1928 Democratic Party presidential primaries

From March 6 to May 18, 1928, voters of the Democratic Party elected delegates to the 1928 Democratic National Convention, for the purpose of choosing the party's nominee for president in the 1928 election.^[1]

1928 Democratic Party presidential primaries

← 1924 March 6 to May 18, 1928 1932 →
1,098 delegates to the 1928 Democratic National Convention 732 (two-thirds) votes needed to win
Candidate Al Smith Cordell Hull Walter F. George Home state New York Tennessee Georgia Delegate count 724.67 71.83 52.5 Contests won 36 3 3 Popular vote 559,265 — — Percentage 41.66% — —
First place by convention roll call      Smith      Hull      George      Various
Previous Democratic nominee John W. Davis Democratic nominee Al Smith

In sharp contrast to the three previous open nominations, the delegate selections were all-but-conclusive in favor of New York governor Al Smith, who entered the convention only a few votes short of the required two-thirds majority; he won on the first ballot after several delegates shifted to him. Smith was the first Catholic nominated by a major party for President of the United States and the first non-incumbent Democrat to win his party's nomination on the first ballot since 1908.

Despite his easy nomination, his failure to carry most Southern states was a sign of things to come; Smith lost the general election to Herbert Hoover in a landslide, with many Southern voters defecting to the Republican Party over their opposition to Smith's Catholic faith.

Candidates

Nominee

Candidate			Most recent position	Home state	Campaign	Popular vote	Contests won	Running mate
Al Smith			42nd Governor of New York (1919–20, 1923–28)	New York	(Campaign • Positions) Secured nomination: June 26–28, 1928	559,265 (41.7%)	[data missing]	Joseph Taylor Robinson

Withdrew during convention

Candidate			Most recent position	Home state	Campaign	Popular vote	Contests won
Walter F. George			U.S. Senator from Georgia (1922–1957)	Georgia		—	AL, FL, GA
Cordell Hull			U.S. Representative from Tennessee (1907–21, 1923–31)	Tennessee		—	NC, TN, VA
James A. Reed			U.S. Senator from Missouri (1911–1929)	Missouri		207,455 (15.5%)	[data missing]
Thomas J. Walsh			U.S. Senator from Montana (1913–1933)	Montana		101,305 (7.6%)	[data missing]

Favorite sons

The following candidates ran only in their home state's primary or caucus for the purpose of controlling its delegate slate at the convention and did not appear to be considered national candidates by the media.

• Governor A. Victor Donahey of Ohio
• U.S. Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi
• Former U.S. Senator Gilbert Hitchcock of Nebraska
• Businessman Jesse H. Jones of Texas
• Former U.S. Senator Atlee Pomerene of Ohio
• Chief Justice Richard C. Watts of South Carolina
• Banker Evans Woollen of Indiana

Primaries

		Al Smith	James Reed	Evans Woollen	Thomas Walsh	Gilbert Hitchcock	Atlee Pomerene	Victor Donahey	Uncommitted	Others
March 6	South Dakota (caucus)	51.56% (43,876)	-	-	48.44% (41,213)	-	-	-	-	-
March 13	New Hampshire (primary)	100.00% (9,716)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
March 20	North Dakota (primary)	100.00% (10,822)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
April 2	Michigan (primary)	98.27% (77,276)	0.41% (324)	-	1.32% (1,034)	-	-	-	-	-
April 3	Wisconsin (primary)	23.88% (W) (19,781)	73.76% (61,097)	-	0.65% (W) (541)	-	-	-	-	1.70% (W) (1,410)
April 10	Illinois (primary)	90.77% (W) (44,212)	7.77% (W) (3,786)	-	0.45% (W) (221)	-	-	-	-	1.01% (W) (490)
	Nebraska (primary)	8.53% (W) (4,755)	-	-	-	91.48% (W) (51,019)	-	-	-	-
April 24	Ohio (primary)	64.89% (42,365)	-	-	-	-	21.38% (13,957)	12.15% (7,935)	-	-
April 28	Massachusetts (primary)	98.11% (W) (38,081)	-	-	0.65% (W) (254)	-	-	-	-	1.23% (W) (478)
May 1	California (primary)	55.74% (134,471)	24.87% (60,004)	-	19.39% (46,770)	-	-	-	-	-
May 7	Indiana (primary)	-	-	100.00% (146,934)	-	-	-	-	-	-
May 8	Alabama (primary)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	100.00% (138,957)	-
May 15	New Jersey (primary)	99.03% (28,506)	0.31% (W) (88)	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.66% (W) (190)
May 18	Oregon (primary)	48.51% (17,444)	17.69% (6,360)	-	31.35% (11,272)	-	-	-	-	-
May 22	South Dakota (primary)	100.00% (6,221)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
May 29	West Virginia (primary)	50.05% (81,739)	46.41% (75,796)	-	-	-	-	-	-	31.35% (11,272)
June 5	Florida (primary)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	100.00% (108,167)	-

Legend:		1st place (popular vote)		2nd place (popular vote)		3rd place (popular vote)		Candidate has withdrawn or ceased campaigning		(W) - Votes are write-in

See also

• Republican Party presidential primaries, 1928
• White primary