The Texas Regulars was a group based in Texas which was formed in 1944 to deny Franklin D. Roosevelt a majority of the Electoral College in the 1944 presidential election.
By the 1940s, Texas conservative Democrats were irritated with Roosevelt and his New Deal and they were also unhappy about the Supreme Court striking down the segregated primary in Smith v. Allwright. They planned to gain control of the nominating convention and select a slate of electors who would not vote for Roosevelt. Texas Regulars supporters included Congressman Martin Dies Jr., former Texas governor Dan Moody, and Senator W. Lee O'Daniel.
They won the first convention, but they then lost the second convention. This led them to form their own ticket which did not field a candidate. On election day, they finished third, with 135,439 votes (0.3% of the vote). They won a majority in only Washington County, Texas, falling short of their goal as Roosevelt won Texas and the election.
The Texas Regulars disbanded soon afterward, but many of them went on to support the Dixiecrat candidacy of Strom Thurmond in 1948.
Famous quotes containing the word texas:
“Fifty million Frenchmen can’t be wrong.”
—Anonymous. Popular saying.
Dating from World War I—when it was used by U.S. soldiers—or before, the saying was associated with nightclub hostess Texas Quinan in the 1920s. It was the title of a song recorded by Sophie Tucker in 1927, and of a Cole Porter musical in 1929.