List of Democratic National Conventions

This is a list of Democratic National Conventions. These conventions are the presidential nominating conventions of the Democratic Party of the United States. Click on the year to take you to the corresponding article about the convention. (Conventions whose nominees won the subsequent presidential election are tinted in light blue. Four other conventions — in 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 — which nominated candidates who won more popular votes than any other party's but not the Presidency are tinted in pale yellow. )

Date^[1]	Location	Permanent Chairperson	Platform ^[2]	Ballots^[1]	Presidential Nominee [acceptance speech]^[2]	Vice Presidential Nominee
May 21–23, 1832	The Athenaeum and Warfield's Church, Baltimore	Robert Lucas of Ohio	(none)	1	Andrew Jackson of Tennessee¹	Martin Van Buren of New York
May 20–22, 1835	Fourth Presbyterian Church, Baltimore	Andrew Stevenson of Virginia	(none)	1	Martin Van Buren of New York	Richard M. Johnson of Kentucky
May 5–6, 1840	The Assembly Rooms, Baltimore	William Carroll of Tennessee	1840 platform	1	Martin Van Buren of New York	None²
May 27–29, 1844	Odd Fellows Hall, Baltimore	Hendrick Bradley Wright of Pennsylvania	1844 platform	9	James K. Polk of Tennessee	George M. Dallas of Pennsylvania³
May 22–25, 1848	Universalist Church, Baltimore	Andrew Stevenson of Virginia	1848 platform	4	Lewis Cass of Michigan	William O. Butler of Kentucky
June 1–5, 1852	Maryland Institute, Baltimore	John W. Davis of Indiana	1852 platform	49	Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire	William R. King of Alabama
June 2–6, 1856	Smith and Nixon's Hall, Cincinnati	John Elliot Ward of Georgia	1856 platform	17	James Buchanan of Pennsylvania	John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky
April 23–May 3, 1860	South Carolina Institute Hall, Charleston	Caleb Cushing of Massachusetts	(see below)	57	none (deadlocked)	none (deadlocked)
June 18–23, 1860	Front Street Theater, Baltimore	Caleb Cushing ⁴ David Tod of Ohio	1860 N.D. platform	2	Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois⁵	Herschel V. Johnson of Georgia⁵ ⁶
August 29–31, 1864	The Amphitheatre, Chicago	Horatio Seymour of New York	1864 platform	1	George B. McClellan of New Jersey	George H. Pendleton of Ohio
July 4–9, 1868	Tammany Hall, New York City	Horatio Seymour of New York	1868 platform	22	Horatio Seymour of New York	Francis P. Blair, Jr. of Missouri
July 9–10, 1872 ⁷	Ford's Grand Opera House, Baltimore	James R. Doolittle of Wisconsin	1872 platform	1	Horace Greeley of New York ⁷	B. Gratz Brown of Missouri ⁷
June 27–29, 1876	Merchant's Exchange Building, St. Louis	John A. McClernand of Illinois	1876 platform	2	Samuel J. Tilden of New York	Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana
June 22–24, 1880	Cincinnati Music Hall	John W. Stevenson of Kentucky	1880 platform	2	Winfield S. Hancock of Pennsylvania	William H. English of Indiana
July 8–11, 1884	Interstate Exposition Building, Chicago	William F. Vilas of Wisconsin	1884 platform	2	Grover Cleveland of New York	Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana
June 5–7, 1888	Exposition Building, St. Louis	Patrick A. Collins of Massachusetts	1888 platform	1	Grover Cleveland of New York	Allen G. Thurman of Ohio
June 21–23, 1892	Wigwam, Chicago	William Lyne Wilson of West Virginia	1892 platform	1	Grover Cleveland of New York	Adlai E. Stevenson I of Illinois
July 7–11, 1896 ⁸	Chicago Coliseum	Stephen M. White of California	1896 platform	about 5	William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska ⁹	Arthur Sewall of Maine
July 4–6, 1900	Convention Hall, Kansas City	James D. Richardson of Tennessee	1900 platform	1	William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska	Adlai E. Stevenson I of Illinois
July 6–9, 1904	St. Louis Coliseum	Champ Clark of Missouri	1904 platform	1	Alton B. Parker of New York	Henry G. Davis of West Virginia
July 7–10, 1908	Denver Arena Auditorium	Henry D. Clayton of Alabama	1908 platform	1	William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska	John W. Kern of Indiana
June 25–July 2, 1912	Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore	Ollie M. James of Kentucky	1912 platform	46	Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey	Thomas R. Marshall of Indiana
June 14–16, 1916	Convention Hall, St. Louis	Ollie M. James of Kentucky	1916 platform	1	Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey (speech)	Thomas R. Marshall of Indiana
June 28–July 6, 1920	Civic Auditorium, San Francisco	Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas	1920 platform	43	James M. Cox of Ohio	Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York
June 24–July 9, 1924	Madison Square Garden, New York	Thomas J. Walsh of Montana	1924 platform	103	John W. Davis of New York	Charles W. Bryan of Nebraska
June 26–29, 1928	Sam Houston Hall, Houston	Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas	1928 platform	1	Alfred E. Smith of New York (speech)	Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas
June 27–July 2, 1932	Chicago Stadium	Thomas J. Walsh of Montana	1932 platform	4	Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York (speech)	John Nance Garner of Texas
June 23–27, 1936	Convention Hall and Franklin Field, Philadelphia	Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas	1936 platform	Acclamation	Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York (speech)	John Nance Garner of Texas
July 15–18, 1940	Chicago Stadium	Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky	1940 platform	1	Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York (speech)	Henry A. Wallace of Iowa
July 19–21, 1944	Chicago Stadium	Samuel D. Jackson of Indiana	1944 platform	1	Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York (speech)	Harry S. Truman of Missouri
July 12–14, 1948 ¹⁰	Convention Hall, Philadelphia	Sam Rayburn of Texas	1948 platform	1	Harry S. Truman of Missouri (speech)	Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky
July 21–26, 1952	International Amphitheatre, Chicago	Sam Rayburn of Texas	1952 platform	3	Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois (speech)	John J. Sparkman of Alabama
August 13–17, 1956	International Amphitheatre, Chicago	Sam Rayburn of Texas	1956 platform	1	Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois (speech)	Estes Kefauver of Tennessee
July 11–15, 1960	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena and Memorial Coliseum	Leroy Collins of Florida	1960 platform	1	John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts (speech)	Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas
August 24–27, 1964	Convention Center, Atlantic City	John W. McCormack of Massachusetts	1964 platform	Acclamation	Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas (speech)	Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota
August 26–29, 1968	International Amphitheatre, Chicago	Carl Albert of Oklahoma	1968 platform	1	Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota (speech)	Edmund S. Muskie of Maine
July 10–13, 1972	Miami Beach Convention Center	Lawrence F. O'Brien of Massachusetts	1972 platform	1	George S. McGovern of South Dakota (speech)	Thomas F. Eagleton of Missouri ¹¹
July 12–15, 1976	Madison Square Garden, New York	Lindy Boggs of Louisiana	1976 platform	1	Jimmy Carter of Georgia (speech)	Walter Mondale of Minnesota
August 11–14, 1980	Madison Square Garden, New York	Tip O'Neill of Massachusetts	1980 platform	1	Jimmy Carter of Georgia (speech)	Walter Mondale of Minnesota
July 16–19, 1984	Moscone Center, San Francisco	Martha Layne Collins of Kentucky	1984 platform	1	Walter Mondale of Minnesota (speech)	Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York
July 18–21, 1988	The Omni, Atlanta	James C. Wright of Texas	1988 platform	1	Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts (speech)	Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. of Texas
July 13–16, 1992	Madison Square Garden, New York	Ann Richards of Texas	1992 platform	1	William J. Clinton of Arkansas (speech)	Albert A. Gore, Jr. of Tennessee
August 26–29, 1996	United Center, Chicago	Richard Gephardt of Missouri and Tom Daschle of South Dakota	1996 platform	Acclamation	William J. Clinton of Arkansas (speech)	Albert A. Gore, Jr. of Tennessee
August 14–17, 2000	Staples Center, Los Angeles	Terry McAuliffe of New York	2000 platform	Acclamation	Albert A. Gore, Jr. of Tennessee (speech)	Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut
July 26–29, 2004	FleetCenter, Boston	Bill Richardson of New Mexico	2004 platform	1	John F. Kerry of Massachusetts (speech)	John R. Edwards of North Carolina
August 25–28, 2008	Pepsi Center and Invesco Field, Denver	Nancy Pelosi of California	2008 platform	1/Acclamation	Barack H. Obama of Illinois (speech)	Joseph R. Biden of Delaware
September 4–6, 2012	Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte	Antonio Villaraigosa of California	2012 platform	1/Acclamation	Barack H. Obama of Illinois (speech)	Joseph R. Biden of Delaware
July 25–28, 2016	Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia	Marcia Fudge¹² of Ohio	2016 platform	1	Hillary R. Clinton of New York (speech)	Tim Kaine of Virginia

Footnotes

¹ [1832] A resolution endorsing "the repeated nominations which he [Jackson] has received in various parts of the Union" was passed by the convention.
² [1840] A resolution stating "that the convention deem it expedient at the present time not to choose between the individuals in nomination, but to leave the decision to their Republican fellow-citizens in the several states" was passed by the convention. Most Van Buren electors voted for Richard Mentor Johnson of Kentucky for the vice presidency; others voted for Littleton Waller Tazewell of Virginia and James K. Polk of Tennessee in the election of 1840.
³ [1844] Silas Wright of New York was first nominated and he declined the nomination.
⁴ [1860 June] Caleb Cushing resigned as permanent chairman.
⁵ [1860 June] Douglas and Johnson were chosen as the candidates of the Front Street Theater convention after most of the Southern delegations walked out. The convention bolters soon formed their own convention, located at the Maryland Institute, also in Baltimore, on June 28, 1860. At their convention Caleb Cushing again served as permanent chairman and John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky was nominated for the presidency and Joseph Lane of Oregon was nominated for the vice presidency. (1860 Southern Democratic platform)
⁶ [1860 June] Benjamin Fitzpatrick of Alabama was first nominated but he declined the nomination.
⁷ [1872] Greeley and B. Gratz Brown had already been endorsed by the Liberal Republican Party, meeting on May 1 in Cincinnati. A dissident group of Straight-Out Democrats, meeting in Louisville, Kentucky on September 3, nominated Charles O'Conor of New York for President and John Quincy Adams II of Massachusetts for Vice President, but both men declined the nomination.^[3]
⁸ [1896] "Gold" Democrats opposed to the Free Silver plank of the 1896 platform and to Wm J. Bryan's candidacy convened as the National Democratic Party in Indianapolis on September 2, and nominated John M. Palmer of Illinois for President and former Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner of Kentucky for Vice President.
⁹ [1896] Bryan was later nominated for President in St. Louis, together with Thomas E. Watson of Georgia for Vice President, by the National Silver Republican Party meeting on July 22, and by the People's Party (Populists) meeting on July 25.^[4]
¹⁰ [1948] Breakaway delegations left the Philadelphia Convention for conventions of the Progressive and States Rights Democratic Parties. The Progressives, meeting on July 23, also in Philadelphia, nominated former Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for President and Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho for Vice President. (1948 Progressive Party platform)
The States' Rights Democrats (or "Dixiecrats"), meeting in Birmingham, Alabama on July 17, nominated Governors J. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina for President and Fielding Wright of Mississippi for Vice President. (1948 States' Rights Democratic platform)^[5]
¹¹ [1972] Eagleton withdrew his candidacy after the convention and was replaced by R. Sargent Shriver, Jr. of Maryland.
¹² [2016] Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida was intended to be the chair, but resigned two days prior to the convention.^[6]

Keynote speakers

1896 – Senator John W. Daniel of Virginia, temporary convention chairman^[7]
1900 – Governor Charles S. Thomas of Colorado^[8]
1904 – Representative John Sharp Williams of Mississippi^[8]
1908 – Theodore Bell of California, former congressman, temporary convention chairman ^[9]
1912 – former Chief Judge and 1904 Presidential nominee Alton B. Parker of New York
1916 – former Governor Martin Glynn of New York^[10]
1920 – Homer Cummings, Connecticut, Democratic National Committee chairman, state's attorney for Fairfield County, Connecticut, temporary convention chairman ^[11]
1924 – Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi^[12]
1928 – Claude Bowers, New York, historian, political commentator and temporary convention chairman^[13]
1932 – Senator Alben Barkley of Kentucky, temporary convention chairman ^[14]
1936 – Senator Alben Barkley of Kentucky, and Senator Joseph Robinson of Arkansas^[15]
1940 – Speaker of the House of Representatives William Bankhead of Alabama, temporary convention chairman^[16]
1944 – Governor Robert Kerr of Oklahoma, temporary convention chairman^[17]
1948 – Senate Minority Leader Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky (also V.P. nominee)^[18]
1952 – Governor Paul Dever of Massachusetts^[19]
1956 – Governor Frank Clement of Tennessee ^[20]
1960 – Senator Frank Church of Idaho
1964 – Senator John O. Pastore of Rhode Island^[21]
1968 – Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii
1972 – Governor Reubin Askew of Florida^[22]
1976 – Representative Barbara Jordan of Texas and Senator John Glenn of Ohio ^[23]
1980 – Congressman Mo Udall of Arizona
1984 – Governor Mario Cuomo of New York^[18]
1988 – Texas State Treasurer Ann Richards
1992 – Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey, former Representative Barbara Jordan of Texas, Governor Zell Miller of Georgia (only time with three keynote speakers)^[18]
1996 – Governor Evan Bayh of Indiana
2000 – Representative Harold Ford, Jr. of Tennessee
2004 – State Senator Barack Obama of Illinois
2008 – Former Governor Mark Warner of Virginia
2012 – Mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio, Texas
2016 – Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

References

^ ^a ^b Thompson (ed.), Margaret C. (1983). Presidential Elections Since 1789. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly. p. 65. ISBN 0-87187-268-4. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^ ^a ^b American Presidency Project, University of California, Santa Barbara, at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/platforms.php (retrieved February 3, 2012)
^ Tim Taylor, The Book of Presidents, Arno Press, New York, 1972, page 215. ISBN 0-405-00226-2
^ Tim Taylor, The Book of Presidents, Arno Press, New York, 1972, page 283.
^ Tim Taylor, The Book of Presidents, Arno Press, New York, 1972, page 470.
^ Cillizza, Chris. "Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Worst Week in Washington". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
^ "US President - D Convention Race - Jul 07, 1896". Our Campaigns. 2015-08-29. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
^ ^a ^b "Past Keynote Speakers". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
^ [1] ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "US President - D Convention Race - Jun 14, 1916". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
^ "Democrats Wildly Acclaim Wilson, Tammany Alone Silent; Chairman Puts League to the Fore and Delegates Cheer; With 21 Candidates, it is Now the Field Against M'Adoo". The New York Times. July 1, 2000.
^ "Hail to the Chief: 1924". Library.olemiss.edu. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
^ "Bowers in Democratic Keynote Scores Corruption; Smith Certain on First Ballot as Convention Opens, Picks Robinson as Running Mate, Dictates Platform". The New York Times. June 26, 2000.
^ "Roosevelt Orders Two-Thirds Rule Fight End, But Backers in Committee Take Issue to Floor; Delegates Wildly Cheer Barkley's Repeal Plea". The New York Times. June 24, 2000.
^ "Robinson Rallies Democrats With Defense of New Deal; Committee Considers Platform Supplied by President; Roosevelt Expected to Draft Lehman After Convention". The New York Times. July 10, 2000.
^ "Democrats Are Not 'War Party', Convention's Keynote Declares; Roosevelt 'Draft' Move Growing". The New York Times. July 6, 2000.
^ "Democrats Press 'War Chief' Issue; Second Place Open". The New York Times. July 10, 2000.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2009-01-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Barkley Quits Race, Blasts Union Chiefs; Move to Draft Stevenson Is Increasing; Southerners Lose Loyalty Pledge Fight". The New York Times. July 11, 2000.
^ "Democratic Keynote Talk Assails Nixon as 'Hatchet Man' of G.O.P.; Lays 'Indifference' to President". The New York Times. July 10, 2000.
^ Goldstein, Richard (July 17, 2000). "John Pastore, Prominent Figure in Rhode Island Politics for Three Decades, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
^ "Special Section: 200 Faces for the Future". TIME. 1974-07-15. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
^ "Democrats Meet, Strauss Asks an end of 'Years of Nixon-Ford'; Beame and Carey Join in Attack". Partners.nytimes.com. 1976-07-13. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

[CQ-1] Thompson (ed.), Margaret C. (1983). Presidential Elections Since 1789. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly. p. 65. ISBN 0-87187-268-4. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)

[UCSB-2] American Presidency Project, University of California, Santa Barbara, at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/platforms.php (retrieved February 3, 2012)

[3] Tim Taylor, The Book of Presidents, Arno Press, New York, 1972, page 215. ISBN 0-405-00226-2

[4] Tim Taylor, The Book of Presidents, Arno Press, New York, 1972, page 283.

[5] Tim Taylor, The Book of Presidents, Arno Press, New York, 1972, page 470.

[6] Cillizza, Chris. "Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Worst Week in Washington". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 July 2016.

[7] "US President - D Convention Race - Jul 07, 1896". Our Campaigns. 2015-08-29. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

[washingtonpost.com-8] "Past Keynote Speakers". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

[9] [1] ^{[dead link‍]}

[10] "US President - D Convention Race - Jun 14, 1916". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

[11] "Democrats Wildly Acclaim Wilson, Tammany Alone Silent; Chairman Puts League to the Fore and Delegates Cheer; With 21 Candidates, it is Now the Field Against M'Adoo". The New York Times. July 1, 2000.

[12] "Hail to the Chief: 1924". Library.olemiss.edu. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

[13] "Bowers in Democratic Keynote Scores Corruption; Smith Certain on First Ballot as Convention Opens, Picks Robinson as Running Mate, Dictates Platform". The New York Times. June 26, 2000.

[14] "Roosevelt Orders Two-Thirds Rule Fight End, But Backers in Committee Take Issue to Floor; Delegates Wildly Cheer Barkley's Repeal Plea". The New York Times. June 24, 2000.

[15] "Robinson Rallies Democrats With Defense of New Deal; Committee Considers Platform Supplied by President; Roosevelt Expected to Draft Lehman After Convention". The New York Times. July 10, 2000.

[16] "Democrats Are Not 'War Party', Convention's Keynote Declares; Roosevelt 'Draft' Move Growing". The New York Times. July 6, 2000.

[17] "Democrats Press 'War Chief' Issue; Second Place Open". The New York Times. July 10, 2000.

[loc.gov-18] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2009-01-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[19] "Barkley Quits Race, Blasts Union Chiefs; Move to Draft Stevenson Is Increasing; Southerners Lose Loyalty Pledge Fight". The New York Times. July 11, 2000.

[20] "Democratic Keynote Talk Assails Nixon as 'Hatchet Man' of G.O.P.; Lays 'Indifference' to President". The New York Times. July 10, 2000.

[21] Goldstein, Richard (July 17, 2000). "John Pastore, Prominent Figure in Rhode Island Politics for Three Decades, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2010.

[22] "Special Section: 200 Faces for the Future". TIME. 1974-07-15. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

[23] "Democrats Meet, Strauss Asks an end of 'Years of Nixon-Ford'; Beame and Carey Join in Attack". Partners.nytimes.com. 1976-07-13. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

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v t e Venues of the Democratic National Convention
1800s	The Athenaeum and Warfield's Church (1832) Fourth Presbyterian Church (Baltimore) (1835) The Assembly Rooms (1840) Odd Fellows Hall (1844) Universalist Church (Baltimore) (1848) Maryland Institute (1852) Smith and Nixon's Hall (1856) South Carolina Institute Hall / Front Street Theater (1860) The Amphitheatre (Chicago) (1864) Tammany Hall (1868) Ford's Grand Opera House (1872) Merchants Exchange Building (1876) Cincinnati Music Hall (1880) Interstate Exposition Building (1884) Exposition Building (1888) Wigwam (1892) Chicago Coliseum (1896)
1900s	Convention Hall (1900) St. Louis Coliseum (1904) Denver Auditorium Arena (1908) Fifth Regiment Armory (1912) Convention Hall (1916) San Francisco Civic Auditorium (1920) Madison Square Garden (II) (1924) Sam Houston Hall (1928) Chicago Stadium (1932) Philadelphia Convention Hall/Franklin Field (1936) Chicago Stadium (1940) Chicago Stadium (1944) Philadelphia Convention Hall (1948) International Amphitheatre (1952) International Amphitheatre (1956) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena / Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1960) Atlantic City Convention Hall (1964) International Amphitheatre (1968) Miami Beach Convention Center (1972) Madison Square Garden (IV) (1976) Madison Square Garden (IV) (1980) Moscone Center (1984) Omni Coliseum (1988) Madison Square Garden (IV) (1992) United Center (1996)
2000s	Staples Center (2000) FleetCenter (2004) Pepsi Center / Invesco Field (2008) Time Warner Cable Arena (2012) Wells Fargo Center (2016) Wisconsin Center (2020) United Center (2024)

Keynote speakers

See also

References