1928 Republican National Convention

After Coolidge announced that he would not run for a second full term in August 1927, Hoover emerged as the frontrunner. Illinois Governor Frank Lowden, Vice President Charles Dawes, and Senators James Eli Watson of Indiana, Charles Curtis of Kansas, Guy D. Goff of West Virginia, and Frank Willis of Ohio also loomed as potential challengers to Hoover.

Hoover had won respect by many for his work in the Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge administrations, but many party regulars distrusted his loyalty to the party on issues of both policy and patronage. Some progressive Republicans, such as California Senator Hiram Johnson, also disliked Hoover, but others, such as Senator William E. Borah, favored Hoover's candidacy. Many party leaders pressured Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon to run, but at 73, Mellon felt that he was too old to run in 1928. Mellon sought to convince former Secretary of State and 1916 Republican nominee Charles Evans Hughes to run, but Hughes refused to campaign for the nomination.

The platform praised the Coolidge administration for the prosperity of the mid-1920s, and also promised reduction of the national debt, tax reduction, retention of the protective tariff, opposition of cancellation of foreign debts, settlement of claims from World War I from foreign governments, continuation of the Coolidge foreign policy, support of arbitration treaties, civil service protection, a tariff for agricultural protection and continued farm exports, aid to the coal-mining industry, continued appropriations for highway construction, the right to collective bargaining, regulation of railroads, a continued independent American merchant marine, government supervision of radio facilities, construction of waterways to help transportation of bulk goods, support for war veterans, federal regulation of public utilities, conservation, vigorous law enforcement, honest government, continued reclamation of arid lands in the West, improvement of air-mail service, restricted immigration and naturalization of foreign immigrants in America, continued enforcement of the Washington Naval Treaty, and continued territory status for Alaska and Hawaii, and called for more women in public service, authority for the President to draft defense material resources and services, creation of an Indian Commission, and an Anti-Lynching Law, and promised continued "Home Rule for the American Citizen".

Hoover's forces won an early victory by securing adoption of an agricultural plank which endorsed President Coolidge's position on the question and rejected all principles of the McNary–Haugen Farm Relief Bill. Former Governor Lowden caused a sensation by announcing that since the agricultural plank was unsatisfactory, he withdrew from consideration as presidential nominee.

Presidential candidates

•  
  Commerce Secretary
  Herbert Hoover
  of California
•  
  Former Governor
  Frank O. Lowden
  of Illinois
  (Withdrew)
•  
  Senate Majority Leader
  Charles Curtis
  of Kansas
•  
  Senator
  James E. Watson
  of Indiana
•  
  Senator
  George W. Norris
  of Nebraska
•  
  Senator
  Guy D. Goff
  of West Virginia
•  
  President
  Calvin Coolidge
  of Massachusetts
  (Declined Consideration)

With no strong alternative, Hoover appeared to be the likely nominee at the start of the convention, but many in the party still opposed his candidacy. A "draft Coolidge" movement emerged, but the movement collapsed after William S. Vare, political boss of Philadelphia, unexpectedly supported Hoover. Coolidge remained silent, refusing to tell even the delegation from the president's home state of Vermont whether to support the draft. Senate Majority Leader Charles Curtis tried to rally Hoover's rivals around his own candidacy. However, Hoover won the nomination on the first ballot.

Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 14, 1928)

•  
  1st Presidential Ballot

Vice Presidential candidates

•  
  Senate Majority Leader
  Charles Curtis
  of Kansas
•  
  Governor
  Sam Aaron Baker
  of Missouri
  (Withdrew)
•  
  Governor
  Alvan T. Fuller
  of Massachusetts
  (Withdrew)
•  
  Former Governor
  Chase Osborn
  of Michigan
  (Withdrew)
•  
  House Majority Leader
  John Q. Tilson
  of Connecticut
  (Withdrew)

At the start of the convention, Vice President Charles G. Dawes was perhaps the most likely running mate for Hoover. Other possibilities included former Kansas Governor Henry Justin Allen, New Jersey Senator Walter Edge, New Hampshire Senator George H. Moses, Connecticut Representative John Q. Tilson, and Ambassador Alanson B. Houghton. Curtis was also a possibility, but he was not yet ready to concede the presidential nomination to Hoover.

After Hoover won the presidential nomination, Moses, Illinois Senator Charles S. Deneen, and former Massachusetts Governor Channing Cox were named as the most likely vice-presidential nominees, with a re-nomination for Dawes also a possibility. Party leaders considered nominating Cox or Dawes, but Cox was vetoed by Utah Senator Reed Smoot, and Dawes was unacceptable to Hoover and Coolidge for supporting McNary-Haugen.

The convention turned to the farm vote in hopes of placating them for the unfavorably received farm relief plank. Curtis' name was entered by Senator Borah and his nomination was practically assured since the Lion of Idaho and other westerners had issued an ultimatum that a western must hold the vice presidency to placate the farmers. The Senate Majority Leader voted for the McNary-Haugen Bill which President Coolidge vetoed, but had refused to vote to override the veto of that measure. Curtis, possibly with the support of Coolidge, was nominated by the party leaders, and the convention ratified the choice.

Vice Presidential Balloting / 4th Day of Convention (June 15, 1928)

•  
  1st
  Vice Presidential Ballot

Each of the four days of the convention opened with a lengthy invocation by a different clergymen—one Jewish, one Catholic, one Episcopalian, one Methodist. Together, these four religious groups formed a majority of Americans at the time.

All of the clergy were based in Missouri, where the convention was held. Each was listed among the convention officers as an official chaplain.

On June 12, the opening prayer was given by Bishop S. C. Partridge of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri. Speakers on the second through fourth days were Catholic Bishop Thomas F. Lillis of the Diocese of Kansas City, Rabbi Herman M. Cohen of Congregation Keneseth Israel-Beth Sholom, Kansas City, and Bishop E. L. Waldorf of the Methodist Episcopal Diocese of Kansas City.

• History of the United States Republican Party
• List of Republican National Conventions
• U.S. presidential nomination convention
• Republican Party presidential primaries, 1928
• 1928 United States presidential election
• 1928 Democratic National Convention

• Republican Party platform of 1928 at The American Presidency Project