| 1888 presidential election | |
  Nominees Cleveland and Thurman | |
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | June 5–7, 1888 |
| City | St. Louis,Missouri |
| Venue | Exposition Building |
| Candidates | |
| Presidential nominee | Grover Cleveland ofNew York |
| Vice-presidential nominee | Allen G. Thurman ofOhio |
| ‹ 1884 · 1892 › | |
The1888 Democratic National Convention was anominating convention held June 5 to 7, 1888, in theSt. Louis Exposition and Music Hall inSt. Louis, Missouri. It nominated PresidentGrover Cleveland for reelection and former SenatorAllen G. Thurman ofOhio for vice president.
St. Louis won the convention after a presentation in February 1888.
Stephen M. White served as temporary chairman andPatrick A. Collins served as the convention's permanent president.[1]
The Democratic platform largely confined itself to a defense of the Cleveland administration, supporting reduction in the tariff and taxes generally as well as statehood for the western territories.
President Cleveland was renominated by acclamation. An event few could directly remember, as the last time a Democrat was renominated was 48 years earlier, in1840. PresidentsFranklin Pierce andAndrew Johnson lost the nomination in1856 and1868 respectively, and PresidentsJames K. Polk andJames Buchanan refused to run for a second term.
After Cleveland was re-nominated, Democrats had to choose a replacement forThomas A. Hendricks, who had died in office on November 25, 1885. Hendricks had run unsuccessfully as the Democratic nominee for vice-president in1876, but had won the office when he ran again with Cleveland in1884.
Three names were placed in nomination:Allen G. Thurman,Isaac P. Gray, andJohn C. Black. Former Senator Thurman of Ohio was nominated for vice-president over Indiana Governor Gray, his nearest rival, and John C. Black, who trailed behind. Gray lost the nomination to Thurman primarily because his enemies brought up his actions while a Republican.[2]
| Vice Presidential Ballot | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | 1st | Acclamation |
| Thurman | 684 | 822 |
| Gray | 101 | |
| Black | 36 | |
| Not Voting | 1 | |
| Preceded by 1884 Chicago, Illinois | Democratic National Conventions | Succeeded by 1892 Chicago, Illinois |
