The Evening Star (September 4, 1946)
New York conventions name Mead, Dewey; Donovan withdraws
Way is opened for GOP to pick Ives to oppose Lehman for Senate
ALBANY, New York (AP) – New York’s Republicans renominated Thomas E. Dewey as candidate for governor today while Democrats picked Sen. Mead as his opponent.
The actual, long-anticipated selections came by tumultuous, unanimous acclamation of wildly cheering delegates at state conventions where both parties made it plain they would claim “progressive” and “liberal” records in the coming campaign.
Sen. Mead was picked to head a slate which also included Herbert H. Lehman, four-time New York governor now running for senator and Erastus Coming, two-time mayor of Albany, named to run for lieutenant governor. Sen. Mead, Mr. Lehman and Mayor Coming never have been defeated at the polls.
Donovan withdraws
Republicans, convened at Saratoga Springs, were set to nominate State Assembly Leader Irving M. Ives as candidate for senator after Maj. Gen. William J. (Wild Bill) Donovan agreed to withdraw his name, thus abruptly erasing the possibility of a convention floor fight.
Supporters of Gen. Donovan, Congressional Medal of Honor winner in World War I and head of the Office of Strategic Services in World War II, had carried the fight to Saratoga Springs after much pre-convention activity.
Gen. Donovan’s decision was not announced until after the name of Mr. Ives, choice of Gov. Dewey’s high command, had been placed in nomination.
Gov. Dewey’s running mate as candidate for lieutenant governor was Joe R. Hanley, the incumbent 70-year-old veteran of many years in state office.
Democratic platform charges
The Democrats, fighting to recapture control of politically-potent New York with its 47 electoral votes and break Gov. Dewey’s four-year regime, charged in their platform that the Dewey administration “has made a determined effort to halt the socially progressive gains acquired by the people” under Govs. Alfred E. Smith, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lehman and had sought “to restore the reign of Republican vested interests.”
Meanwhile, Republicans adopted a 16-plank platform which declared: “The Republican administration under the leadership of Thomas E. Dewey has given our state the most humane, progressive and truly liberal government in its history.”
Both parties served notice of strong bids for the votes from among New York’s 1,500,000 veterans. The Democratic platform called for increased state assistance to World War II veterans while the GOP plank listed an expansion of a “comprehensive program of veterans’ benefits.”
Democrats back Truman
Apparently with an eye on the 1948 presidential campaign, in which Gov. Dewey is a potential candidate, the Democrats included in their platform support of President Truman’s “progressive domestic legislative program.”
The Democrats prepared to campaign for party nominees for Congress on a platform plank denouncing Great Britain’s policy in Palestine and urging establishment there of a free Jewish commonwealth.
The GOP platform, presented by a committee headed by Herbert Brownell Jr. of New York City, Republican national chairman during Gov. Dewey’s 1944 presidential campaign, made no mention of foreign affairs. It stressed “whole-hearted support” of measures to eliminate racial and religious discrimination.
The Republicans last night heard Benjamin F. Feinberg, party Senate leader, score what he termed “an unholy alliance” of minority elements “masquerading under the Democratic banner.”
The American Labor Party, meeting in New York last night, nominated Sen. Mead and Mr. Lehman as its candidates for governor and senator. Support of minority parties is considered by most observers as essential to the success of the Democrats in the state election.