At the time, voters in California voted for individual electors, with the top six candidates being elected. In this close election, one elector pledged to Garfield actually polled more votes than the sixth place Democratic elector, and was thus elected. This was the first occasion in which California's electoral vote was split, rather than being awarded to a single candidate. This would subsequently occur in California three additional times in 1892, 1896, and 1912.[1]
This result constituted the first Democratic victory in California since 1856[2] when the Republican Party had only recently formed. It has been argued that the unexpected Democratic win was due almost entirely to Garfield being viewed as weaker than Hancock on the hot-bed issue of controlling immigration from China – which both major parties promised to do and which the California electorate was overwhelmingly in favor of.[3]
As a result of Garfield's loss, he became the first Republican to win the presidency without carrying California. This would not occur again until 120 years later. This was the first time ever that California voted for the losing candidate, which only occurred four times in the next 100 years- in 1884, 1912, 1960, and 1976.
Results
1880 United States presidential election in California[4]
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