with a major speech on October 30, designed to reassure his supporters he was strong enough for the presidency. Death of Vice President Sherman On October 30, 1912, Vice President James S. Sherman died, leaving Taft without a running mate less than a week before the election. Nicholas M. Butler, president of Columbia University, was hastily chosen to replace Sherman as the Republican vice-presidential candidate. Results On November 5, Wilson captured the presidency handily by carrying a record 40 states. As of , this is the only presidential election since 1860 in which either 4 candidates received more than 5% of the popular vote or a third-party candidate outperformed a Republican or Democrat in the general election. Wilson won the presidency with a lower percentage of the popular vote than any candidate since Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Taft's result remains the worst performance for any incumbent president, both in terms of electoral votes (8) and share of popular votes (23.17%). His 8 electoral votes remain the fewest by a Republican or Democrat, matched by Alf Landon's 1936 campaign. Electoral results Source (Popular Vote): Source (Electoral Vote): Statistical analysis Wilson's raw vote total was less than William Jennings Bryan totaled in any of his three campaigns. In only two regions, New England and the Pacific, was Wilson's vote greater than the greatest Bryan vote. The 1912 election was the first to include all 48 of the current contiguous United States. Only 12 of the 48 states saw a candidate win with a majority of the popular vote. Wilson won a majority in the 11 former Confederate states. Only South Dakota, where Taft did not appear on the ballot, gave Roosevelt a majority. Taft won only two states, Vermont and Utah, each with a plurality. This is the only time in American history that three people who at some point served as president ran in the same election. Wilson finished 1st in 40 states. He finished 2nd behind Roosevelt in 5 states, and 2nd behind Taft only in Utah. He finished 3rd in 2 states, in Michigan where Roosevelt finished 1st and Taft finished 2nd, and in Vermont where Taft finished 1st and Roosevelt finished 2nd. Roosevelt finished 1st in 6 states. He finished 2nd in 24 states, behind Wilson in 23, and behind Taft in Vermont. He finished 3rd in 17 states. In 15 of those, Wilson finished 1st and Taft