Home > U.S. presidential election, 1944

1 Introduction

In 1944 the U.S. was still in the middle of fighting World War II. The aging Roosevelt had been in power for longer than any other president, but remained popular.

2 Democratic nomination

Roosevelt was a popular, war-time incumbent and faced little opposition. With Roosevelt's health deteriorating, many in the Democratic party saw incumbent vice president Henry Wallace as being too far to the left to be so close to the presidency, so Roosevelt agreed to replace him on the ticket with Missouri Senator Harry Truman.

3 Republican nomination

Former prosecutor and New York governor Thomas E. Dewey defeated former candidate Wendell WillkieWendell Lewis Willkie ( February 18, 1892 October 8, 1944) was a lawyer, born in Elwood, Indiana on February 18, 1892, the only native of Indiana to be nominated as the presidential candidate for a national party, having never held any sort of high electe for the nomination.

4 General election

The Republicans campaigned against the New Deal, seeking a smaller government and less regulated economy as the end of the war seemed in sight. Nonetheless Roosevelt's continuing popularity was the main theme of the campaign.

The election was held on November 7November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. Events 1665 The London Gazette, the oldest surviving journal, is first published. 1783 A man convicted of forgery is the last to be publicly h, 1944 and was won by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who beat Republican challenger Thomas E. Dewey to become the only U.S. president to be elected to a fourth term.

See also: President of the United States, U.S. presidential election, 1944, History of the United States (1918-1945)