U.S. presidential election, 1944

At the time of the U.S. presidential election of 1944, the U.S. was still in the middle of fighting World War II. The aging Roosevelt had been in power for longer than any other president, but remained popular.

Nominations

Democratic Party nomination

Roosevelt was a popular, war-time incumbent and faced little opposition. With Roosevelt's health deteriorating, many in the Democratic party saw incumbent vice president Henry Wallace as being too far to the left to be so close to the presidency, so Roosevelt agreed to replace him on the ticket with Missouri Senator Harry Truman.

Republican Party nomination

Former prosecutor and New York governor Thomas E. Dewey defeated former candidate Wendell Willkie for the nomination.

General election

Campaign

The Republicans campaigned against the New Deal, seeking a smaller government and less regulated economy as the end of the war seemed in sight. Nonetheless Roosevelt's continuing popularity was the main theme of the campaign.

The election was held on November 7, 1944 and was won by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who beat Republican challenger Thomas E. Dewey to become the only U.S. president to be elected to a fourth term.

Results

^(a) includes Texas Regulars and Norman Thomas

Source: U.S. Office of the Federal Register