1972 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

Last updated

1972 Democratic vice presidential nomination
←  1968 July 13, 1972 (1972-07-13) (Thomas Eagleton)
August 1, 1972 (1972-08-01) (Sargent Shiver)		 1976  →
  Sargent Shriver 1961 (cropped).jpg ThomasEagleton.jpg
Nominee Sargent Shriver Thomas Eagleton (withdrew)
Home state Maryland Missouri
Previous Vice Presidential nominee

Edmund Muskie

Vice Presidential nominee

Thomas Eagleton (Until July 13)
Sargent Shriver (After Aug. 1)

Contents

This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 1972 election. Coming into the 1972 Democratic National Convention, South Dakota Senator George McGovern had the delegate lead, but did not have the presidential nomination locked up. [1] After winning the Democratic nomination for president on July 13, McGovern looked for a running mate. [2] McGovern's first choice for vice president was Ted Kennedy, but Kennedy refused to join the ticket; Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale, [2] Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, and Connecticut Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff also declined. [1] McGovern offered the position to Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton, who appealed to labor groups and Catholics, two groups that McGovern had alienated during the primary campaign. [1] The ticket of McGovern and Eagleton was nominated by the 1972 Democratic National Convention. Following the convention, it was revealed that Eagleton had received treatment for depression in the 1960s. [1] Though McGovern considered keeping Eagleton on the ticket, he ultimately chose to replace Eagleton with former ambassador Sargent Shriver. [3] The McGovern–Shriver ticket lost the presidential election to the Nixon–Agnew ticket. After the controversy surrounding Eagleton, future campaigns spent much more time vetting vice presidential candidates. [2]

Potential running mates

Frances Farenthold’s candidacy

At the 1972 Democratic National Convention, there was a grassroots effort to nominate Frances Farenthold, a Texas state representative and unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor of Texas. She had gained recognition due to her surprising, though unsuccessful, forced run-off against Texas’ incumbent Democratic Governor Preston Smith and former state representative Dolph Briscoe, the favorite for the nomination and eventual winner, in the Democratic primaries. [8]

The effort to nominate her for vice president came after the realization that Shirley Chisholm, the first major black candidate for President of the United States, would not have the delegates necessary to win the nomination at the convention. Chisholm had had the endorsement of and had helped found the National Women's Political Caucus, a new organization formed in Washington, D.C. in 1971. [9] Following her convention defeat, the caucus had moved to recruit Farenthold to run for the vice presidency. The individual chosen to place Francis “Sissy” Farenthold's name in nomination for vice president would be Gloria Steinem, the co-founder of Ms. magazine. [8]

Although the nomination effort aroused the convention-goers mired in malaise and anger from the difficult 1972 Democratic National Convention, the campaign for her vice presidency was highly disorganized and last-minute, without a serious chance at denying Senator Thomas Eagleton his nomination by George McGovern. Despite coming from the state of Texas, the Texas delegation, controlled by Dolph Briscoe, did not support her candidacy. Regardless, the balloting for vice president finished with Farenthold receiving 405 delegates, and 13.73% of the vote, the second-most of all of the candidates. [10]

Farenthold was the first serious female candidate for the nomination for vice president of the United States by either major party. She would go on to once again compete with and lose to Dolph Briscoe for the Democratic nomination for governor of Texas in 1974.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 United States presidential election</span> 47th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 1972 United States presidential election was the 47th quadrennial presidential election held on Tuesday, November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican president Richard Nixon defeated Democratic U.S. senator George McGovern in a landslide victory. With 60.7% of the popular vote, Richard Nixon won the largest share of the popular vote for the Republican Party in any presidential elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 United States presidential election</span> 48th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 1976 United States presidential election was the 48th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 2, 1976. Democrat Jimmy Carter, former Governor of Georgia, defeated incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford in a narrow victory. This was the first presidential election since 1932 in which the incumbent was defeated, as well as the only Democratic victory of the six presidential elections between 1968 and 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 United States presidential election</span> 50th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 1984 United States presidential election was the 50th quadrennial presidential election held on Tuesday, November 6, 1984. Incumbent Republican president Ronald Reagan was re-elected to a second term defeating Democratic former vice president Walter Mondale in a landslide victory.

In American politics, a superdelegate is a delegate to a presidential nominating convention who is seated automatically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Ribicoff</span> American politician (1910–1998)

Abraham Alexander Ribicoff was an American Democratic Party politician from the state of Connecticut. He represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives and Senate and was the 80th Governor of Connecticut and Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in President John F. Kennedy's cabinet. He was Connecticut's first and to date only Jewish governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 Democratic National Convention</span> U.S. political event held in Miami Beach, Florida

The 1972 Democratic National Convention was the presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party for the 1972 presidential election. It was held at Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida, also the host city of the Republican National Convention that year, on July 10–13, 1972. Lawrence F. O'Brien served as permanent chairman of the convention, while Yvonne Braithwaite Burke served as vice-chair, becoming the first African American and the first woman of color to hold that position. On the last day of the convention, Lawrence F. O'Brien departed and Burke was left to preside for about fourteen hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Farenthold</span> American politician (1926–2021)

Mary Frances Tarlton "Sissy" Farenthold was an American politician, attorney, activist, and educator. She was best known for her two campaigns for governor of Texas in 1972 and 1974, and for being placed in nomination for vice president of the United States, finishing second at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. She was elected as the first chair of the National Women's Political Caucus in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From February 20 to June 12, 1984, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1984 United States presidential election. Former Vice President Walter Mondale was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1984 Democratic National Convention held from July 16 to July 19, 1984, in San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Primary election process

From January 27 to June 8, 1976, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1976 United States presidential election. Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1976 Democratic National Convention held from July 12 to July 15, 1976, in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral history of George McGovern</span>

George McGovern, a Democratic Party politician from South Dakota, was first elected to the United States House of Representatives to represent South Dakota's 1st congressional district in 1956. He was re-elected in 1958, before making an unsuccessful run for the United States Senate in 1960 against Republican incumbent Karl Earl Mundt. After serving in the John F. Kennedy administration as director of the Food for Peace program, McGovern ran again for the Senate and narrowly prevailed over appointed Senator Joseph H. Bottum. In 1968, McGovern unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party's presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention and was re-elected to the Senate over former Governor of South Dakota Archie M. Gubbrud. In 1972, McGovern was successful in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, but lost the election in a landslide to incumbent President Richard Nixon. McGovern was re-elected to the Senate in 1974 over Vietnam War veteran Leo K. Thorsness, but lost re-election in 1980 to then-U.S. Representative James Abdnor. McGovern made a final unsuccessful run for president in 1984 United States presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign</span> US Democratic Party presidential campaign of 1972

The George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign began when United States Senator George McGovern from South Dakota launched his second candidacy for the Presidency of the United States in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to win the 1972 presidential election against incumbent president Richard Nixon, winning only in the District of Columbia and the state of Massachusetts. McGovern vied to become the first South Dakota native to become president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 Texas gubernatorial election</span> American election

The 1972 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Democratic Governor Preston Smith ran for reelection, but lost renomination to businessman Dolph Briscoe. Smith was overwhelmingly rejected in the Democratic primary, taking fourth place with only 8% of the vote amid the fallout from the Sharpstown scandal. Briscoe went on to win the general election by a relatively small margin, winning 48% of the vote to Republican Henry Grover's 45%. Raza Unida candidate Ramsey Muniz won 6%.

Since 1983, the Democratic Party of the United States holds a few debates between candidates for the Democratic nomination in presidential elections during the primary election season. Unlike debates between party-nominated candidates, which have been organized by the bi-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates since 1988, debates between candidates for party nomination are organized by mass media outlets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection</span>

This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Democratic nomination for vice president of the United States in the 1984 election. Former Vice President Walter Mondale won the 1984 Democratic nomination for president of the United States, and chose New York Representative Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. Ferraro was the first woman to be a part of a national ticket for a major party. Mondale chose Ferraro in hopes of energizing the base and winning the votes of women, but also because he viewed her as a solid legislator who had won the approval of Speaker Tip O'Neill. The Mondale–Ferraro ticket ultimately lost to the Reagan–Bush ticket. This is the last time the Democratic vice presidential nominee was not the incumbent vice president or a senator, and, not counting the times when the incumbent president was running for re-election, the last time the Democratic vice presidential nominee was not a senator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection</span>

This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 1980 election. Former California Governor Ronald Reagan won the 1980 Republican nomination for President of the United States, and chose former CIA Director George H. W. Bush as his running mate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection</span>

This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 1976 election. At the 1976 Republican National Convention, incumbent President Gerald Ford narrowly won the presidential nomination over former California Governor Ronald Reagan. Ford had decided not to choose Vice President Nelson Rockefeller as his running mate, due to Rockefeller's unpopularity with the right wing of the Republican Party. He instead chose Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. Dole was acceptable to the conservative wing of the party, and Ford hoped that Dole would help the ticket win the western states and the agricultural vote. The Ford–Dole ticket lost the general election to the Carter–Mondale ticket. Though he would not win the presidential nomination, Reagan announced before the convention that he would pick Senator Richard Schweiker of Pennsylvania as his running mate. Dole went on to become Senate Republican leader, and the Republican presidential nominee in 1996, losing the general election to incumbent President Bill Clinton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection</span>

The selection of the Democratic Party's vice presidential candidate for the 1964 United States presidential election occurred at the party's national convention and resulted in the selection of Hubert Humphrey to join the ticket with President Lyndon Johnson, who was running for election to a full term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 United States presidential election in Texas</span> Election in Texas

The 1972 United States presidential election in Texas was held on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon overwhelmingly won the state of Texas with 66.20% of the vote, to the Democratic Party candidate George McGovern's 33.24%, thus giving him the state's 26 electoral votes. This result made Texas 9.8% more Republican than the nation-at-large. This was the first time a Republican won the state of Texas since Texas-born Dwight D. Eisenhower won it in 1956, even as Democrat Dolph Briscoe won the gubernatorial election on the same Ballot.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 NPR Staff (August 4, 2012). "The Thomas Eagleton Affair Haunts Candidates Today". NPR. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Altman, Lawrence (July 23, 2012). "Hasty and Ruinous 1972 Pick Colors Today's Hunt for a No. 2". New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  3. ↑ Thurber, Jon (March 5, 2007). "Thomas Eagleton, 77; vice presidential candidate left race over health reports". LA Times. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Rudin, Ken (March 7, 2007). "The Eagleton Fiasco of 1972". NPR. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Weil, Gordon Lee (1973). The Long Shot: George McGovern Runs For President. New York: Norton. pp. 161–162. ISBN   0-393-05498-5.
  6. 1 2 Sigelman, Lee; Wahlbeck, Paul (December 1997). "The "Veepstakes": Strategic Choice in Presidential Running Mate Selection". The American Political Science Review. 91 (4): 858. doi:10.2307/2952169. JSTOR   2952169.
  7. ↑ Baumgartner, Jody (January 1, 2006). The American Vice Presidency Reconsidered. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 61. ISBN   9780275988906 . Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Frances Tarlton "Sissy" Farenthold | Vice Presidential Nomination". law.utexas.edu. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  9. ↑ "History". National Women's Political Caucus. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Our Campaigns - US Vice President - D Convention Race - Jul 10, 1972". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.