When Milt From Merion Ran For President Of The United States #TBT
Pennsylvania Governor Milton Shapp's 1976 Run For The Democratic Presidential Nomination Was Not His Finest Moment
Milton Shapp, who at the time lived at 626 Bowman Avenue in Merion, announced his candidacy for the Democratic Presidential Nomination on September 25, 1975. The following day, the Inquirer ran Shapp’s announcement on the front page as its lead story.
The paper ran another story, about Shapp’s brother-in-law, which appeared next to the one about the announcement of his presidental campaign.
According to the Inquirer, Julian Rothman, Shapp’s brother-in-law, had invoked the 5th Amendment in a Federal Grand Jury Hearing that was “investigating the circumstances surrounding a $10,000 contribution to Shapp’s 1970 [gubernatorial] campaign.”
Shapp’s announcement came less than a year after his November 1974 re-election win over Republican Drew Lewis. In that election he beat Lewis by about 300,000 votes.
In November of 1970 Shapp defeated Republican Raymond Broderick by slightly more than 500,000 votes.
1976, Like Now, Saw a Crowded Democratic Field
Shapp was one of seven candidates who appeared at a candidates forum in Boston on February 21, 1976 – the night before the New Hampshire Primary (Shapp did not enter the New Hampshire Primary or the Iowa Caucuses, both of which were won by the eventual nominee, Jimmy Carter). According to the Lowell Sun, “Milton Shapp at one point handed Scoop Jackson a printed copy of his plan for invigorating the Pennsylvania Economy, ‘This might help you,’ he quipped, smiling.”
Shapp's Strategy Called For Impressive Showings in Massachusetts and Florida
In Massachusetts he came in ninth, winning 3% of the vote and one delegate. He ran behind Ellen McCormak who ran exclusively on a Pro Life Platform.
A week later in the Florida Primary, Shapp’s Presidential Fantasy came to a crashing halt. He won 2% of the vote there.
That was 1% less than No Preference.
The Inquirer, which had been critical of Shapp’s presidential run from the start, described his Florida effort as “hapless.”
Later that week Shapp officially announced what was obvious without his having said so, that his presidential campaign was over.
