1984 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

{{Infobox Election

| election_name = 1984 Democratic vice presidential nomination

| flag_image =

| type = primary

| previous_election = 1976 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

| previous_year = 1976

| next_election = 1988 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

| next_year = 1988

| election_date = {{Start date|1984|07|16}}

| image1 = File:Geraldine Ferraro campaigning at Ft. Lauderdale, 4-27-84 (cropped).jpg

| nominee1 = Geraldine Ferraro

| colour1 = 1E90FF

| home_state1 = New York

| map_image =

| map_size =

| map_caption =

| title = Vice Presidential nominee

| before_election = Walter Mondale

| before_party =

| after_election = Geraldine Ferraro

| after_party =

}}This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Democratic nomination for vice president of the United States in the 1984 election. Former Vice President Walter Mondale won the 1984 Democratic nomination for president of the United States, and chose New York Representative Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. Ferraro was the first woman to be a part of a national ticket for a major party. Mondale chose Ferraro in hopes of energizing the base and winning the votes of women, but also because he viewed her as a solid legislator who had won the approval of Speaker Tip O'Neill.{{cite news|last1=Mondale|first1=Walter|last2=Hage|first2=Dave|title='The Good Fight': Mondale picks Ferraro -- 'A nation is stronger when it can tap all its talents'|url=http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2010/11/good-fight-mondale-picks-ferraro-nation-stronger-when-it-can-tap-all-its-tal|accessdate=5 October 2015|publisher=Minnesota Post|date=18 November 2015}} If elected, she would have been the first female vice president but the feat would later be accomplished by Kamala Harris in 2020. The Mondale–Ferraro ticket ultimately lost to the Reagan–Bush ticket. Until 2024, this was the last time the Democratic vice presidential nominee was neither the incumbent vice president nor a senator.

Speculation

On December 10, 1983, the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus endorsed Mondale for president and Jesse Jackson for vice president.{{Cite news |date=June 13, 1984 |title=Blacks and NOW endorse Mondale |page=A1 |work=Sioux City Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sioux-city-journal/140850670/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213061355/https://www.newspapers.com/article/sioux-city-journal/140850670/ |archive-date=February 13, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

George McGovern supported selecting Gary Hart as the vice presidential nominee.{{Cite news |date=June 13, 1984 |title=Mondale wins endorsement by McGovern |page=1A |work=The Des Moines Register |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register/140798479/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213055808/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register/140798479/ |archive-date=February 13, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Cecil Andrus, the co-chair of Mondale's presidential campaign, stated that he should pick a woman to serve as his running mate. He suggested Pat Schroeder, Geraldine Ferraro and Dianne Feinstein.{{Cite news |date=June 10, 1984 |title=Andrus urges female Demo running mate |page=3 |work=South Idaho Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-idaho-press/141631060/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220005209/https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-idaho-press/141631060/ |archive-date=February 20, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Selection

John R. Reilly, an attorney and a senior adviser to Mondale, managed the search for a running mate.{{cite news|last1=Weinraub|first1=Bernard|title=MONDALE OUTLINES JOB QUALITIES IN RUNNING MATE|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/13/us/mondale-outlines-job-qualities-in-running-mate.html|accessdate=5 October 2015|work=New York Times|date=13 June 1984}} Mondale seriously considered Hart, but Mondale refused to consider a second rival, Jesse Jackson, on the grounds that the differences between their policies were too great.{{cite news|last1=Weinraub|first1=Bernard|date=11 July 1984|title=MONDALE TO NAME HIS RUNNING MATE IN ST. PAUL TODAY|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/12/us/mondale-to-name-his-running-mate-in-st-paul-today.html|accessdate=5 October 2015}}

Mondale conducted interviews with Feinstein and Lloyd Bentsen.{{Cite news |date=June 16, 1984 |title=Mondale begins VP candidate interviews |page=9A |work=The Des Moines Register |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register/140799084/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213060126/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register/140799084/ |archive-date=February 13, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} The National Organization for Women demanded that a woman be selected.{{sfn|Ranney|1985|p=116}}

=Finalists=

File:Tom Bradley (9501733131) (cropped).jpg|{{center|Mayor of Los Angeles
Tom Bradley
from California
(1973–1993)}}

File:Henry Cisneros (P15195).jpg|{{center|Mayor of San Antonio
Henry Cisneros
from Texas
(1981–1989)}}

File:Dianne Feinstein holding the torch during the 1984 Summer Olympics (cropped).jpg|{{center|Mayor of San Francisco
Dianne Feinstein
from California
(1978–1988)}}

File:Geraldine Ferraro campaigning at Ft. Lauderdale, 4-27-84 (cropped).jpg|{{center|Representative
Geraldine Ferraro
from New York
(1979–1985)}}

File:Gary Hart, 1984 presidential campaign (cropped).jpg|alt=SenatorGary Hartfrom Colorado(1975–1987)|{{center|Senator and 1984 presidential candidate
Gary Hart
from Colorado
(1975–1987)}}

Media speculation on possible vice presidential candidates

Members of Congress{{cite news|last1=Raines|first1=Howell|date=8 June 1984|title=MONDALE TURNING ATTENTION TO HUNT FOR RUNNING MATE|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/08/world/mondale-turning-attention-to-hunt-for-running-mate.html|accessdate=5 October 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Goldstein|first1=Joel|date=26 July 2012|title=Yogi Berra and Veepstakes|publisher=University of Virginia Center for Politics|url=http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/yogi-berra-and-veepstakes/|accessdate=5 October 2015}}{{cite journal|last1=Sigelman|first1=Lee|last2=Wahlbeck|first2=Paul|date=December 1997|title=The "Veepstakes": Strategic Choice in Presidential Running Mate Selection|journal=The American Political Science Review|volume=91|issue=4|page=858|doi=10.2307/2952169|jstor=2952169}}

File:Lloyd Bentsen (1).jpg|alt=|{{center|Senator and 1976 presidential candidate
Lloyd Bentsen
from Texas
(1971–1993)}}

File:Joe Biden, official 104th Congress photo.png|{{center|Senator
Joe Biden
from Delaware
(1973–2009)}}

File:Bill Bradley P01255-06 a.jpg|{{center|Senator
Bill Bradley
from New Jersey
(1979–1997)}}

File:Bumpers77 (cropped).jpg|{{center|Senator
Dale Bumpers
from Arkansas
(1975–1999)}}

File:Christopher Dodd official portrait.jpg|{{center|Senator
Chris Dodd
from Connecticut
(1981–2011)}}

File:John Glenn Low Res (cropped).jpg|alt=|{{center|Senator and 1984 presidential candidate
John Glenn
from Ohio
(1974–1999)}}

File:FritzHollings.jpg|alt=|{{center|Senator and 1984 presidential candidate
Fritz Hollings
from South Carolina
(1966–2005)}}

File:Sam Nunn official portrait.jpg|{{center|Senator
Sam Nunn
from Georgia
(1972–1997)}}

Governors

File:Sam Brown Action (cropped).jpg|{{center|Governor
Richard Celeste
from Ohio
(1983–1991)}}

File:Gov. Bill Clinton 1983 (cropped).jpg|{{center|Governor
Bill Clinton
from Arkansas
(1979–1981;1983–1992)}}

File:Governor Mario Cuomo of NY in 1987 color (cropped).jpg|{{center|Governor
Mario Cuomo
from New York
(1983–1994)}}

File:Dukakis campaign portrait 3x4.jpg|{{center|Governor
Michael Dukakis
from Massachusetts
(1975–1979;1983–1991)}}

File:Bob Graham at press conference.jpg|{{center|Governor
Bob Graham
from Florida
(1979–1987)}}

File:Governor White 70th Leg 1987 (cropped).jpg|{{center|Governor
Mark White
from Texas
(1983–1987)}}

Other Individuals

File:Wilsonjohn (cropped).jpg|{{center|Mayor of Philadelphia
Wilson Goode
from Pennsylvania
(1984–1992)}}

File:Lee Iacocca -- Ellis Island (NY NJ) September 1990 (24260443970) (cropped2).jpg|{{center|Chairman of Chrysler
Lee Iacocca
from Michigan
(1979–1992)}}

References

Works cited

{{cite book|editor-last=Ranney |editor-first=Austin |editor-link=J. Austin Ranney |title=The American Elections of 1984 |publisher=Duke University Press |date=1985 |isbn=0822302306}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection, 1984}}

Category:Democratic Party (United States) vice presidential nominees

Category:1984 in women's history

Category:1984 United States presidential election