(Pre/Post 1900)AHC: 2 Secretaries of State in a Presidential election

Nofix · Feb 1, 2015

We've had elections where a previous President faced off his successor, one with three Presidents past, present, and future, an election with two Vice-Presidents, even one with two Speakers. For the purposes of this challenge, I'm not counting it when former/present Secretaries went against future men: 1824, 1836 (with Webster as the Massachusett's Whig nominee), and 1848.

How can we get two Secretaries of State (either both previous or one incumbent) as their Parties nominee's?

David T · Feb 1, 2015

Nofix said:
We've had elections where a previous President faced off his successor, one with three Presidents past, present, and future, an election with two Vice-Presidents, even one with two Speakers. For the purposes of this challenge, I'm not counting it when former/present Secretaries went against future men: 1824, 1836 (with Webster as the Massachusett's Whig nominee), and 1848.

How can we get two Secretaries of State (either both previous or one incumbent) as their Parties nominee's?

Simple: The Whigs nominate Henry Clay to run against Van Buren in 1840. (Actually their convention was held in 1839, and that was part of the trouble. In 1839, the Democrats were staging a temporary comeback, and many Whigs didn't think Clay could win.) Or Van Buren is nominated in 1844 to oppose Clay. Or a deadlocked GOP convention turns to Philander Knox in 1920 and a deadlocked Democratic one to (yes, yet again!) William Jennings Bryan.

Nofix · Feb 7, 2015

David T said:
Simple: The Whigs nominate Henry Clay to run against Van Buren in 1840. (Actually their convention was held in 1839, and that was part of the trouble. In 1839, the Democrats were staging a temporary comeback, and many Whigs didn't think Clay could win.) Or Van Buren is nominated in 1844 to oppose Clay. Or a deadlocked GOP convention turns to Philander Knox in 1920 and a deadlocked Democratic one to (yes, yet again!) William Jennings Bryan.

Clay would probably win in 1840, at around the same popular vote but with a smaller electoral majority I fear. 1844 I think The Little Magician would be too damaged for the Democrats, specifically the southern/pro-annexation ones. Knox also died in 1921, so his early death as President could have it's own interesting effects on the Jazz Age.

Anything else?