Simone Lawson
Since 1789, 19 Members of the House have served as President of the United States. Four of these Members—John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Gerald Ford—were never elected to the Presidency, having succeeded a President who died or resigned. Only Gerald Ford was never successfully elected as either President or Vice President, despite serving in both positions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Members of the House who served as President of the United States | 19 |
| Members who were never elected to the Presidency | John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Gerald Ford |
| Reasons for succession | Preceding President died or resigned |
| Members who were never elected as President or Vice President | Gerald Ford |
Explore related products
$18.59 $19.99
What You'll Learn
- John Quincy Adams was elected by the House of Representatives, despite losing the popular and electoral vote
- Donald Trump lost the popular vote but won enough electoral votes to become president
- Five candidates in 1824 resulted in none receiving a majority of electoral votes
- The Twenty-second Amendment bars anyone from being elected president more than twice
- Four members of the House have served as president without being elected: John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Gerald Ford
John Quincy Adams was elected by the House of Representatives, despite losing the popular and electoral vote
The 1824 United States presidential election was the first in which the popular vote mattered, as 18 states chose presidential electors by popular vote. Andrew Jackson won the popular vote, with 152,901 votes to John Quincy Adams's 114,023. Jackson also received 99 electoral votes, while Adams received 84. However, Jackson did not win an absolute majority of the electoral votes, and so the responsibility for electing a new president fell to the House of Representatives.
The Twelfth Amendment states that the House is limited to choosing from among the top three candidates by the number of electoral votes received. These were Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and William Crawford. Henry Clay, who had the fewest electoral votes, was eliminated from the deliberation. However, as Speaker of the House, Clay was still highly influential in determining the outcome of the election.
Most of Clay's supporters, along with several old Federalists, switched their votes to Adams, giving him a one-vote margin of victory. Soon after his inauguration, Adams appointed Clay as his secretary of state, leading Jackson to claim that a "corrupt bargain" had taken place between Adams and Clay. Jackson's supporters believed that the election had been stolen from him due to this alleged deal.
John Quincy Adams thus became the only president in US history to be elected by the House of Representatives despite losing the popular and electoral vote.
Executive Orders: How They Work and Why They Matter
You may want to see also
Donald Trump lost the popular vote but won enough electoral votes to become president
In the United States, the ""national popular vote" is the sum of all the votes cast in the general election, nationwide. In the history of the country, there have been several presidents who did not receive the most votes in the general election but still won enough electoral votes to become president.
Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, is one such example. In the 2016 presidential election, Trump lost the popular vote to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who received almost three million more votes than Trump, giving her a 2.1% lead in the popular vote. However, Trump received 304 electoral votes to Clinton's 227, with seven electors defecting to other choices. This made the 2016 election one of the few instances in US history where the winner of the popular vote did not become president.
Other examples of presidents who lost the popular vote but won the electoral vote include Benjamin Harrison in 1888, George W. Bush in 2000, and Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876. In the 1888 election, incumbent Grover Cleveland lost to Harrison in the electoral vote but won the popular vote. Harrison is thus the 23rd president of the United States, while Cleveland became the first president in American history to be elected to two nonconsecutive terms after defeating Harrison four years later. In the 2000 election, the result hinged on the voting in Florida, where Bush's narrow official margin of victory of just 537 votes out of almost six million triggered a mandatory recount. The Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore ended the recounts, awarding Florida's 25 Electoral College votes to Bush and granting him the victory. Lastly, in 1876, Hayes won the election despite losing the popular vote to Samuel J. Tilden. Disputed electoral votes in three states – Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina – led the US Congress to form an Electoral Commission to decide the contest.
The US Constitution: Everlasting and Unparalleled
You may want to see also
Five candidates in 1824 resulted in none receiving a majority of electoral votes
The 1824 United States presidential election was unique in that it featured five candidates, none of whom managed to secure a majority of electoral votes. The candidates were John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford, Henry Clay, and John C. Calhoun.
The election was also notable for being the first in which a large majority of electors were chosen by voters rather than being appointed by state legislatures. The campaigning took many forms, including the use of contrafacta, or altered lyrics to well-known songs, to promote political agendas and candidates. Political cartoons and partisan writings were also circulated in newspapers to influence public opinion.
Andrew Jackson, a military hero from Tennessee, received the most popular and electoral votes but failed to secure a majority. He was nominated by the Tennessee state legislature in 1822 and was a popular figure in the party. Jackson received more than 150,000 votes, winning outright in nine states and taking some electoral votes from four others.
John Quincy Adams, from Massachusetts, was the able secretary of state under President Monroe. He was a less popular figure in the party and received around 108,000 votes, winning all the electoral votes in six states and carrying votes from five others. Despite coming second in both the popular and electoral votes, Adams was ultimately elected president by the House of Representatives, winning 13 states to Jackson's seven and Crawford's four.
The outcome of the election led to allegations of a "Corrupt Bargain" between Adams and Clay, who was appointed secretary of state shortly after Adams's inauguration. This may have contributed to Jackson's victory in the 1828 election, where he defeated Adams to become president.
The Senate's Core Function: Representation and Checks
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Twenty-second Amendment bars anyone from being elected president more than twice
The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted in 1951, bars anyone from being elected president more than twice. This amendment was a response to the unprecedented length of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. The amendment also prohibits anyone who has served as president for more than two years of another president's term from being elected president more than once.
The Twenty-second Amendment was approved by Congress on March 21, 1947, and submitted to the states for ratification. It officially came into force on February 27, 1951, when 36 out of 48 states had ratified it. The amendment includes a grandfather clause, exempting any incumbent president at the time of its proposal from its limitations. This exemption applied to Harry S. Truman, who had served nearly all of Roosevelt's unexpired 1945-1949 term and was elected to a full four-year term in 1949.
Since its implementation, the Twenty-second Amendment has barred six twice-elected presidents from seeking a third term: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The amendment also prevented Donald Trump, who served two non-consecutive terms, from running for a third term.
While the Twenty-second Amendment clearly limits the number of times a person can be elected president, there is some ambiguity regarding its interaction with the Twelfth Amendment. The Twelfth Amendment, ratified in 1804, states that "no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States." This has raised questions about whether a two-term president could still be elected as vice president and potentially succeed to the presidency. Some argue that the original intent of the Twelfth Amendment was to address qualifications for service, such as age, residence, and citizenship, while the Twenty-second Amendment focuses on qualifications for election.
The applicability of this loophole has not been tested, as no person has served as both president and vice president in that order, regardless of term limits. However, the Twenty-second Amendment remains a crucial aspect of the US Constitution, ensuring a regular rotation of leadership and preventing any individual from holding the office of president indefinitely.
The President's Cabinet: Congressional Approval Needed?
You may want to see also
Four members of the House have served as president without being elected: John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Gerald Ford
Since 1789, 19 members of the House have served as President of the United States. Four of these members—John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Gerald Ford—became president without being elected. They succeeded a president who had died or resigned.
John Tyler (1790-1862) became the tenth President of the United States in 1841 after the death of President William Henry Harrison, who died of pneumonia just one month after his inauguration. Tyler was the first vice president to assume the office of president due to the death of the president. He was never elected to the presidency or vice presidency but served in both positions.
Millard Fillmore (1800-1874) was the 13th President of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. He succeeded President Taylor after his death in 1850. Fillmore was the second vice president to become president due to the death of the incumbent. He was later nominated by the Know Nothing party for the 1856 presidential election but lost to Democrat James Buchanan.
Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) was the 17th President of the United States from 1865 to 1869. He became president after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Johnson was the third vice president to ascend to the presidency due to the death of the incumbent. In 1868, he became the first U.S. president to be impeached by the House of Representatives, but he was acquitted by the Senate and served out his term.
Gerald Ford (1913-2006) was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. He is the only person to have served as vice president and president without being elected to either position. Ford became vice president in 1973 under Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974 due to the Watergate scandal. As vice president, Ford ascended to the presidency, where he is remembered for his efforts to restore trust in the government. He ran for president in 1976 but lost to Democrat Jimmy Carter.
Congressional Powers: Influence, Control, and Authority
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Four members — John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Gerald Ford — were never elected to the Presidency, having succeeded a President who died or resigned.
Gerald Ford was never elected as either President or Vice President, though he served in both positions.
Yes, all four were Members of the House of Representatives before becoming President.
