democrat alton parker's defeat at the hands of president theodore roosevelt (who succeeded william mckinley after his assassination) in 1904 gave william jennings bryan, the 1896 and 1900 democratic presidential nominee, an opening to reassert his leadership in the democratic party. bryan also was helped by newspaper tycoon and 1904 contender william randolph hearst's loss in the 1905 new york mayoral election, which hurt hearst's chances to get the 1908 democratic presidential nomination. bryan therefore was the front-runner.