The United States presidential election of 1940 was an unusually fraught one, as the country recovered from the Great Depression and still, somewhat uneasily, faced the specter of war. Increasingly concerned that incumbent Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt would lead the country to war, voters turned to other alternatives, particularly isolationist hero Charles Lindbergh, also a conservative Republican. Although having never held elected office, Lindbergh accepted his candidacy, essentially clearing the field. In November, Lindbergh defeated Roosevelt by almost 10%.