This article is a list of United States presidential candidates. The first U.S. presidential election was held in 1788–1789, followed by the second in 1792. Presidential elections have been held every four years thereafter.

Presidential candidates win the election by winning a majority of the electoral vote. If no candidate wins a majority of the electoral vote, the winner is determined through a contingent election held in the United States House of Representatives; this situation has occurred twice in U.S. history. The procedures governing presidential elections were changed significantly with the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment in 1804. Since 1824, a national popular vote has been tallied for each election, but the national popular vote does not directly affect the winner of the presidential election.

The United States has had a two-party system for much of its history, and the major parties of the two-party system have dominated presidential elections for most of U.S. history. The two current major parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. At various points prior to the American Civil War, the Federalist Party, the Democratic-Republican Party, the National Republican Party, and the Whig Party were major parties. These six parties have nominated candidates in the vast majority of presidential elections, though some presidential elections have deviated from the normal pattern of two major party candidates. In most elections, third party and independent candidates have also sought the presidency, but no such candidates have won the presidency since the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment, and only two such candidates have finished second in either the popular vote or the electoral vote.

Pre-12th Amendment: 1789–1800

Prior to the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment in 1804, each member of the Electoral College cast two votes, with no distinction made between electoral votes for president and electoral votes for vice president. Under these rules, the individual who received the most electoral votes would become president, and the individual who received the second most electoral votes would become vice president.

The following candidates received at least one electoral vote in elections held before the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment in 1804. Winning candidates are bolded. Political parties began to nominate presidential candidates in the 1796 presidential election,Southwick (1998), pp. 12–13 and candidates are therefore not listed as representatives of any party prior.

Year Winning candidate Runner-up Others receiving electoral votes 1788–89 George Washington John Adams John Jay Robert H. Harrison John Rutledge John Hancock George Clinton Samuel HuntingtonJohn MiltonJames Armstrong Benjamin Lincoln Edward Telfair 1792 George Washington John Adams George ClintonThomas Jefferson Aaron Burr 1796 John Adams (Federalist) Thomas Pinckney (Federalist) Aaron Burr (Democratic-Republican)

Samuel Adams (Democratic Republican) Oliver Ellsworth (Federalist) George Clinton (Democratic Republican) John Jay (Federalist) James Iredell (Federalist) Samuel Johnston (Federalist) George Washington (Independent) John Henry (Federalist) Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (Federalist) 1800 Aaron Burr (Democratic Republican) John Adams (Federalist) Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (Federalist) John Jay (Federalist)

Post-12th Amendment: 1804–present

Since the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment in 1804, each member of the Electoral College has cast one vote for president and one vote for vice president, and presidential candidates have generally competed on a ticket with a running mate who seeks to win the vice presidency. Since 1824, the national popular vote has been recorded, though the national popular vote has no direct effect on the winner of the election.

The following candidates won at least 0.1% of the national popular vote in elections held since 1824, or won at least one electoral vote from an elector.For a full list of faithless electors, see:

† and bolded indicates a winning candidate ‡ indicates a losing candidate who won a plurality or majority of the popular vote ↑ indicates a third party or independent candidate who finished second in the popular vote or the electoral vote (or both) § indicates a pending election that hasn't been fully confirmed * indicates a candidate who only won electoral votes from faithless electors

Year Democratic-Republican Federalist candidate Others receiving electoral votes Other candidate(s) 1804 Thomas Jefferson† Charles Cotesworth Pinckney 1808 James Madison† Charles Cotesworth Pinckney George Clinton* (Democratic-Republican) 1812 James Madison† DeWitt Clinton 1816 James Monroe† Rufus King 1820 James Monroe† No opponent John Quincy Adams* (Democratic-Republican) Year Democratic-Republican candidate Democratic-Republican candidate Others receiving electoral votes Other candidate(s) 1824 Andrew Jackson‡ John Quincy Adams† William H. Crawford (Democratic-Republican) Henry Clay (Democratic-Republican) Year Democratic candidate National Republican candidate Others receiving electoral votes Other candidate(s) 1828 Andrew Jackson† John Quincy Adams 1832 Andrew Jackson† Henry Clay John Floyd (Nullifier) William Wirt (Anti-Masonic) Year Democratic candidate Whig candidate Others receiving electoral votes Other candidate(s) 1836 Martin Van Buren† William Henry Harrison Hugh Lawson White (Whig) Daniel Webster (Whig) Willie Person Mangum (Whig) 1840 Martin Van Buren William Henry Harrison† James G. Birney (Liberty) 1844 James K. Polk† Henry Clay James G. Birney (Liberty) 1848 Lewis Cass Zachary Taylor† Martin Van Buren (Free Soil) 1852 Franklin Pierce† Winfield Scott John P. Hale (Free Soil) Daniel Webster (Whig) Year Democratic candidate Republican candidate Others receiving electoral votes Other candidate(s) 1856 James Buchanan† John C. Frémont Millard Fillmore (American) 1860 Stephen A. Douglas Abraham Lincoln† John C. Breckinridge↑ (Southern Democratic)John Bell (Constitutional Union) 1864 George B. McClellanAbraham Lincoln† 1868 Horatio Seymour Ulysses S. Grant†   1872 Horace Greeley Ulysses S. Grant† Thomas A. Hendricks (Democratic) Benjamin Gratz Brown (Liberal Republican) Charles J. Jenkins (Democratic) David Davis (Liberal Republican) Charles O'Conor (Straight-Out Democratic) 1876 Samuel J. Tilden‡ Rutherford B. Hayes† Peter Cooper (Greenback) 1880 Winfield Scott Hancock James A. Garfield† James B. Weaver (Greenback)Neal Dow (Prohibition) 1884 Grover Cleveland† James G. Blaine John St. John (Prohibition)Benjamin Butler (Greenback/Anti-Monopoly) 1888 Grover Cleveland‡ Benjamin Harrison† Clinton B. Fisk (Prohibition)Alson Streeter (Union Labor) 1892 Grover Cleveland† Benjamin Harrison James B. Weaver (Populist)John Bidwell (Prohibition)Simon Wing (Socialist Labor) 1896 William Jennings Bryan William McKinley† John M. Palmer (National Democratic)Joshua Levering (Prohibition)Charles H. Matchett (Socialist Labor)Charles E. Bentley (National Prohibition) 1900 William Jennings Bryan William McKinley† John G. Woolley (Prohibition)Eugene V. Debs (Social Democratic)Wharton Barker (Populist)Joseph F. Maloney (Socialist Labor) 1904 Alton B. Parker Theodore Roosevelt† Eugene V. Debs (Socialist)Silas C. Swallow (Prohibition)Thomas E. Watson (Populist)Charles H. Corregan (Socialist Labor) 1908 William Jennings Bryan William Howard Taft† Eugene V. Debs (Socialist)Eugene W. Chafin (Prohibition)Thomas L. Hisgen (Independence)Thomas E. Watson (Populist) 1912 Woodrow Wilson† William Howard Taft Theodore Roosevelt↑ (Progressive)Eugene V. Debs (Socialist)Eugene W. Chafin (Prohibition)Arthur E. Reimer (Socialist Labor) 1916 Woodrow Wilson† Charles Evans Hughes Allan L. Benson (Socialist)Frank Hanly (Prohibition) 1920 James M. Cox Warren G. Harding† Eugene V. Debs (Socialist)Parley P. Christensen (Farmer-Labor)Aaron Watkins (Prohibition)James E. Ferguson (American)William Wesley Cox (Socialist Labor) 1924 John W. Davis Calvin Coolidge†Robert M. La Follette (Progressive)Herman P. Faris (Prohibition)William Z. Foster (Communist)Frank T. Johns (Socialist Labor) 1928 Al Smith Herbert Hoover† Norman Thomas (Socialist)William Z. Foster (Communist) 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt† Herbert Hoover Norman Thomas (Socialist)William Z. Foster (Communist)William D. Upshaw (Prohibition)William Hope Harvey (Liberty) 1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt† Alf Landon William Lemke (Union)Norman Thomas (Socialist)Earl Browder (Communist) 1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt† Wendell Willkie Norman Thomas (Socialist)Roger W. Babson (Prohibition)Earl Browder (Communist) 1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt† Thomas E. Dewey Norman Thomas (Socialist)Claude A. Watson (Prohibition) 1948 Harry S. Truman† Thomas E. Dewey Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)Henry A. Wallace (Progressive)Norman Thomas (Socialist)Claude A. Watson (Prohibition) 1952 Adlai Stevenson II Dwight D. Eisenhower† Vincent Hallinan (Progressive)Stuart Hamblen (Prohibition) 1956 Adlai Stevenson II Dwight D. Eisenhower† Walter Burgwyn Jones* (Dixiecrat) T. Coleman Andrews (Dixiecrat) 1960 John F. Kennedy† Richard NixonHarry F. Byrd* (Democratic) 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson† Barry Goldwater 1968 Hubert Humphrey Richard Nixon† George Wallace (American Independent) 1972 George McGovern Richard Nixon†John Hospers* (Libertarian) John G. Schmitz (American Independent)Linda Jenness (Socialist Workers)Benjamin Spock (People's Party) 1976 Jimmy Carter† Gerald FordRonald Reagan* (Republican) Eugene McCarthy (Independent)Roger MacBride (Libertarian)Lester Maddox (American Independent)Thomas J. Anderson (American)Peter Camejo (Socialist Workers) 1980 Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan† John B. Anderson (Independent)Ed Clark (Libertarian)Barry Commoner (Citizens) 1984 Walter Mondale Ronald Reagan† David Bergland (Libertarian) 1988 Michael Dukakis George H. W. Bush†Lloyd Bentsen* (Democratic) Ron Paul (Libertarian)Lenora Fulani (New Alliance) 1992 Bill Clinton† George H. W. Bush Ross Perot (Independent)Andre Marrou (Libertarian)Bo Gritz (Populist) 1996 Bill Clinton† Bob Dole Ross Perot (Reform) Ralph Nader (Green)Harry Browne (Libertarian)Howard Phillips (Taxpayers)John Hagelin (Natural Law) 2000 Al Gore‡ George W. Bush† Ralph Nader (Green)Pat Buchanan (Reform)Harry Browne (Libertarian) 2004 John Kerry George W. Bush†John Edwards* (Democratic) Ralph Nader (Independent/Reform)Michael Badnarik (Libertarian)Michael Peroutka (Constitution)David Cobb (Green) 2008 Barack Obama† John McCain Ralph Nader (Independent)Bob Barr (Libertarian)Chuck Baldwin (Constitution)Cynthia McKinney (Green) 2012 Barack Obama† Mitt Romney Gary Johnson (Libertarian)Jill Stein (Green) 2016 Hillary Clinton‡ Donald Trump†Colin Powell* (Republican)John Kasich* (Republican)Ron Paul* (Republican)Bernie Sanders* (Independent) Faith Spotted Eagle* (Democratic) Gary Johnson (Libertarian)Jill Stein (Green)Evan McMullin (Independent)Darrell Castle (Constitution) 2020 Joe Biden† Donald Trump Jo Jorgensen (Libertarian)Howie Hawkins (Green) 2024 Kamala Harris Donald Trump† Jill Stein (Green)Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Independent)Chase Oliver (Libertarian) 2028 TBD TBD TBD

See also Third party and independent candidates for the 2020 United States presidential election List of Democratic Party presidential primaries List of Republican Party presidential primaries List of United States major party presidential tickets List of United States major third party and independent presidential tickets List of United States presidential candidates by number of votes received List of presidential nominating conventions in the United States 2028 United States presidential election

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