# 1920 Democratic Party presidential primaries

From March 9 to June 5, 1920, voters of the Democratic Party elected delegates to the 1920 Democratic National Convention, for the purposing of choosing a nominee for president in the 1920 United States presidential election.
The race for delegates was made under a cloud of uncertainty because the party's two leading names, President Woodrow Wilson and three-time nominee William Jennings Bryan, withheld their intentions; both men privately hoped for the nomination, but neither's name was formally submitted before the voters or the convention as a candidate.
The delegate elections were inconclusive, with Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo, and Ohio governor James A. Cox leading the candidate field. With no clear front-runner, many states withheld their delegates from any one candidate, instead sending an uncommitted slate of delegates or preferring to back a favorite son on the first ballot. At the convention, Cox was ultimately nominated on the forty-fourth ballot.

## Candidates

* Governor James M. Cox of Ohio
* Former Ambassador to Germany James Watson Gerard of New York
* Governor Edward I. Edwards of New Jersey
* Attorney General of the U.S. A. Mitchell Palmer from Pennsylvania
* Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo from California
* Senator Robert Latham Owen of Oklahoma

### Not placed in nomination

* Former United States Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska
* House Minority Leader Champ Clark of Missouri
* President of the United States Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey

### Favorite sons

* U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Edwin T. Meredith of Iowa
* Senator Carter Glass of Virginia
* Governor Al Smith of New York
* Senator Gilbert Hitchcock of Nebraska
* Ambassador to the United Kingdom John W. Davis of West Virginia
* Senator John Sharp Williams of Mississippi
* Party Chairman Homer Stille Cummings of Connecticut
* Senator Furnifold Simmons of North Carolina
* Vice President Thomas R. Marshall of Indiana

## Primary and caucus results

Democratic Presidential Nominating State Conventions and Primaries :
| Date | State | Contest Type | Candidate | Votes Won (#) | Votes Won (%) | Delegates Won |
| March 9 | New Hampshire | Primary (8 of 8 delegates) | Uninstructed | 7,103 | 100 / 100 | 8 / 8 |
| March 16 | North Dakota | Primary (10 of 10 delegates) | William Jennings Bryan | 340 (W) | 87.40 / 100 | |
| March 16 | North Dakota | Primary (10 of 10 delegates) | William Gibbs McAdoo | 49 (W) | 12.60 / 100 | |
| March 16 | North Dakota | Primary (10 of 10 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 10 / 10 |
| March 23 | South Dakota | Primary (10 of 10 delegates) | James W. Gerard | 2,530 | 38.26 / 100 | 10 / 10 |
| March 23 | South Dakota | Primary (10 of 10 delegates) | Scattering | 2,162 | 32.70 / 100 | |
| March 23 | South Dakota | Primary (10 of 10 delegates) | James O. Monroe | 1,920 | 29.04 / 100 | |
| April 5 | Michigan | Primary (0 of 30 delegates) | Herbert Hoover | 24,006 (W) | 27.17 / 100 | |
| April 5 | Michigan | Primary (0 of 30 delegates) | William Gibbs McAdoo | 18,665 (W) | 21.09 / 100 | |
| April 5 | Michigan | Primary (0 of 30 delegates) | William Jennings Bryan | 17,954 (W) | 20.29 / 100 | |
| April 5 | Michigan | Primary (0 of 30 delegates) | Edward I. Edwards | 16,642 (W) | 18.81 / 100 | |
| April 5 | Michigan | Primary (0 of 30 delegates) | Alexander Mitchell Palmer | 11,187 (W) | 12.64 / 100 | |
| April 6 | New York | Primary (90 of 90 delegates) | Uninstructed | 113,300 | 100 / 100 | 90 / 90 |
| April 6 | Wisconsin | Primary (26 of 26 delegates) | Scattering | 3,391 | 97.81 / 100 | |
| April 6 | Wisconsin | Primary (26 of 26 delegates) | James M. Cox | 76 (W) | 2.19 / 100 | |
| April 6 | Wisconsin | Primary (26 of 26 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 26 / 26 |
| April 13 | Illinois | Primary (50 of 58 delegates) | Edward I. Edwards | 6,933 (W) | 32.31 / 100 | |
| April 13 | Illinois | Primary (50 of 58 delegates) | Scattering | 6,931 (W) | 32.31 / 100 | |
| April 13 | Illinois | Primary (50 of 58 delegates) | William Gibbs McAdoo | 3,838 (W) | 17.89 / 100 | |
| April 13 | Illinois | Primary (50 of 58 delegates) | William Jennings Bryan | 1,968 (W) | 9.17 / 100 | |
| April 13 | Illinois | Primary (50 of 58 delegates) | Woodrow Wilson | 931 (W) | 4.34 / 100 | |
| April 13 | Illinois | Primary (50 of 58 delegates) | Champ Clark | 548 (W) | 2.55 / 100 | |
| April 13 | Illinois | Primary (50 of 58 delegates) | James M. Cox | 266 (W) | 1.24 / 100 | |
| April 13 | Illinois | Primary (50 of 58 delegates) | James Hamilton Lewis | 40 (W) | 0.19 / 100 | |
| April 13 | Illinois | Primary (50 of 58 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 50 / 50 |
| April 20 | Georgia | Primary (0 of 28 delegates) | Thomas E. Watson | 51,974 | 35.60 / 100 | |
| April 20 | Georgia | Primary (0 of 28 delegates) | Alexander Mitchell Palmer | 48,460 | 33.19 / 100 | |
| April 20 | Georgia | Primary (0 of 28 delegates) | Michael Hoke Smith | 45,568 | 31.21 / 100 | |
| April 20 | Nebraska | Primary (16 of 16 delegates) | Gilbert Hitchcock | 37,452 | 67.26 / 100 | 16 / 16 |
| April 20 | Nebraska | Primary (16 of 16 delegates) | Robert G. Ross | 13,179 | 23.67 / 100 | |
| April 20 | Nebraska | Primary (16 of 16 delegates) | William Jennings Bryan | 3,466 (W) | 6.23 / 100 | |
| April 20 | Nebraska | Primary (16 of 16 delegates) | Scattering | 1,585 (W) | 2.85 / 100 | |
| April 23 | Montana | Primary (8 of 8 delegates) | Scattering | 2,994 | 100 / 100 | |
| April 23 | Montana | Primary (8 of 8 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 8 / 8 |
| April 27 | Massachusetts | Primary (36 of 36 delegates) | Uninstructed | 28,261 | 100 / 100 | 36 / 36 |
| April 27 | New Jersey | Primary (28 of 28 delegates) | Edward I. Edwards | 4,163 | 88.54 / 100 | 28 / 28 |
| April 27 | New Jersey | Primary (28 of 28 delegates) | William Gibbs McAdoo | 180 (W) | 3.83 / 100 | |
| April 27 | New Jersey | Primary (28 of 28 delegates) | Woodrow Wilson | 149 (W) | 3.17 / 100 | |
| April 27 | New Jersey | Primary (28 of 28 delegates) | William Jennings Bryan | 64 (W) | 1.36 / 100 | |
| April 27 | New Jersey | Primary (28 of 28 delegates) | Herbert Hoover | 64 (W) | 1.36 / 100 | |
| April 27 | New Jersey | Primary (28 of 28 delegates) | Hiram Johnson | 55 (W) | 1.17 / 100 | |
| April 27 | New Jersey | Primary (28 of 28 delegates) | Scattering | 27 (W) | 0.57 / 100 | |
| April 27 | Ohio | Primary (48 of 48 delegates) | James M. Cox | 85,838 | 97.79 / 100 | 48 / 100 |
| April 27 | Ohio | Primary (48 of 48 delegates) | William Jennings Bryan | 971 (W) | 1.11 / 100 | |
| April 27 | Ohio | Primary (48 of 48 delegates) | Scattering | 394 (W) | 0.45 / 100 | |
| April 27 | Ohio | Primary (48 of 48 delegates) | William Gibbs McAdoo | 292 (W) | 0.33 / 100 | |
| April 27 | Ohio | Primary (48 of 48 delegates) | Herbert Hoover | 282 (W) | 0.32 / 100 | |
| April 28 | Alaska | Primary (6 of 6 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 6 / 6 |
| May 4 | California | Primary (26 of 26 delegates) | Uninstructed | 23,861 | 100 / 100 | 26 / 26 |
| May 10 | Alabama | Primary (24 of 24 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 24 / 24 |
| May 18 | Pennsylvania | Primary (76 of 76 delegates) | Alexander Mitchell Palmer | 80,356 | 73.70 / 100 | 76 / 76 |
| May 18 | Pennsylvania | Primary (76 of 76 delegates) | William Gibbs McAdoo | 26,875 | 24.65 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Pennsylvania | Primary (76 of 76 delegates) | Scattering | 718 (W) | 0.66 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Pennsylvania | Primary (76 of 76 delegates) | Edward I. Edwards | 674 (W) | 0.62 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Pennsylvania | Primary (76 of 76 delegates) | William Jennings Bryan | 285 (W) | 0.26 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Pennsylvania | Primary (76 of 76 delegates) | Woodrow Wilson | 129 (W) | 0.12 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | William Gibbs McAdoo | 137 (W) | 33.83 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | Woodrow Wilson | 68 (W) | 16.79 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | Edward I. Edwards | 58 (W) | 14.32 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | Herbert Hoover | 39 (W) | 9.63 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | William Jennings Bryan | 26 (W) | 6.42 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | Hiram Johnson | 18 (W) | 4.44 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | Champ Clark | 16 (W) | 3.95 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | James M. Cox | 14 (W) | 3.46 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | Eugene V. Debs | 8 (W) | 1.93 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | Henry Ford | 7 (W) | 1.73 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | Thomas R. Marshall | 7 (W) | 1.73 / 100 | |
| May 18 | Vermont | Primary (0 of 8 delegates) | Alexander Mitchell Palmer | 7 (W) | 1.73 / 100 | |
| May 21 | Oregon | Primary (10 of 10 delegates) | William Gibbs McAdoo | 24,951 | 98.57 / 100 | 10 / 10 |
| May 21 | Oregon | Primary (10 of 10 delegates) | Scattering | 361 (W) | 1.43 / 100 | |
| May 22 | Hawaii | Primary (6 of 6 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 6 / 6 |
| May 25 | Texas | Primary (40 of 40 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 40 / 40 |
| May 25 | West Virginia | Primary (16 of 16 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 16 / 16 |
| June 8 | Florida | Primary (12 of 12 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 12 / 12 |
| June 10 | Washington, D.C. | Primary (11 of 11 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 11 / 11 |

## Delegates not selected in primaries

Many delegations were not selected in public primaries. The following table shows delegates awarded at a state level by convention, committees, and other means.
| Delegates not awarded via primaries |
| Other delegate allocation |
| Date | State | Contest Type | Candidate | Votes Won (#) | Votes Won (%) | Delegates Won | Reference(s) |
| February 5 | Oklahoma | Convention (20 of 20 delegates) | Robert Latham Owen | | | 20 / 20 | |
| February 27 | Arizona | Convention (6 of 6 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 6 / 6 | |
| February 28 | Iowa | Convention (26 of 26 delegates) | Uninstructed (Later Supported Edwin T. Meredith) | | | 26 / 26 | |
| March 9 | Nevada | Convention (6 of 6 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 6 / 6 | |
| April 6 | Minnesota | Convention (24 of 24 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 24 / 24 | |
| April 6 | Philippines | Convention (6 of 6 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 6 / 6 | |
| April 8 | North Carolina | Convention (24 of 24 delegates) | Furnifold McLendel Simmons | | | 24 / 24 | |
| April 10 | Puerto Rico | Convention (6 of 6 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 6 / 6 | |
| May 3 | Maryland | Convention (16 of 16 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 16 / 16 | |
| May 4 | Kentucky | Convention (26 of 26 delegates) | James M. Cox | | | 26 / 26 | |
| May 6 | Connecticut | Convention (14 of 14 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 14 / 14 | |
| May 6 | Rhode Island | Convention (10 of 10 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 10 / 10 | |
| May 10 | Illinois | Convention (8 of 50 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 8 / 8 | |
| May 10 | Michigan | Convention (30 of 30 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 30 / 30 | |
| May 10 | Wyoming | Convention (6 of 6 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 6 / 6 | |
| April 22 | Missouri | Convention (36 of 36 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 36 / 36 | |
| April 23 | Kansas | Convention (20 of 20 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 20 / 20 | |
| May 17 | Colorado | Convention (12 of 12 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 12 / 12 | |
| May 17 | Washington | Convention (14 of 14 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 14 / 14 | |
| May 18 | Georgia | Convention (28 of 28 delegates) | Alexander Mitchell Palmer | | | 28 / 28 | |
| May 19 | Virginia | Convention (24 of 24 delegates) | Carter Glass | | | 24 / 24 | |
| May 20 | Indiana | Convention (30 of 30 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 30 / 30 | |
| May 25 | Delaware | Convention (6 of 6 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 30 / 30 | |
| May 26 | South Carolina | Convention (18 of 18 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 18 / 18 | |
| June 1 | Indiana | State Committee (18 of 18 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 18 / 18 | |
| June 2 | Vermont | Convention (8 of 8 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 8 / 8 | |
| June 3 | Louisiana | Convention (20 of 20 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 20 / 20 | |
| June 3 | New Mexico | Convention (6 of 6 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 6 / 6 | |
| June 8 | Tennessee | Convention (24 of 24 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 24 / 24 | |
| June 12 | Utah | Convention (8 of 8 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 8 / 8 | |
| June 15 | Idaho | Convention (8 of 8 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 8 / 8 | |
| June 16 | Mississippi | Convention (20 of 20 delegates) | Uninstructed | | | 20 / 20 | |