Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Wasu masu hana hanawa da sauran magoya bayan Bryan sun yi kokarin shawo kan dan takarar shugaban kasa sau uku don shiga zaben shugaban kasa na 1920 da kuma "Literary Digest" da aka yi a tsakiyar 1920 ya sanya Bryan a matsayin na huɗu mafi mashahuri dan takarar Democrat. Bryan, duk da haka, ya ƙi neman ofishin gwamnati, ya rubuta "idan zan iya taimaka wa wannan duniyar don kawar da giya da kuma bayan haka don kawar da yaƙi... babu wani ofishi, babu Shugabanci, zai iya ba da girmamawa wanda zai zama nawa". Ya halarci Babban Taron Kasa na Jam'iyyar Democrat na 1920
a matsayin wakili daga Nebraska, amma ya yi takaici da nadin Gwamna James M. Cox, wanda bai goyi bayan amincewa da Kwaskwarima na goma sha takwas ba. Bryan ya ki amincewa da zaben shugaban kasa na Jam'iyyar Haramtacciyar Jam'iyyar kuma ya ki yin yakin neman zabe ga Cox, ya sa yakin neman zaben 1920 ya zama na farko a zaben shugaban kasa a cikin shekaru talatin da bai yi yakin neman zabe ba.