Hancock's strength was part of a brief surge for Democrats in the Rocky Mountains and Pacific: Democrats captured California for the first time since 1856, Nevada for the first time ever, and fell only 1.63% short in Oregon. This surge can largely be attributed to a letter attributed to Garfield, first printed in a New York newspaper named Truth, that declared Garfield was in favor of allowing Chinese immigration for its cheap labor. Despite the fact that it was a blatant falsehood, it cost Republicans in the west where Chinese immigrants were often accused of stealing jobs from American laborers.[2]