James Hudson Maurer, April 15, 1864 (Reading, Penn.) - March 16, 1944 (Pottstown, Penn.)
VP candidate for Socialist Party of America (1928, 1932)
Running mate with nominee (1928, 1932): Norman M. Thomas (1884-1968)
Popular vote (1928): 267,478 (0.73%)
Popular vote (1932): 884,885 (2.23%)
Electoral vote (1928): 0/531
Electoral vote (1932): 0/531
The campaign (1928):
Five time SPA Presidential candidate Eugene Debs died in 1926, and this was the first national election for what would be six time nominee Norman Thomas. It was also the SPA's first time back on the Presidential ballot after they took a little detour in 1924 by endorsing La Follete and his Progressive Party bid.
This was a very low period for the SPA, with less than 8000 dues paying members.
The 1928 platform was a long and detailed document including a wordy preamble. It was divided into sections covering: Constructive Program Public Ownership and Conservation -- Unemployment Relief -- Labor Legislation -- Taxation -- Civil Liberties -- Anti-Lynching -- Political Democracy -- Credit and Banking -- Farm Relief -- International Relations.
Although platforms from other third parties in the past both radical Left and populist Right had expressed many of the same ideas, the timing of this one with such specifics on the eve of America's worst economic collapse makes it fascinating reading in hindsight as portions of it seem to accurately anticipate the sort of issues the USA would be facing in the 1930s.
This election was particularly hard for third parties. The SPA was on the ballot in 40 states, generally placing in a feeble third spot. Their best four states were New York (2.44%), Wisconsin (1.79%), Florida (1.59%), and California (1.46%). They polled less than 1% in the remaining states.
The campaign (1932):
The number of SPA dues paying members more than doubled since 1928, thanks in part to the hard economic times coupled with the charisma and energy of Norman Thomas, now running again with Maurer. But with growth came problems, and the generational split between the Old Guard and the young militants turned into a power struggle that would only worsen after the election.
Their 2.23% overall national finish would be the last time the SPA would crack over 1% in a national election result. With recorded votes in 45 states their strongest finish was in Wisconsin (4.79%), Oregon (4.19%) New York (3.78%), Montana (3.65%), Connecticut (3.45%), and Pennsylvania (3.19%). Not that Roosevelt needed it anyway in his massive landslide, but the Thomas/Maurer ticket acted as the spoiler in Connecticut, tossing that state to Hoover.
Election history:
1906 - Governor of Pennsylvania (Socialist Party of America) - defeated
1911-1912 - Pennsylvania House of Representatives (Socialist Party of America)
1912 - Pennsylvania House of Representatives (Socialist Party of America) - defeated
1915-1918 - Pennsylvania House of Representatives (Socialist Party of America)
1916 - Socialist Party of America nomination for US President - defeated
1918 - Pennsylvania House of Representatives (Socialist Party of America) - defeated
1927-1930 - City Council (Reading, Penn.) (Socialist Party of America)
1930 - Governor of Pennsylvania (Socialist Party of America) - defeated
1934 - US Senate (Penn.) (Socialist Party of America) - defeated
Other occupations: trade unionist, author, newsboy, machinist, Vaudeville actor, plumber, newspaper editor, Chairman of Pennsylvania Old Age Pension Commission, President of Pennsylvania Federation of Labor 1911-1928, hat sizer
Buried: Pottstown Cemetery (Pottstown, Penn.)
Notes:
Winner of the 1930 race for PA Governor was Gifford Pinchot.
Started his political career with the People's Party in the 1890s, joined the Socialist Labor Party in
1899, moved to the SPA in 1901.
Met with Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and Joseph Stalin in 1927.
In 1936 Maurer resigned from the SPA but apparently returned to the Pennsylvania chapter. His issue
was what he viewed as growing unwelcome Communist influence in the SPA.
Knowing that the union workers would cease wartime production if Maurer was arrested the Federal
authorities decided not to incarcerate him for what they viewed as seditious opinions.
