C-SPAN The Contenders

Eugene Debs

Born: November 5, 1855

Died: October 20, 1926

"While there is a lower class I am in it; while there is a criminal element I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free."

1875: Founding member and secretary of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen

1880: Grand Secretary of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen

1884: Indiana General Assembly, served as a democrat

1893: Founded the American Railway Union (one of the first industrial unions in America)

1894: Arrested for allegedly obstructing U.S. mail

1900: Ran for President and Congress as a Socialist

1901: Chairman of the Executive Board of the National Council of the Socialist Democratic Party of the United States

1904: Ran as the Socialist Party of America candidate for President

1905: Founded the Industrial Workers of the World (labor union)

1908: Ran as the Socialist Party of America candidate for President

1912: Ran as the Socialist Party of America candidate for President

1919: Imprisoned on 10 counts of sedition

1920: Ran as the Socialist Party of America candidate for President

1900 Election

Candidate	Party	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote	Percentage
William McKinley	Republican	292	7,228,864	51.6%
William Jennings Bryan	Democratic	155	6,370,932	45.5%
Eugene Debs	Socialist	0	86,833	0.8%

1904 Election

Candidate	Party	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote	Percentage
Theodore Roosevelt	Republican	336	7,630,457	56.4%
Alton B. Parker	Democratic	140	5,083,880	37.6%
Eugene Debs	Socialist	0	402,686	3.2%

1908 Election

Candidate	Party	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote	Percentage
William H. Taft	Republican	321	7,678,395	51.6%
William Jennings Bryan	Democratic	162	6,408,984	43.0%
Eugene Debs	Socialist	0	420,793	3.4%

1912 Election

Candidate	Party	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote	Percentage
Woodrow Wilson	Democratic	435	6,296,284	41.8%
Theodore Roosevelt	Progressive	88	4,122,721	27.4%
William Howard Taft	Republican	8	3,486,242	23.2%
Eugene V. Debs	Socialist	0	901,551	6.0%

1920 Election

Candidate	Party	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote	Percentage
Warren G. Harding	Republican	404	16,144,093	60.3%
James M. Cox	Democratic	127	9,139,661	34.1%
Eugene V. Debs	Socialist	0	913,655	2.9%

Did you know...

Eugene Debs ran as the Socialist Party of American candidate for President five times. He ran his last campaign from the Atlanta Federal Prison in 1920 after being convicted for violating the Sedition Act.