Part 2 Chapter 6 Summary

In October, 1932, a few weeks before the November election, the Pendergast organization's handpicked candidate for governor, Francis Wilson, died. His wife called Tom Pendergast before she called the mortician. She believed that Pendergast should handle the death announcement and decide who would replace her husband as gubernatorial candidate.

Harry wanted to run for governor in Wilson's place, and Tom Pendergast had been aware of that when he picked Wilson over Truman earlier that year. When Wilson died, however, Pendergast passed over Truman in favor of the unknown Guy Park, who went on to win the election. Pendergast promised Truman he could choose between running for U.S. Congress and becoming county collector after his stint as county judge. Harry could not run for judge again because he had served two consecutive terms.

The Pendergast political organization had power over Truman's fate...