1944 Republican Party presidential primaries

The Republican Party was divided over how to respond to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration. Wendell Willkie, the party's 1940 nominee, supported Roosevelt's foreign policies, Alf Landon, the party's 1936 nominee, supported a compromise, and Senator Gerald Nye opposed his policies. The Republicans gained enough seats in the United States Senate in the 1942 elections to end the Democrat's supermajority control.[2]

Willkie's support of Roosevelt's policies and work as Roosevelt's personal representative in foreign affairs decreased his influence in the party. Members of the party made plans to prevent Willkie from winning the party's nomination in the 1944 election. Clarence Budington Kelland, a member of the Republican National Committee, wrote in a letter to Landon that Harrison E. Spangler, the chair of the party, was attempting to create ten to twelve new national figures. Landon and House Minority Leader Joseph W. Martin Jr. worked on stopping Willkie and finding a nominee to replace him.[2]

As 1944 began the frontrunners for the Republican nomination appeared to be Willkie, the party's 1940 candidate, Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, the leader of the party's conservatives, New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, the leader of the party's powerful, moderate eastern establishment, General Douglas MacArthur, then serving as an Allied commander in the Pacific theater of the war, and former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen, then serving as a U.S. naval officer in the Pacific.

However, Taft surprised many by announcing that he was not a candidate; instead he voiced his support for a fellow conservative, Governor John W. Bricker of Ohio. With Taft out of the race some GOP conservatives favored General MacArthur. However, MacArthur's chances were limited by the fact that he was leading Allied forces against Japan, and thus could not campaign for the nomination.

Competing in primaries

Candidate			Most recent position	Home state	Campaign
Thomas E. Dewey			Governor of New York (1943–54)	New York	(Campaign)
Douglas MacArthur			Army Chief of Staff (1930–35)	New York	(Campaign)
Harold Stassen			Former Governor of Minnesota (1939–43)	Minnesota	(Campaign)
Wendell Willkie			Businessman and 1940 presidential nominee	New York	(Campaign)

Bypassing primaries

The following candidates did not actively campaign for any state's presidential primary (other than their own), but may have had their name placed on the ballot by supporters or may have sought to influence to selection of un-elected delegates or sought the support of uncommitted delegates.

Candidate		Most recent position	Home state	Campaign
John W. Bricker		Governor of Ohio (1939–45)	Ohio
Earl Warren		Governor of California (1943–53)	California

Willkie withdrew from the presidential campaign following his poor results in the Wisconsin primary.[2]

• 1944 Democratic Party presidential primaries