1856 U.S. Presidential Election
Who won the 1856 U.S. Presidential Election?
James Buchanan won the 1856 U.S. Presidential Election. James Buchanan received 1,838,169 popular votes (45.3%) and 174 electoral votes. The main challenger was John C. Fremont (33.1%).
See the full head-to-head between Buchanan and Fremont
Buchanan +12.2 pts · won by 496,905 votes
1,838,169 votes · 174 electoral
Running mate: John C. Breckinridge
873,053 votes · 8 electoral
Running mate: Andrew Jackson Donelson
Popular-vote counts come from official certified totals (1976–2024) and official public returns for earlier years, cross-checked against the MIT Election Lab. The 1824 count is partial. Six states chose electors through their legislatures.