From February 20 to June 12, 1984, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

in the 1984 United States presidential election. Former

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928April 19, 2021) was the 42nd vice president of the United States serving from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Minnesota from 1964 to 1976. ...

was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and

caucus A caucus is a group or meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures. The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to ...

es culminating in the 1984 Democratic National Convention held from July 16 to July 19, 1984, in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated at Convention

Withdrew during Primaries

Minor Candidates

Declined to run

Timeline

Background

The Commission on Presidential Nomination was formed in July 1981, under the leadership of

Jim Hunt James Baxter Hunt Jr. (born May 16, 1937) is an American politician and retired attorney who was the List of governors of North Carolina, 69th and 71st governor of North Carolina (1977–1985, and 1993–2001). He is the longest-serving governo ...

. The commission sought to increase the power of elected officials, who could choose a more moderate and ideologically representative candidate.

Alan Cranston Alan MacGregor Cranston (June 19, 1914 – December 31, 2000) was an American politician and journalist who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from California from 1969 to 1993, and as President of the Citizens for Global S ...

, Gillis William Long, and

supported giving elected officials positions as uncommitted delegates while

Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts who served as a member of the United States Senate from 1962 to his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic Party and ...

opposed it. The report was completed on February 5, 1982. The commission allocated 568 delegates, 14% of the total, to unelected

superdelegate In American politics, a superdelegate is a delegate to a presidential nominating convention who is seated automatically. In Democratic National Conventions, superdelegates—described in formal party rules as the party leaders and electe ...

s, who were party leaders and elected officials. The primary schedule was reduced to occur from March to June, with the exception of Iowa and New Hampshire. 411 of the superdelegates were elected officials and 157 were party officials. Members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate accounted for 200 delegates. Mondale's campaign capitalized on this and Richard Moe, with 20 lobbyists, gained support for Mondale from members of Congress. Thomas Hale Boggs Jr. lobbied for congressional support for

John Glenn John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1 ...

. Twenty-six primaries were held in 1984, less than the thirty-one in 1980. 54% of the delegates were selected using primaries which was a decline from the 72% in 1980, 32% was selected using caucuses, and the remainder were superdelegates. Ten states, six using a primary and four using a caucus, and Puerto Rico used a winner-take-all system. The minimum percentage needed to win delegates was raised from 15% to 20%.

Overview and pre-contests

Kennedy, one of the leading possible candidates, announced in December 1982, that he would not run for the presidential nomination. In June 1983, Cranston won a series of

straw poll A straw poll, straw vote, or straw ballot is an ad hoc or unofficial voting, vote. It is used to show the popular opinion on a certain matter, and can be used to help politicians know the majority opinion and help them decide what to say in order ...

s in Alabama, California, and Wisconsin and placed second in Massachusetts. Mondale won a straw poll in Maine in October. Glenn criticized the excessive spending on the straw poll as Cranston and Mondale both spent $100,000 and Hollings spent $25,000 while campaigning for it. Jackson ended up winning 21% of the national primary vote but received only 8% of the delegates to the national convention, and he initially charged that his campaign was hurt by the same party rules that allowed Mondale to win. He also poured scorn on Mondale, saying that Hubert Humphrey was the "last significant politician out of the St. Paul-

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

" area.

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Senator Gary Hart was little-known when he announced his run February 1983, and barely received above 1% in the polls compared to other well-known figures. To counter this, Hart started campaigning early in

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, making a then-unprecedented canvassing tour in late September, months before the primary. This strategy attracted national media attention to his campaign, and by late 1983, he had risen moderately in the polls to the middle of the field, mostly at the expense of the sinking candidacies of

and Cranston. Hart criticized Mondale as an "old-fashioned"

Great Society The Great Society was a series of domestic programs enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the United States between 1964 and 1968, aimed at eliminating poverty, reducing racial injustice, and expanding social welfare in the country. Johnso ...

Democrat who symbolized "failed policies" of the past. Hart positioned himself as a younger, fresher, and more moderate Democrat who could appeal to younger voters. He emerged as a formidable candidate, winning the key

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

and

primaries as well as several others, especially in the West. However, Hart could not overcome Mondale's financial and organizational advantages, especially among

labor union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

leaders in the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

and industrial Northeast. Hart was also badly hurt during a televised debate when Mondale used a popular television commercial slogan to ridicule Hart's vague "New Ideas" platform. Turning to Hart on camera, Mondale said that whenever he heard Hart talk about his "New Ideas", he was reminded of the

Wendy's Wendy's International, LLC, is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (businessman), Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of D ...

fast-food slogan " Where's the beef?". The remark drew loud laughter and applause from the audience and caught Hart off-guard. Hart never fully recovered from Mondale's charge that his "New Ideas" were shallow and lacking in specifics. Earlier in the same Democratic primary debate, Hart committed a serious ''faux pas'' that largely went underreported. Asked what he would do if an unidentified

airplane An airplane (American English), or aeroplane (Commonwealth English), informally plane, is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, Propeller (aircraft), propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a vari ...

flew over the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...

from a

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...

nation, Hart replied that he would send up a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

plane and instruct them to determine whether or not it was an enemy plane by looking in the cockpit window to see if the pilots were wearing uniforms. Fellow candidate

, a former Marine Corps

fighter pilot A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a Military aviation, military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground combat and sometimes Electronic-warfare aircraft, electronic warfare while in the cockpit of ...

, replied that this was physically impossible. At a roundtable debate between the three remaining Democratic candidates moderated by Phil Donahue, Mondale and Hart got in such a heated argument over the issue of U.S. policy in Central America that Jackson had to tap his water glass on the table to get them to simmer down. Jackson's campaign was bolstered after he led a delegation to Syria that convinced

Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (6 October 193010 June 2000) was a Syrian politician and military officer who was the president of Syria from 1971 until Death and state funeral of Hafez al-Assad, his death in 2000. He was previously the Prime Minister of Syria ...

to release Bobby Goodman in January 1984. Jackson received large and overwhelming positive news coverage. However, positive news coverage ended after he called Jews "Hymies" and New York City "Hymietown". Jackson was also criticized for his relation with

Louis Farrakhan Louis Farrakhan (; born Louis Eugene Walcott; May 11, 1933) is an American religious leader who heads the Nation of Islam (NOI), a Black nationalism, black nationalist organization. Farrakhan is notable for his leadership of the 1995 Million M ...

Early contests

Mondale won the Iowa caucus with a plurality of the vote. Glenn performed poorly and came in sixth. Hart's campaign was bolstered by his second placing show. Hart, despite not winning Iowa, was now viewed as the only viable opponent to Mondale. Hart was polling below 10% nationally in late February, but was polling above 30% by March 2, and near 40% by March 6. Mondale led Glenn by two-to-one in New Hampshire and Glenn led Hart by two-to-one in New Hampshire in polling from March 1983 to February 1984. However, Hart's polling improved shortly before the primary and won in New Hampshire. Mondale and Hart both won 6 delegates, despite Hart's popular vote victory, due to mathematical distribution.

Reubin Askew Reubin O'Donovan Askew (September 11, 1928 – March 13, 2014) was an American politician, who served as the 37th governor of Florida from 1971 to 1979. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 7th U.S. trade representative from 1979 ...

, and

Fritz Hollings Ernest Frederick "Fritz" Hollings (January 1, 1922April 6, 2019) was an American politician from the U.S. state of South Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a member of the South Carolina Ho ...

ended their campaigns after their poor results in New Hampshire. Hart had incomplete delegate slates, such as him having 45 delegates slated for the 117 delegates up in Pennsylvania's primary. Hart adopted the delegate slates of withdrawn campaigns.

March contests

Glenn's campaign stated that he needed to win Alabama and perform well in Georgia. Mondale won the statewide popular vote in Georgia, but Hart won in more congressional districts and won a plurality of the state's delegates. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Illinois held their contests with a total of 510 delegates on March 13 as a part of

Super Tuesday Super Tuesday is the United States presidential primary election day in February or March when the greatest number of U.S. states hold primary elections and caucuses. Approximately one-third of all delegates to the presidential nominatin ...

. The three leading candidates' delegate counts rose from 126 to 301 for Mondale, 17 to 164 for Hart, and 7 to 34 for Jackson. Hollings was expected to win South Carolina as a favorite son candidate, but withdrew before the state held its caucus. On March 31, the Kentucky precinct caucuses elected a plurality uncommitted delegation supported by

Martha Layne Collins Colonel Martha Layne Collins (née Hall; born December 7, 1936) is an American former businesswoman and politician from the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Kentucky; she served as the state's List of Governors of Kentucky, 56th govern ...

. Mondale won the Virgin Islands caucus.

April contests

Hart won the Wisconsin primary, but none of the major candidates campaigned in the state due to the primary having no pledged delegates. Mondale won the caucus which was responsible for the allocation of 78 of the state's 89 delegates. Louisiana cancelled its primary, as it was unable to afford the $1.5 million cost, and caucuses were held for both parties instead.

Last contests

On May 1, Jackson won Washington D.C. and Mondale won Tennessee. In order to gain the nomination Hart needed to win 91% of the remaining delegates after these contests. Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, and Ohio held their contests with a total of 483 delegates on May 8 as part of Super Tuesday II. Mondale gradually pulled away from Hart in the delegate count, but the race was not decided until June, on Super Tuesday III. Decided that day were delegates from five states:

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, and the big prizes of California and

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. The proportional nature of delegate selection meant that Mondale was likely to obtain enough delegates on that day to secure the stated support of an overall majority of delegates, and hence the nomination, no matter who actually "won" the states contested. However, Hart maintained that unpledged superdelegates that had previously claimed support for Mondale would shift to his side if he swept the Super Tuesday III primary. Once again, Hart committed a ''faux pas'', insulting

shortly before the primary day. Campaigning in California, he remarked that while the "bad news" was that he and his wife Lee had to campaign separately, " e good news for her is that she campaigns in California while I campaign in New Jersey." Compounding the problem, when his wife interjected that she "got to hold a koala bear," Hart replied that "I won't tell you what I got to hold: samples from a toxic-waste dump." While Hart won California, he decisively lost New Jersey after leading in polls by as much as 15 points. North Dakota held its first presidential primary, but no delegates were bound by it. Hart won the primary against

Lyndon LaRouche Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche Jr. (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2019) was an American political activist who founded the LaRouche movement and its main organization, the National Caucus of Labor Committees (NCLC). He was a prominent conspiracy ...

, the only other candidate on the ballot. McGovern endorsed Mondale on July 11, and instructed his 23 delegates to vote for Mondale. Mondale was already 28 delegates above the minimum required to win. Mondale had the support of 81 state chairs and vice-chairs, Hart had 13, Jackson had 1, and 19 were uncommitted one week before the convention. The final CBS poll of delegates before the convention showed that among the superdelegates 384 supported Mondale, 58 supported Hart, 25 supported Jackson, and 101 were uncommitted.

Convention and aftermath

By the time the Democratic Convention started in

, Mondale had more than enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination. However, after Mondale's landslide loss to

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

, Hart would quickly emerge as the frontrunner for the 1988 Democratic Party's presidential nomination. He would maintain that status until a

sex scandal A sex scandal is a public scandal involving allegations or information about possibly immoral sexual activities, often associated with the sexual affairs of film stars, politicians, famous athletes, or others in the public eye. Sex scandals r ...

derailed his candidacy in 1987. Mondale's nomination marked only the fifth time that the Democratic Party nominated a private citizen for

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

(i.e., not serving in an official government role at the time of the nomination and election), following former Georgia Governor

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

, who followed former Illinois Governor

Adlai Stevenson II Adlai Ewing Stevenson II (; February 5, 1900 – July 14, 1965) was an American politician and diplomat who was the United States ambassador to the United Nations from 1961 until his death in 1965. He previously served as the 31st governor of Ill ...

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

, who followed former

Congressman John W. Davis in 1924, who was preceded by former President Grover Cleveland in

1892 In Samoa, this was the only leap year spanned to 367 days as July 4 repeated. This means that the International Date Line was drawn from the east of the country to go west. Events January * January 1 – Ellis Island begins processing imm ...

. The Democratic Party did not nominate another private citizen until former Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

, in

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

. Four years later, the party nominated former vice president

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

. Of the seven private-citizen Democratic nominees, Jimmy Carter, Grover Cleveland, and Joe Biden won their respective presidential elections.

Analysis

Mondale performed best in states with primaries. Hart won more states than Mondale and performed better both in primaries, with 16 victories out of 27, and caucuses, with 13 victories out of 23, but he won in states with lower delegate counts and which allotted them proportionally. Mondale won four of the five winner-take-all states. His plurality victories gave him all of Pennsylvania's 80 delegates and 102 of New Jersey's 107 delegates. Mondale's strong support among superdelegates meant that the delegations of five states won by Hart (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Indiana, Ohio, and New Mexico) were controlled by Mondale. The delegate results were malapportioned when compared to the popular vote. If all of the contests used a proportional system then the results would have been 1,591 delegates for Mondale, 1,307 for Hart, 645 for Jackson, and 390 for others and uncommitted. This would have placed Mondale below the minimum number of delegates needed to win and doubled the number of Jackson's delegates. Mondale lost all of New England and almost every state west of the Mississippi. Two-thirds of the delegates attending the convention identified as liberals compared to 7% who identified as conservatives. One-third of people who supported Hart during the Democratic primary voted for Reagan. 4% of Mondale supporters and 6% of Jackson supporters voted for Reagan. Source: Adam Clymer combined the exit polls conducted in 24 states by ''The New York Times'', ''CBS'', ''NBC'', and ''ABC''.

Endorsements

Mondale had received endorsements from: ; Executive Branch Officials *

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

(1977-1981) *

Dean Rusk David Dean Rusk (February 9, 1909December 20, 1994) was the United States secretary of state from 1961 to 1969 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, the second-longest serving secretary of state after Cordell Hull from the ...

United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the ...

from

(1961-1969) ; U.S. Senate *

Daniel Inouye Daniel Ken Inouye ( , , September 7, 1924 – December 17, 2012) was an American attorney, soldier, and statesman who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. A Medal of Honor recipi ...

, U.S. Senator from Hawaii (1963–2012) *

Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph Leahy ( ; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who represented Vermont in the United States Senate from 1975 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he also was the pr ...

, U.S. Senator from Vermont (1975–2023) ; U.S. House of Representatives * Glenn M. Anderson, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1969–1993) ''(previously endorsed Alan Cranston)'' * Jim Bates, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 44th congressional district (1983–1991) * Anthony Beilenson, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1977–1997) *

Edward Boland Edward Patrick Boland (October 1, 1911 – November 4, 2001) was an American politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Democrat, he was a representative from Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district. Early life and education Bola ...

, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district (1953-1989) * Douglas H. Bosco, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

California's 1st congressional district California's 1st congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, U.S. congressional district in California. Doug LaMalfa, a Republican Party (United States), Republican, has represented the district since January 2013. ...

(1983–1991) * Rick Boucher member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

Virginia's 9th congressional district Virginia's ninth congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia, covering much of the rural Southwest Virginia, southwestern part of the state. Th ...

(1983–2011) * Sala Burton, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

California's 5th congressional district California's 5th congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, U.S. congressional district in California. The district is located in the northern San Joaquin Valley and central Sierra Nevada. The district includes ...

(1983–1987) ''(previously endorsed Alan Cranston)'' *

Barbara Boxer Barbara Sue Boxer (née Levy; born November 11, 1940) is a retired American politician, lobbyist, and former reporter who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United St ...

, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 6th congressional district (1983–1993) * Tony Coelho, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 15th congressional district (1979–1989) * Mervyn Dymally, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 31st congressional district (1981–1993) * Joseph D. Early, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district (1975–1993) * Don Edwards, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1963–1995) ''(previously endorsed Alan Cranston)'' *

Barney Frank Barnett Frank (born March 31, 1940) is a retired American politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Frank served as chairman of th ...

, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 4th congressional district (1981–2013) * Robert García member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York (1978–1990) * Sam Gejdenson, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 2nd congressional district (1981–2001) *

Tom Harkin Thomas Richard Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Iowa from 1985 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Pa ...

, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 5th congressional district (1975–1985) * Cecil Heftel, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

Hawaii's 1st congressional district Hawaii's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The district is entirely on the island of Oahu, encompassing the urban areas of the City and County of Honolulu, a consolidated city-county that include ...

(1977–1986) * Richard H. Lehman, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1983–1995) * Matthew G. Martínez, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1982–2001) ''(previously endorsed Alan Cranston)'' * Bob Matsui, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1979–2005) * George Miller, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1975–2015) *

Joe Moakley John Joseph Moakley (April 27, 1927 – May 28, 2001) was an American politician who served as the United States representative for Massachusetts's 9th congressional district from 1973 until his death in 2001. Moakley won the seat from incumbent ...

, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 9th congressional district (1973–2001) * Leon Panetta, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1977–1993) * Charles B. Rangel, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York (1971–2017) * William R. Ratchford, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 5th congressional district (1979–1985) * James Michael Shannon, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

Massachusetts's 5th congressional district Massachusetts's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in eastern Massachusetts. The district is represented by Katherine Clark of the Democratic Party. Massachusetts's congressional redistricting after the 2010 census changed ...

(1979–1985) * Pete Stark, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1973–2013) * Esteban Torres, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 34th congressional district (1983–1999) ''(previously endorsed Alan Cranston)'' ; Governors * Toney Anaya,

Governor of New Mexico The governor of New Mexico () is the head of government of New Mexico. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New Mexico's state government and the commander-in-chief of the New Mexico National Guard. As noted in the govern ...

(1983–1987) * Cecil Andrus, Governor of Idaho (1971–1977; 1987–1995) *

Mario Cuomo Mario Matthew Cuomo ( , ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ...

Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ...

(1983-1994) * Edgar Herschler, Governor of Wyoming (1975–1987) *

Jay Rockefeller John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937) is an American retired politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia (1985–2015). He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as governor of West Vir ...

Governor of West Virginia A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

(1977–1985) ; Statewide officials * Robert Abrams,

New York Attorney General The attorney general of New York is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the Department of Law of the state government. The office has existed in various forms since 1626, originally established under the Dutch c ...

(1979-1993) * Madeleine Kunin, 75th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont (1979–1983) * Tom Miller, 31st and 33rd Attorney General of Iowa (1979–1991; 1995–2023) *

Zell Miller Zell Bryan Miller (February 24, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American politician who served as the 79th governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999 and as a United States senator representing the state from 2000 to 2005. He was a member of the Dem ...

, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia (1975-1991) ; State legislative leaders * Donald Avenson, Speaker of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

(1983–1990) * Lowell Junkins, Majority Leader of the

Iowa Senate The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the Iowa, state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . Each Senat ...

* David Roberti, President pro tempore of the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. ...

(1981–1991) ''(previously endorsed Alan Cranston)'' ; State legislators *

Julian Bond Horace Julian Bond (January 14, 1940 – August 15, 2015) was an American social activist, leader of the civil rights movement, politician, professor, and writer. While he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, during the ea ...

, member of the

Georgia State Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral leg ...

from the 39th district (1975–1987) ; Mayors * Richard Arrington Jr., Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama (1979–1999) * Tom Bradley,

Mayor of Los Angeles, California The mayor of Los Angeles is the head of the executive branch of the government of Los Angeles and the chief executive of Los Angeles. The office is officially nonpartisan, a change made in the 1909 charter; previously, both the elections and ...

(1973-1993) * Coleman Young, Mayor of Detroit, Michigan (1974-1994) ; Organizations and unions *

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a national trade union center that is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 61 national and international unions, together r ...

* Alabama Democratic Conference *

National Education Association The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college st ...

National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

; Party officials *Edward Campbell, former chair of the

Iowa Democratic Party The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Iowa. The party organizes the Democratic Iowa caucuses, Iowa presidential caucuses. In recent years, the party has l ...

* Donald Fowler, chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party (1971–1980) *Betty Strong, chair of the Woodbury County Democratic Party * Edward Vrdolyak, chair of the Cook County Democratic Party (1982-1987) ;Celebrities, political activists, and political commentators * Actress

Ellen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy A ...

* Actor

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

Hart had received endorsements from: ; U.S. House of Representatives * Patricia Schroeder, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

Colorado's 1st congressional district Colorado's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado, based primarily in the Denver, City and County of Denver in the central part of the state. The district includes almost all of the City and County ...

(1973-1997) *

Chuck Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York, a seat he has held since 1999. ...

, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York (1981-1999) * Mo Udall, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 2nd congressional district (1961-1991) * Henry A. Waxman, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1975-2015) ; Governors * Bob Kerrey, Governor of Nebraska (1983–1987) ; Statewide officials * Lynn Simons, 17th Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction (1979–1991) * Nancy Stevenson, 83rd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (1979–1983) ; State legislators *Harry Chapman, member of the

South Carolina Senate The South Carolina State Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at ...

; Local officials *Roger Watson, member of the Mason, Iowa city council ; Party officials *~~David Manley, chair of the Cerro Gordo County Democratic Party~~ ''(switched endorsement to Alan Cranston)'' *Shirley Schommer, vice-chair of the Vermont Democratic Party ;Celebrities, political activists, and political commentators * Actor and director

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...

* Actress

Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...

* Singer Don Henley * Singer

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...

* Actor Hal Linden * Actress

Penny Marshall Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 – December 17, 2018) was an American actress, film director, and producer. She is best known for ...

* Actor Walter Matthau * Actor

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...

* Actor

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

* Comedian

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...

* Actress Debra Winger Jackson had received endorsements from: ; U.S. House of Representatives *

Shirley Chisholm Shirley Anita Chisholm ( ; ; November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented New York's 12th congressional dist ...

,former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

New York's 12th congressional district New York's 12th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. As of 2023, it is represented by Democratic Party (United States), Democrat Jerry Nadler, redistricted i ...

(1969–1983) * Ron Dellums, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1971–1998) * Walter E. Fauntroy, delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington, D.C. (1971-1991) ; Governors * Orval E. Faubus, Former

Governor of Arkansas The governor of Arkansas is the head of government of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Governor (United States), governor is the head of the Executive (government), executive branch of the Politics and government of Arkansas, Arkansas government a ...

(1955-1967) ; State legislators * Tyrone Brooks, member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

(1981–2015) *

Michael Figures Michael Anthony Figures (October 13, 1947 – September 13, 1996) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the Alabama Senate from the 33rd district from 1978 until his death in 1996. He served as the body's president pro tempore af ...

, member of the

Alabama Senate The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district con ...

from the 33rd district (1978–1996) * Earl Hilliard Sr., member of the

(1980–1993) * Henry Sanders, member of the

from the 23rd district (1983–2018) ; Mayors *

Marion Barry Marion Shepilov Barry (born Marion Barry Jr.; March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2014) was an American politician who served as mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Barr ...

Mayor of the District of Columbia The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia. The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the D.C. Council. ...

(1979–1991; 1995–1999) * Johnny Ford, Mayor of

Tuskegee, Alabama Tuskegee ( ) is a city in Macon County, Alabama, Macon County, Alabama, United States. General Thomas Simpson Woodward, a Creek War veteran under Andrew Jackson, laid out the city and founded it in 1833. It became the county seat in the same y ...

* Richard G. Hatcher, Mayor of

Gary, Indiana Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...

(1968-1988) *Carl Officer, Mayor of East St. Louis, Illinois ;Organizations and unions *

Church of God in Christ The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international Christian perfection#Holiness Pentecostalism, Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and a large Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi ...

Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A centralized and hierarchical organization, the NOI is committed to black nationalism and focuses its attention on the Afr ...

* National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. *

National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. The National Baptist Convention, USA, more commonly known as the National Baptist Convention (NBC USA or NBC), is a Baptist Christian denomination headquartered at the Baptist World Center in Nashville, Tennessee and affiliated with the Baptist ...

*National Farmers Alliance *National Hispanic Leadership Conference ; Local officials * Frank Smith, member of the

Council of the District of Columbia The Council of the District of Columbia (or simply D.C. Council) is the legislative branch of the government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the district is not part of any U.S. state and is overseen ...

(1983–1999) ;Celebrities, political activists, and political commentators *

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

* Singer

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...

* Ecologist Barry Commoner * Comedian

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...

Glenn had received endorsements from: ; U.S. Senators * Sam Nunn, U.S. Senator from Georgia (1972–1997) * Jim Sasser, U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1977–1995) *

Paul Tsongas Paul Efthemios Tsongas ( ; February 14, 1941 – January 18, 1997) was an American politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1979 until 1985 and in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 until 1 ...

, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1979–1985) ; U.S. House of Representatives * Jerry Huckaby, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 5th congressional district (1977–1993) ; Governors *

Chuck Robb Charles Spittal Robb (born June 26, 1939) is an American former U.S. Marine Corps officer and politician who served as the 64th governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and a United States senator representing Virginia from 1989 until 2001. A me ...

, 64th

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The Governor (United States), governor is head of the Government_of_Virginia#Executive_branch, executive branch ...

(1982–1986) ; Statewide officials *

Bill Baxley William Joseph Baxley II (born June 27, 1941), is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician and attorney from Dothan, Alabama. In 1964, Baxley graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in Tuscaloosa, Alaba ...

, 24th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama (1983–1987) *

Tommy Irvin Thomas Telford Irvin (July 14, 1929 – September 14, 2017) was an American politician who served as Georgia's Commissioner of Agriculture from 1969 until January 2011. Irvin holds a record as the longest-serving Commissioner of Agriculture in ...

, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture (1969–2011) ; State legislators *

Larry Walker Larry Kenneth Robert Walker (born December 1, 1966) is a Canadian former professional baseball right fielder. During his 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played with the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals. I ...

, member of the

(1973–2005) ; Local officials *Tom Tully, mayor of

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...

(1978) ; Party officials *Lee Campbell, chair of the Union County Democratic Party *Pat Gilroy, chair of the Johnson County Democratic Party *Frank Rasmussen, chair of the Scott County Democratic Party *Billy Snook, chair of the Wayne County Democratic Party McGovern had received endorsements from: ; U.S. Senators * James Abourezk, former U.S. Senator from South Dakota (1973–1979) ; Party officials *Stan Kading, co-chair of the Adair County Democratic Party *Judy Wilson, chair of the Polk County Democratic Party Askew had received endorsements from: ; U.S. Senators * Lawton Chiles, U.S. Senator from Florida (1971–1989) ; U.S. House of Representatives * Dante Fascell, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida (1955–1993) * Bill Chappell, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 4th congressional district (1969–1989) * Sam Gibbons, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida (1963–1997) * Dan Mica, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida (1979–1989) ; Governors *

Bob Graham Daniel Robert Graham (November 9, 1936 – April 16, 2024) was an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 38th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senate, United States senat ...

, 38th

Governor of Florida The governor of Florida is the head of government of the U.S. state of Florida. The Governor (United States), governor is the head of the Government of Florida#Executive branch, executive branch of the government of Florida and is the comman ...

(1979–1987) ; Local officials *Eva Mack, mayor of

West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lag ...

; Party officials *Joseph Tilley, chair of the Greene County Democratic Party Hollings had received endorsements from: ;United States Senate * Former U.S. Senator

Birch Bayh Birch Evans Bayh Jr. (; January 22, 1928 – March 14, 2019) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a member of United States Senate from 1963 to 1981. He was first elected t ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

* Former U.S. Senator William B. Spong, Jr. of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

;State Constitutional officers * Lieutenant Governor Martha Griffiths of

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

* State Senator Anna Belle Clement O'Brien of

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

* Lieutenant Governor Nancy Stevenson of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

Cranston had received endorsements from: , title = Alan Cranston endorsements ''(to February 29, 1984)'' , list = ; U.S. House of Representatives * Glenn M. Anderson, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1969–1993) *

Howard Berman Howard Lawrence Berman (born April 15, 1941) is an American attorney and retired politician who served as a United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from California from 1983 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party (United St ...

, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1983–2013) *

George Brown Jr. George Edward Brown Jr. (March 6, 1920 – July 15, 1999) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician from California. He represented suburban portions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County in the United ...

, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1963–1971; 1973–1999) * Sala Burton, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

(1983–1987) * Don Edwards, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1963–1995) * William Lehman, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida (1973–1993) * Mel Levine, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 27th congressional district (1983–1993) * Matthew G. Martínez, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1982–2001) * Esteban Torres, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 34th congressional district (1983–1999) ; Governors *

Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...

, former

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...

(1975–1983) ; State legislative leaders * Willie Brown, Speaker of the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...

(1980–1995) * David Roberti, President pro tempore of the

(1980–1991) ; Party officials *David Manley, chair of the Cerro Gordo County Democratic Party ''(previously endorsed Gary Hart)'' ; Business executives and leaders *

Sheldon Adelson Sheldon Gary Adelson (August 4, 1933 – January 11, 2021) was an American businessman, investor, and political donor. He was the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which founded the Marina Bay Sa ...

, CEO of

Las Vegas Sands Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was founded by Sheldon Adelson, Sheldon G. Adelson and his partners out of the Sands Hotel and Casino on the Las ...

;Celebrities, political activists, and political commentators *

Margie Adam Margie Adam (born 1947) is an American musician and composer. Early life and education Margie Adam was born in 1947 in Lompoc, California. Her father was a newspaper publisher who composed music on the side, and her mother was a classical piani ...

, singer and songwriter * Cesar Chavez, President of

United Farm Workers The United Farm Workers of America, or more commonly just United Farm Workers (UFW), is a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. It originated from the merger of two workers' rights organizations, the National Farm Workers Associatio ...

Uncommitted delegations had received endorsements from: ; Governors * George Ariyoshi, 3rd

Governor of Hawaii The governor of Hawaii () is the head of government of the U.S. state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes bei ...

(1973–1986) ; Mayors * Eileen Anderson, 10th Mayor of Honolulu (1981–1985)

Opinion polling

Polling aggregation

The following graph depicts the standing of each candidate in the poll aggregators from March 1983 to June 1984. OpinionPolling1984DemocraticPresidentialPrimaries

1984

1983

1982

Results by state

When he made his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention, Mondale said: "Let's tell the truth. Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did." Although Mondale intended to expose Reagan as hypocritical and position himself as the honest candidate, the choice of taxes as a discussion point likely damaged his electoral chances.

Vice-Presidential nominee

Mondale chose U.S. Rep.

Geraldine A. Ferraro Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 March 26, 2011) was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ...

of New York as his running mate and she was confirmed by acclamation, making her the first woman nominated for that position by a major party. Aides later said that Mondale was determined to establish a precedent with his vice presidential candidate, considering San Francisco Mayor (Later U.S. Senator)

Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel Feinstein (; June 22, 1933 – September 29, 2023) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from California from 1992 until her death in 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 38th ...

and

Governor of Kentucky The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; sinc ...

, who were also female; Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, an African American; and San Antonio Mayor

Henry Cisneros Henry Gabriel Cisneros (born June 11, 1947) is an American politician and businessman. He served as the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, from 1981 to 1989, the second Latino mayor of a major American city and the city's first since 1842 (when Jua ...

, a Hispanic, as other finalists for the nomination. Unsuccessful nomination candidate Jackson derided Mondale's vice-presidential screening process as a "P.R. parade of personalities"; however, he praised Mondale for his choice. Others however preferred Senator

Lloyd Bentsen Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. (February 11, 1921 – May 23, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 69th United States secretary of the treasury under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994. He served as a United States senator from ...

because he would appeal to more conservative Southern voters. Nomination rival Gary Hart had also been lobbying for the vice-presidential spot on the ticket once it became apparent that Mondale had clinched the majority of delegates; Hart's supporters claimed he would do better than Mondale against President Reagan, an argument undercut by a June 1984 Gallup poll that showed both men nine points behind the President. Politicians considered for vice presidential nomination: File:Lloyd Bentsen, bw photo as senator.jpg, Senator

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

File:Dale Bumpers.jpg, Senator Dale Bumpers of

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

File:Henry Cisneros.jpg, Mayor

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

File:Martha Layne Collins, governor of Kentucky, Nov 8, 1986.jpg,

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

File:DianneFeinstein.jpg, Mayor

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

File:GeraldineFerraro.jpg, Representative

Geraldine Ferraro Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 March 26, 2011) was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party's nominee for vice presiden ...

of New York File:Bob Graham, official Senate photo portrait, color.jpg, Governor

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

File:Gary hart.jpg, Senator Gary Hart of

File:JesseJackson.png, Reverend

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American Civil rights movements, civil rights activist, Politics of the United States, politician, and ordained Baptist minister. Beginning as a ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

File:Wilson Goode (1).jpg, Mayor Wilson Goode of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

References

Notes

Works cited

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Democratic Party (United States) George McGovern Walter Mondale Jesse Jackson John Glenn

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated at Convention

Withdrew during Primaries

Minor Candidates

Declined to run

Timeline

Background

Overview and pre-contests

Early contests

March contests

April contests

Last contests

Convention and aftermath

Analysis

Endorsements

Opinion polling

Polling aggregation

1984

1983

1982

Results by state

Vice-Presidential nominee

See also

References

Notes

Works cited