In 1952, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Adlai Stevenson emerged as the party's presidential nominee on the third ballot, defeating Estes Kefauver, Richard Russell, and others. Since then, the delegates have never taken more than one ballot to make their choice.
In 2020, the Convention may well begin with no candidate able to command a first-ballot majority of delegates. The proceedings almost certainly will not be as chaotic as they were in 1924, when it took 103 ballots in the stifling heat of Madison Square Garden for the Democrats to nominate John W. Davis. But a contentious 2020 Convention could fail to unite the party faithful or send a coherent and compelling message to the electorate.
A record number of Democrats have already or are about to declare their candidacies. They represent the progressive and moderate wings of the party. At the moment, no front runner has emerged. And the rules promulgated by the Democratic National Committee make it more difficult for a candidate to win a majority of delegates in time to consolidate support among Democrats and reach out to Independents and disaffected Republicans before Labor Day, the unofficial beginning of the campaign season.
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