<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 the dixiecrats nominate to run for president in 1948
who did the dixiecrats nominate to run for president in 1948
Strom Thurmond
Strom Thurmond