Every Time a U.S. Presidential Candidate Won the Popular Vote but Lost the Election

Thanks to an annoying little thing called the Electoral College, the presidential candidate who receives the most votes nationally isn’t always the one who wins. Nevertheless Electoral College The popular vote often indicates the same winner, and there have been a few instances throughout American history where this has not been the case.

Here’s how five elections (and their vote counts) shed light on the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the Electoral College.

1. 2016: Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton
2. 2000: George W. Bush v. Al Gore
3. 1888: Benjamin Harrison vs. Grover Cleveland
4. 1876: Rutherford B. Hayes v. Samuel Tilden
5. 1824: John Quincy Adams vs. Andrew Jackson

2016: Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton

The latest event on our list, 2016 elections Between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and businessman/media personality Donald Trump, it was by far one of the most contentious presidential elections of the 21st century. Although Trump started out as a rookie candidate, he later became a dark horse in the Republican primaries, wresting the nomination from presidential hopefuls and lifelong political powerhouses such as Sen. Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush, the son of former President George H.W.

As Clinton struggled to unify the Democratic primary through a tumultuous primary against Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Trump came to signal a change in the status quo for his largely disaffected voter base.

Although Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes than Trump in the general election, Trump won the Electoral College by a landslide, securing his position as the 45th President of the United States.

2000: George W. Bush v. Al Gore

Widely considered one of the closest presidential elections in American history, 2000 US presidential election It pitted Republican Texas Governor George W. Bush (son of former President George H.W. Bush) against Vice President Al Gore, the current vice president under Bill Clinton, whose second term had just ended. On general election night, Florida remained undecided, keeping the election in a state of purgatory for more than a month while recounts were conducted. After a recount in Florida, it was determined that Bush had won the state by only 537 votes, bringing his electoral votes to 271, just over the 270 threshold needed to secure the presidency.

Although Bush won the Electoral College and the presidency, Gore won the popular vote, receiving 48.4% of the votes, while Bush received only 47.9%. For the first time since 1888, the candidate who won the popular vote did not assume the presidency.

1888: Benjamin Harrison vs. Grover Cleveland

During the month of November 1888 US presidential electionIncumbent Democratic President Grover Cleveland faced Republican nominee Benjamin Harrison. In the middle of the Gilded Age, economic policy has taken center stage during this election cycle. While Cleveland advocated increased free trade and lower tariffs, Harrison pushed for higher protective tariffs to satisfy his industrial supporters. Although Cleveland had the presidency and a clean reputation on his side, his chances were damaged by his divisive stance on tariffs and the publication of the Murchison Letter, a political scandal orchestrated by Republicans that portrayed Cleveland as pro-free trade and unpatriotic. When the election arrived, Harrison won the Electoral College in a landslide (although he lost the national popular vote to Cleveland by about 100,000 votes).

Despite this, Harrison’s unique term was marred by controversy, which led to the Democrats renominating Cleveland as their presidential nominee in 1892. After Cleveland crushed Harrison in their second election, he became the first-ever American nominee.S. president To serve two non-consecutive terms.

1876: Rutherford B. Hayes v. Samuel Tilden

After President Ulysses S. Grant served two terms as president, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes faced Democrat Samuel J. Tilden to become the nineteenth president of the United States. The election occurred at the end of the Reconstruction Era, arriving as Republican power was waning. As the Grant administration scandal continued, Democrats were able to retake the House of Representatives.

on Election Day 1876Tilden appears to have won the popular vote, but was shy of a majority by one electoral vote. Despite this, results in states such as Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana were disputed, leading to the creation of an election commission to address the issue.

In early 1877, the committee voted for Hayes, awarding him 20 disputed electoral votes. With this decision, he raised his total votes from 165 to 185, giving him the majority needed to win the presidency. Under Hayes, the South was able to re-establish Jim Crow laws, seriously tarnishing his presidential legacy and ultimately leading to his refusal to run for a second term.

1824: John Quincy Adams vs. Andrew Jackson

In an uncharacteristically crowded general election, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy AdamsWilliam Crawford and Henry Clay vied for the presidency. This controversial election, involving all members of the now-defunct Democratic-Republican Party, marked the end of the Era of Good Feelings, a period of political harmony and unified national purpose that began in the wake of the War of 1812. While former U.S. Army General Andrew Jackson mobilized voters in the South and West, Adams, a prominent political figure in Massachusetts, secured votes throughout New England and the Northeast.

Although Jackson succeeded in getting the popular vote, he did so He received only 99 electoral votesThis is far less than the margin needed to win a majority. Ultimately, Clay was excluded from consideration, and Congress debated electing Jackson, Adams, and Crawford. With Clay out of the race, Congress threw its support behind Adams, ultimately giving him the presidency. Adams later appointed Clay Secretary of State, leading many to speculate that the duo had struck a deal to win Adams to the White House.

Adams’ divisive victory fractured the Democratic-Republican Party and rallied Jackson’s supporters, ultimately leading to Jackson’s victory in the 1828 presidential election.