United States presidential election, 1944

United States presidential election, 1944
United States
November 7, 1944

531 electoral votes of the Electoral College
266 electoral votes needed to win
 
Nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt Thomas E. Dewey
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New York New York
Running mate Harry S. Truman John W. Bricker
Electoral vote 432 99
States carried 36 12
Popular vote 25,612,916 22,017,929
Percentage 53.4% 45.9%

Presidential election results map. Red denotes states won by Dewey/Bricker, Blue denotes those won by Roosevelt/Truman. Numbers indicate the number of electoral votes allotted to each state.

President before election

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic

Elected President

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic

The United States presidential election of 1944 was the 40th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 1944. Incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democratic nominee, sought his fourth term in office; he defeated Republican Thomas E. Dewey in the general election.

The election was set against the backdrop of World War II, which was going well for the United States and its Allies. Roosevelt had already served longer than any other president, but remained popular. Unlike in 1940, there was little doubt that he would run for another term as the Democratic candidate. Dewey, the Governor of New York, campaigned against the New Deal and for a smaller government, but was ultimately unsuccessful in convincing the country to change course. Rumors of Roosevelt's ill health, though somewhat dispelled by his vigorous campaigning, proved to be prescient; Roosevelt would die and be replaced by his new Vice President, Harry S. Truman, within a half-year of winning re-election.

Nominations

Democratic Party nomination

Democratic candidates:

Roosevelt/Truman poster

President Roosevelt was the popular, wartime incumbent and faced little formal opposition. Although many Southern Democrats distrusted Roosevelt's racial policies, he brought enormous war activities to the region and the end of its marginal status was in sight. No major figure opposed Roosevelt publicly, and he was re-nominated easily when the Democratic Convention met in Chicago. Some pro-segregationist delegates tried to unite behind Virginia senator Harry F. Byrd, but he refused to actively campaign against Roosevelt, and did not get enough delegates to seriously threaten the President's chances.

The obvious physical decline in the president's appearance, as well as rumors of secret health problems, led many delegates and party leaders to oppose Vice President Henry A. Wallace strongly for a second term. Opposition to Wallace came especially from Catholic leaders in big cities and labor unions. Wallace, who was Roosevelt's vice president since January 1941, was regarded by most conservatives as being too left-wing and personally eccentric to be next in line for the presidency. He had performed so poorly as economic coordinator that Roosevelt had to remove him from that post. Numerous party leaders privately sent word to Roosevelt that they would fight Wallace's re-nomination as vice president and proposed instead Senator Harry S. Truman, a moderate from Missouri. Truman was highly visible as the chairman of a Senate wartime committee investigating fraud and inefficiency in the war program. Roosevelt, who personally liked Wallace and knew little about Truman, reluctantly agreed to accept Truman as his running mate to preserve party unity.[1] Even so, many delegates on the left refused to abandon Wallace, and they cast their votes for him on the first ballot. However, enough large Northern, Midwestern, and Southern states supported Truman to give him victory on the second ballot. The fight over the vice presidential nomination proved to be consequential; Roosevelt died in April 1945, and Truman became the nation's 33rd President instead of Wallace.[2]

Republican Party

Republican candidates:

As 1944 began, the frontrunners for the Republican nomination appeared to be Wendell Willkie, the party's 1940 candidate, Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, the leader of the party's conservatives, New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, the leader of the party's moderate eastern establishment, General Douglas MacArthur, then serving as an Allied commander in the Pacific theater of the war, and former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen, then serving as a U.S. naval officer in the Pacific. Taft surprised many by announcing that he was not a candidate; instead, he voiced his support for a fellow conservative, Governor John W. Bricker of Ohio. With Taft out of the race some Republican conservatives favored General MacArthur. However, MacArthur's chances were limited by the fact that he was leading Allied forces against Japan, and thus could not campaign for the nomination. His supporters entered his name in the Wisconsin primary nonetheless. The Wisconsin primary proved to be the key contest, as Dewey won by a surprisingly wide margin. He took 14 delegates to four for Harold Stassen, while MacArthur won the three remaining delegates. Willkie was shut out in the Wisconsin primary; he did not win a single delegate. His unexpectedly poor showing in Wisconsin forced him to withdraw as a candidate for the nomination. However, at the time of his sudden death in early October 1944, Willkie had endorsed neither Dewey nor Roosevelt. At the 1944 Republican National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, Dewey easily overcame Bricker and was nominated for president on the first ballot. Dewey, a moderate to liberal Republican, chose the conservative Bricker as his running mate. Dewey originally preferred fellow liberal California Governor Earl Warren, but agreed on Bricker to preserve party unity (Warren became Dewey's vice presidential candidate in the election of 1948). Bricker was nominated for vice president by acclamation.

General election

The Fall Campaign

Results by county explicitly indicating the percentage for the winning candidate. Shades of blue are for Roosevelt (Democratic), shades of red are for Dewey (Republican), and shades of green are for "No Candidate" (Texas Regulars).

The Republicans campaigned against the New Deal, seeking a smaller government and less-regulated economy as the end of the war seemed in sight. Nonetheless, Roosevelt's continuing popularity was the main theme of the campaign. To quiet rumors of his poor health, Roosevelt insisted on making a vigorous campaign swing in October and rode in an open car through city streets. A high point of the campaign occurred when Roosevelt, speaking to a meeting of labor union leaders, gave a speech carried on national radio in which he ridiculed Republican claims that his administration was corrupt and wasteful with tax money. He particularly ridiculed a Republican claim that he had sent a US Navy warship to pick up his Scottish Terrier Fala in Alaska, noting that "Fala was furious" at such rumors. The speech was met with loud laughter and applause from the labor leaders. In response, Dewey gave a blistering partisan speech in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a few days later on national radio, in which he accused Roosevelt of being "indispensable" to corrupt big-city Democratic organizations and American Communists; he also referred to members of Roosevelt's cabinet as a "motley crew". However, American battlefield successes in Europe and the Pacific during the campaign, such as the liberation of Paris in August 1944 and the successful Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in October 1944, made Roosevelt unbeatable.

Results

Throughout the campaign, Roosevelt led Dewey in all the polls by varying margins. On election day, the Democratic incumbent scored a fairly comfortable victory over his Republican challenger. Roosevelt took 36 states for 432 electoral votes, while Dewey won 12 states and 99 electoral votes (266 were needed to win). In the popular vote Roosevelt won 25,612,916 (53.4%) votes to Dewey's 22,017,929 (45.9%).

The important question had been which leader, Roosevelt or Dewey, should be chosen for the critical days of peacemaking and reconstruction following the war's conclusion. A majority of the American people concluded that they should not change from one party, and particularly from one leader. They also felt that in view of ever-increasing domestic disagreements it was not safe to do so in "wartime".

However, Roosevelt's percentage of the total vote was less than in 1940, and his margin of the total vote was less. Dewey did better against Roosevelt than any of Roosevelt's previous three Republican opponents, and he did have the personal satisfaction of finishing ahead of Roosevelt in his hometown of Hyde Park, New York, and of finishing ahead of Truman in his hometown of Independence, Missouri. Dewey would again be the Republican presidential nominee in 1948 and would again lose, though by a slightly smaller margin.

Of the 3,095 counties/independent cities making returns, Roosevelt won in 1,751 (56.58%) while Dewey carried 1,343 (43.39%). The Texas Regular ticket carried one county (0.03%).

In New York, only the combined support of the American Labor and Liberal parties (pledged to Roosevelt but otherwise independent of the Democrats so as to keep separate their identity) enabled Roosevelt to win the electoral votes of his home state.

In 1944, the constantly growing Southern protest against Roosevelt's leadership became clearest in Texas, where 135,553 votes were cast against Roosevelt but not for the Republican ticket. The Texas Regular ticket resulted from a split in the Democratic party in its two state conventions, May 23 and September 12, 1944. This ticket represented the Democratic element opposing the re-election of President Roosevelt. Its Electors were uninstructed.

As he had in 1940, Roosevelt won re-election with a lower percentage of both the electoral vote and the popular vote than he had received in the prior elections—the second of only three presidents in US history to do so, preceded by James Madison in 1812 and followed by Barack Obama in 2012. Andrew Jackson in 1832 and Grover Cleveland in 1892 had received more electoral votes but fewer popular votes, while Woodrow Wilson in 1916 had received more popular votes but fewer electoral votes.

Presidential candidate Party Home state Popular vote Electoral
vote
Running mate
Count Pct Vice-presidential candidate Home state Elect. vote
Franklin D. Roosevelt (Incumbent) Democratic New York 25,612,916 53.39% 432 Harry S. Truman Missouri 432
Thomas E. Dewey Republican New York 22,017,929 45.89% 99 John W. Bricker Ohio 99
(none) Texas Regulars (n/a) 143,238 0.30% 0 (none) (n/a) 0
Norman Thomas Socialist New York 79,017 0.16% 0 Darlington Hoopes Pennsylvania 0
Claude A. Watson Prohibition California 74,758 0.16% 0 Andrew N. Johnson Kentucky 0
Edward A. Teichert Socialist Labor Pennsylvania 45,188 0.09% 0 Arla Arbaugh Ohio 0
Other 11,816 0.02% Other
Total 47,977,063 100% 531 531
Needed to win 266 266

Source (Popular Vote): Leip, David. "1944 Presidential Election Results". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 1, 2005. Source (Electoral Vote): "Electoral College Box Scores 1789–1996". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved August 1, 2005. 

Popular vote
Roosevelt
 
53.39%
Dewey
 
45.89%
No Candidate
 
0.28%
Thomas
 
0.16%
Others
 
0.28%
Electoral vote
Roosevelt
 
81.36%
Dewey
 
18.64%

Geography of Results

Cartographic Gallery

Results by state

[3]

States won by Roosevelt/Truman
States won by Dewey/Bricker
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic
Thomas E. Dewey
Republican
No Candidate
Southern Democrat/
Texas Regulars
Norman Thomas
Socialist
Other Margin State Total
State electoral
votes
# % electoral
votes
# % electoral
votes
# % electoral
votes
# % electoral
votes
# % electoral
votes
# % #
Alabama 11 198,91881.281144,54018.20----1900.08-1,0950.45-154,37863.08244,743 AL
Arizona 4 80,92658.80456,28740.90-------4210.31-24,63917.90137,634 AZ
Arkansas 9 148,96569.95963,55129.84----4380.21----85,41440.11212,954 AR
California 25 1,988,56456.48251,512,96542.97----2,5150.07-16,8310.48-475,59913.513,520,875 CA
Colorado 6 234,33146.40-268,73153.216---1,9770.39-----34,400-6.81505,039 CO
Connecticut 8 435,14652.308390,52746.94----5,0970.61-1,2200.15-44,6195.36831,990 CT
Delaware 3 68,16654.38356,74745.27----1540.12-2940.23-11,4199.11125,361 DE
Florida 8 339,37770.328143,21529.68----------196,16240.65482,592 FL
Georgia 12 268,18781.741259,88018.25----60.00-360.01-208,30763.49328,109 GA
Idaho 4 107,39951.554100,13748.07----2820.14-5030.24-7,2623.49208,321 ID
Illinois 28 2,079,47951.52281,939,31448.05----1800.00-17,0880.42-140,1653.474,036,061 IL
Indiana 13 781,40346.73-875,89152.3813---2,2230.13-12,5740.75--94,488-5.651,672,091 IN
Iowa 10 499,87647.49-547,26751.9910---1,5110.14-3,9450.37--47,391-4.501,052,599 IA
Kansas 8 287,45839.18-442,09660.258---1,6130.22-2,6090.36--154,638-21.07733,776 KS
Kentucky 11 472,58954.4511392,44845.22----5350.06-2,3490.27-80,1419.23867,921 KY
Louisiana 10 281,56480.591067,75019.39-------690.02-213,81461.20349,383 LA
Maine 5 140,63147.45-155,43452.445------3350.11--14,803-4.99296,400 ME
Maryland 8 315,49051.858292,94948.15----------22,5413.70608,439 MD
Massachusetts 16 1,035,29652.8016921,35046.99-------4,0190.21-113,9465.811,960,665 MA
Michigan 19 1,106,89950.19191,084,42349.18----4,5980.21-9,3030.42-22,4761.022,205,223 MI
Minnesota 11 589,86452.4111527,41646.86----5,0730.45-3,1760.28-62,4485.551,125,529 MN
Mississippi 9 168,47993.56911,6016.44----------156,87887.12180,080 MS
Missouri 15 807,80451.3715761,52448.43----1,7510.11-1,3950.09-46,2802.941,572,474 MO
Montana 4 112,55654.28493,16344.93----1,2960.63-3400.16-19,3939.35207,355 MT
Nebraska 6 233,24641.42-329,88058.586----------96,634-17.16563,126 NE
Nevada 3 29,62354.62324,61145.38----------5,0129.2454,234 NV
New Hampshire 4 119,66352.114109,91647.87----460.02----9,7474.24229,625 NH
New Jersey 16 987,87450.3116961,33548.95----3,3580.17-11,1940.57-26,5391.351,963,761 NJ
New Mexico 4 81,38953.47470,68846.44-------1480.10-10,7017.03152,225 NM
New York 47 3,304,23852.31472,987,64747.30----10,5530.17-14,3520.23-316,5915.016,316,790 NY
North Carolina 14 527,39966.7114263,15533.29----------264,24433.43790,554 NC
North Dakota 4 100,14445.48-118,53553.844---9430.43-5490.25--18,391-8.35220,171 ND
Ohio 25 1,570,76349.82-1,582,29350.1825----------11,530-0.373,153,056 OH
Oklahoma 10 401,54955.5710319,42444.20-------1,6630.23-82,12511.36722,636 OK
Oregon 6 248,63551.786225,36546.94----3,7850.79-2,3620.49-23,2704.85480,147 OR
Pennsylvania 35 1,940,47951.14351,835,05448.36----11,7210.31-7,5390.20-105,4252.783,794,793 PA
Rhode Island 4 175,35658.594123,48741.26-------4330.14-51,86917.33299,276 RI
South Carolina 8 90,60187.6484,6104.46-7,7997.54----3650.35-82,80280.10103,375 SC
South Dakota 4 96,71141.67-135,36558.334----------38,654-16.66232,076 SD
Tennessee 12 308,70760.4512200,31139.22----7920.16-8820.17-108,39621.23510,692 TN
Texas 23 821,60571.4223191,42516.64-135,43911.77-5940.05-1,2680.11-630,18054.781,150,331 TX
Utah 4 150,08860.44497,89139.42----3400.14----52,19721.02248,319 UT
Vermont 3 53,82042.93-71,52757.063------140.01--17,707-14.12125,361 VT
Virginia 11 242,27662.3611145,24337.39----4170.11-5490.14-97,03324.98388,485 VA
Washington 8 486,77456.848361,68942.24----3,8240.45-4,0410.47-125,08514.61856,328 WA
West Virginia 8 392,77754.898322,81945.11----------69,9589.78715,596 WV
Wisconsin 12 650,41348.57-674,53250.3712---13,2050.99-1,0020.07--24,119-1.801,339,152 WI
Wyoming 3 49,41948.77-51,92151.233----------2,502-2.47101,340 WY
TOTALS:531 25,612,91653.39432 22,017,92945.8999 143,2380.30- 79,0170.16- 123,9630.26- 3,594,9877.4947,977,063 US

Close states

Margin of victory less than 5% (190 electoral votes):

  1. Ohio, 0.37%
  2. Michigan, 1.02%
  3. New Jersey, 1.35%
  4. Wisconsin, 1.80%
  5. Wyoming, 2.47%
  6. Pennsylvania, 2.78%
  7. Missouri, 2.94%
  8. Illinois, 3.47%
  9. Idaho, 3.49%
  10. Maryland, 3.70%
  11. New Hampshire, 4.24%
  12. Iowa, 4.50%
  13. Oregon, 4.85%
  14. Maine, 4.99%

Margin of victory between 5% and 10% (138 electoral votes):

  1. New York, 5.01%
  2. Connecticut, 5.36%
  3. Minnesota, 5.55%
  4. Indiana, 5.65%
  5. Massachusetts, 5.81%
  6. Colorado, 6.81%
  7. New Mexico, 7.03%
  8. North Dakota, 8.35%
  9. Delaware, 9.11%
  10. Kentucky, 9.23%
  11. Nevada, 9.24%
  12. Montana, 9.35%
  13. West Virginia, 9.78%

Miscellanea

See also

References

  1. Alonzo L. Hamby, Man of the People: A Life of Harry S. Truman (1995) ch 17
  2. Stanley Weintraub, Final Victory: FDR's Extraordinary World War II Presidential Campaign (2012) ch 2
  3. "1944 Presidential General Election Data - National". Retrieved April 14, 2013.

Further reading

External links

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