Presidential election
1928 presidential election
Herbert Hoover defeated Al Smith, winning 444 of 531 electoral votes and 58.2% of the popular vote.
Results
56.9%
Turnout rate
36.9M
Total votes cast
58.0M
Eligible voters
| State | Electoral votes | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York(NY) | 45 | RepublicanHoover | +2.4% |
| Pennsylvania(PA) | 38 | RepublicanHoover | +32% |
| Texas(TX) | 20 | RepublicanHoover | +3.7% |
| Massachusetts(MA) | 18 | DemocraticSmith | +4% |
| Rhode Island(RI) | 5 | DemocraticSmith | +1.4% |
Candidates
Party
RepublicanRunning mate
Charles Curtis
Home state
California
Age at election
54
Previous position
Secretary of Commerce
Campaign slogan
"A Chicken in Every Pot and a Car in Every Garage"
Popular vote
21.4M
(58.2%)
Electoral votes
444
Party
DemocraticRunning mate
Joseph T. Robinson
Home state
New York
Age at election
54
Previous position
Governor of New York
Popular vote
15.0M
(40.8%)
Electoral votes
87
Protestant America
Hoover
65%
Catholic Voters
Smith
80%
Urban Areas
Smith
52%
Key events
Anti-Catholic Campaign
Smith faced unprecedented religious bigotry
Prohibition Debate
Smith was 'wet' (anti-Prohibition) in dry America
Issues & context
Prosperity continued. Smith was first Catholic major-party nominee, facing intense religious prejudice. Hoover promised continued prosperity. Urban-rural divide prominent. Crash came one year later.
Peak of Roaring Twenties. Stock market soaring. Consumer spending high. 'Permanent prosperity' assumed. Signs of trouble ignored.
Coolidge ('Silent Cal') chose not to run. Hoover benefited from prosperity association. Smith's Catholicism and 'wet' stance on Prohibition hurt him badly.
Stock market crashed October 1929. Great Depression began. Hoover blamed. Smith's loss presaged FDR's urban coalition. Religious prejudice against Catholics exposed.
Did you know?
- 1.First Catholic major-party nominee
- 2.Hoover won Texas - first Republican since Reconstruction
- 3.Smith won only Deep South and 2 Catholic states (MA, RI)
- 4.Stock market crashed less than a year later
- 5.Smith's accent and 'wet' stance hurt in rural America