U.S. Election Records & Rankings
Votes by party
Each major party’s popular vote, counted race by race and broken out by office: its biggest vote-getters and how its vote and share moved election to election.
Party Vote TrackerDemocratic, Republican, and third-party votes and share in every election, by office, cycle by cycle. Compare president vs. down-ballot, and click through to the races.Democratic PartyEvery popular vote cast for Democratic candidates for president, U.S. Senate, governor, and U.S. House, counted race by race and reported separately by office.Republican PartyEvery popular vote cast for Republican candidates for president, U.S. Senate, governor, and U.S. House, counted race by race and reported separately by office.
Presidential vote records
The defining records of presidential elections: the most votes and electoral votes, the widest margins, the sitting presidents voted out, and the candidates who out-polled the winner but still lost.
Candidates who won the popular vote but lost the electionThe presidential candidates who out-polled their opponent nationwide and still lost in the electoral college.Incumbent presidents who lost re-electionThe sitting U.S. presidents who ran for another term and were turned out by the voters.Most electoral votes ever won by a presidentThe most dominant electoral-college victories in U.S. history, ranked by the raw number of electoral votes the winner received.Most popular votes ever cast for a presidential candidateThe presidential candidates who drew the most raw popular votes in a single election, winners and losers alike, since turnout keeps climbing.Biggest presidential landslidesThe most lopsided U.S. presidential elections, ranked by the winner’s margin in the national popular vote.Highest popular-vote percentage ever wonThe presidential candidates who captured the largest share of the national popular vote in a single election.Closest presidential electionsThe tightest U.S. presidential races in history, ranked by the narrowest margin in the national popular vote.Presidential election rematchesEvery time the same two candidates faced each other for the presidency more than once, with who won each meeting and the full head-to-head.
Senate records
The closest calls and most lopsided blowouts in U.S. Senate history, across all 50 states.
Closest U.S. Senate elections in historyThe tightest races for the United States Senate, ranked by the narrowest margin between the top two candidates.Biggest U.S. Senate landslidesThe most lopsided races for the United States Senate, ranked by the winner’s margin over the runner-up.Youngest U.S. senators ever electedThe youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate, ranked by their age on Election Day.Oldest U.S. senators ever electedThe oldest people to win election to the United States Senate, ranked by their age on Election Day.
Governor records
The tightest finishes and biggest landslides in races for governor, in every state.
Closest governor elections in historyThe tightest races for governor across all 50 states, ranked by the narrowest margin between the top two candidates.Biggest governor landslidesThe most lopsided races for governor across all 50 states, ranked by the winner’s margin over the runner-up.Youngest governors elected since 1900The youngest people elected governor since 1900, ranked by their age on Election Day.Oldest governors elected since 1900The oldest people to win election as governor since 1900, ranked by their age on Election Day.
House records
The closest nail-biters and most lopsided blowouts in races for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Closest U.S. House elections in historyThe tightest races for the U.S. House of Representatives, ranked by the narrowest margin between the top two candidates.Biggest U.S. House landslidesThe most lopsided races for the U.S. House of Representatives, ranked by the winner’s margin over the runner-up.
Third-party & independents
The strongest runs for president by candidates outside the two major parties.
Career & vote totals
The politicians who have drawn the most votes across an entire career. This is the metric most sites skip.
About this database
PolitiFinder is a complete, nonpartisan database of U.S. elections, covering every president, U.S. senator, governor, and representative. It turns that record into the superlatives people actually look up: the biggest landslides, the closest races, the candidates who drew the most votes, and the presidents who won the White House while losing the popular vote. Every figure is drawn from official certified results and the MIT Election Lab (1976–present), and from the CLEA and official public returns for earlier eras, and every ranking links straight to the candidates and races behind it. We lead with career total popular votes, the metric that matters most and the one most sites skip, alongside the down-ballot Senate and governor records you won’t find compiled anywhere else.