▁Democratic ▁support , ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁backing ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁enjoyed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁election , ▁and ▁he ▁lost ▁to ▁Samuel ▁W . ▁Parker , ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁Wh ig ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁his ▁oppon ent ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁election ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁president ial ▁election , ▁the ▁Free ▁So ilers ▁( who ▁had ▁named ▁themselves ▁the ▁Free ▁Dem ocracy ▁Party ) ▁nominated ▁John ▁P . ▁H ale ▁of ▁New ▁Ham pshire ▁as ▁its ▁president ial ▁candidate ▁and ▁found ▁themselves ▁in ▁need ▁of ▁a ▁mid western ▁man ▁to ▁balance ▁the ▁ticket . ▁Although ▁Julian ▁did ▁not ▁attend ▁the ▁convention ▁in ▁Pitts burgh , ▁the ▁party ▁nominated ▁him ▁for ▁the ▁vice - pres iden cy . ▁H ale ▁and ▁Julian ▁did ▁not ▁win ▁any ▁elect oral ▁votes ▁and ▁lost ▁the ▁election ▁to ▁Franklin ▁Pier ce ▁and ▁William ▁R . ▁King . ▁( H ale ▁and ▁Julian ▁only ▁received ▁ 1 5 5 , 2 1 0 ▁popular ▁votes , ▁less ▁than ▁ 5 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁total .) ▁Julian ▁also ▁lost ▁a ▁bid ▁for ▁election ▁to ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁when ▁the ▁Kansas – N eb r aska ▁Act ▁re open ed ▁the ▁sla very ▁debate ▁and ▁acceler ated ▁major ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁country ' s ▁political ▁party ▁system . ▁Julian ▁joined ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Party , ▁the ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁Republican ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁leader