List of United States presidential candidate firsts

This list lists achievements and distinctions of various presidential candidates. It does not include the accomplishments of vice presidential candidates nor distinctions achieved during presidencies, with the exception of those that directly relate to presidential elections. Records concerning party nominations go back to 1796, the first time that political parties nominated presidential tickets. ^[1] Records concerning the national popular vote only go back to the 1824 election, when the national popular vote began to be officially recorded. ^[2] Certain other records are noted as going back to the 1804 ratification of the Twelfth Amendment, which made significant alterations to the process of presidential elections.

1789

• First candidate to have served in the Continental Army: George Washington ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
• First candidate whose primary state of residence was in the Southern United States: George Washington ^[4]

1796

• First presidential nominee of the Federalist Party, and first Federalist to win a presidential election: John Adams ^{[lower-alpha 2]}
• First major party candidate and first victorious candidate whose primary state of residence was in the Northeastern United States: John Adams ^[4]
• First presidential nominee of the Democratic-Republican Party: Thomas Jefferson ^{[lower-alpha 2]}
• First recipient of a vote from a faithless elector: Thomas Jefferson ^[6]

1800

• First individuals to serve as the presidential nominee of a major party in two elections: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson ^{[lower-alpha 3]}

1808

• First individual to win election during the presidency of another individual from the same party: James Madison ^{[lower-alpha 4]}

1812

• First major party candidate to have served in the United States Senate: DeWitt Clinton ^{[lower-alpha 5]}

1816

• First sitting U.S. senator and first sitting member of Congress to serve as a major party candidate: Rufus King ^{[lower-alpha 6]}

1824

• First winning presidential candidate to not win a plurality of the national popular vote: John Quincy Adams ^[11]
• First victorious candidate with a spouse born outside of North America: John Quincy Adams ^{[lower-alpha 7]}
• First losing presidential candidate to win a plurality of the national popular vote: Andrew Jackson ^[11]

1828

• First nominee of the Democratic Party, and first Democrat to win a presidential election: Andrew Jackson ^{[lower-alpha 8]}
• First victorious candidate to have served in the United States Army after 1796: Andrew Jackson ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
• First nominee of the National Republican Party: John Quincy Adams ^{[lower-alpha 8]}

1832

• First individual nominated by a presidential nominating convention: William Wirt ^[15]

1840

• First major party nominee and first victorious candidate whose primary state of residence was in the Midwestern United States: William Henry Harrison ^[4]
• First presidential candidate to campaign with an official party platform: Martin Van Buren ^[15]

1844

• First dark horse candidate to win a major party's presidential nomination: James K. Polk ^{[15] [16] [17]}
• First sitting president to serve no more than one term and not win a major party's presidential nomination: John Tyler ^[18]
• First sitting president to be nominated by a third party: John Tyler ^{[lower-alpha 9]}

1848

• First sitting president to serve no more than one term and decline to seek another term: James K. Polk ^[20]
• First major party nominee and first victorious candidate who had never previously held elective office: Zachary Taylor ^[21]
• First former president to run for president as a third party nominee: Martin Van Buren ^{[lower-alpha 9]}
• First third party candidate to win at least ten percent of the national popular vote: Martin Van Buren ^[11]

1856

• First sitting, elected president to lose a bid for re-nomination: Franklin Pierce ^[18]
• First major party candidate whose primary state of residence was in the Western United States: John C. Frémont ^[4]
• First third party candidate to win at least twenty percent of the national popular vote: Millard Fillmore ^{[11] [lower-alpha 10]}

1860

• First Republican to win a presidential election: Abraham Lincoln ^[28]
• First victorious candidate born outside of the original thirteen states of the United States: Abraham Lincoln
• First major party candidates that resided in the same home state: Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas
• First victorious major party nominee to win less than 40 percent of the national popular vote: Abraham Lincoln ^[11]
• First third party candidate to finish second in the electoral vote: John C. Breckinridge ^{[lower-alpha 11]}
• First third party nominee to win at least ten percent of the national popular vote, but finish fourth in the national popular vote: John Bell ^[11]

1864

• First individual from the Northern states to win two presidential elections: Abraham Lincoln ^[34]

1872

• First woman to run for president: Victoria Woodhull ^[35]
• First major party nominee to die before the official tallying of electoral votes: Horace Greeley ^{[15] [lower-alpha 12]}

1876

• First losing presidential candidate to win a majority of the popular vote: Samuel J. Tilden ^{[lower-alpha 13]}

1880

• First individual to seek a third presidential term: Ulysses S. Grant ^[37]

1884

• First former mayor to win a presidential election: Grover Cleveland ^[38]

1892

• First individual to run on a major party ticket with three different running mates during their career: Grover Cleveland ^{[lower-alpha 14]}
• First individual to win two presidential elections without winning a majority of the national popular vote: Grover Cleveland ^[11]

1904

• First individual to succeed to the presidency following the death or resignation of a predecessor, and then win election in his own right: Theodore Roosevelt ^[40]
• First African American to run for president: George Edwin Taylor ^[41]

1912

• First individual to win a presidential preference primary: Robert M. La Follette ^{[lower-alpha 15]}

1916

• First Supreme Court justice to win a major party's presidential nomination: Charles Evans Hughes ^{[44] [lower-alpha 16]}

1928

• First Roman Catholic to be nominated for president by a major party: Al Smith ^{[45] [46]}
• First victorious candidate born west of the Mississippi River: Herbert Hoover ^[47]
• First victorious candidate whose primary state of residence was in the Western United States: Herbert Hoover ^[4]

1940

• First major party nominee who had never held elective office, served as a Cabinet secretary, or held the rank of general: Wendell Willkie ^[48]

1944

• First major party nominee born in the 20th century: Thomas E. Dewey ^[49]

1948

• First individual to run for president in six elections: Norman Thomas ^[15]

1960

• First Roman Catholic to win a presidential election: John F. Kennedy ^[50]
• First individual who had served in the United States Navy to win a presidential election: John F. Kennedy ^[51]
• First African American to run for president in a major party primary: Frank R. Beckwith ^[52]

1964

• First woman to seek a major party's presidential nomination: Margaret Chase Smith ^[35]
• First person of Jewish descent to serve as a major party's presidential nominee: Barry Goldwater ^{[53] [54]}

1972

• First African-American woman to seek a major party's presidential nomination: Shirley Chisholm ^[35]

1980

• First Latino American to seek a major party's presidential nomination: Ben Fernandez ^[55]

1984

• First African-American man to seek a major party's presidential nomination: Jesse Jackson ^[56]
• First woman to serve as a major party vice presidential nominee and vice presidential nominee for the Democratic Party: Geraldine Ferraro

1988

• First woman to appear on the general election ballot of all fifty states: Lenora Fulani ^[57]
• First Greek American and Greek Orthodox to run for president: Michael Dukakis ^[58]

1992

• First independent candidate to win at least ten percent of the national popular vote: Ross Perot ^[11]

2000

• First Jewish candidate to serve as a major party vice presidential nominee: Joe Lieberman ^[59]

2008

• First African American major party presidential nominee and first African American to win a presidential election: Barack Obama ^[60]
• First victorious presidential candidate born outside of the Contiguous United States: Barack Obama ^{[lower-alpha 17]}
• First major party presidential nominees born outside of the Contiguous United States: Barack Obama and John McCain ^{[lower-alpha 17]}
• First former First Lady to run for president: Hillary Clinton ^[62]

2012

• First member of LDS Church to serve as a major party presidential nominee: Mitt Romney ^[63]
• First openly gay candidate for president: Fred Karger ^{[64] [65]}

2016

• First woman to serve as a major party's presidential nominee: Hillary Clinton ^[35]
• First women to receive electoral votes for president: Hillary Clinton ^[66] and Faith Spotted Eagle ^[67]
• First woman to win the popular vote in a presidential election: Hillary Clinton ^[68]
• First Jewish candidate to win a presidential primary contest: Bernie Sanders ^[69]
• First Jewish candidate to receive electoral college votes for president: Bernie Sanders ^[67]
• First Native American to receive electoral college votes for president: Faith Spotted Eagle ^[67]
• First Latino American to win a presidential primary contest: Ted Cruz ^[12]
• First Cuban American to win a presidential primary contest: Marco Rubio
• First Indian American candidate to seek a major party's presidential nomination: Bobby Jindal ^[70]

2020

• First openly gay candidate to win a major party's presidential primary contest: Pete Buttigieg ^[71]
• First Hindu, Pacific Islander, and millennial candidate to seek a major party's presidential nomination: Tulsi Gabbard ^[72]

See also

• List of United States presidential firsts

Notes

1. The modern United States Army traces its origins to the Continental Army, but did not become known as the United States Army until 1796. Washington had served in the Continental Army prior to the 1789 election, but did not serve in the United States Army until 1798. ^[3]
2. In the 1796 election, the Democratic-Republicans may or may not have officially nominated Jefferson for president through a congressional nominating caucus, but Jefferson was widely regarded as the party's main presidential candidate. The Democratic-Republicans did not select an official vice presidential candidate, though Aaron Burr finished with the second-most electoral votes among individuals affiliated with the party. The Federalists informally nominated Adams for president and Thomas Pinckney for vice president. ^[5]
3. In the 1800 election, the Democratic-Republican congressional nominating caucus nominated Thomas Jefferson for president and Aaron Burr for vice president. The Federalist congressional nominating caucus nominated a ticket of Adams and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. Though the party did not officially nominate either candidate for president or vice president, most Federalists favored Adams for president and Pinckney for vice president. ^[5]
4. President George Washington was broadly sympathetic to the Federalist program, and Federalist John Adams won election during Washington's presidency. However, Washington remained officially non-partisan during his entire presidency. ^{[7] [ page needed ]}
5. Clinton was a Northern Democratic-Republican who challenged the incumbent Democratic-Republican president, James Madison, in the general election. ^[8] Clinton was nominated for president by a legislative caucus of New York Democratic-Republicans, and much of his support came from Democratic-Republicans dissatisfied with Madison's leadership in the War of 1812. The Federalist Party did not officially nominate Clinton, but most Federalist leaders tacitly supported Clinton's candidacy, making him the de facto Federalist candidate in the election. ^[9]
6. The Federalists did not nominate a ticket in 1816, though some Federalists were elected to serve as presidential electors. A majority of the Federalist electors cast their presidential vote for King, making him the de facto Federalist candidate. ^[10]
7. Adams's wife, Louisa Adams, was born in Great Britain. ^[12]
8. The Democratic-Republican Party split into two factions during the 1820s, and these factions eventually coalesced into the Democratic Party and the National Republican Party. There is not a clear founding date for the Democratic Party or the National Republican Party, but Jackson is generally considered to be the founder of the Democratic Party ^[13] and supporters of Adams labeled themselves as the National Republicans during his presidency. ^[14]
9. In 1844, John Tyler's followers formed a short-lived third party that nominated him for president. Before the election took place, Tyler dropped out of the race and endorsed Democrat James K. Polk. ^[19] In 1848, Martin Van Buren became the first individual who had served as president to run for president on a third party ticket and not drop out before the election.
10. In 1856, the American Party, along with a rump convention of Whigs, nominated a presidential ticket led by former President Millard Fillmore. ^[22] By 1856, neither the Republican Party nor the American Party had truly supplanted the Whig Party as the second major political party in the United States. ^[23] Nonetheless, the American Party is frequently described as a third party. ^{[24] [25] [26]} After the 1856 election, the Republican Party firmly established itself as one of the two major parties alongside the Democratic Party, while the American Party collapsed. ^[27]
11. The Democratic Party fractured along sectional lines in 1860 and held multiple national conventions. The Northern Democrats nominated Douglas and the Southern Democrats nominated Vice President John C. Breckinridge. ^{[29] [30]} Many sources include Breckinridge as a third party candidate, ^{[31] [32]} but other sources do not. ^{[33] [2]}
12. The electoral votes that Greeley would have won had he lived were distributed among several candidates, including Thomas A. Hendricks and Greeley's running mate, Benjamin Gratz Brown.
13. Though other losing candidates have won a plurality of the national popular vote, Tilden is the only candidate in American history to lose a presidential election despite receiving a majority of the national popular vote. ^[36]
14. Cleveland ran with Thomas A. Hendricks in 1884, Allen G. Thurman in 1888, and Adlai Stevenson I in 1892. Henry Clay had previously run for president three times, but he was not on a major party ticket in 1824 and may not have had an official running mate in that election (though Nathan Sanford served as his de facto running mate). ^[39]
15. North Dakota held the first ever contested presidential primary on March 19, 1912. La Follette defeated President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt in that primary contest. ^{[42] [43]}
16. William Howard Taft also served on the Supreme Court, but did so only after winning the Republican presidential nomination in the elections of 1908 and 1912. Other individuals who served on the Supreme Court, including John Jay, have won electoral votes.
17. Obama was born in Hawaii and McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone. ^[61] Numerous earlier presidential candidates were born in parts of British America that later became part of the United States.

References

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3. Akers 2002, pp. 29–30.
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50. The New York Times, November 20, 1960, Section 4, p. E5
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