U.S. presidential election, 1928

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The U.S. presidential election of 1928 pitted Republican Herbert Hoover against Democrat Alfred E. Smith. The Republicans were identified with the booming economy of the 1920s and Smith, a Roman Catholic, suffered politically from anti-Catholic prejudice, leading to a landslide victory for Hoover.

Contents

1 Nominations 1.1 Republican Party nomination 1.2 Democratic Party nomination 1.3 Prohibition Party nomination 2 General election 2.1 Results 3 See also

Nominations

Republican Party nomination

The Republican Convention was held in Kansas City, Missouri from 12 June to 15 June, where Hoover became the party's candidate on the first ballot. In his acceptance speech he said "We in America today are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before in the history of this land... We shall soon with the help of God be in sight of the day when poverty will be banished from this land."

Democratic Party nomination

The Democratic Convention was held in Houston, Texas, 26 June to 28 June. Al Smith became the candidate on the second ballot. Smith was the first Roman Catholic to gain a major party's nomination for US President, and his religion became an issue during the campaign. Many Protestants feared that Smith would take orders from church leaders in Rome in making decisions affecting the country.

Prohibition Party nomination

Although Smith did not openly come out against Prohibition, he was perceived by many as soft in the war against alcohol. The Prohibition Party threw its support to Hoover.

General election

Results

The election was held on November 6, 1928.

Republican candidate Herbert Hoover won election by a wide margin on pledges to continue the economic boom of the Coolidge years. Smith won the electorial votes only of the traditionally Democratic US South and a few New England States. Smith's narrow victories in traditionally Republican Massachusetts and Rhode Island, were attributed by some to his religion helped him among the large immigrant populations. Hoover even triumphed in Smith's home state of New York by a narrow margin.

Presidential Candidate	Party	Home State	Popular Vote		Electoral Vote	Running Mate	Running Mate's Home State	Running Mate's Electoral Vote
			Count	Percentage
Herbert Clark Hoover	Republican	California	21,391,381	58.2%	444	Charles Curtis	Kansas	444
Alfred Emmanuel Smith	Democrat	New York	15,016,443	40.9%	87	Joseph Taylor Robinson	Arkansas	87
Norman Thomas	Socialist		265,583	0.7%	0			0
Other			71,532	0.2%	0	Other		0
Total			36,744,939	100%	531	Total		531
Needed to win					266	Needed to win		266

Source: U.S. Office of the Federal Register (http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/scores.html#1928)

See also

• President of the United States
• U.S. Senate election, 1928
• History of the United States (1918-1945)