Question

Why did Taft win the Republican nomination during the 1912 presidential race?

Answer 1

Conservative republicans were the majority of people that voted on who was to be nominated for president, and Taft, doing so much to please the conservatives like raising the tariff and firing Tr's national parks man, they voted for him over Roosevelt.

Answer 2

Taft won the Republican nomination in 1912 because conservatives in the Republican Party supported him over Theodore Roosevelt.

Context:

In the 1912 election, the Republican Party was divided. Its conservative wing supported President William Howard Taft for reelection. Theodore ("Teddy") Roosevelt, who had been President from 1901-1909, led the progressive wing of the Republicans. Ultimately, Roosevelt and his supporters objected to the nomination of Taft as the Republican candidate, and formed a 3rd party, the Progressive Party, with Roosevelt as their presidential candidate. This rift in the Republican Party would make it difficult for either Taft or Roosevelt to win the 1912 campaign.

In the end, Roosevelt won 27% of the popular vote; Taft received 23% of the popular vote. Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson got 42% of the popular vote and carried 40 states to win the Electoral College vote handily.