United States presidential election, 1956

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Image:ElectoralCollege1956-Large.png The U.S. presidential election of 1956 saw a popular Dwight D. Eisenhower run for re-election after his first term.

Racial segregation was a hot topic. After debate, both major parties endorsed planks giving lukewarm support for the right of the Supreme Court to decide issues like Brown v. Board of Education as to school desegregation; groups of delegates failed to get planks endorsing end to Jim Crow laws on one hand or support for continuing segregation on the other.

1 Nominations
- 1.1 Republican Party nomination
- 1.2 Democratic Party nomination
2 General election
- 2.1 Campaign
- 2.2 Results
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links
8 Navigation

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Nominations

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Republican Party nomination

Although there was some speculation that Eisenhower would not run for a second term due to ill health, he did seek the nomination and won with little opposition. The Republican Party convention was held in San Francisco, California.

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Democratic Party nomination

Losing 1952 nominee Adlai Stevenson fought a tight battle with populist Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver for the nomination. In the end Stevenson won and allowed the convention delegates to chose his running mate. Although Stevenson privately favored John F. Kennedy, the delegation opted for Kefauver.

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General election

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Campaign

Stevenson campaigned hard against Eisenhower, with television ads for the first time being the dominant medium for both sides. Because Eisenhower's 1952 election victory was due, in large part, to winning the female vote, there were a plethora of "housewife" focused ads.

Stevenson proposed significant increases in social programs and treaties with the Soviet Union to lower military spending and nuclear testing on both sides. However, Eisenhower was highly popular and maintained a comfortable lead throughout the campaign.

In the end Eisenhower won with a large lead in the popular vote and the electoral votes of 41 of the 48 states.

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Results

Template:Start U.S. presidential ticket box Template:U.S. presidential ticket box row Template:U.S. presidential ticket box row Template:U.S. presidential ticket box row Template:U.S. presidential ticket box row Template:U.S. presidential ticket box row Template:U.S. presidential ticket box other Template:End U.S. presidential ticket box Source (Popular Vote): Template:Leip PV source 2

Source (Electoral Vote): Template:National Archives EV source

^(a) Alabama faithless elector W. F. Turner, who was pledged to Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver, instead cast his votes for Walter Burgwyn Jones, who was a circuit court judge in Turner's home town, and Herman Talmadge, governor of the neighboring state of Georgia.

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