The last multi-roll call convention

Here is a question too complicated to answer easily via Google: when was the last major party convention which required more than one ballot to choose its presidential nominee? It seems to me it had to be before 1932, but I don’t know. Maybe the Republicans had some multi-roll call conventions during the Roosevelt period.

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Tom M. writes:

In answer to your question, I found this in the Wikipedia article on the 1952 Democratic convention:

“[Adlai] Stevenson was nominated on the third ballot. It was the last nomination contest of either major U.S. political party to require more than one round of voting to nominate a presidential candidate during the 20th Century.”

LA replies:

Thanks. I should have known that, as I recently read the Wikipedia article on Stephenson.

Ken Hechtman writes:

You’re close. Roosevelt in 1932 was the last multi-ballot nominee who went on to win the general election.

In 1948 the Republicans nominated Thomas Dewey after three ballots. In 1952 the Democrats nominated Adlai Stevenson, also after three ballots and that was the last multi-ballot convention.

David B. writes:

In 1940, Wendell Willkie won the GOP nomination on the 6th ballot. It was engineered by the Eastern Establishment.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at March 31, 2012 12:50 PM | Send