9 3 5 ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Convention . ▁ ▁The ▁rapid ▁asc end ancy ▁of ▁R ivers ▁attract ed ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁ 1 st ▁district ▁Congress man ▁Thomas ▁S . ▁Mc Mill an ▁who ▁became ▁wor ried ▁when ▁R ivers ▁requested ▁papers ▁from ▁the ▁state ▁Democratic ▁secretary ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁office . ▁Mc Mill an ▁arranged ▁a ▁meeting ▁with ▁R ivers ▁and ▁offered ▁him ▁a ▁position ▁as ▁a ▁Special ▁Ass istant ▁to ▁the ▁Att orney ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁R ivers ▁accepted ▁and ▁worked ▁throughout ▁the ▁South ▁collect ing ▁un pa id ▁criminal ▁fin es ▁and ▁for fe ited ▁b ail ▁b onds . ▁▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁election ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁Mc Mill an ▁died ▁and ▁R ivers ▁immediately ▁made ▁plans ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁Congress . ▁He ▁quit ▁his ▁federal ▁job ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁opened ▁a ▁law ▁practice ▁in ▁Char l eston ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁base ▁for ▁his ▁campaign . ▁His ▁oppon ent ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁primary ▁was ▁Alfred ▁von ▁Kol nitz , ▁who ▁had ▁the ▁backing ▁of ▁the ▁Char l eston ▁political ▁establishment ▁and ▁Thomas ▁Mc Mill an ' s ▁wid ow , ▁Clara . ▁R ivers ▁knew ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁going ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁vote ▁in ▁Char l eston , ▁so ▁he ▁tried ▁to ▁maxim ize ▁his ▁vote ▁outside ▁of ▁Char l eston ▁by ▁making