First Catholic to Run for President

Al Smith was the first Catholic to run for President, and he did so in the 1928 election in which he was defeated in a landslide against Herbert Hoover.

Smith's dad died when Smith was only 13 years old, and as a result he was pulled out of school and never ended up going to high school or college. He instead worked at the Fulton Fish Market. Eventually, he traded this job for a position in an office of the Commissioner of Jurors and was soon elected to the New York State Assembly. He kept working up the ranks of the political life until eventually he was elected Governor of New York.

Smith tried to run for President in 1924, but he didn't succeed. When the 1928 election against Hoover came around, Smith was ready. He campaigned hard but was ultimately defeated because of his Catholic background. People were worried he would answer to the Pope instead of the Constitution and they also feared that he tolerated government corruption. He was also in favor of the repeal of Prohibition Laws, which frightened the citizens. However, Smith did succeed in getting many Catholics and women to vote for the first time. His mediocre campaigning, religious beliefs, relation to the corruption of Tammany Hall, and the fact that the power of New York City intimidated some people, ultimately lead to his loss at the Presidential election.

Here is a political cartoon that suggests the Pope is behind Al Smith: