1916 United States presidential election
In June, the 1916 Republican National Convention chose Hughes as a compromise between the conservative and progressive wings of the party. Hughes, who had served as Governor of New York prior to the Supreme Court, defeated John W. Weeks, Elihu Root, and several other candidates on the third ballot of the convention. While conservative and progressive Republicans had been divided in the 1912 election between the candidacies of incumbent President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt, they largely united around Hughes in his bid to oust Wilson. The Progressive party would also nominate Hughes as their official candidate for president, a sign of unity of those against Wilson and the Democrats. Hughes remained the only current or former Supreme Court justice to serve as a major party's presidential nominee in United States history. Wilson was re-nominated at the 1916 Democratic National Convention a few days later, without opposition. While Wilson's Vice President Thomas R. Marshall was re-nominated, Hughes's running mate was Charles W. Fairbanks, who had been Theodore Roosevelt's vice president in his second term.
The campaign took place against a background dominated by war — the Mexican Revolution and World War I. Although officially neutral in the European conflict, public opinion in the United States favored the Allied forces led by Great Britain and France against the German Empire and Austria-Hungary, due to the harsh treatment of civilians by the German Army and the militaristic character of the German and Austrian monarchies. Wilson took a more staunch anti-German approach after the sinking of the Lusitania and other merchant ships that resulted in the deaths of Americans. Despite their sympathy for the Allied forces, most American voters wanted to avoid involvement in the war and preferred to continue a policy of neutrality. And with Wilson’s rhetoric, Hughes positioned himself as the candidate more likely to keep the country out of the war, while also criticizing Wilson for not taking the "necessary preparations" to face a conflict.
Hughes was seen as the favorite throughout the campaign based on his appeal to moderates, conservatives, and progressives. Hughes would go on to defeat Wilson in the Electoral College but lose in the popular vote, this would be the fourth U.S. presidential election in which the winner of the electoral college lost the popular vote. Although neither Hughes nor Wilson would win over 50% of the popular vote. With the Republicans united unlike in 1912 Wilson faced a tougher challenge in this election, winning mainly the Solid South but losing many vital swing states. Hughes won California, the decisive state, by just 1,404 votes (or 0.14%).
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