Election Firsts

The presidential firsts related to campaigns and elections.

PresidentNote
First president elected despite losing his states of birth and residenceJames K. Polk
First president to not seek re-electionJames K. Polk
First president to win election without his party holding a majority in either house of CongressZachary Taylor
First president to win election on the same day in every stateZachary TaylorNov 7, 1848
First president elected after women had the right to voteWarren G. Harding
First president elected on his birthdayWarren G. Harding
First president to win election over the age of 70Ronald Reagan

Campaign
First president to deliver a campaign speech in a language other than EnglishJames A. GarfieldOct 1880 in German
First president to campaign by telephoneWilliam McKinley
First president to campaign for a third termTheodore Roosevelt
First president to be elected after a televised presidential debateJohn F. Kennedy1960 debate with Richard M. Nixon

Results
First president unanimously eleced by electoral collegeGeorge Washington1789
First president to be defeated for a second termJohn Adams1800
First president whose election was decided by the House of RepresentativesThomas Jefferson1800
First president elected despite receiving fewer votes than his opponentJohn Quincy Adams1824
First president to not win a majority of electoral votesJohn Quincy Adams1824
First president to win the electoral college and popular vote in the same yearAndrew Jackson1828
First president to win an election with over 1 million votesWilliam Henry Harrison1840
First president to win an election with over 10 million votesWarren G. Harding1920
First president to win an election with over 50 million votesRonald Reagan1984
First president to win an election with over 75 million votesJoe Biden2020
First president to win the electoral college vote but lose the popular voteRutherford B. Hayes1880
First president to win election after assuming the presidency due to his predecessor's deathTheodore Roosevelt1904

Return to Presidential Firsts