Born and raised in Ohio , Cox began his career as a newspaper copy reader before becoming an assistant to Congressman Paul J. Sorg . As owner of the '' Dayton Daily News '' , Cox introduced several innovations and crusaded against the local Republican Party boss . He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1909-13 before being elected as Governor of Ohio . As governor , Cox introduced a series of progressive reforms and supported Woodrow Wilson 's handling of World War I and its aftermath . He was chosen as the Democratic nominee for president on the forty-fourth ballot of the 1920 Democratic National Convention . Running on a ticket with future President Franklin D. Roosevelt as his running mate , Cox suffered the worst defeat in presidential election history as the country accepted Republican nominee Warren G. Harding 's call for a " return to normalcy " after the Wilson years
1920 Democratic National Convention
1920 Democratic National Convention
James M. Cox