Page "James McNair Baker" Paragraph 3

In 1852, Baker was named State's Attorney for the Suwannee Circuit, and served as a delegate to the Whig National Convention in Baltimore.

There, despite the protests of the Florida delegation, the party nominated General Winfield Scott for President of the United States.

Scott was extremely unpopular in the state due to his prosecution of the Seminole Wars, and the decision to put him at the top of the party's ticket alienated many voters.

So, it was no surprise in 1856 when Baker failed to win election to the U. S. Congress as a Whig candidate despite his extensive horseback travels across the state.