1944 Republican Party presidential primaries


The 1944 Republican presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1944 U.S. presidential election. The nominee was selected through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1944 Republican National Convention held from June 26 to June 28, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois.
At the 1944 Republican National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, Dewey easily overcame Bricker and was nominated on the first ballot. In a bid to maintain party unity, Dewey, a moderate, chose the conservative Bricker as his running mate; Bricker was nominated by acclamation.

Candidates

As 1944 began the frontrunners for the Republican nomination appeared to be Wendell Willkie, the party's 1940 candidate, Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, the leader of the party's conservatives, New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, the leader of the party's powerful, moderate eastern establishment, General Douglas MacArthur, then serving as an Allied commander in the Pacific theater of the war, and former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen, then serving as a U.S. naval officer in the Pacific.
However, Taft surprised many by announcing that he was not a candidate; instead he voiced his support for a fellow conservative, Governor John W. Bricker of Ohio. With Taft out of the race some GOP conservatives favored General MacArthur. However, MacArthur's chances were limited by the fact that he was leading Allied forces against Japan, and thus could not campaign for the nomination.

Major candidates

These candidates participated in multiple state primaries or were included in multiple major national polls.

Competing in primaries

Bypassing primaries

The following candidates did not actively campaign for any state's presidential primary, but may have had their name placed on the ballot by supporters or may have sought to influence to selection of un-elected delegates or sought the support of uncommitted delegates.

Favorite sons

The following candidates ran only in their home state's primary or caucus for the purpose of controlling its delegate slate at the convention and did not appear to be considered national candidates by the media.

National polling

Statewide contest by winner

The Wisconsin primary proved to be the key contest, as Dewey won by a surprisingly wide margin; he took 14 delegates to four for Harold Stassen, while MacArthur won the three remaining delegates. Willkie was shut out in the Wisconsin primary; he did not win a single delegate. His unexpectedly poor showing in Wisconsin forced him to withdraw as a candidate for the nomination.
DatePrimaryDouglas MacArthurEarl WarrenJohn W. BrickerThomas DeweyW. Chapman RevercombHarold StassenRiley A. BenderCharles A. ChristophersonWendell WillkieJoseph H. BottumUnpledged
March 14New Hampshire0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%100%
April 5Wisconsin73%0%0%15%0%0%0%0%5%0%0%
April 11Illinois92%0%0%2%0%0%6%0%0%0%0%
April 11Nebraska0%0%0%23%0%66%0%0%10%0%0%
April 23Pennsylvania5%0%2%84%0%1%0%0%2%0%0%
April 25Massachusetts0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%100%
May 1Maryland0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%21%0%79%
May 2South Dakota0%0%0%0%0%0%0%60%0%40%0%
May 2Ohio0%0%100%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%
May 2West Virginia0%0%0%0%100%0%0%0%0%0%0%
May 16California0%100%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%
May 16New Jersey1%0%1%86%0%1%0%0%3%0%0%
May 19Oregon0%0%5%78%0%9%0%0%5%0%0%

The convention