After the abolition of the BEW in mid-1943 , speculation began as to whether Roosevelt would drop Wallace from the ticket in the 1944 election . Nonetheless , Gallup polling published in March 1944 showed that Wallace was by far the most popular choice for vice president among Democrats , and many journalists predicted that he would win re-nomination . As Roosevelt was in declining health , party leaders expected that the party 's vice presidential nominee would eventually succeed Roosevelt , and Wallace 's many enemies within the Democratic Party organized to ensure his defeat . Much of the opposition to Wallace stemmed from his open denunciation of racial segregation in the South , but others were concerned by Wallace 's unorthodox religious views and pro-Soviet statements . Shortly before the 1944 Democratic National Convention , party leaders such as Robert E. Hannegan and Edwin W. Pauley convinced Roosevelt to sign a document expressing support for either Associate Justice William O. Douglas or Senator Harry S. Truman for the vice presidential nomination . Nonetheless , Wallace convinced Roosevelt to send a public letter to the convention chairman in which he stated , " I personally would vote for Wallace 's renomination if I were a delegate to the convention . " With Roosevelt not fully committed to keeping or dropping Wallace , the vice presidential balloting turned into a battle between those who favored Wallace and those who favored Truman . Wallace did not organize an effective organization in support of his candidacy , though allies like Calvin Benham Baldwin , Claude Pepper , and Joseph F. Guffey pressed for him . Truman , meanwhile , was reluctant to put forward his own candidacy , but Hannegan and Roosevelt convinced him to run . At the convention , Wallace galvanized supporters with a well-received speech in which he lauded Roosevelt and argued that " the future belongs to those who go down the line unswervingly for the liberal principles of both political democracy and economic democracy regardless of race , color or religion . " After Roosevelt delivered his acceptance speech , the crowd began chanting for the nomination of Wallace , but Samuel D. Jackson adjourned the convention for the day before Wallace supporters could call for the beginning of vice presidential balloting . Party leaders worked furiously to line up support for Truman overnight , but Wallace received 429 1/2 votes ( 589 were needed for nomination ) on the first ballot for vice president ; Truman finished with 319 1/2 votes , and the remaining votes went to various favorite son candidates . On the second ballot , many delegates who had voted for favorite sons shifted into Truman 's camp , giving him the nomination
1944 Democratic National Convention
1944 Democratic National Convention
Henry A. Wallace