Elected Presidents, Popular Vote, Less than 50%

trice

Colonel
Joined
May 2, 2006
Year President Electoral Popular
-------------------------------------------------
1824 John Q. Adams 31.8% - 29.8%
1844 James K. Polk (D) 61.8 - 49.3
1848 Zachary Taylor (W) 56.2 - 47.3
1856 James Buchanan (D) 58.7 - 45.3
1860 Abraham Lincoln (R) 59.4 - 39.9
1876 Rutherford B. Hayes(R) 50.1 - 47.9
1880 James A. Garfield (R) 57.9 - 48.3
1884 Grover Cleveland (D) 54.6 - 48.8
1888 Benjamin Harrison (R) 58.1 - 47.8
1892 Grover Cleveland (D) 62.4 - 46.0
1912 Woodrow Wilson (D) 81.9 - 41.8
1916 Woodrow Wilson (D) 52.1 - 49.3
1948 Harry S. Truman (D) 57.1 - 49.5
1960 John F. Kennedy (D) 56.4 - 49.7
1968 Richard M. Nixon (R) 56.1 - 43.4
1992 William J. Clinton (D) 68.8 - 43.0
1996 William J. Clinton (D) 70.4 - 49.0
2000 George W. Bush (R) 50.3 - 47.8

These are the Presidents who have been elected with less than 50% of the popular vote (the last number on the line). While we hear a lot about Lincoln being elected without the majority of the country behind him, as you can see this is really a pretty common condition for Presidents.

While Lincoln is one of only two below 40%, that is not too surprising. He ran against three strong opponents, Douglas, Breckinridge, and Bell. John Q. Adams in 1824 is really the only other President to face that kind of opposition, and he did worse than Lincoln did. Generally, it looks like there is a good chance anyone who garnered much less than 49% while winning had a strong thrid-party candidate in the mix. (i.e., Nixon in 1968, Wilson in 1912, etc.)

Tim
 
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