 Gary was viewed negatively during the spring because of his tirades against Hampton and the state Democrats hoped that an early convention would eliminate any possibility of Gary recovering his support.At the convention in Columbia, a motion to proceed with nominations was immediately brought to a vote and it passed by a margin of 84 to 63.Unable to stop the nominating process and with little support, Gary refused to let his name be nominated for governor so as to avoid the embarrassment of an overwhelming defeat.