| 1920 presidential election | |
Nominees Cox and Roosevelt | |
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | June 28 – July 6, 1920 |
| City | San Francisco,California |
| Venue | Civic Auditorium |
| Candidates | |
| Presidential nominee | James M. Cox ofOhio |
| Vice-presidential nominee | Franklin D. Roosevelt ofNew York |
| ‹ 1916 · 1924 › | |
The1920 Democratic National Convention was held at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California from June 28 to July 6, 1920. It resulted in the nomination ofGovernor James M. Cox of Ohio for president and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt from New York for vice president. The 1920 Democratic National Convention marked the first time any party had held itsnominating convention in aWest Coast city.
Neither PresidentWoodrow Wilson, in spite of his failing health, nor former United States Secretary of State and three-time presidential candidateWilliam Jennings Bryan had entirely given up hope that their party would turn to them, but neither was, in the event, formally nominated. In addition to the eventual nominee, Cox, the other high-scoring candidates as the voting proceeded were:Secretary of the Treasury William McAdoo andAttorney General Mitchell Palmer. On the forty-fourth ballot, GovernorJames M. Cox of Ohio was nominated for the Presidency.[1]Cora Wilson Stewart of Kentucky, head of the National Education Association's new illiteracy commission, was chosen to second the nomination for Governor Cox.[2] Mrs. Stewart was selected to replace Kentucky RepresentativeJ. Campbell Cantrill, highlighting the candidate's support for what would become the19th Amendment.[3]
The platform adopted by the convention supported theLeague of Nations, albeit with qualifications, andwomen's suffrage.

AlthoughWilliam Gibbs McAdoo (Wilson's son-in-law and former Treasury Secretary) was the strongest candidate, Wilson blocked his nomination in hopes a deadlocked convention would demand that he run for a third term, even though he was seriously ill, physically immobile, and in seclusion at the time. The Democrats instead nominated Ohio GovernorJames M. Cox as their presidential candidate and 38-year-old Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt, a fifth cousin of the late president Theodore Roosevelt, for vice-president.
Fourteen names were placed in nomination. Early favorites for the nomination had included McAdoo and Attorney GeneralAlexander Mitchell Palmer. Others placed in nomination included New York GovernorAl Smith, United Kingdom AmbassadorJohn W. Davis, New Jersey GovernorEdward I. Edwards, and Oklahoma SenatorRobert Latham Owen.
History was made at the convention whenLaura Clay, a delegate fromKentucky and co-founder of theKentucky Equal Rights Association and the Democratic Women's Club of Kentucky, became the first woman to have her name placed into nomination for president at the convention of a major political party.[4] She was also the first woman to receive a convention delegation's vote for the presidency.[5]

| (1–22) | Presidential Ballot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | ||||
| Cox | 134 | 159 | 177 | 178 | 181 | 195 | 295.5 | 315 | 321.5 | 321 | 332 | 404 | 428.5 | 443.5 | 468.5 | 454.5 | 442 | 458 | 468 | 456.5 | 426.5 | 430 | |||
| McAdoo | 266 | 289 | 323.5 | 335 | 357 | 368.5 | 384 | 380 | 386 | 385 | 380 | 375.5 | 363.5 | 355.5 | 344.5 | 337 | 332 | 330.5 | 327.5 | 340.5 | 395.5 | 372.5 | |||
| Palmer | 256 | 264 | 251.5 | 254 | 244 | 265 | 267 | 262 | 257 | 257 | 255 | 201 | 193.5 | 181 | 167 | 164.5 | 176 | 174.5 | 179.5 | 178 | 144 | 166.5 | |||
| Al Smith | 109 | 101 | 92 | 96 | 95 | 98 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| E. Edwards | 42 | 34 | 32.5 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| T. Marshall | 37 | 36 | 36 | 34 | 29 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Owen | 33 | 29 | 22 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 35 | 34 | 32 | 34 | 31 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 37 | 41 | 36 | 35 | |||
| J.W. Davis | 32 | 31.5 | 28.5 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 31.5 | 29.5 | 33 | 32 | 52 | 57 | 42 | 31 | 36 | 54 | 52 | |||
| Meredith | 27 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Glass | 26.5 | 25.5 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | |||
| Cummings | 25 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 6 | |||
| Simmons | 24 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Gerard | 21 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| J. Williams | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Hitchcock | 18 | 16 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Clark | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Harrison[6] | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Wood | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| W.J. Bryan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Colby | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Daniels | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| W.R. Hearst | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Underwood | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Wilson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
| (23–44) | Presidential Ballot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th | 29th | 30th | 31st | 32nd | 33rd | 34th | 35th | 36th | 37th | 38th | 39th | 40th | 41st | 42nd | 43rd | 44th | ||||
| Cox | 425 | 429 | 424 | 424.5 | 423.5 | 423 | 404.5 | 400.5 | 391.5 | 391 | 380.5 | 379.5 | 376.5 | 377 | 386 | 383.5 | 468.5 | 490 | 497.5 | 540.5 | 568 | 699.5 | |||
| McAdoo | 364.5 | 364.5 | 364.5 | 371 | 371.5 | 368.5 | 394.5 | 403.5 | 415.5 | 421 | 421 | 420.5 | 409 | 399 | 405 | 405.5 | 440 | 467 | 460 | 427 | 412 | 270 | |||
| Palmer | 181.5 | 177 | 169 | 167 | 166.5 | 165.5 | 166 | 165 | 174 | 176 | 180 | 184 | 222 | 241 | 202.5 | 211 | 74 | 19 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 1 | |||
| J.W. Davis | 50.5 | 54.5 | 58.5 | 55.5 | 60.5 | 62.5 | 63 | 58 | 57.5 | 55.5 | 56 | 54 | 33 | 28 | 50.5 | 50 | 71.5 | 76 | 55.5 | 49.5 | 57.5 | 52 | |||
| Owen | 34 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 35.5 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 37 | 38.5 | 36 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | |||
| Glass | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 12.5 | 9.5 | 13 | 7.5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 24 | 5.5 | 1.5 | |||
| Cummings | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Clark | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Adams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Bonniwell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| W.J. Bryan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Clay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Cobb | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Colby | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Daniels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Hines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| A. Jones | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Lardner | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Lewis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| T. Marshall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Pershing | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Robinson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Stewart | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Underwood | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
Cox asked the delegates to support former Assistant Navy SecretaryFranklin D. Roosevelt, because, as some thought, he had a "magic name." FDR was nominated by voice vote and received the nomination by acclamation.[7] After it became clear that Roosevelt was the choice of party leaders, former AmbassadorDavid R. Francis of Missouri, Major GeneralLawrence Tyson of Tennessee, GovernorSam V. Stewart of Montana, former GovernorJames H. Hawley of Idaho, formerFTC ChairmanJoseph E. Davies of Wisconsin,William T. Vaughan of Oregon, and oil tycoonEdward L. Doheny of California all withdrew their candidacies.[8]
| Preceded by 1916 St. Louis, Missouri | Democratic National Conventions | Succeeded by 1924 New York, New York |