Borah ran for the Republican nomination for president in 1936 , the first from Idaho to do so . His candidacy was opposed by the conservative Republican leadership . Borah praised Roosevelt for some of his policies , and deeply criticized the Republican Party . With only 25 Republicans left in the Senate , Borah saw an opportunity to recast the Republican Party along progressive lines , as he had long sought to do . He was opposed by the Republican organization , which sought to dilute his strength in the primaries by running state favorite son candidates in order to ensure a brokered convention . Despite being easily the leading primary vote-getter , Borah managed to win only a handful of delegates and took a majority of them in only one state , Wisconsin , where he had the endorsement of Senator Robert M. La Follette , Jr . Borah refused to endorse the eventual candidate , Kansas Governor Alf Landon ( who was nominated at the 1936 Republican National Convention ) , leading some to believe Borah might cross party lines and support Roosevelt . Ultimately , as he had four years earlier , he chose to endorse neither candidate . Borah was on the ballot that fall in Idaho , seeking a sixth term in the Senate . For the first time since the people had been given the right to elect senators , the Democrats ran a serious candidate against him , Governor C. Ben Ross . Although Idahoans overwhelmingly voted for Roosevelt , who won all states but Maine and Vermont , Borah still took over 60 percent of their votes in his re-election bid
1936 Republican National Convention
1936 Republican National Convention
William Borah