From March 19 to June 4, 1912, voters of the Democratic Party elected delegates to the 1912 Democratic National Convention for the purpose of choosing a nominee for president in the 1912 election.

The primaries were inconclusive, with Speaker of the House Champ Clark holding a lead over Woodrow Wilson, but neither candidate close to the two-thirds of the delegates necessary to secure the nomination. In third place, Ohio governor Judson Harmon boasted the support of his home state and New York, the largest single delegation. House Majority Leader Oscar Underwood had strong support from the Deep South but little appeal outside the region.

At the convention, Wilson eventually secured the nomination over Clark after forty back-and-forth ballots.

Candidates

Nominee

CandidateExperienceHome stateCampaignPopular voteContests wonRunning mate
Woodrow WilsonGovernor of New Jersey (1910–1913) President of Princeton University (1902–1910)New Jersey(Campaign) Secured nomination: July 2, 1912435,169 (44.6%)[data missing]Thomas R. Marshall

Defeated at convention

CandidateExperienceHome stateCampaignPopular voteContests won
Champ ClarkSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives (1911–1919) Leader of the House Democratic Caucus (1909–1921) U.S. Representative from Missouri (1893–95, 1897–1921)Missouri(Campaign) Defeated at convention: July 2, 1912405,537 (41.6%)[data missing]
Judson HarmonGovernor of Ohio (1909–1913) United States Attorney General (1895–1897)Ohio(Campaign) Defeated at convention: July 2, 1912116,294 (11.9%)[data missing]
Oscar UnderwoodHouse Majority Leader (1911–1915) House Minority Whip (1899–1901) U.S. Representative from Alabama (1895–96, 1897–1915)Alabama(Campaign) Defeated at convention: July 2, 1912—[data missing]
Simeon E. BaldwinGovernor of Connecticut (1911–1915) Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court (1907–1910) Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court (1897–1907)ConnecticutWithdrew at convention—[data missing]

Favorite sons

Results

Total

CandidateVotes%
Woodrow Wilson435,16944.64
Champ Clark405,53741.60
Judson Harmon116,29411.93
John Burke9,3570.96
Others8,4180.86
Total974,775100.00
Source:

By state

StateDateWoodrow WilsonChamp ClarkJudson HarmonJohn BurkeOthers
North DakotaMarch 19N/AN/AN/A100.0% 9,357N/A
WisconsinApril 255.7% 45,94544.2% 36,464N/AN/A0.2% 148
IllinoisApril 925.7 75,52774.3% 218,483N/AN/AN/A
PennsylvaniaApril 13100.0% 98,000N/AN/AN/AN/A
NebraskaApril 1927.9% 14,28941.0% 21,02724.3% 12,454N/A6.8% 3,499
OregonApril 1953.0% 9,58843.4% 7,8573.3% 606N/A0.3% 49
MassachusettsApril 3029.9% 15,00268.9% 34,575N/AN/A1.2% 627
MarylandMay 634.3% 21,49054.4% 34,02111.3% 7,070N/AN/A
CaliforniaMay 1428.5% 17,21471.5% 43,163N/AN/AN/A
OhioMay 2145.7% 85,0841.3% 2,42851.7% 96,164N/A1.3% 2,440
New JerseyMay 2898.9% 48,3361.1% 522N/AN/AN/A
South DakotaJune 435.2% 4,69432.0% 4,275 20.4% 2,722N/AN/A12.4% 1,655
Legend:1st place (popular vote)2nd place (popular vote)3rd place (popular vote)

Endorsements

Former Democratic presidential candidates

Former Democratic presidential candidates

Statewide officials

  • Hugh L. Nichols, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and Harmon's national campaign manager

See also

Notes