On November 3, 1891, William McKinley was elected Ohio’s 39th governor. Already a prominent advocate of protective tariffs, he used his governorship to strengthen his national standing and advance toward the Republican presidential nomination. He served as governor from 1892 to 1896.
Exactly five years later, on November 3, 1896, McKinley was elected the 25th president of the United States. He defeated William Jennings Bryan in a contest dominated by the nation’s monetary future: McKinley supported the gold standard, while Bryan championed free silver, famously defending that cause in his “Cross of Gold” speech. McKinley won 271 electoral votes to Bryan’s 176.
The campaign also marked an important development in presidential politics. While Bryan traveled extensively to address voters, McKinley welcomed visiting delegations to his home in Canton, Ohio. His “front porch” campaign, backed by extensive fundraising and organization, helped establish a model for modern presidential campaigning.
