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This page contains four lists of third-party and independent performances in United States presidential elections:

1. National results for third-party or independent presidential candidates that won above 5% of the popular vote (1788–present)
2. National results for third-party or independent presidential candidates that won between 1% and 5% of the popular vote (1788–present)
3. State results where a third-party or independent presidential candidate won above 5% of the popular vote (1832–present)
4. State results where a major-party candidate received above 1% of the state popular vote from a third party cross-endorsement (1896–present)

It is rare for candidates, other than those of the six parties which have succeeded as major parties (Federalist Party, Democratic-Republican Party, National Republican Party, Democratic Party, Whig Party, Republican Party), to take large shares of the vote in elections.

As of 2023, the last third party presidential candidate to win an electoral vote was George Wallace of the American Independent Party, who won five states in 1968.

National results

Above 5% (1788–present)

This list includes the third-party candidates that captured at least one state and/or more than 5% of the popular vote.

Gallery

• Governor
  John Floyd
  of Virginia
• Former Attorney General
  William Wirt
  of Maryland
• Former President
  Martin Van Buren
  of New York
• Former President
  Millard Fillmore
  of New York
• Vice President
  John C. Breckinridge
  of Kentucky
• Former Senator
  John Bell
  of Tennessee
• Former Representative
  Horace Greeley
  of New York
• Former rep.
  James B. Weaver
  of Iowa
• Former President
  Theodore Roosevelt
  of New York
• Former State Representative
  Eugene V. Debs
  of Indiana
• Senator
  Robert M. La Follette
  of Wisconsin
• Governor
  Strom Thurmond
  of South Carolina
• Former Governor
  George Wallace
  of Alabama
• Representative
  John Anderson
  of Illinois
• Businessman
  Ross Perot
  of Texas

Above 1% (1788–present)

This list includes the third-party candidates that captured less than 5% but more than 1% of the popular vote and no electoral votes.

Gallery

• Fmr. ambassador
  James Monroe
  of Virginia
• Fmr. ambassador
  Rufus King
  of New York
• Governor
  DeWitt Clinton
  of New York
• Fmr. st. rep.
  James G. Birney
  of Michigan
• Senator
  John P. Hale
  of New Hampshire
• Representative
  James B. Weaver
  of Iowa
• Fmr. governor
  Benjamin Butler
  of Massachusetts
• Fmr. governor
  John St. John
  of Kansas
• Brigadier General
  Clinton B. Fisk
  of New York
• Fmr. st. rep.
  Alson Streeter
  of Illinois
• Fmr. rep
  John Bidwell
  of California
• Editor of The Lever
  John G. Woolley
  of Illinois
• Former st. rep.
  Eugene V. Debs
  of Indiana
• Preacher
  Silas C. Swallow
  of Pennsylvania
• Lawyer
  Eugene W. Chafin
  of Illinois
• Writer and editor
  Allan L. Benson
  of Michigan
• Fmr. governor
  Frank Hanly
  of Indiana
• Minister
  Norman Thomas
  of New York
• Representative
  William Lemke
  of North Dakota
• Fmr. VP
  Henry A. Wallace
  of Iowa
• Representative
  John G. Schmitz
  of California
• Lawyer
  Ed Clark
  of California
• Political activist
  Ralph Nader
  of Washington, D.C.
• Fmr. governor
  Gary Johnson
  of New Mexico
• Physician
  Jill Stein of
  Massachusetts
• Academic
  Jo Jorgensen
  of South Carolina

By state

Third-party and independent candidates (1832–present)

This list includes the statewide performance of third-party candidates not included in the lists above who accrued 5% or more of a state's popular vote.

Many third-party candidates have run under different affiliations in different states. They do this for many reasons, including laws restricting ballot access, cross-endorsements by other established parties, etc. In the list below, the party column shows which of a given candidate's affiliation(s) appeared on the ballot in which corresponding state(s).

1832–1860

1864–1900

1904–1940

1944–1980

1984–present

Cross-endorsement major candidates (1896–present)

This list includes the statewide performance of each major party candidate who ran on the ballot line of a political party other than their own, either through electoral fusion or for other reasons. This list does not include cases where a third party shares the same ballot line as a major party. The vote totals and percentages listed are those each candidate received under a particular third-party label.

Electoral fusion was once widespread in the United States. As of 2022, electoral fusion as conventionally understood by historians and political scientists is fully legal in only two states: Connecticut and New York. It is partially legal in three others; Pennsylvania and Maryland permit fusion in certain elections (including judicial elections), and California allows fusion in presidential elections only.

References

1. Wolf, Zachary B. (July 17, 2023). "The curse of third-party presidential candidates". CNN.
2. ^ All of John Floyd's electoral votes came from South Carolina where the Electors were chosen by the state legislatures rather than by popular vote.
3. Also nominated as the Democratic candidate.
4. Greeley would have received 66 electoral votes, but he died prior to the electoral vote count, so his votes were scattered.
5. "History of American Presidential Elections, Volume I 1789–1844, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
6. ^ "History of American Presidential Elections, Volume II 1848–1896, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.,
7. ^ "History of American Presidential Elections, Volume III 1900–1936, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
8. "United States Elections Results: President - General". Associated Press. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
9. La Follette easily won his home state of Wisconsin, picking up 13 electoral votes.
10. ^ Thurmond came in 1st place in four states, including his home state of South Carolina. He also received at least 5% of the vote in 7 other states, all in the South. Thurmond received all electoral votes in the states he won, as well as a vote from a faithless elector in Tennessee.
11. ^ See Unpledged elector#Unpledged electors in the 20th century for more detail.
12. The unpledged electors in the 1960 election voted for Virginia senator Harry F. Byrd for president, and South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond for vice president.
13. ^ Byrd received all electoral votes in Mississippi, as well as 6 of 11 in Alabama and 1 from a faithless elector in Oklahoma.
14. ^ Wallace was on the ballot in all 50 states, however not the District of Columbia. He reached the 5% threshold in 42 of those 50 states and won five, including his home state of Alabama. Wallace received 46 electoral votes, including 1 from a North Carolina faithless elector.
15. Clark's third-place finish in Alaska was the only state where he received over 3% of the popular vote.
16. Anderson received at least 5% of the vote in 37 states and the District of Columbia. His best showing was in Massachusetts, receiving over 15% of the popular vote. Anderson received no electoral votes.
17. ^ Perot received at least 5% of the vote in all 50 states, however he did not reach that threshold in the District of Columbia. He failed to win any state, and received no electoral votes.
18. Perot came in second place in Maine, ahead of Republican George H. W. Bush.
19. Perot's 8.72% of votes in Mississippi was his lowest percentage received in any state.
20. Perot came in second place in Utah, ahead of Democrat Bill Clinton.
21. Perot's best showing was in Maine, where he received over 14% of the popular vote.
22. Perot's 5.59% of votes in Tennessee was his lowest percentage received in any state.
23. Nader and LaDuke were on the ballot in 48 jurisdictions, and reached the threshold in 11 of them. His best showing was in Alaska, receiving over 10% of the vote.
24. Despite not running in the general election, Sanders, who is a senator from Vermont, received nearly 6% of the vote, via write-ins.
25. Abadi, Mark (November 8, 2016). "This is why some candidates are listed more than once on your ballot". Business Insider.
26. Cobble, Steve; Siskind, Sarah (1993). FUSION: MULTIPLE PARTY NOMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. San Francisco: Center for a New Democracy at the Tides Foundation.

• Lists of elections in the United States
• Presidential elections in the United States