Norman Thomas

Norman Mattoon Thomas, or simply Norman Thomas, is a Socialist Party candidate for the 1932 United States Presidential election who ran for the party in several elections beforehand, including the governor of New York in 1924, mayor of New York in 1925 and again in 1929 and the New York State Senate in 1926. He also was the Socialist Party's ticket in the 1928 Presidential election, in which his oratorical skills and passion for democratic socialism earned him much acclaim amongst the party. Despite his socialist rhetoric, the way he dressed and talked earned him grudging admiration amongst the people.

Many have considered Thomas to be the most likely contender for the Socialist Party again. An anti-Communist, he spoke out largely against fellow candidates William Z. Foster and Jay Lovestone for their disambiguation between socialism and communism. Thomas supported the liberalisation in the German Socialist Republic and once met Walter Ulbricht face to face. His ideals of American diplomacy rather than war earned him the title 'the Benevolent Pacifist', and it is believed that the most likely ticket for the Socialist Party would be a Thomas-Olson alliance.