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The vice president of the United States is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the United States federal government after the president of the United States. The vice president also serves as the president of the Senate and may choose to cast a tie-breaking vote on decisions made by the Senate. Vice presidents have exercised this latter power to varying extents over the years. Two vice presidents—George Clinton and John C. Calhoun—served under more than one president.

The incumbent vice president is Kamala Harris, who assumed office on January 20, 2021 under President Joe Biden. The vice president-elect is JD Vance, who will assume office as the 50th vice president on January 20, 2025.

There have been 49 U.S. vice presidents since the office was created in 1789. Originally, the vice president was the person who received the second-most votes for president in the Electoral College. But after the election of 1800 produced a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, requiring the House of Representatives to choose between them, lawmakers acted to prevent such a situation from recurring. The Twelfth Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1804, creating the current system where electors cast a separate ballot for the vice presidency.

The vice president is the first person in the presidential line of succession—that is, they assume the presidency if the president dies, resigns, or is impeached and removed from office. Nine vice presidents have ascended to the presidency in this way. Also, several vice presidents have gone on to be elected as president in their own right.

Before adoption of the Twenty-fifth Amendment in 1967, an intra-term vacancy in the office of the vice president could not be filled until the next post-election inauguration. Several such vacancies occurred: seven vice presidents died, one resigned and eight succeeded to the presidency. This amendment allowed for a vacancy to be filled through appointment by the president and confirmation by both chambers of Congress. Since its ratification, the vice presidency has been vacant twice (both in the context of scandals surrounding the Nixon administration) and was filled both times through this process. The amendment also established a procedure whereby a vice president may, if the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, temporarily assume the powers and duties of the office as acting president. Three vice presidents have briefly acted as president under the 25th Amendment: George H. W. Bush on July 13, 1985; Dick Cheney on June 29, 2002, and on July 21, 2007; and Kamala Harris on November 19, 2021.

Vice presidents

List of vice presidents of the United States from 1789 – till date.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term	Party		Election	President
1		John Adams (1735–1826)	April 21, 1789 – March 4, 1797		Pro-Administration	1788–89 1792	George Washington
					Federalist
2		Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)	March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801		Democratic-Republican	1796	John Adams
3		Aaron Burr (1756–1836)	March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1805		Democratic-Republican	1800	Thomas Jefferson
4		George Clinton (1739–1812)	March 4, 1805 – April 20, 1812		Democratic-Republican	1804 1808
							James Madison
—	Office vacant April 20, 1812 – March 4, 1813
5		Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814)	March 4, 1813 – November 23, 1814		Democratic-Republican	1812
—	Office vacant November 23, 1814 – March 4, 1817
6		Daniel D. Tompkins (1774–1825)	March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1825		Democratic-Republican	1816 1820	James Monroe
7		John C. Calhoun (1782–1850)	March 4, 1825 – December 28, 1832		Democratic-Republican	1824 1828	John Q. Adams
					Nullifier		Andrew Jackson
—	Office vacant December 28, 1832 – March 4, 1833
8		Martin Van Buren (1782–1862)	March 4, 1833 – March 4, 1837		Democratic	1832
9		Richard Mentor Johnson (1780–1850)	March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841		Democratic	1836	Martin Van Buren
10		John Tyler (1790–1862)	March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841		Whig	1840	William H. Harrison
—	Office vacant April 4, 1841 – March 4, 1845						John Tyler
11		George M. Dallas (1792–1864)	March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849		Democratic	1844	James K. Polk
12		Millard Fillmore (1800–1874)	March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850		Whig	1848	Zachary Taylor
—	Office vacant July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853						Millard Fillmore
13		William R. King (1786–1853)	March 4, 1853 – April 18, 1853		Democratic	1852	Franklin Pierce
—	Office vacant April 18, 1853 – March 4, 1857
14		John C. Breckinridge (1821–1875)	March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861		Democratic	1856	James Buchanan
15		Hannibal Hamlin (1809–1891)	March 4, 1861 – March 4, 1865		Republican	1860	Abraham Lincoln
16		Andrew Johnson (1808–1875)	March 4, 1865 – April 15, 1865		National Union	1864
—	Office vacant April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869						Andrew Johnson
17		Schuyler Colfax (1823–1885)	March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1873		Republican	1868	Ulysses S. Grant
18		Henry Wilson (1812–1875)	March 4, 1873 – November 22, 1875		Republican	1872
—	Office vacant November 22, 1875 – March 4, 1877
19		William A. Wheeler (1819–1887)	March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881		Republican	1876	Rutherford B. Hayes
20		Chester A. Arthur (1829–1886)	March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881		Republican	1880	James A. Garfield
—	Office vacant September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885						Chester A. Arthur
21		Thomas A. Hendricks (1819–1885)	March 4, 1885 – November 25, 1885		Democratic	1884	Grover Cleveland
—	Office vacant November 25, 1885 – March 4, 1889
22		Levi P. Morton (1824–1920)	March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893		Republican	1888	Benjamin Harrison
23		Adlai Stevenson I (1835–1914)	March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897		Democratic	1892	Grover Cleveland
24		Garret Hobart (1844–1899)	March 4, 1897 – November 21, 1899		Republican	1896	William McKinley
—	Office vacant November 21, 1899 – March 4, 1901
25		Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)	March 4, 1901 – September 14, 1901		Republican	1900
—	Office vacant September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1905						Theodore Roosevelt
26		Charles W. Fairbanks (1852–1918)	March 4, 1905 – March 4, 1909		Republican	1904
27		James S. Sherman (1855–1912)	March 4, 1909 – October 30, 1912		Republican	1908	William H. Taft
—	Office vacant October 30, 1912 – March 4, 1913
28		Thomas R. Marshall (1854–1925)	March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921		Democratic	1912 1916	Woodrow Wilson
29		Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)	March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923		Republican	1920	Warren G. Harding
—	Office vacant August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1925						Calvin Coolidge
30		Charles G. Dawes (1865–1951)	March 4, 1925 – March 4, 1929		Republican	1924
31		Charles Curtis (1860–1936)	March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933		Republican	1928	Herbert Hoover
32		John Nance Garner (1868–1967)	March 4, 1933 – January 20, 1941		Democratic	1932 1936	Franklin D. Roosevelt
33		Henry A. Wallace (1888–1965)	January 20, 1941 – January 20, 1945		Democratic	1940
34		Harry S. Truman (1884–1972)	January 20, 1945 – April 12, 1945		Democratic	1944
—	Office vacant April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1949						Harry S. Truman
35		Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956)	January 20, 1949 – January 20, 1953		Democratic	1948
36		Richard Nixon (1913–1994)	January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961		Republican	1952 1956	Dwight D. Eisenhower
37		Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973)	January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963		Democratic	1960	John F. Kennedy
—	Office vacant November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1965						Lyndon B. Johnson
38		Hubert Humphrey (1911–1978)	January 20, 1965 – January 20, 1969		Democratic	1964
39		Spiro Agnew (1918–1996)	January 20, 1969 – October 10, 1973		Republican	1968 1972	Richard Nixon
—	Office vacant October 10 – December 6, 1973
40		Gerald Ford (1913–2006)	December 6, 1973 – August 9, 1974		Republican	1973
—	Office vacant August 9 – December 19, 1974						Gerald Ford
41		Nelson Rockefeller (1908–1979)	December 19, 1974 – January 20, 1977		Republican	1974
42		Walter Mondale (1928–2021)	January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981		Democratic	1976	Jimmy Carter
43		George H. W. Bush (1924–2018)	January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989		Republican	1980 1984	Ronald Reagan
44		Dan Quayle (b. 1947)	January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993		Republican	1988	George H. W. Bush
45		Al Gore (b. 1948)	January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001		Democratic	1992 1996	Bill Clinton
46		Dick Cheney (b. 1941)	January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009		Republican	2000 2004	George W. Bush
47		Joe Biden (b. 1942)	January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017		Democratic	2008 2012	Barack Obama
48		Mike Pence (b. 1959)	January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021		Republican	2016	Donald Trump
49		Kamala Harris (b. 1964)	January 20, 2021 – Incumbent		Democratic	2020	Joe Biden

Vice President-elect

List of presidents of the United States from 1789 – till date.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term	Party		Election	President-elect
50		JD Vance (b. 1984)	To be sworn in on January 20, 2025		Republican	2024	Donald Trump

See also

• Acting President of the United States
• Founding Fathers of the United States
• List of presidents of the United States
• Presiding Officer of the United States Senate
• United States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection

Notes

1. Eight (John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry S. Truman, and Lyndon B. Johnson) through the president's death and one (Gerald Ford) through the president's resignation.
2. Four after serving a full term as vice president (John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Buren, George H. W. Bush), while two (Richard Nixon and Joe Biden) were elected as president non-sequentially to serving as vice president.
3. Counted according to uninterrupted periods of time served by the same person. For example, John Adams served two consecutive terms and is counted as the first vice president.
4. Reflects the vice president's political party at the start of their vice presidency. Changes during their time in office are noted. Also reflects the president's political party unless otherwise noted beside the individual's name.
5. Due to logistical delays, John Adams assumed the vice presidency 1 month and 17 days after the March 4, 1789, scheduled start of operations of the new government under the Constitution. As a result, his first term was only 1,413 days long, and was the shortest term for a U.S. vice president who served a full term.
6. Pro-Administration is a contemporary term for the supporters of the political and economic policies of the Washington administration prior to the formation of the Federalist and Democratic–Republican parties.
7. George Washington remained unaffiliated with any political faction or party throughout his eight-year presidency.
8. The 1796 presidential election resulted in a situation where the persons elected president and vice president belonged to opposing political parties. Federalist John Adams was elected president, and Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republicans was elected vice president.
9. ^ Died in office
10. ^ Prior to ratification of the Twenty-fifth Amendment, February 10, 1967, an intra-term vacancy in the vice presidency could not be filled.
11. ^ Resigned from office
12. Formerly a Democratic-Republican, Calhoun founded the Nullifier Party in 1828 but was brought on as Andrew Jackson's running mate in the 1828 election.
13. Andrew Jackson's supporters from the former Democratic-Republican Party, which had largely collapsed by the mid-1820s, began calling themselves 'Democrat' during his first term in office, thus marking the evolution of Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party into the modern Democratic Party.
14. ^ Succeeded to the presidency intra-term.
15. John Tyler was elected vice president on the Whig Party ticket in 1840 but was expelled from the party in September 1841.
16. Lincoln formed a bipartisan electoral alliance with War Democrats by selecting Democrat Andrew Johnson as his running mate, and running on the National Union Party ticket. Later, while president, Johnson tried and failed to build a party of loyalists under the National Union banner. Near the end of his presidency, Johnson rejoined the Democratic Party.
17. ^ The Twenty-fifth Amendment established a process whereby an intra-term vacancy in the vice presidency is filled by presidential appointment.
18. Following the resignation of 39th vice president Spiro Agnew, Gerald Ford became the 40th vice president even though he was chosen to serve out the remainder of Agnew's second term.
19. ^ Vice presidential confirmation by the United States Congress, rather than a direct election.
20. After Ford succeeded to the presidency later in that same term, Nelson Rockefeller became the 41st vice president and served out the remainder of the term.

References

1. "Vice President". USLegal.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
2. ^ "Vice President of the United States (President of the Senate)". United States Senate. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
3. ^ "Kamala Harris: The Vice President". The White House. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
4. "Trump wins the White House in a political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters". AP News. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
5. Jackson, Haadiza Ogwude, Michael Collins and David. "When is Inauguration Day 2025? When does Trump take office? What to know". The Enquirer. Retrieved November 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. Amar 1995, p. 216.
7. Kallenbach, Joseph E. (October 1947). "The New Presidential Succession Act". American Political Science Review. 41 (5): 931–941. doi:10.1017/S0003055400260619. S2CID 146420289.
8. Amar 1995, p. 217.
9. "Biography of John Adams". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
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11. "Biography of Thomas Jefferson". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
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13. "Aaron Burr (1801–1805) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
14. "George Clinton (1805–1809) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
15. "Elbridge Gerry (1813–1814) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
16. "Daniel D. Tompkins (1817–1825) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
17. "John C. Calhoun (1825–1829) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
18. "Biography of Martin Van Buren". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
19. "Life Portrait of Martin Van Buren". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
20. "Richard M. Johnson (1837–1841) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
21. "Biography of John Tyler". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
22. "Life Portrait of John Tyler". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
23. "George M. Dallas (1845–1849) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
24. "Biography of Millard Fillmore". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
25. "Life Portrait of Millard Fillmore". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
26. "William R. D. King (1853) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
27. "John C. Breckinridge (1857–1861) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
28. "Hannibal Hamlin (1861–1865) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
29. "Biography of Andrew Johnson". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
30. "Life Portrait of Andrew Johnson". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
31. "Schuyler Colfax (1869–1873) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
32. "Henry Wilson (1873–1875) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
33. "William A. Wheeler (1877–1881) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
34. "Biography of Chester Arthur". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
35. "Life Portrait of Chester A. Arthur". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
36. "Thomas A. Hendricks (1885) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
37. "Levi P. Morton – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
38. "Adlai E. Stevenson (1893–1897) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
39. "Garret A. Hobart (1897–1899) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
40. "Biography of Theodore Roosevelt". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
41. "Life Portrait of Theodore Roosevelt". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
42. "Charles W. Fairbanks – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
43. "James S. Sherman – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
44. "Thomas R. Marshall – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
45. "Biography of Calvin Coolidge". Whitehouse.gov. March 13, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
46. "Life Portrait of Calvin Coolidge". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
47. "Charles G. Dawes – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
48. "Charles Curtis – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
49. "John N. Garner (1933–1941) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
50. "Henry A. Wallace (1941–1945) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
51. "Biography of Harry S Truman". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
52. "Life Portrait of Harry S. Truman". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
53. "Alben W. Barkley – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
54. "Richard M. Nixon". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
55. "Life Portrait of Richard M. Nixon". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
56. "Life Portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
57. "Hubert H. Humphrey – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
58. "Spiro T. Agnew (1969–1973) – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
59. "Biography of Gerald R. Ford". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
60. "Life Portrait of Gerald R. Ford". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
61. "Nelson A. Rockefeller – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
62. "Walter Mondale – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
63. "Biography of George Herbert Walker Bush". Whitehouse.gov. March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
64. "Life Portrait of George H.W. Bush". American Presidents: Life Portrait. C-SPAN. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
65. "J. Danforth Quayle – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
66. "Albert Gore, Jr. – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
67. "Richard B. Cheney – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
68. "Joseph Biden – Vice President". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
69. Flegenheimer, Matt; Barbaro, Michael (November 9, 2016). "Donald Trump Is Elected President in Stunning Repudiation of the Establishment". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
70. "Vice President Mike Pence". whitehouse.gov. January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
71. Main, Eric Bradner, Alison (November 6, 2024). "Trump critic-turned-ally JD Vance elected vice president, offering glimpse at GOP's potential future | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved November 8, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Works cited

General

• "Chronological List of Presidents, First Ladies, and Vice Presidents of the United States". Library of Congress. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
• "U.S. Senate: About the Vice President | Vice Presidents of the United States". United States Senate. Retrieved November 9, 2024.

Expert studies

• Amar, Akhil Reed (1995). "Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Death: Closing the Constitution's Succession Gap". Arkansas Law Review. 48 (1): 215–238.
• Lynch, Michael; Madonna, Anthony; Owens, Mark; Williamson, Ryan D. (May 4, 2018). "The Vice President in the U.S. Senate: Examining the Consequences of Institutional Design". Congress & the Presidency. 45 (2): 145–165. doi:10.1080/07343469.2018.1444112. ISSN 0734-3469.
• Wolff, Wendy (1997). Vice Presidents of the United States, 1789-1993. U.S. Government Printing Office.

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