Incumbent presidents who lost re-election
How many U.S. presidents have lost re-election?
Eleven. From John Adams in 1800 to Donald Trump in 2020, eleven sitting presidents ran for another term and lost, including Gerald Ford in 1976, who reached the office by succession and never won a presidential election of his own. The most recent before Trump was George H. W. Bush, defeated by Bill Clinton in 1992.
Only 11 sitting presidents have ever lost re-election. Donald Trump in 2020 was the first since George H. W. Bush in 1992.
| # | Election | Incumbent who lost | Defeated by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1800 | John Adams F | Thomas Jefferson DR |
| 2 | 1828 | John Quincy Adams NR | Andrew Jackson D |
| 3 | 1840 | Martin Van Buren D | William Henry Harrison W |
| 4 | 1888 | Grover Cleveland D | Benjamin Harrison R |
| 5 | 1892 | Benjamin Harrison R | Grover Cleveland D |
| 6 | 1912 | William Howard Taft R | Woodrow Wilson D |
| 7 | 1932 | Herbert Hoover R | Franklin D. Roosevelt D |
| 8 | 1976 | Gerald Ford R | Jimmy Carter D |
| 9 | 1980 | Jimmy Carter D | Ronald Reagan R |
| 10 | 1992 | George H. W. Bush R | Bill Clinton D |
| 11 | 2020 | Donald Trump R | Joe Biden D |
How this ranking is measured
Presidents who were serving in office on election day and lost their bid for another term, from John Adams (1800) to Donald Trump (2020). Identified by cross-referencing each candidate’s presidential term against the election they lost, so it includes Gerald Ford (1976), who reached the office without ever winning a prior election. Presidents who declined to run again are not included.