 McKinley left office as governor in January 1896 . In February , Harrison made it clear he would not seek a third nomination . Hanna 's operatives immediately organized Harrison 's home state of Indiana for McKinley with a haste the former president privately found unseemly . By early 1896 , the Reed and Allison campaigns were beginning to form themselves , but had little luck in Indiana . McKinley challenged his rivals everywhere except in states , like Iowa , that he deemed had serious candidates like Senator Allison . The favorite son candidacies of Minnesota Senator Cushman K. Davis and former Nebraska senator Charles F. <unk> fell victim to the McKinley forces , well @-@ financed by Hanna , who took their states away from them . McKinley was disliked by the American Protective Association , an anti @-@ Catholic group angered that as governor he had appointed to office members of that faith . Their wide <unk> caused Hanna to act against falsehoods that his candidate was a Catholic . 
