The Texas Regulars was a group based in

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 ...

which was formed in 1944 to deny Franklin D. Roosevelt a majority of the Electoral College (United States), Electoral College in the 1944 United States presidential election, 1944 presidential election.

Background

By the 1940s, conservative Democrats in Texas had become increasingly disenchanted with Roosevelt and his New Deal. They were also unhappy that the Supreme Court of the United States, US Supreme Court, in ''Smith v. Allwright'' (1944), had disallowed the segregated Partisan primary, primaries used by the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in Texas and some other states.

History

Attempt at taking over the Texas Democratic Party

The Texas Regulars tried to gain control of the state nominating convention and select a slate of Electoral College (United States), presidential electors who would not vote for Roosevelt. The group's supporters included US Representative Martin Dies Jr., former Texas governor Dan Moody, and Senator W. Lee O'Daniel. The Texas Regulars won the first convention, but lost the second convention.

Unpledged electors

This defeat led them to form their own ticket of unpledged electors, not bound to any candidate. On election day, they finished third both in Texas and in the national popular vote, with 135,439 votes (0.3% of the vote nationally, and 11.8% of the vote in Texas). They won a majority in only Washington County, Texas. Roosevelt easily carried Texas with 71.4% of the statewide vote, and won national re-election with 432 of 531 electoral votes.

Platform

The Texas Regulars opposed the New Deal, trade unions, and government intervention and supported states' rights and white supremacy, with a platform paraphrased as follows: # Restoration of the Democratic Party to the integrity which has been taken away by Sidney Hillman, Hillman, Earl Browder, Browder, and others. # Protection of honest Labor unions in the United States, labor unions from foreign-born racketeers who have gained control by blackmail. # Return of States' rights, state rights which have been destroyed by the Communist-controlled New Deal. # Restoration of the freedom of education. # Restoration of the White supremacy, supremacy of the white race, which has been destroyed by the Communist-controlled New Deal. # Restoration of the United States Bill of Rights, Bill of Rights instead of rule by regimentation. # Restoration of government by laws instead of government by bureaus. # Restoration of the individual appeal for justice, instead of a politically appointed bureau.

Aftermath

The Texas Regulars disbanded soon afterward, but many of them went on to support the Dixiecrat movement of Strom Thurmond in the 1948 United States presidential election, 1948 presidential election. They later became "Dwight D. Eisenhower, Eisenhower Democrats" (or supported unpledged electors in presidential elections) in the 1950s, before becoming Republican Party (United States), Republicans by the 1960s and 1970s.

References

{{Authority control Anti-communism in the United States Anti-black racism in Texas 1944 establishments in Texas Factions in the Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) presidential campaigns Politics of Texas White nationalism in Texas White supremacist groups in the United States