The United States presidential election of 1908 was held on November 3, 1908. It was not a close race. Popular incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt, honoring a promise not to seek a third term, appointed William Howard Taft as his successor. The Democrats nominated a candidate, William Jennings Bryan, who had been defeated in two previous outings against Republican William McKinley. Taft defeated Bryan in the election.

With the silver issue no longer dominant, Bryan campaigned on a progressive platform attacking "government by privilege". Taft also took many reform positions, and Bryan's support for many of Roosevelt's policies blurred the distinctions between the parties. Republicans also used the slogan "Vote for Taft now, you can vote for Bryan anytime" in reference to his previous campaigns. Business continued to support Taft, and Bryan failed to secure labor. As a result, Bryan ended up with the second worst of his three defeats, losing almost all the Northern states to Taft and losing the popular vote by eight percent.