FDR's efforts as governor of New York to address the Depression were crucial in establishing him as the clear front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1932. But his first election to that office in 1928 was extremely narrow, he defeated the Republican nominee by just 25,000 votes, or 0.6%. So what if he had lost this election?
IOTL the three major Democratic presidential candidates were Roosevelt, former New York Governor Al Smith, and House Speaker John Nance Garner. At first, I assumed that Smith would get the nomination, he came in second IOTL, but per Wikipedia he actually had very little interest in another presidential campaign after his landslide defeat in 1928, the main reason he ran in 32 was resentment towards Roosevelt. So without FDR in the governor's mansion, I doubt Smith runs. As for John Nance Garner, by all accounts he was perfectly happy as Speaker and had basically no interest in the presidency. To the extent his "campaign" existed it was a vehicle for anti-Roosevelt Democratic leaders to win delegates in an attempt to stop his nomination at the convention.
In short, without FDR winning in 1928, not only would he not be a presidential candidate in 1932, his two main rivals probably wouldn't be as well. Who are some other potential Democrats who might throw their hats in the ring? With the Depression a Democratic victory in 1932 is pretty much guaranteed, so I imagine a lot of people would run, probably leading to a divided convention that would take lots of negotiating in smoke-filled rooms to hammer out. Whoever wins will take the reins of power in one of the biggest crossroads in American history.
IOTL the three major Democratic presidential candidates were Roosevelt, former New York Governor Al Smith, and House Speaker John Nance Garner. At first, I assumed that Smith would get the nomination, he came in second IOTL, but per Wikipedia he actually had very little interest in another presidential campaign after his landslide defeat in 1928, the main reason he ran in 32 was resentment towards Roosevelt. So without FDR in the governor's mansion, I doubt Smith runs. As for John Nance Garner, by all accounts he was perfectly happy as Speaker and had basically no interest in the presidency. To the extent his "campaign" existed it was a vehicle for anti-Roosevelt Democratic leaders to win delegates in an attempt to stop his nomination at the convention.
In short, without FDR winning in 1928, not only would he not be a presidential candidate in 1932, his two main rivals probably wouldn't be as well. Who are some other potential Democrats who might throw their hats in the ring? With the Depression a Democratic victory in 1932 is pretty much guaranteed, so I imagine a lot of people would run, probably leading to a divided convention that would take lots of negotiating in smoke-filled rooms to hammer out. Whoever wins will take the reins of power in one of the biggest crossroads in American history.
