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The 1924 United States presidential election was the 35th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 1924. In a three-way contest, incumbent Republican President Calvin Coolidge won election to a full term. Coolidge was the second vice president to ascend to the presidency and then win a full term.
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United States presidential election of 1924, American presidential election held on November 4, 1924, in which Republican Calvin Coolidge defeated Democrat John W. Davis. Running as the Progressive Party candidate, Robert M. La Follette captured some one-sixth of the popular vote.
Upon the unexpected death of Pres. Warren G. Harding in 1923, Coolidge ascended to the presidency. He had inherited an administration mired in scandal, including the Teapot Dome Scandal, in which federal oil reserves had been secretly leased by the secretary of the interior. Cautiously, quietly, and skillfully, Coolidge rooted out the perpetrators and restored integrity to the executive branch, convincing the American people that the presidency was once again in the hands of someone they could trust. As such, in June, when the Republican convention met in Cleveland, Ohio, Coolidge was easily nominated as the Republican candidate for the election of 1924, while La Follette finished a distant second. Governor Frank Lowden of Illinois was nominated as Coolidge’s running mate, but he refused to accept; the vice presidential slot eventually went to the World War I general Charles G. Dawes. The Republican platform focused on the continuation of Coolidge’s strong record in boosting the economy and maintaining honesty in government.
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The Democrats had made impressive gains in the 1922 Congressional midterm elections, and they hoped that their success would extend to the presidency in light of the Harding administration’s scandals. However, a persistent rift between rural and urban Democrats would prevent the party from gaining the momentum it needed. Rural Democrats supported William Gibbs McAdoo, a progressive who had been Pres. Woodrow Wilson’s secretary of the treasury and was Wilson’s son-in-law. Among McAdoo’s supporters were those associated with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK); on the issue of whether the KKK’s activities should be censured, McAdoo himself remained neutral. Urban Democrats supported New York Gov. Alfred E. Smith, who was backed by states with big electoral votes. At the Democratic convention, which opened at the end of June in New York City, a deadlock developed in the balloting. Neither candidate was able to secure the two-thirds majority necessary to earn the nomination, partly because of Catholic and Protestant tension. After two weeks of bickering, McAdoo and Smith dropped out of the race, and John W. Davis was nominated on the 103rd ballot. The vice presidential contest was much easier, with Charles W. Bryan, brother of William Jennings Bryan and governor of Nebraska, nominated on the first ballot. The Democratic platform condemned child labour and demanded prosecution of monopolies and federal aid for education. There was a vote on whether the KKK should be denounced by name in the platform, though this vote narrowly failed.
The 1924 campaign was notable for its use of radio broadcasting of the political conventions and of party advertisements. The rising art of photojournalism was also employed to record campaign actions. Coolidge did not travel much during his campaign and gave few speeches. Despite this, his rivals had little chance against him. Davis and Bryan failed to rally enough support within their divided party, and the Progressive Party suffered from lack of press coverage and funds. Coolidge won 54 percent of the popular vote (to Davis’s 29 percent and La Follette’s 17 percent), and he received more electoral votes, 382, than the other two candidates combined—136 for Davis, and just 13 for La Follette.
For the results of the previous election, see United States presidential election of 1920. For the results of the subsequent election, see United States presidential election of 1928.
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- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The United States presidential election of 1924 was won by incumbent President Calvin Coolidge, the Republican candidate. Coolidge became president in 1923 following the death of then-incumbent president, Warren G. Harding. Coolidge was given credit for a booming economy at home and no visible crises abroad.
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Presidential election; Partisan control: Republican hold: Popular vote margin: Republican +25.2%: Electoral vote: Calvin Coolidge (R) 382: John W. Davis (D) 136: Robert La Follette (P) 13: 1924 presidential election results. Red denotes states won by Coolidge, blue denotes states won by Davis, and light green denotes states won by La Follette
- November 4
- Calvin Coolidge (Republican)
- Republican hold
- 69th
Apr 13, 2020 · The Presidential Election of 1924 saw a small surge of Socialist support. However, the Republicans easily defeated the divided Democrats.
The discovery of the criminal actions of members of Warren Harding's administration did not affect Coolidge's support. Opposition to Coolidge was divided between Democrats and the Progressives. With America enjoying prosperity, Calvin Coolidge went on to enjoy an overwhelming election victory.
The 1924 United States presidential election was the 35th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 1924. In a three-way contest, incumbent Republican President Calvin Coolidge won election to a full term. Coolidge was the second vice president to ascend to the presidency and then win a full term.
