 Notwithstanding his support for the Socialist ticket in 1944, Holdridge put himself forth as a candidate for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1948.His candidacy was brought to an abrupt halt over a lawsuit Holdridge filed against then Representative John E. Rankin (D) of Mississippi.Holdridge filed for defamation of character, claiming Rankin had slandered him in comments made to a reporter in a Congressional cloakroom during 1946.