1928
In 1928, voter turnout reached 70% suggesting how agitated and divided the country was about choosing their next president. The Republican ticket of Herbert C. Hoover (1874-1964) and Charles Curtis (1860-1936) won over Democrats Alfred E. Smith (1873-1944) and Joseph T. Robinson (1872-1937). Smith, who was governor of New York and the first Catholic to be nominated for president by a major party, did well in cities. But, he was attacked for his Catholic fath and his big-city personality, which was considered aggressive and brash by many.
Hoover, who had served as "food administrator" during World War I, had a reputation as a "great humanitarian." This helped him get elected with over 58% of the popular vote. These buttons were used by a Hoover supporter in Massachusetts. They also show Frank G. Allen (1874-1950), who won the Massachusetts gubernatorial race in 1928 and B. Loring Young (1885-1964) who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate that year.