page_title: Grover Cleveland 1888 presidential campaign
section_title: Democratic nomination
hierarchical_section_title: Grover Cleveland 1888 presidential campaign / Democratic nomination
caption_attribution_description: Allen G. Thurman. Library of Congress description: "Thurman, Hon. Allen G. Senator of Ohio. Born in Lynchburg, Va. Nov 13, 1813".
context_page_description: President of the United States Grover Cleveland's first term was most notable "for its record number of vetoes, more than double the number issued by all his predecessors combined." During Cleveland's first term, controlling Congressional and "wasteful spending" was an important priority for him and his administration. Cleveland's vetoes angered the Grand Army of the Republic, a powerful organization advocating for Union veterans. In his State of the Union Address in December 1887, President Cleveland called for lower tariffs and tariff reform, making it a major issue in the upcoming 1888 U.S. Presidential election.
context_section_description: In order to ensure his renomination in 1888, Cleveland made sure to weaken the power and influence of his opponents and political enemies within the Democratic Party, especially protectionist Pennsylvania United States Congressman Samuel J. Randall and New York Governor David B. Hill. Cleveland was easily renominated at the 1888 Democratic National Convention, and in addition, he was able to get the Democratic party platform in 1888 to endorse his goal of lower tariffs and tariff reform. Cleveland went into the 1888 U.S. Presidential election as the first Democratic Presidential nominee to be re-nominated since Martin Van Buren in 1840, almost half a century earlier. The respected former U.S. Senator Allen G. Thurman (from the electoral vote-rich state of Ohio) was picked as Grover Cleveland's Vice Presidential running mate. Cleveland's previous Vice President (Thomas A. Hendricks) died in November 1885.
caption: Allen Thurman, Cleveland's VP pick in 1888.
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