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.Closest presidential results by stateThe state-level presidential results decided by the narrowest margins, from 1976 to 2024 — the races inside the race.Most career electoral votesThe candidates who have collected the most electoral votes across every presidential election they contested.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.Oldest sitting U.S. senatorsEvery member of the United States Senate serving today, ranked by age, with the seat each holds and the year they were first elected to it.Youngest sitting U.S. senatorsEvery member of the United States Senate serving today, ranked from youngest, with the seat each holds and the year they were first elected to it.Most career popular votes in U.S. Senate electionsThe senators who have drawn the most popular votes across their Senate campaigns, counting Senate races only.The seats that change party most oftenThe U.S. Senate seats and governorships that have switched between the parties more than any others, election to election.The longest one-party holds on a seatThe U.S. Senate seats and governorships one party held for the most consecutive elections without losing.Incumbents defeated by the largest marginThe sitting U.S. senators and governors beaten by the widest margin when they went back to the voters.Longest-serving U.S. senatorsThe senators who held their seats longest, from Robert Byrd’s half-century for West Virginia down, with the years each served and the span they cover.
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.Oldest sitting governorsEvery state governor in office today, ranked by age, with the year each was first elected to the job.Youngest sitting governorsEvery state governor in office today, ranked from youngest, with the year each was first elected to the job.Most career popular votes in governor electionsThe governors who have drawn the most popular votes across their campaigns for the office, counting governor races only.Longest-serving state governorsThe state governors who held office longest, with the years each served and the span they cover.
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.Oldest sitting U.S. representativesEvery member of the U.S. House serving today, ranked by age, with the district each represents and the year they were first elected.Youngest sitting U.S. representativesEvery member of the U.S. House serving today, ranked from youngest, with the district each represents and the year they were first elected.Youngest U.S. representatives ever electedThe youngest people ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, ranked by their age on Election Day.Oldest U.S. representatives ever electedThe oldest people ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, ranked by their age on Election Day.Most career popular votes in U.S. House electionsThe representatives who have drawn the most popular votes across their House campaigns, counting House races only.Longest-serving members of the U.S. HouseThe members of the House of Representatives who held their seats longest, with the years each served and the span they cover.
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.
Most elections wonThe politicians who have won more elections than anyone else, counting every presidential, Senate, governor and House race in the dataset.Longest election winning streaksThe politicians who won the most consecutive elections without a defeat in between.Most career popular votes of all timeThe American politicians who have won the most total popular votes across their entire career: every presidential, Senate, governor, and House election combined.
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.