1924 Democratic presidential primaries were part of the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1924 U.S. presidential election . The concept of a primary election , where any registered party member would vote for a candidate , was relatively new in the American political landscape . In only 12 states were actual primaries held , and even in those the results were not universally binding for the delegates to the Democratic National Convention , where the presidential candidate would be formally chosen . In most of the country , the selection of delegates was confined to state-level conventions and caucuses , under the heavy hand of local political machines . Though William Gibbs McAdoo won a vast majority of states , and much more than half of the popular vote , in those twelve states that held primary elections , it meant little to his performance nationwide . Many of the delegations from states that did '' not '' hold primary elections favored his main rivals , Oscar Underwood of Alabama and Al Smith of New York , neither of which won any primary elections . As well , the primaries that McAdoo did not win were won by " local sons " who stood no chance of winning the nomination , or in some cases were not even formal candidates . Once at the convention , the party was deadlocked for 102 straight ballots , before dark horse candidate John W. Davis , ( who was not a formal candidate when he arrived at the convention ) was chosen on the 103rd ballot . Davis went on to lose the election to Republican candidate Calvin Coolidge
the Democratic National Convention
1924 Democratic National Convention
1924 Democratic Party presidential primaries