 1,781 | 39.70% | 924 | 20.60% | 4,486 |
| Cheyenne | 2,394 | 55.20% | 1,943 | 44.80% | 451 | 10.40% | 4,337 |
| Clay | 3,576 | 66.98% | 1,763 | 33.02% | 1,813 | 33.96% | 5,339 |
| Colfax | 2,587 | 52.28% | 2,361 | 47.72% | 226 | 4.57% | 4,948 |
| Cuming | 4,383 | 73.32% | 1,595 | 26.68% | 2,788 | 46.64% | 5,978 |
| Custer | 6,269 | 59.66% | 4,238 | 40.34% | 2,031 | 19.33% | 10,507 |
| Dakota | 2,140 | 46.91% | 2,422 | 53.09% | -282 | -6.18% | 4,562 |
| Dawes | 3,184 | 64.26% | 1,771 | 35.74% | 1,413 | 28.52% | 4,955 |
| Dawson | 5,445 | 66.02% | 2,803 | 33.98% | 2,642 | 32.03% | 8,248 |
| Deuel | 1,156 | 67.17% | 565 | 32.83% | 591 | 34.34% | 1,721 |
| Dixon | 3,038 | 61.37% | 1,912 | 38.63% | 1,126 | 22.75% | 4,950 |
| Dodge | 7,141 | 62.51% | 4,282 | 37.49% | 2,859 | 25.03% | 11,423 |
| Douglas | 53,325 | 44.38% | 66,840 | 55.62% | -13,515 | -11.25% | 120,165 |
| Dundy | 1,441 | 64.22% | 803 | 35.78% | 638 | 28.43% | 2,244 |
| Fillmore | 3,677 | 65.13% | 1,969 | 34.87% | 1,708 | 30.25% | 5,646 |
| Franklin | 2,354 | 63.08% | 1,378 | 36.92% | 976 | 26.15% | 3,732 |
| Frontier | 2,069 | 66.08% | 1,062 | 33.92% | 1,007 | 32.16% | 3,131 |
| Furnas | 3,316 | 64.85% | 1,797 | 35.15% | 1,519 | 29.71% | 5,113 |
| Gage | 8,156 | 61.55% | 5,096 | 38.45% | 3,060 | 23.09% | 13,252 |
| Garden | 1,351 | 64.73% | 736 | 35.27% | 615 | 29.47% | 2,087 |
| Garfield | 1,053 | 66.39% | 533 | 33.61% | 520 | 32.79% | 1,586 |
| Gosper | 1,001 | 61.45% | 628 | 38.55% | 373 | 22.90% | 1,629 |
| Grant | 423 | 63.51% | 243 | 36.49% | 180 | 27.03% | 666 |
| Greeley | 1,530 | 50.46% | 1,502 | 49.54% | 28 | 0.92% | 3,032 |
| Hall | 7,412 | 61.26% | 4,687 | 38.74% | 2,725 | 22.52% | 12,099 |
| Hamilton | 3,286 | 66.36% | 1,666 | 33.64% | 1,620 | 32.71% | 4,952 |
| Harlan | 2,182 | 61.73% | 1,353 | 38.27% | 829 | 23.45% | 3,535 |
| Hayes | 759 | 55.93% | 598 | 44.07% | 161 | 11.86% | 1,357 |
| Hitchcock | 1,663 | 58.33% | 1,188 | 41.67% | 475 | 16.66% | 2,851 |
| Holt | 4,840 | 61.61% | 3,016 | 38.39% | 1,824 | 23.22% | 7,856 |
| Hooker | 403 | 73.27% | 147 | 26.73% | 256 | 46.55% | 550 |
| Howard | 1,696 | 43.11% | 2,238 | 56.89% | -542 | -13.78% | 3,934 |
| Jefferson | 4,980 | 64.35% | 2,759 | 35.65% | 2,221 | 28.70% | 7,739 |
| Johnson | 2,919 | 68.26% | 1,357 | 31.74% | 1,562 | 36.53% | 4,276 |
| Kearney | 1,792 | 53.44% | 1,561 | 46.56% | 231 | 6.89% | 3,353 |
| Keith | 2,022 | 53.48% | 1,759 | 46.52% | 263 | 6.96% | 3,781 |
| Keya Paha | 1,004 | 66.67% | 502 | 33.33% | 502 | 33.33% | 1,506 |
| Kimball | 1,190 | 61.82% | 735 | 38.18% | 455 | 23.64% | 1,925 |
| Knox | 4,352 | 57.79% | 3,179 | 42.21% | 1,173 | 15.58% | 7,531 |
| Lancaster | 27,384 | 58.63% | 19,321 | 41.37% | 8,063 | 17.26% | 46,705 |
| Lincoln | 5,908 | 54.36% | 4,960 | 45.64% | 948 | 8.72% | 10,868 |
| Logan | 498 | 60.51% | 325 | 39.49% | 173 | 21.02% | 823 |
| Loup | 539 | 65.10% | 289 | 34.90% | 250 | 30.19% | 828 |
| Madison | 7,353 | 64.87% | 3,982 | 35.13% | 3,371 | 29.74% | 11,335 |
| McPherson | 414 | 71.63% | 164 | 28.37% | 250 | 43.25% | 578 |
| Merrick | 2,886 | 66.31% | 1,466 | 33.69% | 1,420 | 32.63% | 4,352 |
| Morrill | 2,214 | 60.08% | 1,471 | 39.92% | 743 | 20.16% | 3,685 |
| Nance | 1,963 | 57.77% | 1,435 | 42.23% | 528 | 15.54% | 3,398 |
| Nemaha | 3,817 | 59.96% | 2,549 | 40.04% | 1,268 | 19.92% | 6,366 |
| Nuckolls | 3,017 | 61.70% | 1,873 | 38.30% | 1,144 | 23.39% | 4,890 |
| Otoe | 5,799 | 66.46% | 2,927 | 33.54% | 2,872 | 32.91% | 8,726 |
| Pawnee | 2,643 | 62.35% | 1,596 | 37.65% | 1,047 | 24.70% | 4,239 |
| Perkins | 1,413 | 57.28% | 1,054 | 42.72% | 359 | 14.55% | 2,467 |
| Phelps | 2,512 | 57.63% | 1,847 | 42.37% | 665 | 15.26% | 4,359 |
| Pierce | 3,271 | 69.30% | 1,449 | 30.70% | 1,822 | 38.60% | 4,720 |
| Platte | 4,929 | 56.07% | 3,862 | 43.93% | 1,067 | 12.14% | 8,791 |
| Polk | 2,653 | 61.87% | 1,635 | 38.13% | 1,018 | 23.74% | 4,288 |
| Red Willow | 3,119 | 55.70% | 2,481 | 44.30% | 638 | 11.39% | 5,600 |
| Richardson | 4,833 | 54.07% | 4,105 | 45.93% | 728 | 8.14% | 8,938 |
| Rock | 1,104 | 64.79% | 600 | 35.21% | 504 | 29.58% | 1,704 |
| Saline | 3,673 | 46.48% | 4,229 | 53.52% | -556 | -7.04% | 7,902 |
| Sarpy | 2,165 | 46.04% | 2,537 | 53.96% | -372 | -7.91% | 4,702 |
| Saunders | 4,917 | 54.16% | 4,162 | 45.84% | 755 | 8.32% | 9,079 |
| Scotts Bluff | 7,989 | 64.20% | 4,455 | 35.80% | 3,534 | 28.40% | 12,444 |
| Seward | 4,117 | 61.95% | 2,529 | 38.05% | 1,588 | 23.89% | 6,646 |
| Sheridan | 3,161 | 66.87% | 1,566 | 33.13% | 1,595 | 33.74% | 4,727 |
| Sherman | 1,494 | 44.18% | 1,888 | 55.82% | -394 | -11.65% | 3,382 |
| Sioux | 1,072 | 63.43% | 618 | 36.57% | 454 | 26.86% | 1,690 |
| Stanton | 2,074 | 65.74% | 1,081 | 34.26% | 993 | 31.47% | 3,155 |
| Thayer | 3,893 | 65.21% | 2,077 | 34.79% | 1,816 | 30.42% | 5,970 |
| Thomas | 486 | 63.70% | 277 | 36.30% | 209 | 27.39% | 763 |
| Thurston | 1,973 | 49.18% | 2,039 | 50.82% | -66 | -1.65% | 4,012 |
| Valley | 2,449 | 60.63% | 1,590 | 39.37% | 859 | 21.27% | 4,039 |
| Washington | 2,922 | 52.57% | 2,636 | 47.43% | 286 | 5.15% | 5,558 |
| Wayne | 3,209 | 69.70% | 1,395 | 30.30% | 1,814 | 39.40% | 4,604 |
| Webster | 2,847 | 68.18% | 1,329 | 31.82% | 1,518 | 36.35% | 4,176 |
| Wheeler | 495 | 53.69% | 427 | 46.31% | 68 | 7.38% | 922 |
| York | 5,322 | 70.75% | 2,200 | 29.25% | 3,122 | 41.50% | 7,522 |
| Totals | 352,201 | 57.19% | 263,677 | 42.81% | 88,524 | 14.37% | 615,878 |
See also
References
- ↑ "United States Presidential election of 1940 - Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- ↑ "1940 Election for the Thirty-ninth Term (1941-45)". Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- ↑ "1940 Presidential General Election Results - Nebraska". Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- ↑ "The American Presidency Project - Election of 1940". Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- ↑ "1940 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ↑ "F.D.R.'s Disastrous Experiment". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ↑ "Farmers and the New Deal". History Learning Site. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ↑ "NE US President Race, November 05, 1940". Our Campaigns.
