| Election Name: | 1936 Republican Party presidential primaries |
| Country: | United States |
| Flag Year: | 1912 |
| Type: | primary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1932 Republican Party presidential primaries |
| Previous Year: | 1932 |
| Next Election: | 1940 Republican Party presidential primaries |
| Next Year: | 1940 |
| Election Date: | March 10 to May 19, 1936 |
| Votes For Election: | 1,003 delegates to the 1936 Republican National Convention |
| Needed Votes: | 502 (majority) |
| Candidate1: | William Borah |
| Color1: | a59400 |
| Home State1: | Idaho |
| States Carried1: | 5 |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,478,676 |
| Percentage1: | 44.5% |
| Candidate2: | Alf Landon |
| Color2: | 9e5728 |
| Home State2: | Kansas |
| States Carried2: | 3 |
| Popular Vote2: | 729,908 |
| Percentage2: | 21.9% |
| Candidate3: | Frank Knox |
| Color3: | 5d73e5 |
| Home State3: | Illinois |
| States Carried3: | 1 |
| Popular Vote3: | 527,054 |
| Percentage3: | 15.8% |
| Map Size: | 450px |
| Republican nominee | |
| Before Election: | Herbert Hoover |
| After Election: | Alfred Landon |
From March 10 to May 19, 1936, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1936 United States presidential election. The nominee was selected through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1936 Republican National Convention held from June 9 to June 12, 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio.[1]
Although many candidates sought the Republican nomination, only two, Governor Alfred Landon and Senator William Borah, were considered to be serious candidates.
While favorite sons County Attorney Earl Warren of California, Governor Warren E. Green of South Dakota, and Stephen A. Day of Ohio won their respective primaries, the 70-year-old Borah, a well-known progressive and "insurgent," carried the Wisconsin, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Oregon primaries, while also performing quite strongly in Knox's Illinois and Green's South Dakota. However, the party machinery almost uniformly backed Landon, a wealthy businessman and centrist, who won primaries in Massachusetts and New Jersey and dominated in the caucuses and at state party conventions.
| Date | Primary | William Borah | Alfred Landon | Frank Knox | Earl Warren | Stephen A. Day | Warren E. Green | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 10 | New Hampshire | 0% | 0% | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| April 7 | Wisconsin | 98% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| April 14 | Illinois | 46% | 0% | 54% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| April 14 | Nebraska | 74% | 25% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| April 28 | Massachusetts | 4% | 80% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| April 28 | Pennsylvania | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| May 5 | California | 0% | 43% | 0% | 57% | 0% | 0% | |
| May 5 | South Dakota | 50% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 50% | |
| May 12 | Ohio | 3% | 6% | 0% | 0% | 90% | 0% | |
| May 12 | West Virginia | 85% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| May 15 | Oregon | 90% | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| May 19 | New Jersey | 21% | 79% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
These candidates participated in multiple state primaries or were included in multiple major national polls.
| Candidate | Most recent position | Home state | data-sort-type="date" | Campaign | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alf Landon | Governor of Kansas (1933–37) | Kansas | (Campaign) | |||||
| data-sort-value="Borah" scope="row" | William Borah | U.S. Senator from Idaho (1907–40) | Idaho | data-sort-value="03-04-2016" | (Campaign) Withdrew at convention | |||
| data-sort-value="Knox" scope="row" | Frank Knox | Publisher of the Chicago Daily News | Illinois | data-sort-value="03-04-2016" | Withdrew before convention | |||
The following candidates ran only in their home state's primary or caucus for the purpose of controlling its delegate slate at the convention and did not appear to be considered national candidates by the media.
The following persons were listed in two or more major national polls or were the subject of media speculation surrounding their potential candidacy, but declined to actively seek the nomination.
| Poll source | Publication | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallup[2] | Oct. 1935 | 26% | 1% | 12% | 8% | 33% | 3% | ||
| Gallup | Jan. 1936 | 28% | 1% | 17% | 7% | 43% | 4% | ||
| Gallup | March 1936 | 20% | 1% | 14% | 5% | 56% | 4% | ||
| Gallup | Apr. 1936 | 19% | 1% | 14% | 5% | 56% | 5% | ||
| Gallup | Apr. 1936 | 18% | 1% | 14% | 6% | 55% | 6% |
See main article: 1936 Republican National Convention. With Knox's candidacy withdrawing in order to become Landon's selection for vice president, and Day, Green, and Warren releasing their delegates, Landon's victory was assured.