bryan's most formidable challenger was minnesota governor john albert johnson. johnson's rags-to-riches story, honesty, reformist credentials, and ability to win in a heavily republican u.s. state made him popular within the democratic party. johnson ultimately was unable to overcome bryan, and by the end of june 1908 bryan had the two-thirds of the delegates needed to win the nomination. at the 1908 democratic national convention, johnson (who had no chance at the nomination by then) released his delegates to bryan, helping bryan to win the nomination on the first ballot with 892.5 votes to 105.5 votes for other (favorite son) candidates. for bryan's vice presidential running mate the convention delegates selected john w. kern, a former state senator (1893-1897) and two-time gubernatorial candidate (and later u.s. senator) from indiana. in response to bryan's and kern's nomination, "the new york times" disparagingly pointed out that the democratic national ticket was consistent because "a man twice defeated for the presidency was at the head of it, and a man twice defeated for governor of his state [in 1900 and 1904] was at the tail of it."