 Although by no means the sole decision-maker in the organization, Debs' status as prominent public figure in the aftermath of the Pullman strike provided cachet and made him the recognized spokesman for the party in the newspapers.Along with Elliott, Debs was the first federal office candidate for the fledgling socialist party, running unsuccessfully for president and Congress in 1900.Along with his running mate Job Harriman, Debs received 87,945 votes (0.6% of the popular vote) and no electoral votes.