List of third party performances in United States elections
Encyclopedia
In the United States, it is rare for a third party
(or independent) candidate to perform well in a U.S. election, and rare for one to actually win the election. Below are any elections where a candidate, that wasn't a Republican
or Democrat
, obtained at least 5.0% of the vote.
Since 1990, candidates in 32 (8%) of the 380 Senate elections have met this criterion, and two (0.5%) have won, both in 2006. In six of the 32 races, one or the other of the major parties failed to nominate any candidate, allowing third-party candidates to perform better than usual.
In the 302 gubernatorial elections since 1990 the criterion has been met 49 times (16%) and six candidates have won (2%). Until Lincoln Chafee
's victory in 2010, no third-party or independent governor had been elected since the 1990s. In the 38 presidential elections since 1856, the criterion has been met in eleven (29%) elections, with no third-party or independent candidate being elected president.
s) are marked with an asterisk (*).
, who had been one-half of the two-party system since 1832 and had won the presidency in 1840 and 1848, disintegrated. Southern Whigs and a minority of northern Whigs coalesced around the anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic American Party, better known as the "Know Nothing
" movement. Their candidate was former President Millard Fillmore
, who won 22% but carried only one state, Maryland, thus winning 8 electoral votes. Many Northern Whigs, such as Abraham Lincoln
, joined the newly formed Republican Party
. The Republicans ran John C. Frémont
, who finished second with 33.1% and 114 electoral votes. Democrat James Buchanan
won the election.
, the third party candidate of southern Democrats, got 18.2% of the popular vote and won 72 electoral votes from several south states. John Bell
of the Constitutional Union Party
finished with 12.6% of the popular vote, but only won 39 electoral votes from three states. Though both Bell and Breckenridge were unable to capture as many popular votes as the two main presidential candidates (Republican Abraham Lincoln
and Democrat Stephen A. Douglas
), this election would mark the first time any third party received more electoral votes than one of the major candidates in a US presidential election. Douglas finished with 29.5% of the popular vote, but only won 12 electoral votes from two states.
. The Populist Party won 22 electoral votes and 8.51 percent of the popular vote http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1892&off=0&f=1. Weaver became the first third-party candidate to win a state since John Bell in the transitional election of 1860. The Democratic Party
eventually adopted many Populist Party positions after this election, notably the Populist call for the free coinage of silver
, making this contest a prominent example of a delayed vote for change.
after Bryan and the Democrats came out for support of Free Silver
. Bryan won 47% of the vote and 171 electoral votes, losing to Republican William McKinley
.
ran as the "Bull Moose Party" (Progressive Party
) nominee in the 1912 election. Roosevelt won 27.4% of the popular vote and carried six states totaling 88 electoral votes. Overall, Roosevelt's effort was the most successful third-party candidacy in American history. It was also the only third-party effort to finish higher than third in the popular votes and only the second to do so in electoral votes. Instead incumbent Republican President William Howard Taft
finished third, taking only 23% of the popular vote and 8 electoral votes. The split in the Republican vote gave Democrat Woodrow Wilson
victory with 42% of the popular vote, but 435 electoral votes.
Eugene V. Debs
, running in his fourth consecutive Presidential election as the Socialist Party candidate, won 6% of the vote, an all-time high for the Socialists. The elections of 1860 and 1912 are the only two times that four candidates each cleared 5% of the popular vote in a Presidential election.
ran as a Progressive
. After the Democrats nominated conservative John W. Davis
, many liberal Democrats turned to La Follette. He received 4,831,706 votes for 16.6% of the popular vote and won his home state of Wisconsin
receiving 13 electoral votes. With the Democrats split, incumbent President Calvin Coolidge
won election by a wide margin.
ran on the segregationist
States' Rights ("Dixiecrat
") ticket. Former Vice President Henry A. Wallace
ran on the liberal left as the candidate of a new Progressive Party
. Thus the Democratic vote was split three ways, between Thurmond on the right, Wallace on the left, and incumbent President Harry S. Truman
in the center. Thurmond received 1,175,930 votes (2.4%) and 39 votes in the electoral college from Southern states. Wallace earned 1,157,328 votes for an identical 2.4% of the popular vote, but no votes in the Electoral College due to his support being mostly concentrated in the more populous states of New York and California.
George Wallace
ran on the American Independent Party
line. Wallace received 9,901,118 votes for 13.5% of the popular vote, receiving 45 electoral votes in the South
and many votes in the North. Wallace remains the only third party candidate since 1948 to win a state.
received 5,719,850 votes, for 6.6% of the vote, as an independent candidate for President. Libertarian Party
candidate Ed Clark
won 921,128 votes, or 1.1% of the total. No other Libertarian candidate has ever gotten more than 0.5% in a presidential election.
, an independent, won 18.9% of the popular vote (but no electoral votes). His was the second-best popular vote showing ever for a third-party candidate, trailing only Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. Perot finished second in two states: in Utah ahead of election winner Bill Clinton
, and in Maine ahead of incumbent President George H. W. Bush
.
ran for president again, this time as the candidate of the newly formed Reform Party
. He won 8% of the popular vote.
, running from the liberal left as the candidate of the Green Party
, won 2.7% of the electoral vote.
Third party (United States)
The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a...
(or independent) candidate to perform well in a U.S. election, and rare for one to actually win the election. Below are any elections where a candidate, that wasn't a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
or Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, obtained at least 5.0% of the vote.
Since 1990, candidates in 32 (8%) of the 380 Senate elections have met this criterion, and two (0.5%) have won, both in 2006. In six of the 32 races, one or the other of the major parties failed to nominate any candidate, allowing third-party candidates to perform better than usual.
In the 302 gubernatorial elections since 1990 the criterion has been met 49 times (16%) and six candidates have won (2%). Until Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
's victory in 2010, no third-party or independent governor had been elected since the 1990s. In the 38 presidential elections since 1856, the criterion has been met in eleven (29%) elections, with no third-party or independent candidate being elected president.
Statistics
Elections since 1990| State | # of Gubernatorial | # of Senatorial | Total# |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Arizona | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Arkansas | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Colorado | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Florida | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Hawaii | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Idaho | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Indiana | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Kansas | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Maine | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Mississippi | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| New York | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Ohio | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Oregon | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| South Carolina | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Texas | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Utah | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Vermont | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Virginia | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 0 | 1 |
1990s
- In the Alaska 1990 electionAlaska gubernatorial election, 1990The 1990 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1990 for the post of governor of Alaska. In a rare third-party win in American politics, former Republican Governor Walter Hickel, running on the ticket of the Alaskan Independence Party, defeated Democratic candidate Tony Knowles...
, Alaskan Independence Party nominee Wally HickelWalter Joseph HickelWalter Joseph "Wally" Hickel was an industrialist, focused mostly on construction and real estate development, and a politician of the Republican and Alaskan Independence parties from the U.S. state of Alaska. Hickel served as the second and eighth Governor of Alaska...
won the election with 38.9% of the vote.
- In the Connecticut 1990 electionConnecticut gubernatorial election, 1990The Connecticut gubernatorial election of 1990 included a three way race for a seat left open when Gov. Bill O'Neill declined to run for re-election. A Connecticut Party nominee Lowell Weicker and won the election, becoming the first third party candidate to win a gubernatorial election since the...
, A Connecticut PartyA Connecticut PartyA Connecticut Party was a political party formed by former Republican Senator and gubernatorial candidate Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. in 1990. Weicker subsequently won the election and served a single term as Governor of Connecticut...
nominee Lowell Weicker won the election with 40.4% of the vote.
- In the Kansas 1990 electionKansas gubernatorial election, 1990The Kansas gubernatorial election of 1990 included incumbent Republican Governor Mike Hayden lost re-election to Democratic nominee Joan Finney.-Background:...
, independent Christina Campbell-Cline received 8.8% of the vote.
- In the Maine 1990 electionMaine gubernatorial election, 1990The 1990 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1990. Incumbent Republican Governor John McKernan defeated Democratic Party challenger Joseph Brennan in a tight contest. Independent Andrew Adam took in 9.3% of the vote....
, independent Andrew Adam received 9.3% of the vote.
- In the New York 1990 electionNew York gubernatorial election, 1990The 1990 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York.-Results:...
, Conservative Party of New York State nominee Herbert LondonHerbert London-Early life:He was born in Brooklyn, New York circa 1939 and attended Columbia University, graduating in 1960. Standing 6'5", he was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals of the National Basketball League, but did not play for them because of injuries. He was a social studies secondary school teacher...
received 20.4% of the vote.
- In the Oklahoma 1990 electionOklahoma gubernatorial election, 1990The Oklahoma gubernatorial election of 1990 was held on November 7, 1990, and was a race for the Governor of Oklahoma. Democrat businessman David Walters won the election easily despite his lack of political experience.-Results:Source:...
, Reform PartyReform Party of the United States of AmericaThe Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
nominee Thomas D. Ledgerwood received 9.9% of the vote.
- In the Oregon 1990 electionOregon gubernatorial election, 1990The 1990 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1990. Democratic nominee Barbara Roberts defeated Republican David B. Frohnmayer and Independent Al Mobley to win the election.-Results:-References:...
, independent Al Mobley received 13% of the vote.
- In the Utah 1992 electionUtah gubernatorial election, 1992The 1992 Utah gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1992. Republican nominee Michael Leavitt won the three way election.-Results:-See also:Source:...
, independent Merrill CookMerrill CookMerrill Cook was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Utah.Cook, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from East High School in 1964 and the University...
received 33.6% of the vote in second place.
- In the West Virginia 1992 electionWest Virginia gubernatorial election, 1992The 1992 West Virginia gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1992. Incumbent Governor Gaston Caperton wonre-election.-Results:-See also:Source:...
, Charlotte PrittCharlotte PrittCharlotte Pritt is an educator, businesswoman, and politician in the U.S. state of West Virginia. From 1984 to 1988, she served in the West Virginia House of Delegates. From 1988 to 1996, she served in the West Virginia State Senate...
received 8% of the vote as a write-in candidate.
- In the Alaska 1994 electionAlaska gubernatorial election, 1994The 1994 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1994 for the post of Governor of Alaska. Democratic candidate Tony Knowles narrowly defeated Republican candidate Jim Campbell and Lieutenant Governor Jack Coghill of the Alaskan Independence Party...
, Alaskan Independence Party nominee Jack CoghillJack CoghillJohn Bruce "Jack" Coghill was the eighth lieutenant governor of Alaska, serving from 1990 to 1994 under Governor Walter Hickel. Both were members of the Alaskan Independence Party...
received 13% of the vote.
- In the Connecticut 1994 electionConnecticut gubernatorial election, 1994The Connecticut gubernatorial election of 1994 included Republican John G. Rowland winning the open seat following the retirement of A Connecticut Party Governor Lowell Weicker. The election was a four-way race between A Connecticut Party Lieutenant Governor Eunice Groark, Republican U.S....
, A Connecticut party nominee Eunice GroarkEunice GroarkEunice S. Groark was elected the first female lieutenant governor of Connecticut in 1990. Groark ran on a ticket with Lowell Weicker, both of whom were members of A Connecticut Party...
received 18.9% of the vote.
- In the Hawaii 1994 electionHawaii gubernatorial election, 1994The 1994 Hawaii gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1994 to select the Governor of Hawaii. Democrat Lieutenant Governor Ben Cayetano narrowly won the three candidate election against the Mayor of Honolulu Frank Fasi, who ran on the Best Party of Hawaii, and Republican U.S. congresswoman...
, Best PartyBest PartyThe Best Party is an Icelandic political party. The party ran in the 2010 city council election in Reykjavík and won the most seats in Reykjavík's City Council, receiving 34.7% of the vote, defeating the Independence Party who received 33.6%....
nominee Frank FasiFrank FasiFrank Francis Fasi was a United States politician having the distinction as the longest serving Mayor of Honolulu in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also served as a territorial senator and member of the Honolulu City Council...
received 30.7% of the vote in second place.
- In the Maine 1994 electionMaine gubernatorial election, 1994The 1994 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1994. Independent candidate Angus King defeated Democratic Party challenger Joseph Brennan, a former Governor of Maine, Republican Party challenger Susan Collins, a regional coordinator of the Small Business Administration, and...
, independent Angus KingAngus KingAngus S. King, Jr. served two terms as the 72nd Governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003. Since 2004, King has been a distinguished lecturer at Bowdoin College teaching a course called "Leaders and Leadership"; in the fall of 2009, he also taught a similar course at Bates College...
won the election with 35.4% of the vote. Green PartyGreen Party (United States)The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
nominee Jonathan CarterJonathan Carter (politician)Jonathan Carter is an American politician, environmentalist, teacher and scientist who has run twice for governor of Maine as a Green Independent. In 1992, Carter ran for Congress in Maine's 2nd congressional district. This campaign was not designed to educate the public and to establish a green...
received 6.4% of the vote in fourth place.
- In the New Mexico 1994 electionNew Mexico gubernatorial election, 1994An election for governor and lieutenant governor of New Mexico was held in 1994 for the four-year term beginning in 1995. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor ran on a ticket as running mates....
, Green Party nominee Roberto MondragonRoberto MondragonRoberto A. Mondragon is a New Mexico politician and activist. He was the Green Party candidate for Governor of New Mexico in 1994, receiving 10.4% of the vote , and coming third, behind winner Gary Johnson and incumbent Democrat Bruce King...
received 10.3% of the vote.
- In the Oklahoma 1994 electionOklahoma gubernatorial election, 1994The Oklahoma gubernatorial election of 1994 was held on November 7, 1994, and was a race for the Governor of Oklahoma. Republican Frank Keating pulled an upset in the three-way race to become only the third Republican governor in Oklahoma history. Wes Watkins, a former U.S. Congressman as a...
, independent Wes WatkinsWes WatkinsWesley Wade "Wes" Watkins is a politician from the state of Oklahoma. He is a retired member of the United States House of Representatives where Watkins had represented Oklahoma's 3rd Congressional District for 14 years as a Democrat and then for six years as a Republican.-Early life and...
received 23.5% of the vote.
- In the Pennsylvania 1994 electionPennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1994The Pennsylvania Gubernatorial election of 1994 was held on November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic Governor Bob Casey, Sr. was barred from seeking a third term by the state constitution. The Republican Party nominated Congressman Tom Ridge, while the Democrats nominated Mark Singel, Casey's...
, Constitution PartyConstitution Party (United States)The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
nominee Peg LuksikPeg LuksikMarguerite "Peg" Anna McKenna Luksik is a conservative politician, frequent candidate, and Constitution Party activist in Pennsylvania.Luksik was born on August 11, 1955 in Huntsville, Alabama, where her father was in the Army...
received 12.8% of the vote.
- In the Rhode Island 1994 electionRhode Island gubernatorial election, 1994The 1994 Rhode Island gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1994. Republican Lincoln Almond defeated Democrat Myrth York.-Candidates:*Myrth York, former Rhode Island State Senator*Bruce Sundlun, incumbent Governor of Rhode Island...
, independent Robert Healey received 9.1% of the vote.
- In the Vermont 1994 electionVermont gubernatorial election, 1994The 1994 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1994. Incumbent Governor Howard Dean won re-election.-Results:-Results:-Results:-Results:...
, independent Thomas J. Morse received 7.1% of the vote.
- In the Alaska 1998 electionAlaska gubernatorial election, 1998The 1998 Alaska gubernatorial general election took place on November 3, 1998. The election resulted in a landslide for the Democratic incumbent, Tony Knowles, who had won the 1994 gubernatorial election by only 536 votes. Knowles was the first incumbent governor to attain re-election since 1978.-...
, Republican Moderate Party nominee Ray MetcalfeRay MetcalfeRay Metcalfe is a politician and political activist in Alaska. Metcalfe has served in the Alaska House of Representatives as a Republican, and later ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate as a Democrat.-Personal life:...
received 6.2% of the vote.
- In the Maine 1998 electionMaine gubernatorial election, 1998The 1998 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Independent Governor Angus King defeated Republican Party challenger James Longley, Jr., former congressman from Maine's first district and son of former Maine Governor James B...
, independent Angus KingAngus KingAngus S. King, Jr. served two terms as the 72nd Governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003. Since 2004, King has been a distinguished lecturer at Bowdoin College teaching a course called "Leaders and Leadership"; in the fall of 2009, he also taught a similar course at Bates College...
won re-election with 58.6% of the vote. Green Party nominee Pat LaMarchePat LaMarchePatricia Helen "Pat" LaMarche is an American political figure and activist with the Green Party; she was the party's vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 U.S...
obtained 6.8% in fourth place.
- In the Minnesota 1998 electionMinnesota gubernatorial election, 1998The 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura defeated Republican Party challenger Norm Coleman and Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party challenger Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III...
, Reform Party nominee Jesse VenturaJesse VenturaJames George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
won the election with 37% of the vote.
- In the New York 1998 electionNew York gubernatorial election, 1998The New York gubernatorial election of 1998 was an election for the state governorship held on November 3, 1998. Governor George Pataki, the Republican incumbent, was re-elected with 54% of the vote.-Statewide Results:...
, Independence PartyIndependence Party of New YorkThe Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
nominee Tom GolisanoTom GolisanoBlase Thomas Golisano is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States and former co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and of the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team...
received 7.7% of the vote.
- In the Pennsylvania 1998 electionPennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1998The Pennsylvania Gubernatorial election of 1998 was held on November 3, 1998. It was between incumbent Republican Tom Ridge and Democrat Ivan Itkin. Ridge, a popular moderate, won with 57% of the votes cast. During this election cycle, Democrats struggled with fundraising issues and had difficulty...
, Constitution Party nominee Peg LuksikPeg LuksikMarguerite "Peg" Anna McKenna Luksik is a conservative politician, frequent candidate, and Constitution Party activist in Pennsylvania.Luksik was born on August 11, 1955 in Huntsville, Alabama, where her father was in the Army...
received 10.4% of the vote.
- In the Rhode Island 1998 electionRhode Island gubernatorial election, 1998The 1998 Rhode Island gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1998. Republican Lincoln Almond defeated Democrat Myrth York.-Results:-Candidates:*Myrth York, former Rhode Island State Senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor...
, Cool Moose Party nominee Robert HealeyRobert HealeyRobert Dennis Healey is a former English cricketer. Healey was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-medium. He was born in Plymouth, Devon....
received 6.3% of the vote.
- In the Kentucky 1999 electionKentucky gubernatorial election, 1999The 1999 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place on 9 November 1999 for the post of Governor of Kentucky. Democratic incumbent Governor Paul E. Patton defeated Republican nominee Peppy Martin to win a second term.-Results:-Results:-Results:...
, Reform Party nominee Gatewood GalbraithGatewood GalbraithLouis Gatewood Galbraith is an American lawyer and author from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He has been a perennial candidate for governor of Kentucky as an outspoken proponent of education as well as privacy rights and other civil liberties...
received 15.3% of the vote.
2000s
- In the New Hampshire 2000 electionNew Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2000The 2000 New Hampshire gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Governor Jeanne Shaheen won re-election.-Candidates:*Jeanne Shaheen, incumbent Governor of New Hampshire*Mark Fernald, New Hampshire State Senator-Results:...
, independent Mary Brown received 6.4% of the vote.
- In the Vermont 2000 electionVermont gubernatorial election, 2000The 2000 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Governor Howard Dean won re-election. The campaign was dominated by the fallout from the passage of a civil union bill and the subsequent backlash encapsulated by the slogan Take Back Vermont...
, Progressive Party of Vermont] nominee Anthony PollinaAnthony PollinaAnthony Pollina is a Progressive American politician, who has run several times for elected office in the state of Vermont.-1984 US Congressional Election:...
received 9.5% of the vote.
- In the Arizona 2002 electionArizona gubernatorial election, 2002The 2002 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on 5 November 2002 for the post of Governor of Arizona. Democratic Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolitano defeated Republican former Congressman Matt Salmon.-Candidates:*Matt Salmon, former U.S...
, independent Richard MahoneyRichard MahoneyRichard J. Mahoney is a Canadian lawyer, specializing in public policy and regulatory law. He is also a prominent member of the Liberal Party of Canada, known as a strategist and advisor to former Prime Minister Paul Martin. He ran as the Liberal candidate in the riding of Ottawa Centre during the...
received 6.9% of the vote.
- In the California 2002 electionCalifornia gubernatorial election, 2002The 2002 California gubernatorial election was an election that occurred on November 5, 2002. Democrat Gray Davis defeated Republican Bill Simon by 5% and was re-elected to a second four-year term as Governor of California. Davis would be recalled less than a year into his next term.The 2002...
, Green Party nominee Peter CamejoPeter CamejoPeter Miguel Camejo was an American author, activist and politician. In the 2004 United States presidential election, he was selected by independent candidate Ralph Nader as his vice-presidential running mate on a ticket which had the endorsement of the Reform Party.Camejo was a three-time Green...
received 5.3% of the vote.
- In the Maine 2002 electionMaine gubernatorial election, 2002The Maine gubernatorial election of 2002 took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Independent Governor Angus King was term limited, and unable to seek re-election...
, Green Party nominee Jonathan CarterJonathan Carter (politician)Jonathan Carter is an American politician, environmentalist, teacher and scientist who has run twice for governor of Maine as a Green Independent. In 1992, Carter ran for Congress in Maine's 2nd congressional district. This campaign was not designed to educate the public and to establish a green...
received 9.3% of the vote.
- In the Minnesota 2002 electionMinnesota gubernatorial election, 2002The 2002 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002 for the post of Governor of Minnesota. Republican candidate Tim Pawlenty defeated Democratic candidate Roger Moe and Independence Party of Minnesota candidate Tim Penny...
, Independence Party of MinnesotaIndependence Party of MinnesotaThe Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
nominee Tim PennyTim PennyTimothy Joe "Tim" Penny , is an American politician from Minnesota. Penny was a Democratic-Farmer-Labor member of the United States House of Representatives, 1983–1995, representing Minnesota's 1st congressional district in the 98th, 99th, 100th, 101st, 102nd and 103rd congresses.-Early life:Penny...
received 16.2% of the vote.
- In the New Mexico 2002 electionNew Mexico gubernatorial election, 2002The New Mexico gubernatorial election of 2002 was a race for the Governor of New Mexico. The winner of the election held in 2002 served between 2003 and 2007. Current incumbent, Republican Gary Johnson was term limited. Former U.S. Congressman Bill Richardson won the election. Green party nominee...
, Green Party nominee David BaconDavid BaconDavid Bacon was an American film actor.-Biography:He was born Gaspar Griswold Bacon, Jr. in Barnstable, Massachusetts, and his family was one of the prominent, politically active Boston Brahmin families. His father, Gaspar G...
received 5.5% of the vote.
- In the New York 2002 electionNew York gubernatorial election, 2002The New York gubernatorial election of 2002 was an election for the state governorship held on November 5, 2002. Governor George Pataki, the two-term Republican incumbent, was re-elected with 49% of the vote, defeating both the Democratic nominee, State Comptroller Carl McCall and Independence...
, Independence Party nominee Tom GolisanoTom GolisanoBlase Thomas Golisano is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States and former co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and of the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team...
received 13.9% of the vote.
- In the Oklahoma 2002 electionOklahoma gubernatorial election, 2002The Oklahoma gubernatorial election of 2002 was held on November 7, 2002, and was a race for the Governor of Oklahoma. Democrat Brad Henry won the election with 43 percent of the vote, beating Republican Steve Largent and conservative independent Gary Richardson.Henry's narrow win has been...
, independent Gary RichardsonGary RichardsonGary Richardson was born February 5, 1941, in Caddo, Oklahoma and is an American lawyer practicing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Presently, he is a partner in the Richardson Law Firm, P.C....
received 14.1% of the vote.
- In the Wisconsin 2002 electionWisconsin gubernatorial election, 2002The Wisconsin gubernatorial election of 2002 was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican Governor Scott McCallum was defeated by Wisconsin Attorney General Jim Doyle. Doyle served one term 2003 to 2007 and was then reelected in 2006.-Independents:...
, Libertarian PartyLibertarian Party (United States)The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
nominee Ed ThompsonEd ThompsonAllan Edward "Ed" Thompson , was an American businessman and politician. He served as Mayor of Tomah, Wisconsin for two non-consecutive terms, and was the Libertarian candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in 2002, receiving 11% of the vote in that race. He was elected to his first term as mayor of...
received 10.5% of the vote.
- In the Alaska 2006 electionAlaska gubernatorial election, 2006The 2006 Alaska gubernatorial general election took place on November 7, 2006. The former mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin, was elected governor.-Republican primary:...
, independent Andrew HalcroAndrew HalcroAndrew Halcro is an American politician from Anchorage, Alaska. Formerly a Republican member of the Alaska Legislature, he ran for Governor of Alaska as an Independent candidate in the 2006 election, running third with 9.46% of the vote.-Early life:Halcro was born in San Francisco, California to...
received 9.5% of the vote.
- In the Illinois 2006 electionIllinois gubernatorial election, 2006The Illinois gubernatorial election of 2006 occurred on November 7, 2006. The Governor of Illinois, Democrat Rod Blagojevich, won re-election for a four-year term scheduled to have ended on January 10, 2011. However, Blagojevich was impeached in 2009...
, Green Party nominee Rich WhitneyRich WhitneyRich Whitney is an Illinois politician and civil rights attorney who was the Illinois Green Party's nominee for Governor of Illinois in the elections of 2006 and 2010. During the 2006 campaign Whitney received endorsements from several newspapers, including the Rockford Register Star, Southwest...
received 10.4% of the vote.
- In the Maine 2006 electionMaine gubernatorial election, 2006The Maine gubernatorial election of 2006 took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democrat John Baldacci was then re-elected to his second term....
, independent Barbara MerrillBarbara MerrillBarbara Merrill is an American politician from Maine. Elected as a Democrat to the state legislature, she left the party in 2006 to become an independent candidate for Governor of Maine....
received 21.5% in third place while Green PartyMaine Green Independent PartyThe Maine Green Independent Party is the oldest state Green party in the United States. It was founded following an informal meeting of 18 environmental advocates, including Bowdoin College professor John Rensenbrink and others in Augusta, Maine...
nominee Pat LaMarchePat LaMarchePatricia Helen "Pat" LaMarche is an American political figure and activist with the Green Party; she was the party's vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 U.S...
obtained 9.6% in fourth place.
- In the Massachusetts 2006 electionMassachusetts gubernatorial election, 2006The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. Former US Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick was elected to a four-year term, from January 4, 2007 until January 6, 2011. In his first elected office, Patrick is the second African-American governor in the United...
, independent Christy MihosChristy MihosChristy P. Mihos is an American politician and businessman from the U.S. commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was an Independent candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 2006 and ran again as a Republican in the 2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial election...
received 7% of the vote in third place.
- In the Minnesota 2006 electionMinnesota gubernatorial election, 2006The 2006 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Tim Pawlenty was endorsed by the state Republican convention on June 2, 2006, while the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor convention endorsed Mike Hatch on June 10, 2006...
, Independence Party nominee Peter HutchinsonPeter HutchinsonPeter Hutchinson is an American politician, businessman and philanthropy executive from the U.S. state of Minnesota. He ran as the Independence Party of Minnesota candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 2006....
received 6.4% of the vote.
- In the Texas 2006 electionTexas gubernatorial election, 2006The 2006 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006 to select the next governor of the state of Texas, who is serving a four year term that began on January 16, 2007. The Republican and Democratic Parties chose their candidates by primaries and convention. Primaries were held on...
, independent Carole Keeton StrayhornCarole Keeton StrayhornCarole Keeton Strayhorn is the former Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts....
received 18.1% in third place while independent Kinky FriedmanKinky FriedmanRichard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American Texas Country singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election...
obtained 12.4% in fourth place.
- In the Louisiana 2007 electionLouisiana gubernatorial election, 2007The Louisiana gubernatorial election of 2007 was held on October 20. The filing deadline for candidates was September 6. On the day of the election, all 12 candidates competed in an open jungle primary. With all precincts reporting, Bobby Jindal won the election with 54%.-Background:Elections in...
, independent John GeorgesJohn GeorgesJohn Georges is a New Orleans, Louisiana, businessman who formerly served on the Louisiana Board of Regents, the body which supervises higher education in his native state....
received 14.4% of the vote.
- In the Vermont 2008 electionVermont gubernatorial election, 2008The 2008 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2008. Incumbent governor Jim Douglas won reelection. The gubernatorial primary took place on September 9, 2008.-Polling:-Dates and deadlines:*July 21, 2008—Filing...
, independent Anthony PollinaAnthony PollinaAnthony Pollina is a Progressive American politician, who has run several times for elected office in the state of Vermont.-1984 US Congressional Election:...
received 21.8% of the vote in second place.
- In the New Jersey 2009 electionNew Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was running for a second term and was being challenged by Republican Chris Christie, Independent Christopher Daggett and nine others, in addition to several write-in candidates...
, independent Chris Daggett received 5.8% of the vote.
2010s
- In the Colorado 2010 electionColorado gubernatorial election, 2010The 2010 Colorado gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor of Colorado, who will serve a four-year term to begin in January 2011. John Hickenlooper won the race with over 50% of the vote. Incumbent Democratic Governor Bill Ritter announced that he would not...
, American Constitution PartyAmerican Constitution PartyThe American Constitution Party was originally formed as the American Tax Payers Union in 1991. It is now the Colorado affiliate of the national party known as the Constitution Party and is based in Arvada...
candidate Tom TancredoTom TancredoThomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...
received 36.8% of the vote in second place.
- In the Idaho 2010 electionIdaho gubernatorial election, 2010The 2010 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor of Idaho. Incumbent Republican Governor Butch Otter won re-election, defeating his Democratic opponent Keith G. Allred.A former Lieutenant Governor and U.S...
, independent Jana Kemp received 5.9% of the vote.
- In the Maine 2010 electionMaine gubernatorial election, 2010The 2010 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor John Baldacci was term-limited and unable to seek re-election. Primary elections took place on June 8, 2010...
, independent Eliot CutlerEliot CutlerEliot Cutler is an American lawyer and was an Independent candidate in Maine's 2010 gubernatorial race.Born and raised in Bangor, Maine, Cutler graduated from Harvard College and later earned a degree from Georgetown Law....
received 36.5% of the vote in second place and independent Shawn MoodyShawn MoodyShawn H. Moody is a Maine entrepreneur, and former Independent candidate for Governor of Maine.-Personal life:Moody grew up in Gorham, Maine, and is the youngest of three children...
received 5.1% of the vote in fourth place.
- In the Massachusetts 2010 electionMassachusetts gubernatorial election, 2010The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor Deval Patrick was re-elected to a second term. Also competing were the Republican Party nominee, businessman Charlie Baker; independent candidate and State Treasurer Tim Cahill; and...
, independent Tim CahillTim CahillTimothy Filiga "Tim" Cahill is an football player of Australian nationality who plays for Everton and the Australian national football team...
received 8.0% of the vote.
- In the Minnesota 2010 electionMinnesota gubernatorial election, 2010The 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the 40th Governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota for a four-year term to begin in January 2011. The general election was contested by the major party candidates State Representative Tom Emmer , former Senator...
, Independence Party candidate Tom HornerTom HornerTom Horner is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. He was a candidate in the 2010 election for Governor of Minnesota....
received 12.0% of the vote.
- In the Rhode Island 2010 electionRhode Island gubernatorial election, 2010The Rhode Island gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010. It was preceded by the primary election on September 14, 2010. Incumbent Republican Governor Donald Carcieri was term-limited in 2010...
, independent Lincoln ChafeeLincoln ChafeeLincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
won the election with 36.1% of the vote. Moderate Party of Rhode IslandModerate Party of Rhode IslandThe Moderate Party of Rhode Island is the third-largest contemporary political party in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, after the Democratic Party and the Republican Party...
candidate Ken Block obtained 6.5% in fourth place.
1990s
- In the Virginia 1990 electionUnited States Senate election in Virginia, 1990The 1990 United States Senate election in Virginia took place on November 5, 1990. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John W. Warner won re-election to a third term. No Democrat filed to run against him as he won every single county and city in the state with over 60% of the vote. Independent Nancy B...
, independent Nancy B. Spannaus received 18.2% of the vote in a two-way race.
- In the Alaska 1992 electionUnited States Senate election in Alaska, 1992The 1998 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski won re-election to a third term.-Results:- External links :...
, Green Party nominee Mary Jordan received 8.4% of the vote.
- In the Arizona 1992 electionUnited States Senate election in Arizona, 1992The 1992 United States Senate election in Arizona was held on November 3, 1992. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John McCain won re-election to a second term.-Results:-References:...
, independent Evan MechamEvan MechamEvan Mecham was the 17th Governor of Arizona. A decorated veteran of World War II, Mecham earned his living as an automotive dealership owner and occasional newspaper publisher...
received 10.5% of the vote.
- In the Hawaii 1992 electionUnited States Senate election in Hawaii, 1992The 1992 United States Senate election in Hawaii took place on November 3, 1992 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Daniel...
, Green Party nominee Linda MartinLinda MartinLinda Martin is an Irish singer and television presenter. She is best known in Europe as the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992, with the song "Why Me?", and in Ireland as a member of the 1970s/1980s band, Chips.-Chips:Martin started off her musical career when she joined the band Chips...
received 13.7% of the vote.
- In the Ohio 1992 electionUnited States Senate election in Ohio, 1992The 1992 United States Senate election in Ohio was held on November 3, 1992. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator John Glenn won re-election to a fourth term.-Results:...
, independent Martha Grevatt received 6.9% of the vote.
- In the Arizona 1994 electionUnited States Senate election in Arizona, 1994The 2000 United States Senate election in Arizona took place on November 7, 1994. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican nominee Jon Kyl won the open seat.-Candidates:...
, Libertarian Party nominee Scott Grainger received 6.8% of the vote.
- In the Minnesota 1994 electionUnited States Senate election in Minnesota, 1994The 1994 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held in 1994. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator David Durenberger decided to retire instead of seeking a third full term. Republican Rod Grams won the open seat.-Results:- References :...
, Reform Party nominee Dean BarkleyDean BarkleyDean Malcolm Barkley is a politician who briefly served as a member of the United States Senate from Minnesota following the death of Paul Wellstone...
received 5.4% of the vote.
- In the Ohio 1994 electionUnited States Senate election in Ohio, 1994The 1994 United States Senate election in Ohio was held in 1994. Republican nominee Mike DeWine won the open seat against Democratic nominee Joel Hyatt. Independent Joseph Slovenec performed very well.-Democrat:...
, independent Joseph Slovenec received 7.3% of the vote.
- In the Vermont 1994 electionUnited States Senate election in Vermont, 1994The 1994 U.S. Senate election in Vermont took place, where incumbent centrist Republican senator Jim Jeffords easily won re-election against state senator Jan Backus and independent Gavin Mills. He won every county in the state.-Candidates:...
, independent Gavin T. Mills received 5.9% of the vote.
- In the Virginia 1994 electionUnited States Senate election in Virginia, 1994The 1994 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 1994. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Chuck Robb won re-election to a second term, despite the fact that it was a tough year in 1994 because former centrist Republican Marshall Coleman ran as an independent and spoiled...
, independent J. Marshall Coleman received 11.4% of the vote.
- In the Alaska 1996 electionUnited States Senate election in Alaska, 1996The 1996 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens won re-election to a sixth term.-Results:...
, Green Party nominee Jeff Whittaker received 12.5% of the vote in second place ahead of the Democratic Party candidate.
- In the Minnesota 1996 electionUnited States Senate election in Minnesota, 1996The 1996 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone won re-election to a second term.-DFL:-Republican:-Major candidates:...
, Reform Party nominee Dean BarkleyDean BarkleyDean Malcolm Barkley is a politician who briefly served as a member of the United States Senate from Minnesota following the death of Paul Wellstone...
received 7% of the vote.
2000s
- In the Arizona 2000 electionUnited States Senate election in Arizona, 2000The 2000 United States Senate election in Arizona was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jon Kyl won re-election to a second term, as no candidate was nominated from the Democratic Party...
independent Bill Toel received 7.8% finishing second, Green Party nominee Vance Hansen received 7.8% of the vote in third place and Libertarian Party nominee Barry HessBarry HessBarry J. Hess II is an investor, business owner, writer and United States Libertarian Party activist. He was the Libertarian Party of Arizona nominee for U.S. Senate from Arizona in 2000 finishing 4th of 4 with 70,724 votes , and the Libertarian candidate for Governor of Arizona in 2002 , 2006 and...
received 5.1% of the vote in fourth place.
- In the Massachusetts 2000 electionUnited States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2000The 2000 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy won re-election to a sixth full term.-Democratic:* Ted Kennedy, incumbent U.S. Senator first elected in 1962-Republican:...
Libertarian Party nominee Carla HowellCarla HowellCarla A. Howell is an American political activist and small government advocate. She is President of the Center For Small Government. She is most known for organizing tax cut initiative petitions, called ballot measures in other states...
received 11.9% of the vote.
- In the Minnesota 2000 electionUnited States Senate election in Minnesota, 2000The 2000 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 7, 2000 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota. The race pitted incumbent Republican Senator Rod Grams against Minnesota State Auditor Mark Dayton. Dayton won with 48.83% of the vote against Grams’...
, Independence Party nominee James GibsonJames Gibson-In science and academia:*James J. Gibson , American psychologist*James B. Gibson , American astronomer who discovered 2309 Mr...
received 5.8% of the vote.
- In the Alaska 2002 electionUnited States Senate election in Alaska, 2002The 2002 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens won re-election to a seventh term.-Republican:*Ted Stevens, incumbent U.S...
, Green Party nominee Jim SykesJim SykesJames L. "Jim" Sykes is a radio journalist and producer, and Green Party politician, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The founder of the Green Party of Alaska, Sykes initiated a lawsuit, Sykes v. Alaska, relying heavily upon case law established in the earlier ballot access lawsuits of Joe Vogler...
received 7.2% of the vote.
- In the Kansas 2002 electionUnited States Senate election in Kansas, 2002The 2002 United States Senate election in Kansas was held on November 4, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pat Roberts won re-election to a second term easily because no Democrat filed to run.-Results:-Results:...
, Libertarian Party nominee Steven Rosile received 9.1% in second place while Reform Party nominee George Cook obtained 8.4% in third place. There was not a Democratic Party candidate in the race.
- In the Massachusetts 2002 election, Libertarian Party nominee Michael Cloud received 19% of the vote in second place.
- In the Mississippi 2002 election, Reform Party nominee Shawn O'Hara received 15.4% of the vote finishing second in a two candidate field.
- In the Oklahoma 2002 election, independent James Germalic received 6.4% of the vote.
- In the Oklahoma 2004 electionUnited States Senate election in Oklahoma, 2004The 2004 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 2, 2004. The election was concurrent with elections to the United States House of Representatives and the presidential election. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Don Nickles decided to retire instead of seeking a fifth term...
, independent Sheila BilyeuSheila BilyeuSheila Bilyeu was a candidate for the United States Green Party's nomination for President in 2004 in the District of Columbia, losing to David Cobb by a 2-1 margin....
received 6% of the vote.
- In the Connecticut 2006 electionUnited States Senate election in Connecticut, 2006The 2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman lost the August 8th Democratic primary to Ned Lamont. Lieberman formed his own third party and won in the general election to a fourth term.-Democratic primary:The...
, Connecticut for LiebermanConnecticut for LiebermanConnecticut for Lieberman is a Connecticut political party created by twenty-five supporters of Senator Joe Lieberman. The party was created to enable Lieberman to run for re-election following his defeat in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary...
Party candidate Joe LiebermanJoe LiebermanJoseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
won re-election with 49.7%. http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/datagraph.php?year=2006&fips=9&f=0&off=3&elect=0.
- In the Indiana 2006 election, Libertarian Steve Osborn received 12.6% of the vote finishing second in a two candidate race.
- In the Maine 2006 election, independent Bill SlavickBill SlavickBill Slavick is a peace activist who ran for the U.S. Senate in Maine as an independent in the 2006 election. He came in third place, receiving 5.2% of the vote.-Background:...
received 5.4% of the vote in third place.
- In the Vermont 2006 election, independent Bernie SandersBernie SandersBernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
won the election with 65.4% of the vote.
- In the Arkansas 2008 electionUnited States Senate election in Arkansas, 2008The 2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Pryor decided to run for a second term. No Republican filed to challenge him. His only opponent was Green party candidate Rebekah Kennedy...
, Green Party candidate Rebekah KennedyRebekah KennedyRebekah Kennedy is an Arkansas politician affiliated with the Green Party and was a candidate for U.S. Senate in the 2008 election cycle. She unsuccessfully ran for State Attorney General during the 2006 and 2010 election cycles....
received 20.5% of the vote in a two candidate race.
- In the Minnesota 2008 electionUnited States Senate election in Minnesota, 2008The 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 4, 2008. After a legal battle lasting over eight months, Al Franken from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in one of the closest elections in the history of the Senate...
, Independence Party nominee and former U.S. senator Dean BarkleyDean BarkleyDean Malcolm Barkley is a politician who briefly served as a member of the United States Senate from Minnesota following the death of Paul Wellstone...
received 15.2% of the vote.
- In the Oregon 2008 electionUnited States Senate election in Oregon, 2008The 2008 United States Senate election in Oregon was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith decided to seek re-election. Smith was the only Republican Senator from the west coast and the only Republican holding statewide office in Oregon...
, Constitution Party nominee David Brownlow received 5.2% of the vote.
2010s
- In the Florida 2010 electionUnited States Senate election in Florida, 2010-Polling:-Results:-Background:Upon Senator Martinez's announcement that he would not run for reelection, early speculation surrounded former Governor Jeb Bush. It was thought that if Bush decided to run, other potential Republican candidates would allow Bush to run uncontested...
, independent Charlie CristCharlie CristCharles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
received 29.7% of the vote in second place.
- In the Indiana 2010 electionUnited States Senate election in Indiana, 2010-Hostettler:-Stutzman:-Polling:-Results:-Candidates:*Brad Ellsworth , U.S. Congressman*Dan Coats , former U.S. Senator*Rebecca Sink-Burris , Teacher and small business owner-Campaign:...
, Libertarian Party nominee Rebecca Sink-Burris received 5.4% of the vote.
- In the South Carolina 2010 electionUnited States Senate election in South Carolina, 2010The 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 2, 2010 along with other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator...
, Green Party nominee Tom Clements received 9.2% of the vote.
- In the Utah 2010 electionUnited States Senate election in Utah, 2010Lee-Polling:-Results:-Candidates:*Tim Bridgewater, small businessman *Mike Lee, attorney- Endorsements :BridgewaterLee-Polling:-Results:-Results:- Candidates :* Scott Bradley , businessman...
, Constitution Party nominee Scott Bradley received 5.7% of the vote.
- In the Alaska 2010 electionUnited States Senate election in Alaska, 2010The 2010 United States Senate election in Alaska took place on November 2, 2010, alongside 33 other U.S. Senate elections in other states, as well as elections in all states for Representatives to the U.S. House, and various state and local offices....
, Lisa MurkowskiLisa MurkowskiLisa Ann Murkowski is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski. After losing a Republican primary in 2010, she became the second person ever to win a U.S...
received 39.08% of the vote as a write-in candidateWrite-in candidateA write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
following her defeat in the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
primary election to Joe MillerJoe MillerJoe Miller was an English actor, who first appeared in the cast of Sir Robert Howard's Committee at Drury Lane in 1709 as Teague....
.
Presidential
Listed below is any election since 1856. Elections where a candidate won electoral votes (excepting faithless electorFaithless elector
In United States presidential elections, a faithless elector is a member of the Electoral College who does not vote for the candidate they have pledged to vote for...
s) are marked with an asterisk (*).
1856*
In 1856 the original two-party system (Democrat and Whig) collapsed. The WhigsWhig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
, who had been one-half of the two-party system since 1832 and had won the presidency in 1840 and 1848, disintegrated. Southern Whigs and a minority of northern Whigs coalesced around the anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic American Party, better known as the "Know Nothing
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
" movement. Their candidate was former President Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
, who won 22% but carried only one state, Maryland, thus winning 8 electoral votes. Many Northern Whigs, such as Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, joined the newly formed Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. The Republicans ran John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
, who finished second with 33.1% and 114 electoral votes. Democrat James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
won the election.
1860*
John C. BreckinridgeJohn C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
, the third party candidate of southern Democrats, got 18.2% of the popular vote and won 72 electoral votes from several south states. John Bell
John Bell
- Law and politics :* John Bell , English barrister* John Bell , professor of law and Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge* John Bell , Member of Parliament from Thirsk...
of the Constitutional Union Party
Constitutional Union Party (United States)
The Constitutional Union Party was a political party in the United States created in 1860. It was made up of conservative former Whigs who wanted to avoid disunion over the slavery issue...
finished with 12.6% of the popular vote, but only won 39 electoral votes from three states. Though both Bell and Breckenridge were unable to capture as many popular votes as the two main presidential candidates (Republican Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
and Democrat Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
), this election would mark the first time any third party received more electoral votes than one of the major candidates in a US presidential election. Douglas finished with 29.5% of the popular vote, but only won 12 electoral votes from two states.
1892*
James B. Weaver, the Greenback Labor nominee in 1880, ran as presidential candidate for the Populist PartyPopulist Party (United States)
The People's Party, also known as the "Populists", was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1891. It was most important in 1892-96, then rapidly faded away...
. The Populist Party won 22 electoral votes and 8.51 percent of the popular vote http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1892&off=0&f=1. Weaver became the first third-party candidate to win a state since John Bell in the transitional election of 1860. The Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
eventually adopted many Populist Party positions after this election, notably the Populist call for the free coinage of silver
Free Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
, making this contest a prominent example of a delayed vote for change.
1896
The Populist Party supported Democratic nominee William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
after Bryan and the Democrats came out for support of Free Silver
Free Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
. Bryan won 47% of the vote and 171 electoral votes, losing to Republican William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
.
1912*
Republican Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
ran as the "Bull Moose Party" (Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
) nominee in the 1912 election. Roosevelt won 27.4% of the popular vote and carried six states totaling 88 electoral votes. Overall, Roosevelt's effort was the most successful third-party candidacy in American history. It was also the only third-party effort to finish higher than third in the popular votes and only the second to do so in electoral votes. Instead incumbent Republican President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
finished third, taking only 23% of the popular vote and 8 electoral votes. The split in the Republican vote gave Democrat Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
victory with 42% of the popular vote, but 435 electoral votes.
Eugene V. Debs
Eugene V. Debs
Eugene Victor Debs was an American union leader, one of the founding members of the International Labor Union and the Industrial Workers of the World , and several times the candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States...
, running in his fourth consecutive Presidential election as the Socialist Party candidate, won 6% of the vote, an all-time high for the Socialists. The elections of 1860 and 1912 are the only two times that four candidates each cleared 5% of the popular vote in a Presidential election.
1924*
Erstwhile Republican Robert M. La FolletteRobert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
ran as a Progressive
Progressive Party (United States, 1924)
The Progressive Party of 1924 was a new party created as a vehicle for Robert M. La Follette, Sr. to run for president in the 1924 election. It did not run candidates for other offices, and it disappeared after the election except in Wisconsin. Its name resembles the 1912 Progressive Party, which...
. After the Democrats nominated conservative John W. Davis
John W. Davis
John William Davis was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served as a United States Representative from West Virginia , then as Solicitor General of the United States and US Ambassador to the UK under President Woodrow Wilson...
, many liberal Democrats turned to La Follette. He received 4,831,706 votes for 16.6% of the popular vote and won his home state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
receiving 13 electoral votes. With the Democrats split, incumbent President Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
won election by a wide margin.
1948*
Democrat Strom ThurmondStrom Thurmond
James Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...
ran on the segregationist
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
States' Rights ("Dixiecrat
Dixiecrat
The States' Rights Democratic Party was a short-lived segregationist political party in the United States in 1948...
") ticket. Former Vice President Henry A. Wallace
Henry A. Wallace
Henry Agard Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States , the Secretary of Agriculture , and the Secretary of Commerce . In the 1948 presidential election, Wallace was the nominee of the Progressive Party.-Early life:Henry A...
ran on the liberal left as the candidate of a new Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1948)
The United States Progressive Party of 1948 was a left-wing political party that ran former Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for president and U.S. Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho for vice president in 1948.-Foundation:...
. Thus the Democratic vote was split three ways, between Thurmond on the right, Wallace on the left, and incumbent President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
in the center. Thurmond received 1,175,930 votes (2.4%) and 39 votes in the electoral college from Southern states. Wallace earned 1,157,328 votes for an identical 2.4% of the popular vote, but no votes in the Electoral College due to his support being mostly concentrated in the more populous states of New York and California.
1968*
Former Democratic Governor of AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
George Wallace
George Wallace
George Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
ran on the American Independent Party
American Independent Party
The American Independent Party is a right-wing political party of the United States that was established in 1967 by Bill and Eileen Shearer. In 1968, the American Independent Party nominated George C. Wallace as its presidential candidate and retired Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay as the vice...
line. Wallace received 9,901,118 votes for 13.5% of the popular vote, receiving 45 electoral votes in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and many votes in the North. Wallace remains the only third party candidate since 1948 to win a state.
1980
Congressman John B. AndersonJohn B. Anderson
John Bayard Anderson is a former United States Congressman and Presidential candidate from Illinois. He was a U.S. Representative from the 16th Congressional District of Illinois for ten terms from 1961 through 1981 and an Independent candidate in the 1980 presidential election. He was previously...
received 5,719,850 votes, for 6.6% of the vote, as an independent candidate for President. Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
candidate Ed Clark
Ed Clark
Ed Clark is an American politician who ran for Governor of California in 1978, and for President of the United States as the nominee of the Libertarian Party in the 1980 presidential election....
won 921,128 votes, or 1.1% of the total. No other Libertarian candidate has ever gotten more than 0.5% in a presidential election.
1992
Ross PerotRoss Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
, an independent, won 18.9% of the popular vote (but no electoral votes). His was the second-best popular vote showing ever for a third-party candidate, trailing only Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. Perot finished second in two states: in Utah ahead of election winner Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, and in Maine ahead of incumbent President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
.
1996
Ross PerotRoss Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
ran for president again, this time as the candidate of the newly formed Reform Party
Reform Party of the United States of America
The Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
. He won 8% of the popular vote.
2000
Ralph NaderRalph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
, running from the liberal left as the candidate of the Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
, won 2.7% of the electoral vote.
Others
- San Francisco mayoral election, 2003San Francisco mayoral election, 2003The 2003 San Francisco mayoral election occurred on November 4, 2003. The incumbent, Willie Brown, was termed out of office and could not seek a third term. The general election included three top candidates including then Supervisor Gavin Newsom and then President of the Board of Supervisors, Matt...
- Richmond, California municipal elections, 2006
- Burlington, Vermont mayoral election, 2009Burlington, Vermont mayoral election, 2009The Burlington mayoral election of 2009 occurred on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. Burlington's mayoral race is partisan election that occurs every three years, and there are no term limits. The current mayor, Bob Kiss, has served since 2006. This marks the second mayoral election in Burlington using...
- New York City mayoral election, 2009New York City mayoral election, 2009The 2009 election for Mayor of New York City took place on Tuesday, November 3. The incumbent Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, an independent who left the Republican Party in 2008, won reelection on the Republican and Independence Party/Jobs & Education lines with 50.7% of the vote over the retiring City...