1972 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Sargent_Shriver_1961.jpg/200px-Sargent_Shriver_1961.jpg)
This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 1972 election. Coming into the 1972 Democratic National Convention, South Dakota Senator George McGovern had the delegate lead, but did not have the presidential nomination locked up.[1] After winning the Democratic nomination for president on July 13, McGovern looked for a running mate.[2] McGovern's first choice for vice president was Ted Kennedy, but Kennedy refused to join the ticket; Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale,[2] Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, and Connecticut Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff also declined.[1] McGovern offered the position to Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton, who appealed to labor groups and Catholics, two groups that McGovern had alienated during the primary campaign.[1] The ticket of McGovern and Eagleton was nominated by the 1972 Democratic National Convention. Following the convention, it was revealed that in the 1960s, Eagleton had received treatment for depression.[1] Though McGovern considered keeping Eagleton on the ticket, he ultimately chose to replace Eagleton with former Ambassador Sargent Shriver.[3] The McGovern-Shriver ticket lost the presidential election to the Nixon-Agnew ticket. After the controversy surrounding Eagleton, future campaigns spent much more time vetting vice presidential candidates.[2]
Potential running mates
- Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton (later withdrew)
- Former Ambassador Sargent Shriver
- Alaska Senator Mike Gravel[4]
- Boston Mayor Kevin White[2]
- Connecticut Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff[1]
- Florida Governor Reubin Askew[5]
- Idaho Senator Frank Church[5]
- Former Massachusetts Governor Endicott Peabody[4]
- Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy[4]
- Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale[2]
- New Jersey Representative Peter Rodino[4]
- Former Postmaster General Larry O'Brien[6]
- Wisconsin Governor Patrick Lucey[6]
- Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f NPR Staff (4 August 2012). "The Thomas Eagleton Affair Haunts Candidates Today". NPR. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Altman, Lawrence (23 July 2012). "Hasty and Ruinous 1972 Pick Colors Today's Hunt for a No. 2". New York Times. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ Thurber, Jon (5 March 2007). "Thomas Eagleton, 77; vice presidential candidate left race over health reports". LA Times. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d Rudin, Ken (7 March 2007). "The Eagleton Fiasco of 1972". NPR. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ a b Sigelman, Lee; Wahlbeck, Paul (December 1997). "The "Veepstakes": Strategic Choice in Presidential Running Mate Selection". The American Political Science Review. 91 (4): 858. JSTOR 2952169.
- ^ a b Baumgartner, Jody (1 January 2006). The American Vice Presidency Reconsidered. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 61. Retrieved 5 October 2015.