 Jones noted , " The Republican Party , under the skillful leadership of McKinley and Hanna , produced a combination of votes which gave it the victory in 1896 and which promised Republican ascendency for many years in the future . " The 1896 presidential race is often considered a realigning election , when there is a major shift in voting patterns , upsetting the political balance . McKinley was supported by middle @-@ class and wealthy voters , urban laborers , and prosperous farmers ; this coalition would keep the Republicans mostly in power until the 1930s . McKinley 's wooing of the Midwest would pay ample dividends in the years to come , as it remained solidly Republican in most years until 1932 . 
