The post-war years also saw the "News-Miner" take a more active role in territorial politics. Prior to the 1948 election, Lathrop believed Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey would handily defeat Democratic incumbent Harry Truman. To take advantage of the anticipated governmental shift, Lathrop instructed the "News-Miner" to ramp up its pro-Republican editorials. In order to assist that process, he appointed William Strand, a war correspondent for the "Chicago Tribune", as the "News-Miner's" new editor. Though Truman won the 1948 election, the "News-Miner" stayed politically active in endorsing Republican candidates and issues. This ended only with Lathrop's death on July 26, 1950.