United States Presidential Election of 1908

William Howard Taft beat Bryan 321 to 162 in Bryan's third and final defeat.

Overview

Roosevelt's chosen successor, Taft, defeated Bryan for a third time, 321 to 162, carrying everything outside the Solid South and Nebraska. Taft ran as Roosevelt's heir, promising continued reform, and polled 51.6 percent, but the campaign revealed the growing rift between Republican regulars and progressives. Taft's conservative presidency alienated Roosevelt, whose 1912 bolt destroyed the party and handed the White House to Wilson, making 1908 the last Republican win until 1920.