On January 27 , 1964 , Smith announced her candidacy for President of the United States . She declared , " I have few illusions and no money , but I 'm staying for the finish . When people keep telling you , you ca n't do a thing , you kind of like to try . " She lost every single primary election , but did manage to win 25 % of the vote in Illinois . At the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco , she became the first woman to have her name be placed in nomination for the presidency at a major political party 's convention . She placed fifth in the initial balloting , and denied unanimous consent for Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona after refusing to withdraw her name from the final ballot . She nevertheless campaigned for Goldwater in the general election , appearing in a television ad in which she defended his position on Social Security
1964 Republican National Convention
1964 Republican National Convention
Margaret Chase Smith