Saturday, June 8, 2019

Albert A. King

Albert A. King, September 8, 1869 (Springfield, Mo.) - February 29, 1908 (Barry County, Mo.)

VP candidate for Continental Party (1904)

Running mate with nominee: Austin Holcomb (1867-1942)
Popular vote: 826 (0.08% in Illinois only)   
Electoral vote: 0/476

The campaign:

The Continental Party was comprised of Democrats who were discontented with William Jennings Bryan but did not want to join 1904 nominee Alton Parker and "follow the democratic party into Wall street."

After the initial nominees both declined the honor, the Party substituted with the Holcomb/King ticket, which was possibly one of the youngest pairs in US presidential election history with both of them being in their 30s.

Their platform was fairly centrist but they did propose changing the Electoral College by giving each Congressional district a single electoral vote.

The ironically named Continental Party was on the ballot only in Illinois where they ran a slate of non-politicians for statewide and Cook County offices, none of them cracking more than 0.10% in the results.

Election history: none

Other occupations: farmer

Buried: Horner Cemetery (Cassville, Mo.)

Notes:
I am reasonably sure I have located the correct Albert A. King, but not 100%.
Lived in Purdy, Missouri.
"Oct. 20, 1906: Purdy News: A. A. King was badly hurt last week, while trying to catch a bott fly from under one of his horses, the horse kicked him, making a bad wound under his right eye. His jaw was very sore."
If he had been elected in 1904 King would have died in office.