Presidential Election History from 1789 to 2004 The presidential candidates and their political parties, number of electoral and popular votes received, and vice presidential candidates for every election from 1789 to 2004 are listed below, in reverse chronological order. Every candidate that received either more than 100,000 popular votes or at least one electoral vote has been included. Please note that there is no official federal record of popular votes cast in presidential elections because the information is compiled by each state, so the totals vary across different sources. ProCon.org used data provided by the National Archives and Records Administration when possible, and supplemented the missing information with data from Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. The data were corroborated with other sources including the New York Times, CNN, and PresidentElect.org. While the sites had discrepencies in the numbers provided for the popular vote totals, all reported totals were within 1% of each other. Don't miss our Election History "Did You Know?" at the bottom of the page. 2004 2000 1996 1992 1988 1984 1980 1976 1972 1968 1964 1960 1956 1952 1948 1944 1940 1936 1932 1928 1924 1920 1916 1912 1908 1904 1900 1896 1892 1888 1884 1880 1876 1872 1868 1864 1860 1856 1852 1848 1844 1840 1836 1832 1828 1824 1820 1816 1812 1808 1804 1800 1796 1792 1789 Election Year Presidential Candidates (winner in bold) Political Parties* Electoral Votes** Popular Votes VP Candidates (winner in bold) 2004 George W. Bush (43rd President) John Kerry Ralph Nader Michael Badnarik Michael Peroutka David Cobb Republican Democratic Independent Libertarian Constitution Green 286 251* 0 0 0 0 62,040,610 59,028,439 463,655 397,265 144,499 119,859 Dick Cheney John Edwards Peter Camejo Richard Campagna Charles Baldwin Pat LaMarche *One elector from Minnesota cast a vote for John Edwards. 2000 George W. Bush (43rd) Al Gore Ralph Nader Pat Buchanan Harry Browne Republican Democratic Green Reform Libertarian 271 266* 0 0 0 50,456,002 50,999,897** 2,882,955 448,895 384,431 Dick Cheney Joe Lieberman Winona LaDuke Ezola B. Foster Art Olivier *One elector from the District of Columbia left her ballot blank to protest the city's lack of representation in Congress. **Although Gore received more popular votes, Bush received more electoral votes and therefore won the presidency. 1996 Bill Clinton (42nd) Bob Dole Ross Perot Ralph Nader Harry Browne Howard Phillips Democratic Republican Reform Green Libertarian Taxpayers 379 159 0 0 0 0 45,590,703 37,816,307 7,866,284 685,128 485,798 184,820 Al Gore Jack Kemp Pat Choate Winona LaDuke Jo Jorgensen Herbert Titus 1992 Bill Clinton (42nd) George H.W. Bush Ross Perot Andre Marrou James "Bo" Gritz Democratic Republican Independent Libertarian Populist 370 168 0 0 0 44,909,326 39,103,882 19,741,657 291,627 107,014 Al Gore Dan Quayle James Stockdale Nancy Lord Cy Minett 1988 George H.W. Bush (41st) Michael Dukakis Lloyd Bentsen* Ron Paul Lenora Fulani Republican Democratic Libertarian New Alliance Democratic 426 111 1 0 0 48,886,597 41,809,476 none* 431,750 217,221 Dan Quayle Lloyd M. Bentsen Michael S. Dukakis* Andre V. Marrou Joyce Dattner *One elector voted for Bentsen as President and Dukakis as Vice President as a statement against the U.S. Electoral College. Top 1984 Ronald Reagan (40th) Walter Mondale David Bergland Republican Democratic Libertarian 525 13 0 54,455,075 37,577,185 228,111 George H.W. Bush Geraldine Ferraro Jim Lewis 1980 Ronald Reagan (40th) Jimmy Carter John Anderson Edward Clark Barry Commoner Republican Democratic Independent Libertarian Citizens 489 49 0 0 0 43,904,153 35,483,883 5,719,437 920,049 232,538 George H.W. Bush Walter Mondale Patrick Lucey David Koch LaDonna Harris 1976 Jimmy Carter (39th) Gerald R. Ford Ronald Reagan* Eugene J. McCarthy Roger MacBride Lester Maddox Thomas J. Anderson Democratic Republican Republican Independent Libertarian American Independent American 297 240 1 0 0 0 0 40,830,763 39,147,793 none* 756,631 172,553 170,274 158,271 Walter Mondale Bob Dole Bob Dole None David Bergland William Dyke Rufus Shackelford *Reagan was not in the race; a sole elector from Washington gave him a vote. Gerald Ford* (38th) Republican none none Nelson Rockefeller* *Nixon resigned as President Aug. 9, 1974. He was succeeded by Gerald Ford. **Rockefeller became Vice President under the provisions of the 25th Amendment: "Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress." 1972 Richard Nixon (37th) George McGovern John Hospers John Schmitz Republican Democratic Libertarian American 520 17 1 0 47,169,911 29,170,383 3,674 1,100,868 Spiro Agnew* Sargent Shriver Theodora Nathan Thomas J. Anderson *Spiro Agnew resigned as Vice President Oct. 10, 1973. He was succeeded by Gerald Ford. 1968 Richard Nixon (37th) Hubert Humphrey George Wallace Republican Democratic American Independent 301 191 46 31,785,480 31,275,166 9,906,473 Spiro Agnew Edmund Muskie Curtis LeMay Top 1964 Lyndon Johnson (36th) Barry Goldwater Democratic Republican 486 52 43,129,566 27,178,188 Hubert Humphrey William Miller 1960 John F. Kennedy* (35th) Richard Nixon Harry F. Byrd Democratic Republican Independent 303 219 15 34,226,731 34,108,157 none Lyndon Johnson Henry Lodge Strom Thurmond *Kennedy was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963. He was succeeded by Lyndon Johnson, who became the 36th President of the United States. 1956 Dwight Eisenhower (34th) Adlai Stevenson Walter Jones T. Coleman Andrews Republican Democratic Democratic State's Rights 457 73 1 0 35,590,472 26,022,752 none 107,929 Richard Nixon Estes Kefauver Herman Talmadge Thomas Werdel 1952 Dwight Eisenhower (34th) Adlai Stevenson Vincent Hallinan Republican Democratic Progressive 442 89 0 33,936,234 27,314,992 140,746 Richard Nixon John Sparkman Charlotta Bass 1948 Harry S. Truman (33rd) Thomas Dewey Strom Thurmond Henry Wallace Norman Thomas Claude A. Watson Democratic Republican State's Rights Progressive Socialist Prohibition 303 189 39 0 0 0 24,179,345 21,991,291 1,169,021 1,157,172 139,569 103,708 Alben Barkley Earl Warren Fielding Wright Glen Taylor Tucker Smith Dale Learn Top 1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt* (32nd) Thomas Dewey Democratic Republican 432 99 25,612,610 22,117,617 Harry Truman John Bricker *Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage Apr. 12, 1945. He was succeeded by Harry Truman, who became the 33rd President of the United States. 1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd) Wendell Willkie Norman Thomas Democratic Republican Socialist 449 82 0 27,313,041 22,348,480 116,599 Henry Wallace Charles McNary Maynard Krueger 1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd) Alfred Landon William Lemke Norman Thomas Democratic Republican Union Socialist 523 8 0 0 27,757,333 16,684,231 892,378 187,910 John Garner Frank Knox Thomas O'Brian George Nelson 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd) Herbert C. Hoover Norman Thomas William Foster Democratic Republican Socialist Communist 472 59 0 0 22,829,501 15,760,684 884,781 103,307 John Garner Charles Curtis James Maurer James Ford 1928 Herbert C. Hoover (31st) Alfred E. Smith Norman Thomas Republican Democratic Socialist 444 87 0 21,437,277 15,007,698 267,478 Charles Curtis Joseph Robinson James Maurer Top 1924 Calvin Coolidge (30th) John Davis Robert LaFollette Republican Democratic Progressive 382 136 13 15,719,921 8,386,704 4,822,856 Charles Dawes Charles Bryan Burton Wheeler 1920 Warren G. Harding* (29th) James Cox Eugene Debs Parley Christiansen Aaron Watkins Republican Democratic Socialist Farmer-Labor Prohibition 404 127 0 0 0 16,153,115 9,133,092 913,693 265,398 188,787 Calvin Coolidge Franklin D. Roosevelt Seymour Stedman Maximilian Hayes David Colvin *Harding died of a heart attack on Aug. 12, 1923. He was succeeded by Calvin Coolidge, who became the 30th President of the United States. 1916 Woodrow Wilson (28th) Charles Hughes Allan Benson James Hanly Democratic Republican Socialist Prohibition 277 254 0 0 9,126,300 8,546,789 590,524 221,302 Thomas Marshall Charles Fairbanks George Kirkpatrick Ira Landrith 1912 Woodrow Wilson (28th) Theodore Roosevelt William Taft Eugene Debs Eugene Chafin Democratic Progressive Republican Socialist Prohibition 435 88 8 0 0 6,293,152 4,119,207 3,483,922 901,551 208,156 Thomas Marshall Hiram Johnson Nicholas Butler Emil Seidel Aaron Watkins 1908 William Taft (27th) William Bryan Eugene Debs Eugene Chafin Republican Democratic Socialist Prohibition 321 162 0 0 7,676,258 6,406,801 420,852 254,087 James Sherman John Kern Benjamin Hanford Aaron Watkins Top 1904 Theodore Roosevelt (26th) Alton Parker Eugene Debs Silas Swallow Thomas Watson Republican Democratic Socialist Prohibition Populist 336 140 0 0 0 7,626,593 5,082,898 402,810 259,103 114,062 Charles Fairbanks Henry Davis Benjamin Hanford George Carroll Thomas Tibbles 1900 William McKinley* (25th) William Bryan John Woolley Republican Democratic Prohibition 292 155 0 7,218,039 6,358,345 210,867 Theodore Roosevelt Adlai Stevenson Henry Metcalf *McKinley was shot Sep. 6, 1901 and died Sep. 14, 1901. He was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt, who became the 26th President of the United States. 1896 William McKinley (25th) William Bryan John Palmer Joshua Levering Republican Democratic/Populist National Democrat Prohibition 271 176 0 0 7,108,480 6,511,495 133,537 124,896 Garret Hobart Arthur Sewall (149) / Thomas Watson (27) Simon Buckner Hale Johnson 1892 Grover Cleveland (24th)* Benjamin Harrison James Baird Weaver John Bidwell Democratic Republican Populist Prohibition 277 145 22 0 5,551,883 5,179,244 1,027,329 270,889 Adlai Stevenson Whitelaw Reid James Field James Cranfill 1888 Benjamin Harrison (23rd) Grover Cleveland Clinton Fisk Alson Streeter Republican Democratic Prohibition Union Labor 233 168 0 0 5,443,892 5,534,488 250,017 149,115 Levi Morton Allen Thurman John Brooks Charles Cunningham Top 1884 Grover Cleveland (22nd) James G. Blaine John St. John Benjamin Butler Democratic Republican Prohibition Greenback 219 182 0 0 4,874,621 4,848,936 150,890 134,294 Thomas Hendricks John Logan William Daniel Absolom West Chester Arthur* (21st) Republican none none none** *Garfield was shot July 2, 1881 and died Sep. 19, 1881. He was succeeded by Chester Arthur. **There was no formal process for appointing a replacement Vice President until 1967, when the 25th Amendment was ratified. 1880 James Garfield (20th) Winfield S. Hancock James Baird Weaver Republican Democratic Greenback 214 155 0 4,446,158 4,444,260 306,135 Chester Arthur William English Benjamin Chambers 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes (19th) Samuel Tilden Republican Democratic 185 184 4,034,311 4,288,546 William Wheeler Thomas Hendricks 1872 Ulysses S. Grant (18th) Horace Greeley B. Gratz Brown Thomas Hendricks Charles Jenkins David Davis Republican Democratic Democratic Democratic Democratic Liberal Republican 286 0 18 42 2 1 3,598,235 2,834,761 none none none none Henry Wilson B. Gratz Brown none none none none 1868 Ulysses S. Grant (18th) Horatio Seymour Republican Democratic 214 80 3,013,650 2,708,744 Schuyler Colfax Francis Blair, Jr. Top Andrew Johnson* (17th) Republican none none none** *Lincoln was assassinated on Apr. 14, 1865. He was succeeded by Andrew Johnson. **There was no formal process for appointing a replacement Vice President until 1967, when the 25th Amendment was ratified. 1864 Abraham Lincoln (16th) George B. McClellan Republican Democratic 212 21 2,218,388 1,812,807 Andrew Johnson George Pendleton 1860 Abraham Lincoln (16th) John C. Breckinridge John Bell Stephen Douglas Republican Southern Democrat Constitutional Union Democratic 180 72 39 12 1,865,908 848,019 590,946 1,381,944 Hannibal Hamlin Joseph Lane Edward Everett Herschel Johnson 1856 James Buchanan (15th) John Frémont Millard Fillmore Democratic Republican Whig-American 174 114 8 1,836,072 1,342,345 872,703 John Breckenridge William Dayton Andrew Donelson 1852 Franklin Pierce (14th) Winfield Scott John Hale Democratic Whig Free Soil 254 42 0 1,607,510 1,386,942 155,799 William King William Graham George Julian Millard Fillmore* (13th) Whig none none none** *Taylor died July 9, 1850 in Washington D.C.; he became sick after eating cherries and milk at a July 4 celebration. He was succeeded by Millard Fillmore. **There was no formal process for appointing a replacement Vice President until 1967, when the 25th Amendment was ratified. 1848 Zachary Taylor (12th) Lewis Cass Martin Van Buren Whig Democratic Free Soil 163 127 0 1,361,393 1,223,460 291,47 Millard Fillmore William O. Butler Charles F. Adams Top 1844 James K. Polk (11th) Henry Clay Democratic Whig 170 105 1,339,494 1,300,004 George M. Dallas Theodore Frelinghuysen John Tyler* (10th) Whig none none none** *Harrison died of pneumonia on Apr. 4, 1841. He was succeeded by John Tyler, who became the first Vice President to be elevated to the office of President by the death of his predecessor. **There was no formal process for appointing a replacement Vice President until 1967, when the 25th Amendment was ratified. 1840 William Henry Harrison (9th) Martin Van Buren Whig Democratic 234 60 1,275,390 1,128,854 John Tyler (234)* Richard M. Johnson (48) L. W. Tazewell (11) James K. Polk (1) *From 1800 to 1840, the electoral votes for Vice President vary from the electoral votes cast for President. The number of electoral votes received by each V.P. candidate is noted in parentheses. 1836 Martin Van Buren (8th) William H. Harrison Hugh L. White Daniel Webster William P. Mangum Democratic Whig Whig Whig Whig 170 73 26 14 11 764,176 550,816 146,107 41,201 0 Richard M. Johnson (147) Francis Granger (77) John Tyler (47) William Smith (23) 1832 Andrew Jackson (7th) Henry Clay John Floyd William Wirt Democratic Nat'l Republican Ind. Democrat Anti-Masonic 219 49 11 7 701,780 484,205 0 99,817 Martin Van Buren (189) John Sergeant (49) William Wilkens (30) Henry Lee (30) Amos Ellmaker 1828 Andrew Jackson (7th) John Quincy Adams Democratic Nat'l Republican 178 83 642,553 500,897 John C. Calhoun (171) Richard Rush (83) William Smith (7) Top 1824 John Quincy Adams (6th) Andrew Jackson William H. Crawford Henry Clay Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican 84* 91 41 37 113,122* 151,271 41,032 47,545 John C. Calhoun (182) Nathan Sanford (30) Nathaniel Macon (24) Andrew Jackson (13) Martin Van Buren (9) Henry Clay (2) *Adams received fewer electoral votes and fewer popular votes than Jackson, but the House of Representatives decided the election because Jackson failed to earn a majority of electoral votes. 1820 James Monroe (5th) John Quincy Adams Democratic-Republican Republican 231 1 No record* Daniel Tompkins (218) Richard Stockton (8) Daniel Rodney (4) Robert G. Harper (1) Richard Rush (1) *No complete record exists for the popular vote in 1820 or any previous election. A limited number of states held a popular vote to determine electors up to this point. 1816 James Monroe (5th) Rufus King Democratic-Republican Federalist 183 34 No record Daniel Tompkins (183) John E. Howard (22) James Ross (5) John Marshall (4) Robert G. Harper (3) 1812 James Madison (4th) De Witt Clinton Democratic-Republican Federalist 128 89 No record Elbridge Gerry (131) Jared Ingersoll (86) 1808 James Madison (4th) Charles C. Pinckney George Clinton Democratic-Republican Federalist Democratic-Republican 122 47 6 No record George Clinton (113) Rufus King (47) John Langdon (9) James Monroe (3) James Madison (3) Top 1804 Thomas Jefferson (3rd) Charles C. Pinckney Democratic-Republican Federalist 162 14 No record George Clinton (162) Rufus King (14) 1800 Thomas Jefferson (3rd) Aaron Burr John Adams Charles C. Pinckney John Jay Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Federalist Federalist Federalist 73* 73 65 64 1 No record Aaron Burr** *The tie between Jefferson and Burr was broken by the House of Representatives. **1800 was the last election before the ratification of the 12th Amendment, which changed the method by which the Vice President was chosen. Prior to 1804, separate ballots were not cast for Vice President: the candidate with the second highest number of electoral votes was elected. 1796 John Adams (2nd) Thomas Jefferson Thomas Pinckney Aaron Burr Samuel Adams O. Ellsworth George Clinton John Jay James Iredell S. Johnston George Washington John Henry Charles C. Pinckney Federalist Democratic-Republican Federalist Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Federalist Democratic-Republican Federalist Federalist Independent Democratic-Republican Federalist Federalist 71 68 59 30 15 11 7 5 3 2 2 2 1 No record Thomas Jefferson 1792 George Washington (1st) John Adams George Clinton Thomas Jefferson Aaron Burr Federalist Federalist Anti-Federalist Anti-Federalist Anti-Federalist none 132 77 50 4 1 No record John Adams 1789 George Washington (1st) John Adams John Jay Robert H. Harrison John Rutledge John Hancock George Clinton Samuel Huntington John Milton James Armstrong Benjamin Lincoln Edward Telfair none none none none none none none none none none none none 69 34 9 6 6 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 No record John Adams Top *Visit our page on Political Parties for information on current and historical U.S. political parties. **The number of electoral votes apportioned to each State corresponds to the number of U.S. Representatives and Senators in each State. The allotment of electoral votes changes every 10 years depending on the results of the U.S. Census. Visit our page on How to Become U.S. President for more information on the electoral college.