1936 Republican Party presidential primaries

1936 Republican Party presidential primaries
← 1932 March 10 to May 19, 1936 1940 →
1,003 delegates to the Republican National Convention
502 (majority) votes needed to win
 
Candidate William Borah Alf Landon Frank Knox
Home state Idaho Kansas Illinois
Contests won 5 3 1
Popular vote 1,478,676 729,908 527,054
Percentage 44.5% 21.9% 15.8%
First place finishes by popular vote
Previous Republican nominee

Herbert Hoover

 Republican nominee

Alfred Landon

From March 10 to May 19, 1936, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1936 United States presidential election. The nominee was selected through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1936 Republican National Convention held from June 9 to June 12, 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio.[1]

Although many candidates sought the Republican nomination, only two, Governor Alfred Landon and Senator William Borah, were considered to be serious candidates.[citation needed]

While favorite sons County Attorney Earl Warren of California, Governor Warren E. Green of South Dakota, and Stephen A. Day of Ohio won their respective primaries, the 70-year-old Borah, a well-known progressive and "insurgent," carried the Wisconsin, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Oregon primaries, while also performing quite strongly in Knox's Illinois and Green's South Dakota. However, the party machinery almost uniformly backed Landon, a wealthy businessman and centrist, who won primaries in Massachusetts and New Jersey and dominated in the caucuses and at state party conventions.

Schedule and results

Date Primary William Borah Alfred Landon Frank Knox Earl Warren Stephen A. Day Warren E. Green
March 10 New Hampshire 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% 0%
April 7 Wisconsin 98% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0%
April 14 Illinois 46% 0% 54% 0% 0% 0%
April 14 Nebraska 74% 25% 0% 0% 0% 0%
April 28 Massachusetts 4% 80% 2% 0% 0% 0%
April 28 Pennsylvania 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
May 5 California 0% 43% 0% 57% 0% 0%
May 5 South Dakota 50% 0% 0% 0% 0% 50%
May 12 Ohio 3% 6% 0% 0% 90% 0%
May 12 West Virginia 85% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
May 15 Oregon 90% 4% 0% 0% 0% 0%
May 19 New Jersey 21% 79% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Candidates

Major candidates

These candidates participated in multiple state primaries or were included in multiple major national polls.

Candidate Most recent position Home state Campaign
Alf Landon Governor of Kansas
(1933–37)
Kansas 		(Campaign)
William Borah U.S. Senator
from Idaho
(1907–40)
Idaho 		(Campaign)
Withdrew at convention
Frank Knox Publisher of the
Chicago Daily News
Illinois 		Withdrew before convention

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.

Declined to run

The following persons were listed in two or more major national polls or were the subject of media speculation surrounding their potential candidacy, but declined to actively seek the nomination.

Polling

Graph of opinion polls conducted

National polling

Poll source Publication
William Borah
Lester Dickinson
Herbert Hoover
Frank Knox
Alf Landon
Arthur Vandenberg
Gallup[2] Oct. 1935 26% 1% 12% 8% 33% 3%
Gallup[2] Jan. 1936 28% 1% 17% 7% 43% 4%
Gallup[2] March 1936 20% 1% 14% 5% 56% 4%
Gallup[2] Apr. 1936 19% 1% 14% 5% 56% 5%
Gallup[2] Apr. 1936 18% 1% 14% 6% 55% 6%

Convention

Main article: 1936 Republican National Convention

With Knox's candidacy withdrawing in order to become Landon's selection for vice president, and Day, Green, and Warren releasing their delegates, Landon's victory was assured.

Ballot Alfred Landon William Borah VP Ballot Frank Knox
First 984 19 First 1,003

See also

References

  1. ^ Kalb, Deborah (2016-02-19). Guide to U.S. Elections - Google Books. ISBN 9781483380353. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
  2. ^ a b c d e "US President - R Primaries (Polling)". OurCampaigns.com. 28 Dec 2009. Retrieved 12 Apr 2020.