<Table> <Tr> <Th> Presidential candidate </Th> <Th> Party </Th> <Th> Home state </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Popular vote </Th> <Th> Electoral vote </Th> <Th_colspan="3"> Running mate </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Count </Th> <Th> Percentage </Th> <Th> Vice-presidential candidate </Th> <Th> Home state </Th> <Th> Electoral vote </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> William McKinley </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> Ohio </Td> <Td> 7,111,607 </Td> <Td> 51.03% </Td> <Td> 271 </Td> <Td> Garret A. Hobart </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> <Td> 271 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> William Jennings Bryan </Td> <Td> Democratic--People's </Td> <Td> Nebraska </Td> <Td> 6,509,052 </Td> <Td> 46.70% </Td> <Td> 176 </Td> <Td> Arthur Sewall </Td> <Td> Maine </Td> <Td> 149 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Thomas E. Watson </Td> <Td> Georgia </Td> <Td> 27 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> John M. Palmer </Td> <Td> National Democratic </Td> <Td> Illinois </Td> <Td> 134,645 </Td> <Td> 0.97% </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> <Td> Simon Bolivar Buckner </Td> <Td> Kentucky </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Joshua Levering </Td> <Td> Prohibition </Td> <Td> Maryland </Td> <Td> 131,312 </Td> <Td> 0.94% </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> <Td> Hale Johnson </Td> <Td> Illinois </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Charles Matchett </Td> <Td> Socialist Labor </Td> <Td> New York </Td> <Td> 36,373 </Td> <Td> 0.26% </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> <Td> Matthew Maguire </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Charles Eugene Bentley </Td> <Td> National Prohibition </Td> <Td> Nebraska </Td> <Td> 13,968 </Td> <Td> 0.10% </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> <Td> James H. Southgate </Td> <Td> North Carolina </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="3"> Other </Td> <Td> 1,570 </Td> <Td> 0.01% </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td_colspan="2"> Other </Td> <Td>--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="3"> Total </Th> <Td> 13,936,957 </Td> <Td> 100% </Td> <Td> 447 </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> </Td> <Td> 447 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="5"> Needed to win </Th> <Td> 224 </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> </Td> <Td> 224 </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Presidential candidate </Th> <Th> Party </Th> <Th> Home state </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Popular vote </Th> <Th> Electoral vote </Th> <Th_colspan="3"> Running mate </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Count </Th> <Th> Percentage </Th> <Th> Vice-presidential candidate </Th> <Th> Home state </Th> <Th> Electoral vote </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> William McKinley </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> Ohio </Td> <Td> 7,111,607 </Td> <Td> 51.03% </Td> <Td> 271 </Td> <Td> Garret A. Hobart </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> <Td> 271 </Td> </Tr>

Who were the key figures in the 1896 elections and why were they important