FDR Biography - Governor of New York

The occasion was the 1928 presidential election. Al Smith, then Governor of New York, had been nominated as the national Democratic candidate, and anxious to carry the state of New York, he asked FDR to run as his successor. At first, FDR refused, citing the important work he was doing in Warm Springs, and his own desire to continue his efforts to regain full use of his legs. FDR's political advisor, Louis Howe, was also against the idea, as it was widely believed that 1928 would be a "Republican Year." But Smith persisted, and after a conversation with his wife, Eleanor, who implored him to go ahead, and his unsolicited nomination by the State Democratic Party, FDR decided to throw caution to the wind and enter the race.

Knowing full well that his health might become an issue in the campaign, FDR

conducted one of the most vigorous races of his career. In town after town, he hammered away at his opponent, making sure, whenever possible, that he did so from a standing position. FDR accomplished this by locking his steel braces into place and firmly gripping the arm of an aide, or a steel rod that had been specially installed in the back seat of his touring car. Tall, strong, and vigorous, and openly asking the public to come to their own conclusions about the state of his health, FDR quickly dispelled any doubts about his ability to take on the rigors of office. His efforts paid off, and in spite of the fact that the Republican ticket under Herbert Hoover took the country by a landslide, FDR scored an upset victory in New York, thereby winning not only the governorship, but also the admiration of the national democratic leadership, who had already targeted FDR as a possible presidential candidate in 1932.

FDR would serve two, two-year terms as Governor of New York, from 1928 to 1932. In true progressive tradition, he pursued an activist agenda, enhancing the power of state agencies, expanding support for social services and increasing regulatory supervision of business. He also provided help to the state's agricultural community by passing tax cuts for small farmers, boosting funds for rural education, and initiating the first program in the country that sought to raise commodity prices by taking land out of production. Following the collapse of the Stock Market in 1929, and the onset of the Great Depression, FDR moved slowly away from his fiscal conservatism, and through measures such as the New York State Unemployment Relief Act and the creation of the Temporary Emergency Relief Administration (TERA), moved to provide relief to the growing numbers of jobless in the state.

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