Wilson became a prominent 1912 presidential contender immediately upon his election as Governor of New Jersey in 1910 , and his clashes with state party bosses enhanced his reputation with the rising Progressive movement . In addition to progressives , Wilson enjoyed the support of Princeton alumni like Cyrus McCormick and Southerners like Walter Hines Page , who believed that Wilson 's status as a transplanted Southerner gave him broad appeal . Though Wilson 's shift to the left won the admiration of many , it also created enemies like George Brinton McClellan Harvey , a former Wilson supporter who had close ties to Wall Street . In July 1911 , Wilson brought William Gibbs McAdoo and " Colonel " Edward M. House in to manage the campaign . Prior to the 1912 Democratic National Convention , Wilson made a special effort to win the approval of three-time Democratic presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan , whose followers had largely dominated the Democratic Party since the 1896 presidential election
1912 Democratic National Convention
1912 Democratic National Convention
Woodrow Wilson