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1944 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
CHICAGO



Before the Democratic National Convention, it was a foregone conclusion that Franklin D. Roosevelt, the incumbent 3-term president, beloved by many, would be re-nominated by his party and more than likely win the general election in November.

That all changed five days before the convention started. The President had a major heart attack, with 90% blockage in his arteries. This event shook the Democrats to the core, wondering if he would live a fourth term. For the Republicans, it was a sign that November would be theirs.

On the first day of the convention, the President's wife, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, took the stage at Chicago Stadium to tell the news that would change the course of this election.

"Franklin is doing good, and he is recovering well. After a long and thought-out conversation, he decided that he would not run for a fourth term this year and that he would leave office on January 20, 1945. He trusts all of you gentlemen to find someone capable of filling his shoes and continuing his legacy."

Chicago Stadium was thrown into disarray. They knew that the President's health was failing. But they didn't know that it was failing this fast.

There were a few early front runners:

Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa
Senator Harry Truman of Missouri
Federal Security Administrator Paul V. McNutt of Indiana
Governor Robert Kerr of Oklahoma


Many high-ranking Democrats wanted Wallace to run for President and fill the shoes of FDR. The more conservative faction of the party opposed the nomination of Wallace, stating that he was too "progressive". Many of the lower-ranking Democrats were in favor of Harry Truman, saying that he was more "grass-roots". McNutt and Kerr both gained some traction, but not enough to catch Wallace and Truman.
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