<P> Prior to their own States ' Rights Democratic Party convention , it was not clear whether the Dixiecrats would seek to field their own candidate or simply try to prevent Southern electors from voting for Truman . Many in the press predicted that if the Dixiecrats did nominate a ticket , Arkansas Governor Benjamin Travis Laney would be the presidential nominee and South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond or Mississippi Governor Fielding L. Wright would be the vice presidential nominee . Laney traveled to Birmingham during the convention , but he ultimately decided that he did not want to join a third party and remained in his hotel during the convention . Thurmond himself had doubts about a third - party bid , but party organizers convinced him to accept the party 's nomination , with Fielding Wright as his running mate . Wright 's supporters had hoped that Wright would lead the ticket , but Wright deferred to Thurmond , who had greater national stature . The selection of Thurmond received fairly positive reviews from the national press , as Thurmond had pursued relatively moderate policies on civil rights and did not employ the fiery rhetoric used by other segregationist leaders . </P>
<P> Prior to their own States ' Rights Democratic Party convention , it was not clear whether the Dixiecrats would seek to field their own candidate or simply try to prevent Southern electors from voting for Truman . Many in the press predicted that if the Dixiecrats did nominate a ticket , Arkansas Governor Benjamin Travis Laney would be the presidential nominee and South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond or Mississippi Governor Fielding L. Wright would be the vice presidential nominee . Laney traveled to Birmingham during the convention , but he ultimately decided that he did not want to join a third party and remained in his hotel during the convention . Thurmond himself had doubts about a third - party bid , but party organizers convinced him to accept the party 's nomination , with Fielding Wright as his running mate . Wright 's supporters had hoped that Wright would lead the ticket , but Wright deferred to Thurmond , who had greater national stature . The selection of Thurmond received fairly positive reviews from the national press , as Thurmond had pursued relatively moderate policies on civil rights and did not employ the fiery rhetoric used by other segregationist leaders . </P>
who did southern democrats run for president under the newly formed dixiecrat party in 1948
who did southern democrats run for president under the newly formed dixiecrat party in 1948
Strom Thurmond
Strom Thurmond