Election of 1944

The Presidential election of 1944 encompassed American politics at the height of the U.S. involvement in World War II. The war in the Pacific against Japan increased as the U.S. moved closer to the Japanese mainland. The war in Europe was at its zenith, with Hitler controlling most of continental Europe, the bombing of Britain, a stalemate on the eastern front against the Soviet Union, and an Allied campaign in North Africa. D-Day's plans to invade Europe were in their infancy, as diplomacy and politics began to intertwine with military objectives. Amidst all of this foreign turmoil, Civil Rights issues embroiled the home front. Women moved into the workforce in droves, African Americans sought equal pay and hours, and Japanese Americans began to be interned in camps across the West.

Fig. 1 - A campaign poster from the presidential election of 1944 in favor of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt held the presidency for an unprecedented three terms since 1932 and sought re-election again as the Democratic nominee. The Republicans, who had born so much power before the Great Depression, moved to take over the White House. Keep on reading to learn more about the candidates in the election of 1944, the issues, and results.

Candidates in the election of 1944

The party nominees for president in the election of 1944 were Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt and Republican Thomas E. Dewey. Roosevelt was the three-term incumbent. In response to the groundswell of support he had mustered towards the Democratic Party, the Republicans nominated a moderate candidate. This was in the hopes of gaining some support from Roosevelt's base, who may have wanted a change in the Oval Office.

Election of 1944: FDR

In the Election of 1944, Roosevelt again, as he had since 1932, headed the Democratic ticket. But party leaders, aware of Roosevelt's health problems and anxious to find a middle-of-the-road successor, dropped Vice President Henry Wallace from the key. They feared Wallace's outspoken support of labor, civil rights, and domestic reform would alienate southern voters.

Fig. 2 - A campaign poster for the Democratic Party ticket of Roosevelt and Truman

The Democratic Party chose Senator Harry S. Truman of Missouri. A direct-speaking, no-nonsense politician, Truman had risen to prominence by heading a Senate investigation into the awarding of wartime defense contracts.

Election of 1944: Dewey

The Republicans chose Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York. Only forty-two years old, Dewey had won fame as a U.S. attorney fighting organized crime, which won the admiration of many Americans. Dewey accepted the general principles of the welfare state liberalism established by the New Deal and the Second New Deal domestically. Combined with his internationalism in foreign affairs, Dewey had attracted some of Roosevelt's supporters.

Fig. 3 - A portrait of Republican Presidential candidate Governor Thomas Dewey

With a moderate presidential candidate, the choice of vice-presidential candidate became somewhat contentious throughout the primary process. Early in the primary cycle, General Douglas MacArthur - commanding the Allied forces in the Pacific at the time - won a surprising number of primary votes. However, he was unable to campaign while also fighting the Japanese. Eventually, following several state primaries, Governor John B. Bricker of Ohio became a clear favorite and, after coming in second to Dewey, was selected as the Republican vice-presidential candidate.

Campaign Issues Election of 1944

The most divisive campaign issue was Roosevelt's continued use of the New Deal economic system. Republicans and Dewey campaigned against the New Deal, championing a smaller federal government and fewer regulations as the economy was healing from the Depression.

Dewey also campaigned against reducing the number of welfare programs established by the New Deal; however, as a means of attracting voters away from Roosevelt, he did not dismiss their efficacy entirely. In contrast, Roosevelt and Truman campaigned in solid support of the New Deal policies, arguing that their effectiveness helped pull the U.S. out of the Great Depression and established a solid economic foundation for the war effort.

Though the campaigns fought over domestic economic policy, the only other campaign issue was the international war efforts and military campaigns of late 1943 and early 1944. Republicans found it difficult to fault the overall war effort on the campaign trail publicly. Under Roosevelt, the U.S. had a wave of military victories and substantial territorial gains in the Pacific. Examples include the American victory at the Battle of Leyte Gulf and a tide-turning U.S. campaign in North Africa against strong German forces.

Election results of 1944

As election results came in, it was clear that the Republican ticket with Dewey and Bricker was pulling more votes than any other Republican candidates that went up against Roosevelt since 1932. His moderate stances on economic issues had managed to pull some Roosevelt Democrats.

Fig. 4 - This map shows the electoral vote count for each state and the winner of those electoral votes for the presidential election of 1944

However, a majority of voters preferred political continuity. Roosevelt received 53.5 percent of the popular vote and 432 electoral votes, sealing his fourth presidential election victory. Dewey received 99 electoral votes, carrying the states of Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Vermont, Maine, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, and Colorado.

With his victory, Roosevelt would be the last Democrat to hold the presidency for consecutive full terms until President Bill Clinton in 1996.