From March 8 to May 20, 1932, voters of the Republican Party elected delegates to the 1932 Republican National Convention, in part to choose the party nominee for president in the 1932 United States presidential election.
Incumbent president Herbert Hoover faced only nominal opposition for the nomination but refrained from participating in the primaries, choosing instead to focus on his ongoing efforts to end the Great Depression. Several minor candidates entered the race, led by former U.S. senator Joseph I. France of Maryland, who staged a quixotic outsider bid for the nomination, running unopposed in several states' non-binding preference primaries but failing to win more than a handful of delegate selection contests.
At the convention, held from June 14 to 16 in Chicago, Illinois, France unsuccessfully argued that his victories in the non-binding preference primaries entitled him to those states' delegates. He was denied credentials to participate in the convention as a delegate and forcibly removed from the convention hall. Hoover was nominated by an overwhelming margin.
Candidates
Nominee CandidateExperienceHome stateCampaignPopular voteContests wonRunning mateHerbert HooverPresident of the United States (1929–1933)
U.S. Secretary of Commerce
(1921–1928)California(Campaign) Secured nomination: June 14, 1932869,602 (36.0%)4Charles Curtis
Withdrew during convention CandidateExperienceHome stateCampaignPopular voteContests wonJoseph I. FranceU.S. Senator from Maryland (1917–1923)MarylandLost nomination: June 14, 19321,137,948 (47.5%)7
Withdrew before convention CandidateExperienceHome stateCampaignPopular voteContests wonJacob CoxeyMayor of Massillon (1931)Ohio100,844 (4.2%)1Royal C. JohnsonU.S. Representative from South Dakota (1915–1933)South Dakota64,464 (2.7%)1George W. NorrisU.S. Senator from Nebraska (1913–1943)
U.S. Representative from NE-05
(1903–1913)Nebraska139,514 (5.8%)1
Primaries Little-known former United States Senator Joseph I. France ran against Hoover in the primaries, but Hoover was often unopposed. France's primary wins were tempered by his defeat to Hoover in his home state of Maryland and the fact that few delegates to the national convention were chosen in the primaries.
Date Primary Joseph I. France Herbert Hoover George W. Norris Jacob Coxey Royal C. Johnson March 8 New Hampshire 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% March 15 North Dakota 59% 0% 0% 41% 0% April 5 Wisconsin 0% 5% 95% 0% 0% April 12 Nebraska 74% 26% 0% 0% 0% April 13 Illinois 99% 1% 0% 0% 0% April 26 Massachusetts 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% April 26 Pennsylvania 93% 5% 0% 0% 0% May 2 Maryland 37% 60% 0% 0% 0% May 3 California 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% May 3 South Dakota 0% 0% 0% 0% 65% May 10 Ohio 25% 5% 0% 43% 0% May 10 West Virginia 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% May 17 New Jersey 93% 7% 0% 0% 0% May 20 Oregon 69% 31% 0% 0% 0%
Convention results Hoover's managers at the Republican National Convention, which met in Chicago between June 14 and 16, ran a tight ship, not allowing expressions of concern for the direction of the nation. He was nominated on the first ballot with 98% of the delegate vote.
The tally was spectacularly lopsided: Presidential Ballot, RNC 1932 Herbert Hoover 1126.5 John J. Blaine 13 Calvin Coolidge 4.5 Joseph I. France 4 James Wolcott Wadsworth, Jr. 1
Both rural Republicans and hard-money Republicans (the latter hoping to nominate former President Calvin Coolidge) balked at the floor managers and voted against the renomination of Vice President Charles Curtis, who won with just 55% of the delegate votes.
See also 1932 Democratic Party presidential primaries
References