PolitiFinder

Closest presidential elections

The tightest U.S. presidential races in history, ranked by the narrowest margin in the national popular vote.

What is the closest presidential election in U.S. history?

1880, when James A. Garfield edged Winfield Scott Hancock by just 9,464 popular votes nationwide, a 0.1-point margin (48.3% to 48.2%), the narrowest margin of the popular-vote era (1824–present). John F. Kennedy’s 1960 win over Richard Nixon (0.2 points) is the closest of the modern era.

Closest presidential elections
#ElectionResultPopular-vote marginElectoral
11880James A. Garfield def. Winfield Scott Hancock+0.1 pts214–155
21884Grover Cleveland def. James G. Blaine+0.2 pts219–182
31960John F. Kennedy def. Richard Nixon+0.2 pts303–219
42000Al Gore led George W. Bush+0.5 pts266–271
51968Richard Nixon def. Hubert Humphrey+0.7 pts301–191
61888Grover Cleveland led Benjamin Harrison+0.8 pts168–233
71844James K. Polk def. Henry Clay+1.4 pts170–105
82024Donald Trump def. Kamala Harris+1.5 pts312–226
91976Jimmy Carter def. Gerald Ford+2.1 pts297–240
102016Hillary Clinton led Donald Trump+2.1 pts227–304
112004George W. Bush def. John Kerry+2.4 pts286–251
121876Samuel J. Tilden led Rutherford B. Hayes+3.0 pts184–185
131892Grover Cleveland def. Benjamin Harrison+3.1 pts277–145
141916Woodrow Wilson def. Charles Evans Hughes+3.1 pts277–254
152012Barack Obama def. Mitt Romney+3.9 pts332–206
161896William McKinley def. William Jennings Bryan+4.3 pts271–176
171948Harry S. Truman def. Thomas E. Dewey+4.4 pts303–189
182020Joe Biden def. Donald Trump+4.4 pts306–232
191848Zachary Taylor def. Lewis Cass+4.8 pts163–127
201868Ulysses S. Grant def. Horatio Seymour+5.4 pts214–80
211992Bill Clinton def. George H. W. Bush+5.6 pts370–168
221840William Henry Harrison def. Martin Van Buren+6.1 pts234–60
231900William McKinley def. William Jennings Bryan+6.2 pts292–155
241852Franklin Pierce def. Winfield Scott+6.9 pts254–42
252008Barack Obama def. John McCain+7.2 pts365–173

How this ranking is measured

Ranked by the smallest gap between the top two finishers in the national popular vote (1824–present). In a few of these the electoral-college winner was actually the popular-vote runner-up. See “Candidates who won the popular vote but lost the election.”

Compiled by PolitiFinder · published June 14, 2026 · sources: Data & sources · data last verified September 25, 2026.