After President Calvin Coolidge declined to seek reelection , Hoover emerged as his party 's front-runner . As Hoover 's intra-party opponents failed to unite around a candidate , Hoover received a large majority of the vote at the 1928 Republican National Convention . The strong state of the economy discouraged some Democrats from running , and Smith was nominated on the first ballot of the 1928 Democratic National Convention . Hoover and Smith had been widely known as potential presidential candidates long before the 1928 campaign , and both were generally regarded as outstanding leaders . Each candidate was a newcomer to the presidential race and presented in his person and record an appeal of unknown potency to the electorate . Each candidate also faced serious discontent within his party membership , and neither had the wholehearted support of his party organization
1928 Republican National Convention
1928 Republican National Convention
1928 United States presidential election