A Wall Street-based industrialist named Wendell Willkie , who had never before run for public office , emerged as the unlikely nominee . Willkie , a former Democrat who had been a pro-Roosevelt delegate at the 1932 Democratic National Convention , was considered an improbable choice . Willkie had first come to public attention as an articulate critic of Roosevelt 's attempt to break up electrical power monopolies . Willkie was the CEO of the Commonwealth and Southern power company , and he opposed the federal government 's attempts to compete with private enterprise , claiming that the government had unfair advantages over private companies . Willkie did not dismiss all of Roosevelt 's social welfare programs , and in fact supported those he believed could do better than free enterprise
1932 Democratic National Convention
1932 Democratic National Convention
1940 Republican National Convention