The Silver Republican Party was a United States political party in the 1890s. It was so named because it split from the Republican Party over the issues of "Free Silver" and bimetallism. The main Republican Party supported the gold standard. Silver Republican strength was concentrated in the western states where mining, particularly silver mining, was an important industry. Silver Republicans were elected to the United States Congress from several western states. In 1896 Silver Republicans supported Democratic presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan over William McKinley.