Early Attempts
The first bill for a national primary was introduced in Congress by Representative Richard Hobson of Alabama in 1911. President Woodrow Wilson endorsed the concept. Since that time 125 similar bills have been introduced. Support was strong in 1913 with the Senate discussing the plan for an hour and deciding that there was general support for President Wilson's reforms. In 1915, Senator Atlee Pomerene of Ohio, Chairman of the sub-committee examining President Wilson's plan, came to the conclusion that an amendment to the Constitution was needed before such a national primary could occur.
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