Hoover had been little known among the American public before 1914 , but his service in the Wilson administration established him as a contender in the 1920 presidential election . Hoover 's wartime push for higher taxes , criticism of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer 's actions during the First Red Scare , and his advocacy for measures such as the minimum wage , forty-eight-hour workweek , and elimination of child labor made him appealing to progressives of both parties . Despite his service in the Democratic administration of Woodrow Wilson , Hoover had never been closely affiliated with either the Democrats or the Republicans . He initially sought to avoid committing to any party in the 1920 election , hoping that either of the two major parties would draft him for president at their respective national convention . In March 1920 , he changed his strategy and declared himself to be a Republican ; he was motivated in large part by the belief that the Democratic candidate would have little chance of winning the 1920 presidential election . Despite his national renown , Hoover 's service in the Wilson administration had alienated farmers and the conservative Old Guard of the GOP , and his presidential candidacy fizzled out after his defeat in the California primary by favorite son Hiram Johnson . At the 1920 Republican National Convention , Warren G. Harding emerged as a compromise candidate after the convention became deadlocked between supporters of Johnson , Leonard Wood , and Frank Orren Lowden . Hoover backed Harding 's successful campaign in the general election , and he began laying the groundwork for a future presidential run by building up a base of strong supporters in the Republican Party
1920 Republican National Convention
1920 Republican National Convention
Herbert Hoover