John W. Aiken

John W. Aiken, August 12, 1896 (Bridgeport, Conn.) - December 14, 1968 (Bridgeport, Conn.)

VP candidate for Socialist Labor Party (1932)

Running mate with nominee: Verne L. Reynolds (1884–1959)
Popular vote: 34,038 (0.09%)
Electoral vote: 0/531

The campaign:

The SLP 1932 platform is an essay pointing out that the economic and social collapse taking place at that time as a result of the Great Depression is a confirmation of what they have been saying all along. In their speeches the SLP candidates for all offices not only accuse Roosevelt of attempting to save a failing capitalist system, but somehow they say the Socialist Party of America and the Communists are as well. Only the SLP, they maintain, follow Marx as he was meant to be followed.

In an election year where almost all of the other minor parties are merging, splitting, and brokering deals, the Socialist Labor Party remained an increasingly isolated and self-contained sectarian entity.

Their final vote in 19 states was nothing to write home about. Best showings were in Oregon (0.47%), Connecticut (0.38%), and New York (0.22%).

Election history:
1922 - Auditor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1928 - Auditor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1930 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1934 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1936 - US President (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1940 - US President (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1946 - US Senate (Conn.) (Socialist Labor) - defeated

Other occupations: furniture finisher, US Army Motor Transport Corps in WWI

Buried: cremated

Notes:
Became interested in the SLP as a teenager when a Party newspaper blew into his front yard in

 Chelsea, Mass.
Lived his final years in a trailer park in East Hartford, Conn.-- none of neighbors were aware of his

 political past.
Was a resident of Boston when nominated in 1932.

Jeremiah Daniel Crowley

Jeremiah Daniel Crowley, May 2, 1875 (Syracuse, NY) - September 23, 1960 (Onondaga, NY)

VP candidate for Socialist Labor Party (1928)

Running mate with nominee: Verne L. Reynolds (1884-1959)
Popular vote: 21,590 (0.06%)
Electoral vote: 0/531

The campaign:

The SLP renominated their 1924 ticket of Frank T. Johns and Verne Reynolds. Shortly after the nomination process Johns was in Bend, Oregon giving a speech when he heard cries for help from a boy being swept away in the Deschutes River. Without hesitation Johns jumped in to save the lad but both perished. And so the SLP suddenly lost one of their most charismatic young candidates.

The SLP then elevated Reynolds to the presidential nomination and selected long-time stalwart perennial SLP candidate for New York offices Jeremiah D. Crowley as the running mate.

Purists that they were, the SLP platform for 1928 spoke in class war generalities without addressing specifics.

On Election Day the SLP finished in 5th place, following the Socialist Party of America and the Communists. It was an even more miserable finish than their 1924 results. Out of the 19 states where they appeared on the ballot their two best were Washington (0.81%) and Oregon (0.49%).

Election history:
1910 - NY State Engineer and Surveyor (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1912 - Lt. Governor of New York (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1914 - Lt. Governor of New York (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1916 - Governor of New York (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1920 - Lt. Governor of New York (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1922 - Governor of New York (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1926 - Governor of New York (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1930 - Governor of New York (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1932 - US Senate (NY) (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1934 - US House of Representatives (NY) (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1938 - US House of Representatives (NY) (Industrial Government) - defeated

Other occupations: electric utility company employee, stonemason

Buried: Saint Agnes Cemetery (Syracuse, NY)

Notes:
The winner of his 1922 and 1926 runs for NY Governor was Al Smith.
One of his opponents in the 1926 run for NY Governor was 1928 Workers (Communist) Party VP
 nominee Benjamin Gitlow.
The winner of his 1930 run for NY Governor was Franklin D. Roosevelt.
One of his opponents in the 1932 US Senate race was 1920 Prohibition Party VP nominee David
 Leigh Colvin.
Lived in Marcellus, NY in 1928.
Lived in Onondaga, NY in 1940.
All of his grandparents were Irish immigrants.

Verne La Rue Reynolds

Verne La Rue Reynolds, March 7, 1884 (Kansas) - September 16, 1959 (Phoenix, Ariz.)

VP candidate for Socialist Labor Party (1924)

Running mate with nominee: Frank T. Johns (1889-1928)
Popular vote: 28,633 (0.10%)    
Electoral vote: 0/531

The campaign:

Frank Johns was regarded as the "bridge-builder" and Verne Reynolds the "agitator," and both of them were considered "new blood" candidates helping to re-energize the Socialist Labor Party.

The SLP aimed most of their campaign attacks on La Follette's Progressive Party while their rivals the Socialist Party of America had actually endorsed the La Follette/Wheeler ticket. During the campaign Johns accurately predicted that a second World War was imminent.

On the ballot in 18 states the SLP's best results was a paltry 0.34% in Connecticut, followed by 0.33% in Johns' home state of Oregon. In spite of this poor showing, the SLP was generally quite pleased with the Johns/Reynolds team and would nominate them again in 1928, but Fate would step in.

Election history:
1922 - US House of Representatives (Md.) (Labor Party) - defeated
1923 - Governor of Maryland (Labor Party) - defeated
1928 - US President (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1932 - US President (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated

Other occupations: steamfitter, newspaper ad salesman, oil field worker, insurance agent, traveling salesman, farmer, author, boarding house cook, fireman on an oil tramp 

Buried: ?

Notes:
Lived in Texas, Oklahoma, California,  Baltimore (1918), New York City (1920s), Michigan,
 Phoenix.
Father of science fiction writer Mack Reynolds (1917-1983)
Was the son of Seventh Day Adventist missionaries.
Wife Pauline died Nov. 30, 1991 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. at age 102
Atheist.
*Washington State trivia! - Johns was the third person on a presidential ticket who once lived in the
 Evergreen State. The first was Ulysses S. Grant who was stationed at Vancouver 1852-1854. The
 second was Emil Seidel (Socialist Party of America VP nominee 1912) who was sent by the SPA to
 live in Redmond, Wash. in 1901. Johns spent his teen years in Spokane, graduating from high school
 there.