Muna September 1901, William McKinley akanga ari pakukwirira kwesimba rake semutungamiri wenyika. Akasarudzwa muna 1896, panguva yekuderera kwehupfumi kwakakonzerwa nePanic ya 1893, akanga akunda mukwikwidzi wake weDemocratic, William Jennings Bryan. McKinley akatungamira nyika kudzokera kubudirira uye kukunda muHondo yeSpanish-American muna 1898, achitora nyika dzeSpain dzakadai sePuerto Rico nePhilippines. Akasarudzwazve zvakanaka mumutambo wekudzorera neBryan muna 1900, maererano nemunyori wenhoroondo Eric Rauchway, "zvaiita sekunge Hurumende yaMcKinley yaizoramba isina kukanganiswa nerunyararo kwemamwe makore mana, hurumende yakazvipira kubudirira". Mutungamiri wekutanga waMcKinley, Garret Hobart, akafa muna 1899, uye McKinley akasiya sarudzo yekumhanya ku1900 Republican National Convention.
Muna 1898