Democratic New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Republican incumbent President Herbert Hoover . Roosevelt won in a landslide , and Hoover only won six Northeastern states . Roosevelt 's victory was the first by a Democratic candidate since Woodrow Wilson won re-election in 1916 . Roosevelt took his party 's nomination on the fourth ballot , defeating 1928 nominee Al Smith and Speaker of the House John Nance Garner
party 's nomination
1932 Democratic National Convention
1932 United States elections