1872 United States presidential election in Georgia

The 1872 United States presidential election in Georgia took place on November 5, 1872, as part of the 1872 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1872 United States presidential election in Georgia

← 1868 November 5, 1872 1876 →

Nominee Horace Greeley Ulysses S. Grant Benjamin Gratz Brown (Given electoral votes due to death of Greeley) Party Liberal Republican Republican Liberal Republican Home state New York Illinois Missouri Running mate Benjamin G. Brown Henry Wilson Electoral vote 0 (+3 rejected) 0 6 Popular vote 76,356 62,550 Percentage 54.97% 45.03%   Nominee Charles J. Jenkins (Given electoral votes due to death of Greeley) Party Democratic Home state Georgia Electoral vote 2

County Results Greeley   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80-90%   90-100% Grant   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80-90% Tie

President before election Ulysses S. Grant Republican Elected President Ulysses S. Grant Republican

Georgia voted for the Liberal Republican candidate, Horace Greeley, over Republican candidate, Ulysses S. Grant. Greeley won Georgia by a margin of 9.94%. However, Greeley died prior to the Electoral College meeting, allowing Georgia's 11 electors to vote for the candidate of their choice: 6 voted for Greeley's running mate, B. Gratz Brown, and 2 for Charles Jenkins. 3 electors attempted to vote for the deceased Greeley, but their votes were rejected after a House of Representatives resolution.

Georgia was one of only two former Confederate states (along with Texas) that didn't vote Republican during the reconstruction elections of 1868, 1872, and 1876. During these elections, Southern Republicans were briefly empowered by newly registered black voters who would soon become disenfranchised again by anti-black laws known as black codes or Jim Crow laws in the late 1870s and 1880s. Despite failing to carry the state, Grant's 45.03% of the vote stood as the best performance by a Republican in Georgia until Barry Goldwater finally carried the state in 1964, 92 years later.

This was the last time the Republican candidate carried Fulton County, home to Atlanta, and Clayton County until 1928; the last time they carried Bryan, Charlton, Lowndes, Harris, Houston, Putnam, Pike, and Fayette counties until 1964, and the last time they won Coweta, Meriwether, Butts, Newton, and Clarke counties until 1972, when Richard Nixon swept every county in the state.

Results

United States presidential election in Georgia, 1872
Party		Candidate	Running mate	Popular vote		Electoral vote
				Count	%	Count	%
	Liberal Republican	Benjamin G. Brown of Missouri	N/A of	–	–	6	54.55%
	Democratic	Charles J. Jenkins of Georgia	N/A of	–	–	2	18.18%
	Liberal Republican	Horace Greely of New York	Benjamin Gratz Brown of Missouri	76,356	54.97%	0 (+3 rejected)	0.00%
	Republican	Ulysses S. Grant of Illinois	Henry Wilson of Massachusetts	62,550	45.03%	0	0.00%
Total				138,906	100.00%	8	100.00%

Footnotes

1. Greeley died after the election, but prior to the Electoral College meeting, and was thus ineligible for the office of President. Greeley had won 11 pledged electors, of which 8 cast their votes for other Democrats. 3 electors voted for Greeley; however, their votes were rejected.