Where Was the First Presidential Primary Held?

Learn the foundation of the presidential primaries.

Presidential primaries have become an important aspect of the election process. For a candidate to run for president, he must first win the primary vote from his party. Learn how the first presidential primary originated.

Background Laws

Florida instituted the first primary law, which gave party officials the nonbinding option of holding an election to choose the party's presidential candidate for delegates to support at the national convention. This law was established in 1901.

First Preferential Primary

Oregon established the first preferential primary in 1910, making it a binding requirement that delegates vote for the presidential hopeful and winner of the primary election at the national convention.

Primary Candidates

The Republican primary candidates were incumbent president William Taft and former president Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt won the primary in Oregon, but Taft won the Republican nomination. Primaries for the Democratic Party did not yield an overall winner, but Democrat Woodrow Wilson won the general election and became president in 1912.

References

• America.gov: Early Primaries and Caucuses Shape Presidential Hopefuls' Odds
• TheUSAOnline.com: United States Elections 2008:
• ChinaDaily.com: Presidential Primary System in US:
• Slate: How Presidential Primaries Backfired
• Theodore Roosevelt Association: Bull Moose Years of Theodore Roosevelt