Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Harding akatanga makore ake mana seSeneta wehurumende somunhu asingazivikanwi mune zvematongerwe enyika; akaagumisa somumwe wavanhu vakakurumbira zvikurusa muOhio Republican Party. Nguva dzose airatidzika kuva akadzikama uye airatidzira kuzvininipisa, mavara aimuda zvikuru kuvaRepublican biyake kunyange sezvaakavapfuura mukukwira kwake kwezvamatongerwe enyika. Vatungamiriri vezvematongerwe enyika vaimubvunza nezvezvinetso zvakaoma. Zvakanga zvakajairika panguva iyoyo kuti maseneta ehurumende muOhio ashumire nguva imwe chete, asi Harding akawana kusarudzwazve muna 1901. Pashure pokuurayiwa kwaMcKinley
muna September (akabudirira neMutevedzeri weMutungamiri Theodore Roosevelt), zvakawanda zvekufarira zvematongerwe enyika zvakarasika kwenguva pfupi muOhio. Muna November, Harding akakunda kwenguva yechipiri, achiwedzera kukunda kwake zvakapetwa kaviri kusvika kuvhoti 3.563.