Recap of the Democratic Presidential Primaries of 1944
At the end of the Democratic presidential primaries of 1944, President Roosevelt had a strong lead among the delegates. In addition to having almost no serious opposition in the primaries, polls showed that he was the strongest Democratic candidate.
A major event after the primary season had ended was the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6/6/1944. The long-awaited strike against Hitler and the gradual advance of Allied troops across France in addition to successes against Japan in the Pacific established the backdrop against which the Democratic National Convention was held.
FDR handed a note to Robert E. Hannigan, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, a week before the convention. He said that he would accept the party's nomination for a fourth term if offered it. [Stefan Lorant, The Glorious Burden, p. 657].
Democratic National Convention
The 29th Democratic National Convention was held in the Chicago Stadium on 7/19-21/1944. It met in the same location as the Republican National Convention just three weeks earlier. The delegation apportionment from 1940 was used again, with the minor change that each state carried by FDR in 1940 was allotted two additional delegates. This was not the apportionment that had been agreed upon when the Two Thirds Rule had been abolished, and the Southern delegations were nearing open revolt for the oversight.
The first session was taken up entirely with speeches. Greetings were extended by Mayor Edward J. Kelly of Chicago, U.S. Senator Scott Lucas, and U.S. Rep. William L. Dawson. The speech by the treasurer of the Democratic National Committee established that although the party was not in debt at the time, it needed an immediate infusion and at least $3 million for the campaign. He also mentioned that the Hatch Act limited donations by an individual to $5,000.
Sen. Kerr's keynote speech set forth the case for a fourth Roosevelt term. He said that the Republican Party had no position based on a principle other than opposition. Furthermore, if Dewey's charge that FDR was "a tired old man" were true, the same was true of Chiang Kai-shek and Winston Churchill.
On the second day of the convention, the committee on permanent organization reported. Sen. Samuel D. Jackson of Indiana was chosen as the permanent chairman. Jackson gave a speech in which he said that given the critical challenges facing the nation, it was not prudent to nominate "a bright young man." Instead, the nation needed "a man of wisdom and experience, with depth and breadth of vision."
Next, the committee on rules and order reported. It recommended that nominating speeches be limited to 20 minutes, with four seconding speeches of five minutes each. It also directed the national committee to produce a new apportionment formula.
At this time, the credentials committee and the platform committee indicated they were not ready to report. The convention decided to hear nominating speeches for President but not to take a roll call. Sen. Alben Barkley of KY placed FDR in nomination, which was followed by a half-hour demonstration. He said that while the Republicans called FDR "a tired old man," the GOP continued its "tired old platform." VP Wallace seconded his nomination, saying "the Democratic Party can win only if and when it is the liberal party." The only other candidate placed in nomination was Sen. Byrd.
After the nominating speeches were completed, the credentials committee reported. The only major contest was in Texas, where some Democrats withdrew from the state convention when state party leaders approved resolutions stating that the Presidential Electors would not be bound to the national ticket unless some demands were met. The credentials committee offered to seat both sets of delegates, which the convention approved over the objection of the state "regulars."
The platform lauded the party's "record in peace and war." It called for price support and crop insurance for farmers, action to increase home ownership, and benefits for veterans after the war ended. A minority plank with a minor change to the peace plank was voted down.
Before the presidential ballot was taken, a note from President Roosevelt concerning the vice presidency was read. He said that he "personally would vote" for Wallace's re-nomination, but that he did not want to "dictate" that to the convention. He told the delegates to "give consideration to the pros and cons of its choice." The note was not a clear directive to the delegates to give Wallace a second term, and various opposition groups went into action to defeat Wallace.
The delegates then nominated FDR with 1,086 votes to 87 for Sen. Byrd and one for Farley.
That evening, Helen G. Douglas of California gave a rousing speech in which she laid out the accomplishments of the Democrats in the previous 12 years. She was followed by President Roosevelt, who accepted the nomination via a radio address from the San Diego Naval Base. He spoke against isolationism and said that in times of trouble it was not suitable to hand the government over to "inexperienced or immature hands."
On the final day of the convention, the last major piece of business was the vice presidential nomination. Party leaders had approached FDR before the convention about their dissatisfaction with VP Wallace. He gave them a note that either Sen. Harry S. Truman or Judge William O. Douglas would be suitable replacement running mates. Several VP contenders and their supporters worked the delegations, and Sen. Claude Pepper of Florida worked the delegations on Wallace's behalf. Truman had been lobbying for James F. Byrnes when FDR's letter was read to the delegates. When the VP nomination began, 12 names were offered as candidates. Party leaders urged local delegations to vote for favorite sons to keep options open. On the first ballot, Wallace led with 36% to 27% for Truman, 8% for John H. Bankhead, and 29% scattering. On the second ballot, both Wallace and Truman gained, but Truman took a 41-40% lead. Alabama asked to shift its vote before the roll call had ended but was asked to wait until all states had voted. As soon as it was over, Sen. Bankhead withdrew and asked for his delegates to support Truman. Other candidates followed suit, and state delegates began the landslide. Truman ended up with 1,031 of the 1,176 delegate votes.
| VP Balloting - DNC 1944 |
| Contender | 1st Ballot | 2d Before Shifts | 2d After Shifts |
| Harry S. Truman MO | 319.5 | 477.5 | 1,031 |
| Henry A. Wallace IA | 429.5 | 473 | 105 |
| John H. Bankhead II AL | 98 | 23.5 | 0 |
| Scott W. Lucas IL | 61 | 58 | 0 |
| Alben W. Barkley KY | 49.5 | 40 | 6 |
| J. Melville Broughton NC | 43 | 30 | 0 |
| Paul V. McNutt IN | 31 | 28 | 1 |
| Joseph C. O'Mahoney WY | 27 | 8 | 0 |
| Prentice Cooper TN | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Robert S. Kerr OK | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Scattering | 68.5 | 11 | 7 |
Sen. Truman was seated on the platform while all this was taking place, and during the shifting of votes he was having a snack. He gave a short acceptance speech, and soon thereafter the convention adjourned sine die.
Sources
Richard C. Bain and Judith H. Parris, Convention Decisions and Voting Records, pp. 264-267.
R. Craig Sautter and Edward M. Burke, Inside the Wigwam: Chicago Presidential Conventions 1860-1996, pp. 197-205.
Democratic Presidential Primaries of 1944
28th Democratic National Convention [1940]
30th Democratic National Convention [1948]
Popular Vote of 1944
Electoral Vote of 1944
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