It proved to be one of the more memorable presidential conventions of the twentieth century. Initially, the frontrunner appeared to be
Champ Clark of
Missouri, the
Speaker of the House, and Clark did receive the largest number of delegate votes early in the balloting. However, he was unable to get the
two-thirds majority required to win the nomination. His chances were hurt when
Tammany Hall, the powerful and corrupt Democratic
political machine in
New York City, threw its support behind Clark. Instead of helping him, this led
William Jennings Bryan, the three-time Democratic presidential candidate and still the leader of the party's liberals, to turn against Clark as the candidate of "
Wall Street". Bryan instead threw his support to New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson, who had consistently finished second to Clark on each ballot, and who was regarded as a moderate reformer. Wilson had nearly given up hope that he could be nominated, and he was on the verge of having a concession speech read for him at the convention that would free his delegates to vote for someone else. Bryan's defection from Clark to Wilson led many other delegates to do the same, and Wilson gradually gained strength while Clark's support dwindled. Wilson finally received the nomination on the 46th ballot.