Following his victory in the 1924 election, President Calvin Coolidge presided over an impressive economy while becoming a vocal supporter of women’s rights, as well as those of African Americans and Native Americans. Many assumed Coolidge would run again in the election of 1928, since he had only served part of Harding’s original term before winning his own. However, in a surprising move in 1927, “Silent Cal” announced he would not seek re-election, leaving the Republican nomination wide open.
The Republican Nominee: Herbert Hoover
The GOP field quickly narrowed to three leading contenders: former Illinois Governor Frank Orren Lowden, Senate Minority Leader Charles Curtis, and Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover. Despite performing modestly in the early primaries, Hoover secured the nomination with Curtis as his running mate. Curtis made history as the first person of Native American ancestry on a major party ticket.
Coolidge was lukewarm about Hoover, famously remarking: “For six years that man has given me unsolicited advice…all of it bad.” Yet Hoover campaigned on the promise of continued prosperity, even boldly declaring: “We in America are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before.” The optimism of that statement would come back to haunt him after the stock market crash of 1929.
The Democratic Nominee: Al Smith
On the Democratic side, New York Governor Alfred “Al” Smith finally secured the nomination after failed attempts in 1920 and 1924. Known for his social welfare programs and public works, Smith made history as the first Roman Catholic nominee of a major party. To balance the ticket geographically, he selected Arkansas Senator Joseph T. Robinson as his running mate.
Smith faced immediate challenges. His opposition to Prohibition put him at odds with the majority of voters, and his ties to New York’s corrupt Tammany Hall organization damaged his reformist image. Most damaging, however, was anti-Catholic sentiment across the South and Midwest, amplified by Ku Klux Klan rhetoric claiming Smith would be controlled by the Pope.
Campaign Themes
Hoover campaigned on peace and prosperity, adopting the slogan: “A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.” He also used his Belgian shepherd, King Tut, to soften his image and appeal to average Americans.
Smith, meanwhile, leaned on his urban appeal, campaign song Sidewalks of New York, and charisma, but struggled to connect with rural voters. Democratic rivals even accused Hoover of dancing with a Black woman at the Republican convention to suppress Southern white votes, while Hoover simultaneously faced criticism from African Americans for his weak response to the 1927 Mississippi Flood.
The Election of 1928 Results
The results were decisive. Hoover won in a landslide with 444 electoral votes and 58.2% of the popular vote, compared to Smith’s 87 electoral votes and 40.8%. It was the second consecutive Republican sweep of the 1920s.
Smith, however, made history of his own. He was the first Democrat since 1912 to carry Massachusetts, and he significantly improved Democratic performance in large northern cities, foreshadowing the New Deal coalition that would emerge in the 1930s. His narrow 2% loss in his home state of New York also revealed shifting urban and immigrant voting patterns.
Conclusion
The election of 1928 confirmed Republican dominance during the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties, following Coolidge’s steady leadership after 1924. But beneath Hoover’s landslide victory lay cracks in the system. As the Great Depression loomed, the stage was set for Franklin D. Roosevelt and one of the most consequential elections in American history: the election of 1932.
