Break from the Grind September 1, 2020
TUESDAY TRIVIA: Who Ran for President While in Prison?
In 1920, the presidential candidate for the Socialist Party was in prison.
Reported by PS
Who ran for president while in prison?
Eugene V. Debs was a founding member of the Social Democracy of America (1897), the Social Democratic Party of America (1898) and the Socialist Party of America (1901). He ran as a Socialist candidate for president five times, including in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 and 1920.
His speech denouncing American participation in World War I led to his second arrest in 1918. He was convicted under the Sedition Act of 1918 and sentenced to 10 years. While in prison, he ran for president against Warren Harding and James Cox. He received 3.4% of the popular vote.
Harding commuted his sentence in December 1921.