The Presidential Election 1924

The former vice president Calvin Coolidge had become president after the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923. Coolidge had successfully handled the discovery of criminal activity within Harding’s administration (the Teapot Dome Scandal), gaining trust from the electorate. The 1924 election had three key candidates: Coolidge, renominated for the Republicans; John Davis, nominated for the increasingly divided Democrats after 103 ballots; Robert Lafollette for the Progressive party. Although he did little campaigning, it became clear that the trustworthy, honest and economically astute Coolidge would most likely win. Divisions within the Democratic party and the underfunding of the Progessive party helped him to a clear victory and a return to office, with a majority of 2.5 million votes over his opponents’ combined total.