State party officials say they will take a vote only if the county chairmen want it.

He was an imposing man, once the only black to serve as county chairman of a major political party in the country.

In fact, the county chairman said that would be the end of me politically.

The second time around, he only had three county chairman supporting him.

"This gets him on the evening news, which is what we need," said one county chairman.

"Not in a million years would I be county chairman," he said.

He had to call the county chairman to deliver 100 more ballots.

A lifelong Republican, he is a former county chairman of his party.

He resumed the practice of law, Democratic county chairman from 1953 to 1955.

He was also county chairman for a period, and national board member from 1904 to 1912 and 1918 to 1920.