Frank Stewart Regan

A caricature of J. Lester Haberkorn by Frank S. Regan

Frank Stewart Regan, October 3, 1862 (Rockford, Ill.) – July 25, 1944 (Canton, Ill.)

VP candidate for Prohibition Party (1932)

Running mate with nominee: William David Upshaw (1866-1952)

Popular vote: 81,905 (0.21%)

Electoral vote: 0/531

The campaign:

The Prohibition Party attempted, and failed, to recruit Senator William Borah of Idaho as their Presidential nominee. Former Democratic Congressman William D. Upshaw of Georgia accepted the nomination but declared he would step down if Sen. Borah had a change of heart. Frank S. Regan, who turned 70 during the campaign and performed as a cartooning lecturer on stage, was selected as the VP choice.

The 1932 platform denounced the impending repeal of Prohibition. It also provided a detailed economic recovery plan. But the part that caught my eye was this:

Motion Pictures

  We favor Federal control at the source of the output of the motion picture industry to prevent the degrading influence of immoral pictures and insidious propaganda connected therewith.

On the ballot in less than half the states, it seemed America was ready to leave Prohibition behind. Their strongest finish was in California with 0.91%.

Election history:
1895-1897 - Alderman (Rockford, Ill.)
1899-1900 - Illinois House of Representatives (Prohibition Party)
1900 - Illinois Attorney General (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1902 - US House of Representatives (Ill.) (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1908 - Illinois Attorney General (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1920 - Prohibition Party nomination for US Vice-President - defeated
1928 - Prohibition Party nomination for US Vice-President - defeated
1932 - Prohibition Party nomination for US President - defeated
1933 - Illinois Treasurer (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1936 - Illinois Attorney General (Prohibition Party) - defeated

Other occupations: worked at Rockford (Ill.) Abstract Co., tax expert, attorney, author, cartoonist, lecturer, store clerk

Buried: Greenwood Cemetery (Rockford, Ill.)

Notes:
First Prohibition Party member elected to a state legislature.
Died from a skull fracture while falling in a bathtub.
Mason
Congregationalist
First known cartoonist on a presidential ticket.

James William Ford

James William Ford, December 22, 1893 (Pratt City, Ala.) – June 21, 1957 (New York, NY)

VP candidate for Communist Party USA (1932, 1936, 1940)

Running mate with nominee (1932): William Z. Foster (1881-1961)
Running mate with nominee (1936, 1940): Earl R. Browder (1891-1973)

Popular vote (1932): 103,307 (0.26%)
Popular vote (1936): 79,315 (0.17%)
Popular vote (1940): 48,557 (0.10%)

Electoral vote (1932, 1936, 1940): 0/531

The campaign (1932):

In an era when thousands of Americans were moving to the Soviet Union, the newly renamed Communist Party USA had their best opportunity to recruit new members.

Pro-Stalinist William Z. Foster was nominated for his third presidential run, with James W. "Jim" Ford as his running mate.

Although Ford is frequently touted as "the first African American to run for a presidential ticket in U.S. history," that is not entirely true although he was the first to be on a ticket where a significant number of votes were recorded from numerous state ballots. But we cannot ignore Frederick Douglass (Equal Rights Party 1872), William Thomas Scott/George Edwin Taylor/William C. Payne (National Negro Liberty Party 1904), and Simon Peter William Drew (Interracial Independent Political Party 1928).

It is true that the CPUSA was one the first political parties to be integrated and denounce segregation, but it was still demographically a very white party.

The 1932 CPUSA platform called for a United States of Soviet America and summarized itself with six points:

1. Unemployment and social insurance at the expense of the state and employers.                                2. Against Hoover's wage-cutting policy.  
3. Emergency relief for the impoverished farmers without restrictions by the government and banks; exemption of impoverished farmers from taxes, and no forced collection of rents or debts.
4. Equal rights for the Negroes and self-determination for the Black Belt.
5. Against capitalist terror; against all forms of suppression of the political rights of the workers.
6. Against imperialist war; for the defense of the Chinese people and of the Soviet Union.
On Sept. 8 Foster suffered a major heart attack on the campaign trail in Illinois which was followed by a mental breakdown. After the election he went to the USSR to recover, not returning to the US until 1934.

1932 would be the high point for the CPUSA at the presidential ballot box with a final national result of 0.26%, landing in a very distant 4th place. They were an option for voters in 39 states, with their best showing being Montana (0.82%) where in Sheridan County they polled 17.74%. 

The campaign (1936):

Earl Browder, a less militant leader of CPUSA than his rival Foster, had stepped into a leadership role after the latter had been sidelined by his failing health. Browder was more willing to work the system and made overtures to the Socialists and other groups to form a united front for pro-labor and anti-fascist activities. Supposedly Browder even offered to be the running mate with Socialist Norman Thomas in 1936.

With votes recorded in 35 states their best showing was in New York (0.64%) and California (0.41%). In some states their popular vote was in single or double digits.

The campaign (1940):

The Nazi-Soviet pact of August, 1939 had seriously undermined the CPUSA's anti-fascist rhetoric and the Party began to lose members, especially artists, writers, and intellectuals who had signed up in the early 1930s. On top of that, presidential nominee Browder had been tried and convicted of passport fraud in 1940, and during the campaign was free while the case was being appealed, which didn't turn out so well for him. He began his 14-month prison sentence in March, 1941.

On the ballot in 23 states, their strongest finish was in California (0.42%).

The CPUSA would not appear on the presidential ballot again until 1968.

Election history:
1930 - US House of Representatives (NY) (Communist Party USA) - defeated
1934 - US House of Representatives (NY) (Communist Party USA) - defeated

Other occupations: blacksmith's helper, machinist's helper, blast furnace laborer, US Signal Corps in France during WWI, mattress factory worker, Post Office worker, author

Buried: cremated

Notes:
First person to run as a third party VP three times.
Attended Fisk University
Joined the Workers (Communist) Party of America in 1926.
In Moscow and Hamburg as an open Communist agent in 1928-1930
In Spain supporting the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War, 1937.
Demoted from his executive position in CPUSA in 1944-1945 due to his association with Earl
 Browder, who had been expelled from the Party.
When Ford was young, his grandfather had been burned alive by white mob.
Born James William Foursche "with the accent on the last syllable."

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.

Julius J. Reiter

Julius J. Reiter, July 4, 1869 (Elgin, Minn.) - November 29, 1940 (Olmsted County, Minn.)

VP candidate for Farmer-Labor Party (1932)

Running mate with nominee: Jacob S. Coxey (1854–1951)
Popular vote: 7,431 (0.02%) 
Electoral vote: 0/531

The campaign:

In a pivotal election year with many tiny third parties merging, splitting, attacking, suing each other, and trying on different brands of demagoguery during economic hard times as their nominees played political musical chairs, it seems fitting that Jacob Coxey should be part of the equation. All these third parties combined (save for the Socialist Party of America) collectively polled less than 1%.

Coxey the eccentric 78-year old Mayor of Masillon, Ohio was teamed with Julius J. Reiter, the Mayor of Rochester, Minn. as his running mate. In 1928 Coxey, a perennial candidate if there ever was one, had been named as the nominee of the Interracial Independent Political Party. Earlier in 1932 he had lost a Republican primary for the US House in Ohio.

The Farmer-Labor Party had originally offered the Presidential nomination to Louisiana's Huey "Kingfish" Long with Coxey as the running mate. But Long knew a dying party when he saw one. "What's the use of being the head of a party," he said, "if you don't have anybody to rule?"

On July 4, a brief fusion movement took place, generated by a splinter of the Liberty Party. The object was to create a new third party by combining all the various populist-themed organizations in the 1932 election season. Jacob Coxey had declared interest in being the standard bearer. What resulted was the creation of a rump-Liberty Party that nominated Frank Webb (1928 Farmer-Labor presidential nominee). Some news reports called this the New Liberty Party or the Liberal Party. At any rate, Coxey was free to run on his own in the Farmer-Labor Party.

The FLP was on the ballot only in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota. Their best showing was in the last named state with 5,731 votes    (0.57%) but they still placed 5th there behind the Socialists and Communists. 1932 would be the last national election for the Farmer-Labor Party.   

Election history:
1899-1903 - Rochester, Minn. Alderman
1907-1909 - Mayor of Rochester, Minn.
1908 - Lt. Governor of Minnesota (Democratic) - defeated
1912 - Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse Commission (Democratic) - defeated
1917-1919 - Mayor of Rochester, Minn.
1920 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Farmer-Labor Party) - defeated
1923-1925 - Mayor of Rochester, Minn.
1924 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Farmer-Labor Party) - defeated
1931-1935 - Mayor of Rochester, Minn.
1932 - Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party primary for US House of Representatives - defeated

Other occupations: grocer, restaurant owner, apartment building owner.

Buried: Greenwood Cemetery (Plainview, Minn.)

Notes:
While Mayor of Rochester, Minn. engaged in a fistfight at a 1934 state Farmer-Labor convention. He
 also got into another fistfight in 1938.
Son of German immigrants.

Otis Lee Spurgeon

Otis Lee Spurgeon, April 10, 1880 (Boone, Iowa) - April 5, 1942 (Dallas, Tex.)

VP candidate for Liberty Party (Webb Faction) (aka New Liberty Party aka Liberal Party aka Liberty and Unity Party) (1932)

Running mate with nominee: Frank Elbridge Webb (1863-1949)
Popular vote: 0 (0.0%) 
Electoral vote: 0/531

The campaign:

Andrae B. Nordskog (1885-1962) of Los Angeles who was initially the running mate of "Coin" Harvey of the original Liberty Party decided to jump ship, joining Frank Webb to become his Vice-Presidential ticket partner when they formed a splinter Liberty Party on July 4, 1932. Harvey had earlier tried to dump Nordskog from his ticket, charging him with ethical lapses, but Nordskog stayed put. Nordskog, by the way, was an admirer of German fascists and apparently involved in murky circumstances with Nazi representatives in America at one point before WWII.

Webb had been the 1928 Farmer-Labor presidential nominee and in 1932 threatened Harvey with a lawsuit if he didn't withdraw from the race-- an example of how vicious things can get when so little is at stake.

As it turned out Nordskog had to step down anyway due to a Constitutional rule about not having a presidential ticket with both of the nominees from the same state, in this case California. Late in the game, September, Liberty Party National Secretary Otis Spurgeon of Iowa was selected as the new running mate.

Spurgeon, a Baptist minister and Protestant zealot, had made a career out of making virulent anti-Catholic speeches and writings. He was also quite open and proud about having been a "Kleagle" in the Ku Klux Klan.

The Webb/Spurgeon ticket apparently did not appear on any ballots nor were any votes recorded.

Election history:
1914 - US Senate (Iowa) (Independent) - defeated

Other occupations: Baptist preacher, author, anti-Catholic activist

Buried: Restland Memorial Park (Dallas, Tex.)

Notes:
In April 1914 while on an anti-Catholic lecture circuit in Denver he was allegedly kidnapped from his
 hotel room, beaten, and left naked north of the city. The incident was well publicized and used in
 Spurgeon's subsequent marketing for years.
Buried in the same cemetery as Tom C. Clark, Patrick Cranshaw, and Ray Price.
Banned from speaking in Minneapolis, March 1915.
Alleged to have been related to English Baptist Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)
In 1919 listed as part of the "talent" with the Lyceum Lecture Service for Protestant America with
 1924 American Party (aka KKK Party) nominee Gilbert Nations.
Arrested on a charge of grand larceny in Jan. 1925 accused of stealing furniture from the widow of a
 fellow Klansman.
Member of the Knights of Luther 1913
1909 - Left the ministry of the Baptist Church in Huron, Kan. after a fistfight with the Mayor.
Played the harp.

Francis Benjamin Hemenway

Francis Benjamin Hemenway, June 21, 1885 (Aplington, Iowa) - July 22, 1949 (Tacoma, Wash.)

VP candidate for Liberty Party (1932)

Running mate with nominee: William Hope "Coin" Harvey (1851-1936)
Popular vote: 53,425 (0.13%) 
Electoral vote: 0/531

The campaign:

In Aug. 1931 80-year old William Hope "Coin" Harvey held the first convention for the Liberty Party at his Arkansas resort, Monte Ne. It was on this same site he was constructing a pyramid (never completed) as a time capsule and place of refuge when the End of the World arrived. Today most of Monte Ne is under an artificial lake.

The platform reflected Harvey's populist bi-metal philosophy, gained during his years as a silver mine developer and Bryan supporter in Ouray, Colo.

The Party selected Andrea B. Nordskog of Los Angeles as the running mate. Within a few months Harvey wanted Nordskog to step down, charging him with ethical lapses. Nordskog refused. There was discussion in the Party of overthrowing Harvey.

On July 4, a brief fusion movement took place, generated by Liberty Party Chairman and anti-Harveyist Roland Bruner, to create a new third party by combining all the various populist-themed organizations in the 1932 election season. Jacob Coxey had declared interest in being the standard bearer. What resulted was the creation of a rump-Liberty Party that nominated Frank Webb (1928 Farmer-Labor presidential nominee) and Nordskog. Some news reports called this the New Liberty Party or the Liberal Party.

Meanwhile at a second convention of the Harvey Liberty Party in August, where Frank B. Hemenway was nominated as the replacement running mate, there was some talk of merging with the Jobless Party, but big egos combined with an anti-Catholicism streak don't mix well.

In September, Frank Webb threatened Harvey with a lawsuit if he refused to step aside. This was echoed by Chairman Bruner and Liberty Party National Secretary Otis Spurgeon, who claimed Harvey's nomination was illegal. Harvey stayed in the race but on some ballots he was listed as an independent.

Frank B. Hemenway was also on the Washington State ballot running for State Insurance Commissioner as a member of the Liberty Party. In fact, in The Evergreen State the Liberty Party ran a strong campaign for every statewide office, causing some genuine concern among the two major parties.

The Harvey/Hemenway ticket finished with an impressive 4.93% in Washington and 1.16% in South Dakota. In the other states where they were on the ballot they failed to crack the 1% mark: Arkansas, California, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Texas. In Indiana they merged with and endorsed John Zahnd and his National Party.

And then-- they vanished.

Election history:
1932 - Washington State Insurance Commissioner (Liberty Party) - defeated

Other occupations: real estate

Buried: cremated

Notes:
If elected, would have become President upon the death of Harvey on Feb. 11, 1936.
Lived in Manitoba ca. 1911.
Unitarian

Victor Clifford Tisdal Sr.

Victor Clifford Tisdal Sr., January 3, 1886 (Fannin County, Tex.) - May 18, 1948 (Oklahoma)

VP candidate for Jobless Party (1932)

Running mate with nominee: James Renshaw Cox (1886–1951)
Popular vote: 740 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/531

The campaign:

On the heels of leading a massive jobless march on Washington DC, Father James Renshaw Cox, a priest from Pittsburgh, tried to use the momentum from "Cox's Army" and create a new third party. He predicted a turnout of a quarter million at the convention in St. Louis. Only 500 showed up. And it went downhill from there.

Victor C. Tisdal, a medical doctor from Elk City, Oklahoma was nominated for Vice-President. Tisdal's previous political beliefs and experience has eluded historians.

For a brief time it seemed the newly-formed Liberty Party might join forces with the Jobless Party, but ego and it seems some anti-Catholic feelings got in the way. Also the use of  "Blue Shirts" as a Jobless Party quasi-military unit marching in review as Cox saluted them had a fascistic tinge that frightened away a few potential followers-- especially given the political trends taking place in Europe at the time.

Cox and an entourage of nine set out to campaign across the country in two cars and a trailer. Except for visiting Dr. Tisdal in Elk City, the entire trip was a disheartening disaster. Ignored by the press, faced with unenthusiastic receptions, driving endlessly through the lonely and empty expanse of the Far West and always short on funds the small group began to pick on each other. Cox suspended the campaign on October 12 and later withdrew from the race, endorsing Roosevelt. But it was too late to remove his name from the ballots.

On the ballot in only two states, the Cox/Tisdal ticket earned 725 votes in Pennsylvania and a whopping 15 in Virginia.

Election history: none

Other occupations: doctor

Buried: Fairlawn Cemetery (Elk City, Okla.)

Notes:
Living in Tarrant, Tex. in 1910.
Mason.

Florence Garvin

Florence Garvin, February 27, 1876 (Middletown, Conn.) - July 10, 1968 (Providence, RI)

VP candidate for National Party (aka Independent Party aka Greenback Party) (1932)
VP candidate for National Greenback Party (1936)

Running mate with nominee (1932, 1936): John Zahnd (1877-1961)
Popular vote (1932): 1645 (0.00%)
Popular vote (1936): 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote (1932): 0/531
Electoral vote (1936): 0/531

The campaign (1932):

Ex-leader of his own religion John Zahnd chose not to run in 1932 as he had in 1924 and 1928, but sometimes our best plans go awry.

Seymour E. Allen of Springfield, Mass. was nominated for President but he withdrew once he learned more about the anti-union record of the National Party.

The National Party then nominated 72-year old George Wilson, a newsstand and drugstore operator in Vineland, NJ as their nominee. Wilson had been connected with the People's Party and was a member of Coxey's Army in 1894. 62-year old J.A. Parker of Blytheville, Penn. was picked as his running mate.

Wilson said he would only accept the nomination on the condition the National Party merged with the Farmer-Labor (which was home to Jacob Coxey in 1932) and Liberty parties. Zahnd, who ran his party with an iron fist, would have none of that, so Wilson was out. As Fate would have it, the National Party and Liberty Party would indeed merge on the Indiana ballot a month or two later.

With time getting short, Zahnd himself stepped up to the nomination at some point in late August or early September. Florence Garvin of Rhode Island was selected as his running mate.

Indiana was the only state where the Zahnd/Garvin could be found on a ballot.

The campaign (1936):

In 1936 the Zahnd/Garvin ticket ran again, this time under the banner of the National Greenback Party. They were not on the ballot in any states.

Election history:
1924 - US House of Representatives (Del.) (Prohibition Party) - defeated

Other occupations: author, suffragette, Vice-President of the Women's National Single Tax League 

Buried: Swan Point Cemetery (Providence, RI)

Notes:
Daughter of Lucius Garvin, Gov. of Rhode Island 1903-1905.
Buried in the same cemetery as Ambrose Burnside, Nelson Aldrich, Thomas Wilson Dorr, H.P. Lovecraft.

James Hudson Maurer

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.