 He initially sought to avoid committing to any party in the 1920 election, hoping that either of the two major parties would draft him for president at their respective national convention.In March 1920, he changed his strategy and declared himself to be a Republican; he was motivated in large part by the belief that the Democratic candidate would have little chance of winning the 1920 presidential election.Despite his national renown, Hoover's service in the Wilson administration had alienated farmers and the conservative Old Guard of the GOP, and his presidential candidacy fizzled out after his defeat in the California primary by favorite son Hiram Johnson.