Claim: William Jennings Bryan was an American politician.

The United States presidential election of 1900 was the 29th quadrennial presidential election , held on Tuesday , November 6 , 1900 . The election was a re-match of the 1896 race between Republican candidate and incumbent President William McKinley and his Democratic challenger , William Jennings Bryan . The Republican Convention chose New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt as McKinley 's running mate , since Vice-President Garret Hobart had died from heart failure in 1899 . The return of economic prosperity and recent victory in the Spanish -- American War for control of the Philippines helped McKinley to score a decisive victory , while Bryan 's anti-imperialist stance and continued support for bimetallism attracted only limited support .