Has an incumbent president ever lost his re-election?

Answer 1

Four incumbent presidents have been denied a nomination to run by their own party. Franklin Pierce, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson (sort of), and Chester A. Arthur; but only Pierce had actually been elected president. The rest were vice presidents who who ascended to the presidency after assassinations or deaths in office.

Pierce was our 14th President and served from 1853-1857. John Fremont defeated Pierce in his bid for renomination, making Pierce the only elected President (rather than a Vice President who succeeded to the position) to not gain his party's nomination for a second term.

None of the other three presidents had secured enough support in their own party to gain a nomination for a full term. Millard Fillmore, who took over when Zachary Taylor died in 1850, did not gain the Whig party nomination for a second term.

Andrew Johson, who took over after Lincoln's assassination, had a more complicated situation. Johnson had been elected as Lincoln's running mate as a "Union Democrat". Lincoln had hoped to unite the country with a southerner on the ticket during the Civil War in the election of 1864. But after Lincoln was assassinated and he ascended to the presidency, he faced a Republican congress that despised him. After being impeached -- and narrowly avoiding removal from office -- he attempted to win the Democratic nomination in 1868. Since several Confederate states hadn't yet rejoined the union to vote in that election, and he was not well-liked by northern Democrats either, he failed to win support from either major party. After he stepped down as president, he briefly served in the U.S. Senate again from Tennessee.

And finally, Chester A. Arthur, who took over upon Garfield's assassination, did not gain his party's nomination for a second term.

It's worth noting that all of these occasions occurred before the modern era of party primaries being decided by voters. These presidents had to win the approval of their own party officials, not the public at large. The closest scenario in the primary era was Lyndon Johnson in 1968, who ran for a second full term, but dropped out of the race after he only narrowly won the New Hampshire primary against Eugene McCarthy. This was considered a sign of a major weakness for an incumbent president. After Robert Kennedy joined the race, it became clear to Johnson that he would not win the nomination. On March 31, 1968, he announced he wouldn't run for another term.

Answer 2

Yes. Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the US. He served as 22nd President from 1885-1889. Then lost to Benjamin Harrison our 23rd President who served from 1889-1893. Grover Cleveland won the next election, becoming our 24th President and served from 1893-1897.

In his Presidential victory, Benjamin Harrison lost by 100,000 popular votes but won in the Electoral College 233-168.

There have been two U. S. Presidents who ran for reelection, lost, and ran again. The second instance is described above. The first time, incumbent President Martin Van Buren ran for reelection in 1840 but lost to William Henry Harrison, the same opponent he faced in 1836. In 1848 he ran again but as a third-party candidate. He received a little more than 10% of the popular vote and no electoral votes.

Answer 3

Yes, this situation happened to Tyler, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Andrew Johnson and Arthur.

Tyler was actually expelled from his party and Pierce, Buchanan and Johnson were not given serious consideration to run for another term. Fillmore and Arthur had strong following but lost the nomination. Buchanan's party split over slavery and neither of splinters picked him as nominee.

Answer 4

Yes, indeed. It happened first with John Tyler who actually expelled from his party.

Millard Fillmore , Andrew Johnson and Chester Alan Arthur did not get nominated for a run while they were incumbent presidents. Johnson had been a Democrat before the Republican party was started and was considered as a Democratic nominee but did not get the bid. All of these men were vice-presidents who became president upon the death of the president. James Buchanan's party split up while he was president and he was not nominated for another term by either of the splinter parties. Franklin Pierce was the only elected incumbent that was rejected by the same party that elected him.

Answer 5

Yes, this has happened on occasion. In fact Franklin Pierce actually failed to win the nomination of his party for a second term. Jimmy Carter was challenged for the nomination in 1980 by Ted Kennedy, but survived the challenge. Theodore Roosevelt challenged Taft in 1912 and ran as a third party candidate when he failed to get the Republican nomination .

Answer 6

This has happened several times.

Thomas Jefferson lost in 1896 but won in 1800 and 1804

Andrew Jackson lost in 1824 but won in 1828 and 1832.

Grover Cleveland lost in 1888 but won in 1892.

Richard Nixon lost in 1960 but won in 1968.

Wm J. Bryan (Dem) ran in 1896, 1900 and 1908 but lost all three times.

Thomas Dewey (Rep) lost in 1944 and again in 1948

Adlai Stevenson(Dem) lost in 1952 and again in 1956.

Answer 7

98% of incumbents have won re-election