1928 Democratic Party presidential primaries

From March 6 to May 18, 1928, voters of the Democratic Party elected delegates to the 1928 Democratic National Convention, for the purpose of choosing the party's nominee for president in the 1928 election.^[1]

1928 Democratic Party presidential primaries

← 1924 March 6 to May 18, 1928 1932 →
1,098 delegates to the 1928 Democratic National Convention 732 (two-thirds) votes needed to win
Candidate Al Smith Cordell Hull Walter F. George Home state New York Tennessee Georgia Delegate count 724.67 71.83 52.5 Contests won 36 3 3 Popular vote 559,265 — — Percentage 41.66% — —
First place by convention roll call      Smith      Hull      George      Various
Previous Democratic nominee John W. Davis Democratic nominee Al Smith

In sharp contrast to the three previous open nominations, the delegate selections were all-but-conclusive in favor of New York governor Al Smith, who entered the convention only a few votes short of the required two-thirds majority; he won on the first ballot after several delegates shifted to him. Smith was the first Catholic nominated by a major party for President of the United States and the first non-incumbent Democrat to win his party's nomination on the first ballot since 1908.

Despite his easy nomination, his failure to carry most Southern states was a sign of things to come; Smith lost the general election to Herbert Hoover in a landslide, with many Southern voters defecting to the Republican Party over their opposition to Smith's Catholic faith.