Since the presidency was established, sitting U.S. presidents have campaigned for re-election 28 times in total, with 18 successful re-elections, and ten unsuccessful campaigns. In history, twelve presidents have received a larger share of the electoral votes in their second campaign than in their previous campaign, while fifteen campaigns received a smaller share of these votes, yet five of those still returned a majority and were successful. The largest drop in share of electoral votes was in 1932, when Herbert Hoover received 72.5 percent fewer electoral votes than in 1928, losing to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who would go on to be re-elected three times after this. The smallest difference happened in 1828, when John Quincy Adams lost the presidency to Andrew Jackson, receiving 0.38 percent fewer electoral votes than in 1824, although the election in 1824 was irregular as no nominee received a majority. The only time where there was no difference in share of electoral votes was for George Washington in 1782, as both elections were uncontested and he received one hundred percent of the votes in both elections.
Difference between share of electoral votes in re-election campaigns of sitting presidents of the United States from 1792 to 2020
This data does not include re-election campaigns of non-sitting presidents, such as Martin Van Buren's campaign in 1848, or Theodore Roosevelt's campaign in 1912.
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ProCon, & Encyclopædia Britannica, & National Archives and Records Administration, & 270towin.com. (February 17, 2021). Difference between share of electoral votes in re-election campaigns of sitting presidents of the United States from 1792 to 2020 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 01, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1035776/us-presidential-re-elections-electoral-vote-difference/
ProCon, und Encyclopædia Britannica, und National Archives and Records Administration, und 270towin.com. "Difference between share of electoral votes in re-election campaigns of sitting presidents of the United States from 1792 to 2020." Chart. February 17, 2021. Statista. Accessed September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1035776/us-presidential-re-elections-electoral-vote-difference/
ProCon, Encyclopædia Britannica, National Archives and Records Administration, 270towin.com. (2021). Difference between share of electoral votes in re-election campaigns of sitting presidents of the United States from 1792 to 2020. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1035776/us-presidential-re-elections-electoral-vote-difference/
ProCon, and Encyclopædia Britannica, and National Archives and Records Administration, and 270towin.com. "Difference between Share of Electoral Votes in Re-election Campaigns of Sitting Presidents of The United States from 1792 to 2020." Statista, Statista Inc., 17 Feb 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1035776/us-presidential-re-elections-electoral-vote-difference/
ProCon & Encyclopædia Britannica & National Archives and Records Administration & 270towin.com, Difference between share of electoral votes in re-election campaigns of sitting presidents of the United States from 1792 to 2020 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1035776/us-presidential-re-elections-electoral-vote-difference/ (last visited September 01, 2024)
Difference between share of electoral votes in re-election campaigns of sitting presidents of the United States from 1792 to 2020 [Graph], ProCon, & Encyclopædia Britannica, & National Archives and Records Administration, & 270towin.com, February 17, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1035776/us-presidential-re-elections-electoral-vote-difference/