List of third party performances in United States elections

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This is a list of third party performances in United States elections.

In the United States it is rare for third party and independent 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.

In the 58 presidential elections since 1788, third party or independent candidates have won at least 5.0% of the vote or garnered electoral votes 12 times (21%); this does not count George Washington, who was elected as an independent in 1788–1789 and 1792, but who largely supported Federalist policies and was supported by Federalists. Occasionally, a third party becomes one of the two major parties through a presidential election (the last time it happened was in 1856, when the Republicans supplanted the Whigs, who had withered and endorsed the ticket of the American Party): such an election is called a realigning election, as it causes a realignment in the party system; according to scholars, there have been six party systems so far.

Only once has one of the two major parties finished third in a presidential election, when not the result of a realignment: in 1912 the Progressive Party, with former president Theodore Roosevelt their presidential candidate, surpassed the Republicans. But both parties were defeated by the Democrat (Woodrow Wilson) and the Progressive party quickly disappeared while the Republicans re-gained their major party status. The last third party candidate to win one or more states was George Wallace of the American Independent Party in 1968, while the most recent third party candidate to win more than 5.0% of the vote was Ross Perot, who ran as an independent and as the standard-bearer of the Reform Party in 1992 and 1996, respectively.

In the 302 gubernatorial elections since 1990, third party or independent candidates have won at least 5.0% of the vote 49 times (16%), while six candidates have won election (2%). The most recent third party or independent governor to win was Alaska's Bill Walker, a Republican turned independent, in 2014.

In the 380 Senate elections since 1990, third party or independent candidates have won at least 5.0% of the vote 32 times (8%); two of those candidates (0.5%) have won, both in 2012 (Bernie Sanders and Angus King, who both decided to caucus with the Democrats; Sanders received Democratic support during his 2006 and 2012 electoral campaigns). In 6 of the 32 races, one or the other of the major parties failed to nominate any candidate, allowing third-party candidates to perform better than usual.

Statistics

Note: Prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment in 1913, most states did not hold direct elections to the Senate.

Legend:   1st 2nd 3rd

Presidential elections

Gubernatorial elections

Listed below are gubernatorial elections since the 1820s in which a third party or independent candidate won or were reasonably close to receiving 5.0% of the vote. Winners are shown in bold.

Senate elections

Listed below are Senate elections since 1905 in which a third party or independent candidate won or were reasonably close to receiving 5.0% of the vote. Winners are shown in bold.

Senate elections (By Legislature)

Prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment, most states did not hold direct elections to the Senate, with Senators instead being elected by the state legislatures. The results listed below are cases in which a third party candidate won or was reasonably close to receiving 5.0% of the legislative vote. Winners are shown in bold.

Mayoral elections

Listed below are Mayoral elections in which a third party or independent candidate won or were reasonably close to receiving 5.0% of the vote (greater than 4.95%). Winners are shown in bold. All elections are organized by State. These lists do not however include Non-Partisan Elections, where the political affiliations of the candidates aren't shown on the ballot, leaving no real major or minor party candidates.

House elections

Listed below are sets of House elections in which a third party or independent candidate won or were reasonably close to receiving 5.0% of the vote (greater than 4.95%). Winners are shown in bold. In some of the listed cases a faction or factions of a State major party ran against each other, often making it difficult to ascertain which was the mainline candidate and which was the bolter; in such cases, those candidates which are not listed on a standard major party line are still listed, but are not considered traditional third party victories as often these candidates sat in Congress as affiliated party members (barring cases like Joe Lieberman who, upon winning re-election in 2006 as a third party candidate, sat as an Independent Democrat).

Minor elections

See also

References

  1. ↑ The threshold is >5% of the vote.
  2. 1 2 3 The People's Party was one of the common designations used by some State Republican Parties between 1854 and 1860.
  3. ↑ Fusion of Union (Addicks) Republicans and the National Prohibition Party
  4. ↑ While Caffery is listed as running on a Fusion Ticket, the nature of the electoral alliance is not yet determined.
  5. ↑ A Fusion of the state Democratic and Peoples' Parties
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 An Electoral Alliance between the state Democratic and Peoples' Parties
  7. 1 2 A Fusion of the state Democratic and Silver Parties
  8. ↑ A short-lived party formed by Anti-Prohibition Republicans which desired to see Prohibition legislated at the local level rather than at the state level.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 The State Affiliate of the Socialist Party
  10. ↑ State Affiliate of the Socialist Party
  11. ↑ On Ballot as "Independent Progressive"
  12. ↑ On Ballot as "Negro Independent"
  13. ↑ Affiliated with the Farmer–Labor Party
  14. ↑ State Affiliate of the Prohibition Party
  15. ↑ An Electoral Alliance Between Lewis Pope and the Republican Party
  16. ↑ On the Ballot as "Good Government, Good Elections"
  17. 1 2 Affiliated with the Libertarian Party
  18. ↑ On Ballot as an Independent Democrat
  19. ↑ Was on Ballot as "Reform"
  20. ↑ Listed on Ballot as "Popular Government Candidate"
  21. ↑ Listed on Ballot as "Pro-League Independent Party"
  22. ↑ Listed on Ballot as "La Follette Progressive Republican National Platform"
  23. ↑ Listed on Ballot as "Agricultural Relief Republican"
  24. ↑ Listed on Ballot as "Republican for Beer and Wine"
  25. ↑ Listed on Ballot as "Good Government and Clean Elections"
  26. ↑ Listed as "Nonpartisan, Progressive, Old Age Pension"
  27. ↑ Listed as "Progressive Republican for Clean Government"
  28. ↑ Affiliated with the Workers World Party
  29. ↑ Technically Designation is Unknown
  30. 1 2 3 4 The Mozart Hall political organization was run by Fernando Wood, to promote his political interests, usually against those of Tammany Hall.
  31. 1 2 3 Political organization of the 1880s and 1890s that served as a coalition of forces within the Democratic Party opposed to Tammany Hall.
  32. ↑ Short-lived political society of the Central Labor Union.
  33. ↑ Party created for Randolph Hearst's mayoral campaign.
  34. ↑ Party run by Polish residents of Erie County and used as a party line for local races.
  35. ↑ Created by Fiorello LaGuardia to give Newbold Morris a place on the ballot. This was done to draw votes away from the GOP, with whom LaGuardia was involved in a dispute. Disbanded soon after the election.
  36. ↑ Party created for Vincent Impellitteri's mayoral campaign after he was refused nomination by the Democratic Party.
  37. ↑ Progressive Party that existed from the 1970s to 1990s, focused on supporting union members and small businesses
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Affiliation is actually not known.
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Faction of the Democratic Party supportive of Senator Thomas Hart Benton and part of the Anti-Nebraska movement.
  40. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Faction of the Democratic Party opposed to Senator Thomas Hart Benton.
  41. 1 2 Faction of the California Democratic Party supportive of Senator David C. Broderick.
  42. 1 2 3 Early forerunner of the Prohibition Party
  43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Faction of the New York Democratic Party opposing reconciliation between the Democratic Party and Barnburner Democrats (who had defected in 1848 to support the Free Soil Party)
  44. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Faction of the New York Democratic Party which favored reconciliation between the Democratic Party and Barnburner Democrats (who had defected in 1848 to support the Free Soil Party)
  45. ↑ Died before he could take office.
  46. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 The Union Party in Pennsylvania was a coalition of Republicans, Americans, Whigs and Democrats opposed to the local Democratic Party and it's favorite son (and national party Presidential nominee) James Buchanan, in an effort to prevent vote splitting between those parties involved.
  47. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Virtually identical to the Union slate that ran in 1856, it was a coalition of Republicans, Americans, Whigs and Democrats who were opposed to the Lecompton Constitution, in opposition to the local Democratic Party that had largely endorsed it, in an effort to prevent vote splitting between those parties involved.
  48. ↑ Similar to the Pennsylvania People's slate, it was a coalition of Republicans, Americans, Whigs and Democrats who were opposed to the Lecompton Constitution, in opposition to the local Democratic Party that had largely endorsed it, in an effort to prevent vote splitting between those parties involved.
  49. 1 2 3 4 Like Anti-Lecompton Democrats, Anti-Administration Democrats were those opposed generally opposed to the adopted policy of the national Democratic Party as well as the Buchanan Presidency.
  50. ↑ On Ballot as "The People's Candidate"
  51. ↑ Includes 1 special election in 2007
  52. ↑ A special election and general election were held the same day. While write-in candidate Shelley Sekula-Gibbs came in 2nd place in the general election, she is not listed here because of her status as the de facto Republican nominee.
  53. ↑ Includes 3 special elections in 2009
  54. ↑ Includes 1 special election in 2011
  55. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Alex (May 31, 2012). "Candidate Changes Legal Name to 'VoteForEddie.com". Mashable.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  56. ↑ Marso, Andy (July 23, 2012). "House hopeful changes name to Thomas Jefferson". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  57. ↑ Includes two special elections from 2017.
  58. ↑ Listed on Ballot as "People's Choice"
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