1920 Election Results Harding vs Cox

By the end of the Wilson Presidency, the American people were ready for a change. The Republican convention met in Chicago. There were no front-runners going into the convention. The convention was deadlocked between General Leonard Wood and Governor Frank Lowden. Finally, the convention turned to Warren Harding. Harding was an obscure Senator. After the tenth ballot, the party bosses decided Harding was the best candidate.

The Democrats nominated James Cox for the Presidency, and Franklin Roosevelt for the Vice Presidency. The 1920 election campaign was primarily a referendum on the Wilson presidency and the League of Nations. Cox fully supported the League of Nations, while Harding did not make his position clear. Harding supported prohibition, and Cox opposed it. Cox ran a vigorous campaign, while Harding ran mostly a front porch campaign. Cox's efforts and the efforts of his hard campaigning vice presidential candidate had little effect.

The weariness of the nation determined the election in favor of Harding, who obtained an overwhelming victory.

Participation of Eligible Voters 49.2%

Democratic Convention
Republican Convention

 

State results in 1920

Electoral Results in 1920

Alabama Warren Harding 74,719 31.9 James Cox 156,064 66.7 Eugene Debs 2,402 1.0 Parley Christensen
Arizona Warren Harding 37,016 55.4 James Cox 29,546 44.2 Eugene Debs 222 0.3 Parley Christensen 15
Arkansas Warren Harding 72,316 39.3 James Cox 106,427 57.9 Eugene Debs 5,128 2.8 Parley Christensen -
California Warren Harding 624,992 66.2 James Cox 229,191 24.3 Eugene Debs 64,076 6.8 Parley Christensen -
Colorado Warren Harding 173,248 59.3 James Cox 104,936 35.9 Eugene Debs 8,046 2.8 Parley Christensen 3,016 1.0
Connecticut Warren Harding 229,238 62.7 James Cox 120,721 33.0 Eugene Debs 10,350 2.8 Parley Christensen 1,947 0.5
Delaware Warren Harding 52,858 55.7 James Cox 39,911 42.1 Eugene Debs 988 1.0 Parley Christensen 93 0.1
Florida Warren Harding 44,853 30.8 James Cox 90,515 62.1 Eugene Debs 5,189 3.6 Parley Christensen -
Georgia Warren Harding 42,981 28.7 James Cox 106,112 71.0 Eugene Debs 465 0.3 Parley Christensen -
Idaho Warren Harding 91,351 66.1 James Cox 46,930 33.9 Eugene Debs - Parley Christensen -
Illinois Warren Harding 1,420,480 67.8 James Cox 534,395 25.5 Eugene Debs 74,747 3.6 Parley Christensen 49,630 2.4
Indiana Warren Harding 696,370 55.1 James Cox 511,364 40.5 Eugene Debs 24,713 2.0 Parley Christensen 16,499 1.3
Iowa Warren Harding 634,674 70.9 James Cox 227,804 25.5 Eugene Debs 16,981 1.9 Parley Christensen 10,321 1.2
Kansas Warren Harding 369,268 64.8 James Cox 185,464 32.5 Eugene Debs 15,511 2.7 Parley Christensen -
Kentucky Warren Harding 452,480 49.3 James Cox 456,497 49.7 Eugene Debs 6,409 0.7 Parley Christensen -
Louisiana Warren Harding 38,539 30.5 James Cox 87,519 69.2 Eugene Debs - Parley Christensen -
Maine Warren Harding 136,355 68.9 James Cox 58,961 29.8 Eugene Debs 2,214 1.1 Parley Christensen -
Maryland Warren Harding 236,117 55.1 James Cox 180,626 42.2 Eugene Debs 8,876 2.1 Parley Christensen 1,645 0.4
Massachusetts Warren Harding 681,153 68.5 James Cox 276,691 27.8 Eugene Debs 32,267 3.2 Parley Christensen -
Michigan Warren Harding 762,865 72.8 James Cox 233,450 22.3 Eugene Debs 28,947 2.8 Parley Christensen 10,480 1.0
Minnesota Warren Harding 519,421 70.6 James Cox 142,994 19.4 Eugene Debs 56,106 7.6 Parley Christensen -
Mississippi Warren Harding 11,576 14.1 James Cox 69,136 84.0 Eugene Debs 1,639 2.0 Parley Christensen -
Missouri Warren Harding 727,252 54.6 James Cox 574,699 43.1 Eugene Debs 20,342 1.5 Parley Christensen 3,108 0.2
Montana Warren Harding 109,430 61.1 James Cox 57,372 32.1 Eugene Debs - Parley Christensen 12,204 6.8
Nebraska Warren Harding 247,498 64.7 James Cox 119,608 31.3 Eugene Debs 9,600 2.5 Parley Christensen -
Nevada Warren Harding 15,479 56.9 James Cox 9,851 36.2 Eugene Debs 1,864 6.9 Parley Christensen -
New Hampshire Warren Harding 95,196 59.8 James Cox 62,662 39.4 Eugene Debs 1,234 0.8 Parley Christensen -
New Jersey Warren Harding 615,333 67.6 James Cox 258,761 28.4 Eugene Debs 27,385 3.0 Parley Christensen 2,264 0.2
New Mexico Warren Harding 57,634 54.7 James Cox 46,668 44.3 Eugene Debs 2 Parley Christensen 1,104 1.0
New York Warren Harding 1,871,167 64.6 James Cox 781,238 27.0 Eugene Debs 203,201 7.0 Parley Christensen 18,413 0.6
North Carolina Warren Harding 232,819 43.2 James Cox 305,367 56.7 Eugene Debs 446 0.1 Parley Christensen -
North Dakota Warren Harding 160,082 77.8 James Cox 37,422 18.2 Eugene Debs 8,282 4.0 Parley Christensen -
Ohio Warren Harding 1,182,022 58.5 James Cox 780,037 38.6 Eugene Debs 57,147 2.8 Parley Christensen -
Oklahoma Warren Harding 243,840 50.2 James Cox 216,122 44.5 Eugene Debs 25,716 5.3 Parley Christensen -
Oregon Warren Harding 143,592 60.2 James Cox 80,019 33.5 Eugene Debs 9,801 4.1 Parley Christensen -
Pennsylvania Warren Harding 1,218,215 65.8 James Cox 503,202 27.2 Eugene Debs 70,021 3.8 Parley Christensen 15,642 0.8
Rhode Island Warren Harding 107,463 64.0 James Cox 55,062 32.8 Eugene Debs 4,351 2.6 Parley Christensen -
South Carolina Warren Harding 2,610 3.9 James Cox 64,170 96.1 Eugene Debs 28 Parley Christensen -
South Dakota Warren Harding 110,692 60.7 James Cox 35,938 19.7 Eugene Debs - Parley Christensen 34,707 19.0
Tennessee Warren Harding 219,229 51.2 James Cox 206,558 48.3 Eugene Debs 2,249 0.5 Parley Christensen -
Texas Warren Harding 114,658 23.6 James Cox 287,920 59.2 Eugene Debs 8,124 1.7 Parley Christensen -
Utah Warren Harding 81,555 55.9 James Cox 56,639 38.8 Eugene Debs 3,159 2.2 Parley Christensen 4,475 3.1
Vermont Warren Harding 68,212 75.8 James Cox 20,919 23.3 Eugene Debs - Parley Christensen -
Virginia Warren Harding 87,456 37.9 James Cox 141,670 61.3 Eugene Debs 808 0.3 Parley Christensen 240 0.1
Washington Warren Harding 223,137 56.0 James Cox 84,298 21.1 Eugene Debs 8,913 2.2 Parley Christensen 77,246 19.4
West Virginia Warren Harding 282,007 55.3 James Cox 220,785 43.3 Eugene Debs 5,618 1.1 Parley Christensen -
Wisconsin Warren Harding 498,576 71.1 James Cox 113,422 16.2 Eugene Debs 80,635 11.5 Parley Christensen -
Wyoming Warren Harding 35,091 62.4 James Cox 17,429 31.0 Eugene Debs 1,288 2.3 Parley Christensen 2,180 3.9