Hughes was at a disadvantage to start, as he was pinned up against the incumbent Woodrow Wilson. …show more content…
The details are vague, but Johnson was unhappy with Hughes. However, this was seen as unimportant to the election; with most of the American public believing that Hughes was most certainly going to win the election anyway. This is evident in my newspaper reports as well, with the Sioux City Journal putting Hughes on the front page as the projected winner. The results in November, shocked most of America. Like I said before, the election was one of the closest in history. At first, as expected, Hughes took an early lead in the eastern and mid-western states. But then came the charge of Wilson, as he found himself in the lead with the western and southern votes. Wilson seized 30 states for 277 electoral votes, while Hughes won 18 states and 254 electoral votes. California’s 13 electoral votes were the deciding factor. It is said that Hughes went to bed thinking he had won, only to wake up in disbelief. Wilson had also won the popular vote, taking 49% of the popular vote compared to Hughes' 46%. The third parties picked up the remaining five percent. Voter turnout was unprecedently high as it reached 62%. This percentage was not matched until the election of 1940. Women’s suffrage proved to be a key player in the re-election of Wilson. Of the 11 states that had already approved women's suffrage, all but one state voted for