▁Final ▁days ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁Ol son ▁ruled ▁out ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁running ▁for ▁President ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁election , ▁as ▁a ▁third - party ▁candidate . ▁Instead , ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁he ▁announced ▁his ▁intention ▁to ▁run ▁against ▁long time ▁inc umb ent ▁Thomas ▁Sch all ▁for ▁one ▁of ▁Minnesota ' s ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁seats . ▁His ▁ch ances ▁improved ▁the ▁next ▁month ▁when ▁Senator ▁Sch all ▁died ▁in ▁office ▁following ▁a ▁road ▁accident , ▁and ▁El mer ▁B enson , ▁the ▁inter im ▁successor ▁to ▁Sch all ▁chosen ▁by ▁Ol son , ▁promised ▁not ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁election . ▁ ▁However , ▁Ol son ' s ▁own ▁health ▁was ▁beginning ▁to ▁fail . ▁Having ▁suffered ▁from ▁severe ▁ul cers ▁ever ▁since ▁his ▁election , ▁Ol son ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁May o ▁C lin ic ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁and ▁was ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁st om ach ▁cancer . ▁Although ▁the ▁cancer ▁would ▁eventually ▁prove ▁fatal , ▁Ol son ▁was ▁not ▁told ▁of ▁the ▁serious ness ▁of ▁his ▁condition , ▁as ▁was ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁ ▁Thus ▁re ass ured ▁of ▁his ▁" good ▁health ," ▁Ol son ▁proceeded ▁to ▁further ▁weak en ▁himself ▁by ▁not ▁only ▁res uming ▁his ▁duties ▁as ▁governor ▁but ▁also ▁beginning ▁to ▁organ ize ▁his ▁party ' s ▁state ▁convention ▁and