List of third party and independent 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 59 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 as their presidential candidate obtained 88 electoral votes and surpassed the Republicans.[1] In fact, Roosevelt ran one of the most successful third-party candidacies in history but was 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 369 gubernatorial elections since 1990, third party or independent candidates have won at least 5.0% of the vote 53 times (14%), 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 441 Senate elections since 1990, third party or independent candidates have won at least 5.0% of the vote 39 times (9%); 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, 2012, and 2018 electoral campaigns). In 13 of the 41 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 |
---|
Elections with notable third party electoral performances (1900–present)[2] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Gubernatorial elections | Senate elections | Total elections | ||||||
Threshold reached | Threshold candidates | Third party victory | Threshold reached | Threshold candidates | Third party victory | Threshold reached | Threshold candidates | Third party victory | |
Alabama | 5 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 0 |
Alaska | 9 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 3 |
Arizona | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 0 |
Arkansas | 10 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 1 |
California | 8 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 21 | 1 |
Colorado | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 |
Connecticut | 7 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 2 |
Delaware | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Florida | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
Georgia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Hawaii | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Idaho | 13 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 21 | 0 |
Illinois | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
Indiana | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
Iowa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Kansas | 7 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 0 |
Kentucky | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Louisiana | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Maine | 13 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 23 | 5 |
Maryland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Massachusetts | 10 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
Michigan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Minnesota | 21 | 25 | 5 | 19 | 22 | 5 | 40 | 47 | 10 |
Mississippi | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Missouri | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Nebraska | 10 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 2 |
Nevada | 6 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 15 | 2 |
New Hampshire | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
New Jersey | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
New Mexico | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
New York | 11 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 19 | 20 | 1 |
North Carolina | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
North Dakota | 7 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 19 | 2 |
Ohio | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
Oklahoma | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
Oregon | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 15 | 20 | 1 |
Pennsylvania | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 0 |
Rhode Island | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 0 |
South Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
South Dakota | 7 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 0 |
Tennessee | 7 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 0 |
Texas | 9 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 0 |
Utah | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 0 |
Vermont | 11 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 15 | 3 |
Virginia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 18 | 2 | 18 | 22 | 2 |
Washington | 7 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 0 |
West Virginia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Wisconsin | 18 | 21 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 2 | 30 | 36 | 5 |
Wyoming | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Total | 284 | 327 | 21 | 203 | 236 | 21 | 487 | 563 | 42 |
Presidential elections
Gubernatorial elections
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.
Year | State | Party | Nominee | # Votes | % Votes | Place | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1905 | Oregon (Special) | Socialist | J. D. Stevens | 12,485 | 15.17 / 100 |
2nd | |
Prohibition | Hiram Gould | 8,224 | 9.99 / 100 |
3rd | |||
1906 | Oregon | Socialist | A. G. Simola | 5,608 | 6.1 / 100 |
3rd | |
1910 | Nevada | Socialist | Jud Harris | 1,959 | 9.62 / 100 |
3rd | |
1912 | Arizona (Special) – Class I | Socialist | E. Johnson | 1,234 | 5.68 / 100 |
3rd | |
Arizona (Special) – Class III | Socialist | E. B. Simonton | 1,221 | 5.8 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Colorado | Progressive | Frank D. Catlin | 58,649 | 23.48 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Kansas | Socialist | Allan W. Ricker | 25,610 | 7.32 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Montana | Progressive | Joseph M. Dixon | 22,161 | 32.1 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Nevada (Special) | Socialist | G. A. Steele | 2,740 | 13.73 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Progressive | Sardis Summerfield | 1,428 | 7.15 / 100 |
4th | |||
Oklahoma | Socialist | John G. Wills | 40,860 | 16.3 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Oregon | Independent[3] | Jonathan Bourne Jr. | 25,929 | 19.41 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Socialist | Benjamin Franklin Ramp | 11,093 | 8.31 / 100 |
4th | |||
Progressive | A. E. Clark | 11,083 | 8.3 / 100 |
5th | |||
Prohibition | B. Lee Paget | 6,848 | 5.13 / 100 |
6th | |||
1914 | Arizona | Prohibition | Eugene W. Chafin | 7,293 | 15.05 / 100 |
3rd | |
Socialist | Bert Davis | 3,582 | 7.39 / 100 |
4th | |||
Progressive | J. Bernard Nelson | 2,608 | 5.38 / 100 |
5th | |||
California | Progressive | Francis J. Heney | 255,232 | 28.81 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Socialist | Ernest Untermann | 3,582 | 7.39 / 100 |
4th | |||
Colorado | Progressive | Benjamin Griffith | 27,072 | 10.69 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Socialist | J. C. Griffiths | 13,943 | 5.51 / 100 |
4th | |||
Idaho | Progressive | Paul Clagstone | 10,321 | 9.54 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Socialist | Calistus W. Cooper | 7,888 | 7.29 / 100 |
4th | |||
Illinois | Progressive | Raymond Robins | 203,027 | 19.99 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Indiana | Progressive | Albert J. Beveridge | 108,581 | 16.81 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Iowa | Independent | Thomas W. Lawson | 24,490 | 5.73 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Kansas | Progressive | Victor Murdock | 116,755 | 22.94 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Nevada | Socialist | Ashley Grant Miller | 5,451 | 25.28 / 100 |
3rd | ||
North Dakota | Socialist | W. H. Brown | 6,231 | 7.14 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Ohio | Progressive | Arthur Lovett Garford | 67,509 | 6.31 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Socialist | E. K. Hitchens | 52,803 | 4.93 / 100 |
4th | |||
Oklahoma | Socialist | Patrick S. Nagle | 52,259 | 20.99 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Oregon | Progressive | William Hanley | 26,220 | 10.68 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Pennsylvania | Progressive | Gifford Pinchot | 269,265 | 24.22 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Washington | Progressive | Ole Hanson | 83,282 | 24.12 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Socialist | Adam H. Barth | 30,234 | 8.76 / 100 |
4th | |||
1916 | Arizona | Socialist | W. S. Bradford | 2,827 | 5.24 / 100 |
3rd | |
California | Socialist | Walter Thomas Mills | 49,341 | 5.25 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Minnesota | Prohibition | Willis Greenleaf Calderwood | 78,425 | 20.58 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Montana | Socialist | Henry La Beau | 9,292 | 5.54 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Nevada | Socialist | Ashley Grant Miller | 9,507 | 28.91 / 100 |
3rd | ||
North Dakota | Socialist | E. R. Fry | 8,472 | 7.91 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Texas | Socialist | F. A. Hickey | 18,616 | 4.99 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Washington | Socialist | Bruce Rogers | 21,709 | 5.95 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Wisconsin | Socialist | Richard Elsner | 28,908 | 6.85 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1918 | Massachusetts | Independent | Thomas W. Lawson | 21,985 | 5.26 / 100 |
3rd | |
Minnesota | Nationalist | Willis Greenleaf Calderwood | 137,334 | 39.95 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Mississippi | Socialist | Summer W. Rose | 1,569 | 4.96 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Montana | Nationalist | Jeannette Rankin | 26,013 | 23.14 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Nevada (Special) | Independent | Anne Henrietta Martin | 4,603 | 18.01 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Oregon (Special) | Socialist | Martha Bean | 19,014 | 15.47 / 100 |
2nd | ||
South Dakota | Independent | Orville V. Rafferty | 5,560 | 5.98 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1920 | California | Prohibition | James S. Edwards | 57,768 | 6.32 / 100 |
3rd | |
Georgia | Independent[4] | Harry S. Edwards | 6,700 | 5.1 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Maryland | Independent | George D. Iverson Jr. | 21,345 | 5.46 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Nevada | Independent | Anne Henrietta Martin | 4,981 | 18.16 / 100 |
3rd | ||
New York | Socialist | Jacob Panken | 208,155 | 7.6 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Prohibition | Ella A. Boole | 159,623 | 5.83 / 100 |
4th | |||
Pennsylvania | Prohibition | Leah C. Marion | 132,610 | 7.44 / 100 |
3rd | ||
South Dakota | Nonpartisan League | Tom Ayres | 44,309 | 24.06 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Independent | Richard Olsen Richards | 10,032 | 5.45 / 100 |
4th | |||
Washington | Farmer–Labor | C. L. France | 99,309 | 25.8 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Wisconsin | Progressive Republican[5] | James Thompson | 235,029 | 34.71 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Socialist | Frank J. Weber | 66,172 | 9.77 / 100 |
4th | |||
1922 | California | Independent | H. Clay Needham | 70,748 | 7.79 / 100 |
3rd | |
Socialist | Upton Sinclair | 56,982 | 6.28 / 100 |
4th | |||
Florida | Independent Republican | W. C. Lawson | 6,074 | 11.73 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Minnesota | Farmer–Labor | Henrik Shipstead | 325,372 | 47.1 / 100 |
Elected | ||
Pennsylvania (Special) | Prohibition | Rachel C. Robinson | 60,390 | 6.05 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Socialist | William J. Van Essen | 55,703 | 5.58 / 100 |
3rd | |||
Pennsylvania | Progressive | William J. Burke | 127,180 | 8.82 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Nebraska | Independent | James L. Beebe | 19,076 | 4.92 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Washington | Farmer–Labor | James A. Duncan | 35,326 | 12.0 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1923 | Minnesota (Special) | Farmer–Labor | Magnus Johnson | 290,165 | 57.48 / 100 |
Elected | |
1924 | Colorado | Farmer–Labor | Morton Alexander | 16,039 | 5.04 / 100 |
3rd | |
Colorado (Special) | Farmer–Labor | Charles T. Phelps | 17,542 | 5.52 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Minnesota | Farmer–Labor | Magnus Johnson | 380,646 | 45.5 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Oregon | Progressive | F. E. Coulter | 20,379 | 7.7 / 100 |
3rd | ||
South Dakota | Farmer–Labor | Tom Ayres | 23,962 | 12.2 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Independent | George W. Egan | 14,390 | 7.23 / 100 |
4th | |||
1926 | Idaho | Progressive | H. F. Samuels | 37,047 | 29.6 / 100 |
2nd | |
Illinois | Independent Republican | Hugh S. Magill | 156,245 | 8.69 / 100 |
3rd | ||
New York | Independent Republican | Franklin W. Cristman | 231,906 | 8.16 / 100 |
3rd | ||
North Dakota (Special) | Nonpartisan League | Gerald Nye | 79,709 | 50.2 / 100 |
Re-elected | ||
Independent Republican | C. P. Stone | 19,586 | 12.33 / 100 |
3rd | |||
North Dakota | Independent Republican[6] | Norris H. Nelson | 18,951 | 12.22 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Independent Republican[7] | C. P. Stone | 9,738 | 6.28 / 100 |
4th | |||
Oregon | Independent | Robert N. Stanfield | 50,246 | 22.46 / 100 |
3rd | ||
South Dakota | Farmer–Labor | Howard Platt | 12,797 | 7.2 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Wisconsin | Independent Progressive Republican | Charles D. Rosa | 111,122 | 20.37 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Socialist | Leo Krzycki | 31,317 | 5.74 / 100 |
4th | |||
1928 | California | Prohibition | Charles Hiram Randall | 92,106 | 5.94 / 100 |
3rd | |
Minnesota | Farmer–Labor | Henrik Shipstead | 665,169 | 65.38 / 100 |
Re-Elected | ||
Wisconsin | Independent Republican | William H. Markham | 81,302 | 10.95 / 100 |
2nd | ||
1930 | Alabama | Independent | James Thomas Heflin | 100,952 | 40.07 / 100 |
2nd | |
Minnesota | Farmer–Labor | Ernest Lundeen | 178,671 | 22.89 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Oregon | Independent | Llewellyn A. Banks | 17,488 | 7.4 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Virginia | Independent | J. Cloyd Byars | 26,091 | 17.87 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Socialist | Joe C. Morgan | 7,944 | 5.45 / 100 |
3rd | |||
Year | State | Party | Nominee | # Votes | % Votes | Place | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1932 | Arkansas (Special) | Independent | Rex Floyd | 1,752 | 5.16 / 100 |
2nd | |
California | Prohibition | Robert P. Shuler | 560,088 | 25.77 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Kansas | Independent | George A. Brown | 65,583 | 9.1 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Wisconsin | Socialist | Emil Seidel | 65,807 | 6.14 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1934 | California | Socialist | George Ross Kirkpatrick | 108,748 | 5.29 / 100 |
2nd | |
Minnesota | Farmer–Labor | Henrik Shipstead | 503,379 | 49.87 / 100 |
Re-Elected | ||
New York | Socialist | Norman Thomas | 194,952 | 5.27 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Tennessee (Special) | Independent[8] | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 49,773 | 19.91 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Wisconsin | Progressive | Robert M. La Follette Jr. | 440,513 | 47.78 / 100 |
Re-Elected | ||
1936 | Delaware | Independent Republican | Robert G. Houston | 6,897 | 5.44 / 100 |
3rd | |
Massachusetts | Union | Thomas C. O'Brien | 134,245 | 7.44 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Minnesota (Special) | Independent | Nathaniel John Holmburg | 210,364 | 28.42 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Independent Progressive | Andrew Olaf Devoid | 147,858 | 19.98 / 100 |
3rd | |||
Minnesota | Farmer–Labor | Ernest Lundeen | 663,363 | 62.24 / 100 |
Elected | ||
Montana | Independent | Joseph P. Monaghan | 39,655 | 17.91 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Nebraska | Independent | George W. Norris | 258,700 | 43.82 / 100 |
Re-Elected | ||
Rhode Island | Union | Ludger LaPointe | 21,495 | 7.01 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1937 | Arkansas | Independent | John E. Miller | 65,802 | 60.5 / 100 |
Elected | |
1938 | Connecticut | Socialist | Bellani Trombley | 99,282 | 15.75 / 100 |
3rd | |
North Dakota | Independent[9] | William Langer | 112,007 | 42.56 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Wisconsin | Progressive | Herman Ekern | 249,209 | 26.58 / 100 |
2nd | ||
1940 | California | Prohibition | Fred Dyster | 366,044 | 13.51 / 100 |
2nd | |
Minnesota | Farmer–Labor | Elmer Austin Benson | 310,875 | 25.7 / 100 |
2nd | ||
North Dakota | Progressive Republican[10] | William Lemke | 92,593 | 35.06 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Wisconsin | Progressive | Robert M. La Follette Jr. | 605,609 | 45.26 / 100 |
Re-Elected | ||
1942 | Minnesota (Special) | Farmer–Labor | Al Hansen | 177,008 | 26.66 / 100 |
2nd | |
Minnesota | Farmer–Labor | Elmer Austin Benson | 213,965 | 28.21 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Independent Progressive | Martin A. Nelson | 109,226 | 14.4 / 100 |
3rd | |||
Nebraska | Independent | George W. Norris | 108,899 | 28.64 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Virginia | Socialist | Lawrence S. Wilkes | 5,690 | 6.53 / 100 |
2nd | ||
1944 | North Dakota | Independent | Lynn U. Stambaugh | 44,596 | 21.19 / 100 |
3rd | |
Wisconsin | Progressive | Harry Sauthoff | 73,089 | 5.82 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1946 | North Dakota | Independent | Arthur E. Thompson | 38,804 | 23.46 / 100 |
2nd | |
North Dakota (Special) | Independent | Gerald Nye | 20,848 | 15.24 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Tennessee | Independent | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 11,516 | 5.27 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1948 | Arkansas | Independent | Arthur E. Thompson | 15,821 | 6.81 / 100 |
2nd | |
1950 | Alabama | Independent | John G. Crommelin | 38,477 | 23.46 / 100 |
2nd | |
New Hampshire | Independent (Write-In) | Wesley Powell | 11,958 | 6.28 / 100 |
2nd | ||
1952 | California | Progressive | Reuben W. Borough | 542,270 | 11.95 / 100 |
2nd | |
Maine | Independent Democrat | Earl S. Grant | 15,294 | 6.45 / 100 |
3rd | ||
New York | Liberal | George Counts | 489,775 | 7.02 / 100 |
3rd | ||
North Dakota | Independent (Write-In) | Fred G. Aandahl | 24,741 | 10.4 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Virginia | Independent Democrat | H.M. Vise, Sr. | 69,133 | 12.92 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Social Democratic | Clarke T. Robb | 67,281 | 12.57 / 100 |
3rd | |||
1954 | South Carolina | Independent Democrat (Write-In) | Strom Thurmond | 143,444 | 63.13 / 100 |
Elected | |
Virginia | Independent Democrat | Charles W. Lewis Jr. | 32,681 | 10.66 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Social Democratic | Clarke T. Robb | 28,922 | 9.44 / 100 |
3rd | |||
1958 | Utah | Independent | J. Bracken Lee | 77,013 | 26.44 / 100 |
3rd | |
Virginia | Independent | Louise Wensel | 120,224 | 26.27 / 100 |
2nd | ||
1960 | Virginia | Independent Democrat | James W. Respess | 88,718 | 14.27 / 100 |
2nd | |
Year | State | Party | Nominee | # Votes | % Votes | Place | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1964 | Virginia | Independent | James W. Respess | 95,526 | 10.29 / 100 |
3rd | |
1966 | Mississippi | Independent | Clifton R. Whitley | 30,502 | 7.74 / 100 |
3rd | |
Virginia (Special) | Independent | John W. Carter | 57,692 | 7.91 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Virginia | Independent | F. Lee Hawthorne | 58,251 | 7.94 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1968 | Alabama | National Democratic | Robert Schwenn | 72,699 | 7.97 / 100 |
3rd | |
Alaska | Democratic (Write-In) | Ernest Gruening | 14,118 | 17.44 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Maryland | American Independent | George P. Mahoney | 148,467 | 13.09 / 100 |
3rd | ||
New York | Conservative | James L. Buckley | 1,139,402 | 17.31 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1970 | Connecticut | Independent | Thomas J. Dodd | 266,497 | 24.46 / 100 |
3rd | |
Mississippi | Independent | William R. Thompson | 37,593 | 11.6 / 100 |
2nd | ||
New York | Conservative | James L. Buckley | 2,288,190 | 38.95 / 100 |
Elected | ||
Virginia | Independent | Harry F. Byrd Jr. | 506,237 | 53.54 / 100 |
Re-Elected | ||
1972 | Louisiana | Independent | John McKeithen | 250,161 | 23.06 / 100 |
2nd | |
1974 | Florida | American Independent | John Grady | 282,659 | 15.7 / 100 |
3rd | |
Hawaii | People's | James D. Kimmel | 42,767 | 17.09 / 100 |
2nd | ||
New York | Conservative | Barbara A. Keating | 822,584 | 15.93 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Utah | American | Bruce Bangerter | 24,966 | 5.94 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1976 | Minnesota | American Independent | Paul Helm | 125,612 | 6.57 / 100 |
3rd | |
Virginia | Independent | Harry F. Byrd Jr. | 890,778 | 57.2 / 100 |
Re-Elected | ||
1978 | Alabama | Prohibition | Jerome B. Couch | 34,951 | 6.01 / 100 |
2nd | |
Arkansas | Independent | John J. Black | 37,488 | 7.18 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Maine | Independent | Hayes E. Gahagan | 27,824 | 7.42 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Mississippi | Independent | Charles Evers | 133,646 | 22.64 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1980 | New York | Liberal | Jacob K. Javits | 664,5444 | 11.1 / 100 |
3rd | |
1982 | Washington | Independent | King Lysen | 72,297 | 5.28 / 100 |
3rd | |
1984 | Tennessee | Independent | Ed McAteer | 87,234 | 5.29 / 100 |
3rd | |
Year | State | Party | Nominee | # Votes | % Votes | Place | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | Virginia | Independent | Nancy B. Spannaus | 196,755 | 18.16 / 100 |
2nd | |
1992 | Alaska | Green | Mary Jordan | 20,019 | 8.35 / 100 |
3rd | |
Arizona | Independent | Evan Mecham | 145,361 | 10.52 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Hawaii | Green | Linda B. Martin | 49,921 | 13.73 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Louisiana | Independent | Jon Khachaturian | 74,785 | 8.87 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Ohio | Independent[11] | Martha Grevatt | 331,125 | 6.89 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1994 | Arizona | Libertarian | Scott Grainger | 75,493 | 6.75 / 100 |
3rd | |
Minnesota | Independence | Dean Barkley | 95,400 | 5.38 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Ohio | Independent | Joseph J. Slovenec | 252,031 | 7.33 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Vermont | Independent | Gavin T. Mills | 12,465 | 5.89 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Virginia | Independent | Marshall Coleman | 235,324 | 11.44 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1996 | Alaska | Green | Scott Grainger | 29,037 | 12.52 / 100 |
2nd | |
Minnesota | Reform | Dean Barkley | 152,333 | 6.98 / 100 |
3rd | ||
2000 | Arizona | Independent | William Toel | 109,230 | 7.82 / 100 |
2nd | |
Green | Vance Hansen | 108,926 | 7.8 / 100 |
3rd | |||
Libertarian | Barry J. Hess, II | 70,724 | 5.06 / 100 |
4th | |||
Massachusetts | Libertarian | Carla Howell | 308,860 | 11.88 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Minnesota | Independence | James Gibson | 140,583 | 6.98 / 100 |
3rd | ||
2002 | Alaska | Green | Jim Sykes | 16,608 | 7.24 / 100 |
3rd | |
Kansas | Libertarian | Steven A. Rosile | 70,725 | 9.1 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Reform | George Cook | 65,050 | 8.37 / 100 |
3rd | |||
Massachusetts | Libertarian | Michael E. Cloud | 369,807 | 18.43 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Mississippi | Reform | Shawn O'Hara | 97,226 | 15.42 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Oklahoma | Independent | James Germalic | 65,056 | 6.39 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Virginia | Independent | Nancy B. Spannaus | 145,102 | 9.74 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Independent[12] | Jacob G. Hornberger Jr. | 106,055 | 7.12 / 100 |
3rd | |||
2004 | Oklahoma | Independent | Sheila Bilyeu | 86,663 | 5.99 / 100 |
3rd | |
2006 | Connecticut | Connecticut for Lieberman | Joe Lieberman | 564,095 | 49.71 / 100 |
Re-Elected | |
Indiana | Libertarian | Steve Osborn | 168,820 | 12.59 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Maine | Independent | William H. Slavick | 29,230 | 5.37 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Vermont | Independent | Bernie Sanders | 171,638 | 65.41 / 100 |
Elected | ||
2008 | Arkansas | Green | Rebekah Kennedy | 207,076 | 20.47 / 100 |
2nd | |
Idaho | Independent | Rex Rammell | 34,510 | 5.35 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Minnesota | Independence | Dean Barkley | 437,505 | 15.15 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Oregon | Constitution | Dave Brownlow | 92,565 | 5.24 / 100 |
3rd | ||
2010 | Alaska | Republican (Write-In) | Lisa Murkowski | 101,091 | 39.49 / 100 |
Re-Elected | |
Florida | Independent | Charlie Crist | 1,607,549 | 29.71 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Indiana | Libertarian | Rebecca Sink-Burris | 94,330 | 5.41 / 100 |
3rd | ||
South Carolina | Green | Tom Clements | 121,472 | 9.21 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Utah | Constitution | Scott N. Bradley | 35,937 | 5.67 / 100 |
3rd | ||
2012 | Indiana | Libertarian | Andy Horning | 145,374 | 5.67 / 100 |
3rd | |
Maine | Independent | Angus King | 370,580 | 52.89 / 100 |
Elected | ||
Maryland | Independent | Rob Sobhani | 430,934 | 16.37 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Missouri | Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 165,468 | 6.07 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Montana | Libertarian | Dan Cox | 31,892 | 6.56 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Vermont | Independent | Bernie Sanders | 209,053 | 71.04 / 100 |
Re-Elected | ||
2014 | Kansas | Independent | Greg Orman | 368,372 | 42.53 / 100 |
2nd | |
South Dakota | Independent | Larry Pressler | 47,741 | 17.09 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Wyoming | Independent | Curt Gottshall | 13,311 | 7.9 / 100 |
3rd | ||
2016 | Alaska | Libertarian | Joe Miller | 90,825 | 29.16 / 100 |
2nd | |
Independent | Margaret Stock | 41,194 | 13.23 / 100 |
3rd | |||
Arizona | Green | Gary Swing | 138,634 | 5.48 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Idaho | Constitution | Ray J. Writz | 41,677 | 6.14 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Indiana | Libertarian | Lucy Brenton | 149,481 | 5.47 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Kansas | Libertarian | Robert Garrard | 63,428 | 5.52 / 100 |
3rd | ||
2018 | Maine | Independent | Angus King | 337,378 | 54.5 / 100 |
Re-Elected | |
New Mexico | Libertarian | Gary Johnson | 105,916 | 15.4 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Vermont | Independent | Bernie Sanders | 183,529 | 67.32 / 100 |
Re-Elected | ||
2020 | Alaska | Independent | Al Gross[13] | 146,068 | 41.20 / 100 |
2nd | |
Arkansas | Libertarian | Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. | 399,390 | 33.47 / 100 |
2nd | ||
Minnesota | Legal Marijuana Now | Kevin O'Connor | 190,154 | 5.90 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Nebraska | Democratic (Write-In) | Preston Love Jr. | 58,411 | 6.28 / 100 |
3rd | ||
Libertarian | Gene Siadek | 55,115 | 5.93 / 100 |
4th |
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.
Year | State | Party | Nominee | # Votes | % Votes | Place | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1829 | New York (Special) | Anti-Masonic | Ambrose Spencer | 22 | 14.77 / 100 |
3rd | |
1830 | Pennsylvania | Anti-Masonic | Harmar Denny | 10 | 7.58 / 100 |
4th | |
1831 | New York | Anti-Masonic | Samuel Works | 32 | 23.02 / 100 |
2nd | |
Pennsylvania – Class I (Special) | Anti-Masonic | Richard Rush | 30 | 22.56 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1832 | Pennsylvania | Anti-Masonic | William Clark | 28 | 21.05 / 100 |
2nd | |
1833 | New York (Special) | Anti-Masonic | John C. Spencer | 11 | 7.38 / 100 |
2nd | |
1834 | Pennsylvania – Class III (Special) | Anti-Masonic | Amos Ellmaker | 31 | 23.31 / 100 |
2nd | |
1845 | New York – Class I (Special) | Native American | Jonathan Thompson | 17 | 10.76 / 100 |
3rd | |
New York – Class III (Special) | Native American | Harmon B. Cropsey | 17 | 10.76 / 100 |
3rd | ||
New York | Native American | Robert Taylor | 15 | 10.14 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1849 | New York | Free Soil | John Adams Dix | 21 | 13.91 / 100 |
2nd | |
Pennsylvania | Free Soil | Thaddeus Stevens | 7 | 4.93 / 100 |
3rd | ||
1851 | Massachusetts | Free Soil | Charles Sumner | ? | 10 / 100 |
Elected | |
1855 | Massachusetts (Special) | American | Henry Wilson | 255 | 62.81 / 100 |
Elected | |
American | Nahum F. Bryant | 85 | 20.94 / 100 |
2nd | |||
1857 | New York | American | Joel T. Headley | 15 | 10.71 / 100 |
3rd | |
1879 | Pennsylvania | Greenback Party | Daniel Agnew | 16 | 6.38 / 100 |
3rd | |
1894 | Nebraska | Independent[14] | W. A. Jones | 18 | 13.64 / 100 |
2nd | |
1898 | Nebraska | People's | William V. Allen | 58 | 43.94 / 100 |
2nd | |
1901 | Nebraska | People's | William V. Allen | 58 | 44.62 / 100 |
2nd | |
House elections
Mayoral elections
See also
- Third party officeholders in the United States
- List of third party and independent United States state governors
- List of United States major third party presidential tickets
Notes
- "Remembering the 1912 Presidential Election". History. A+E Television Networks. November 2, 2012.
- The threshold is >5% of the vote.
- Listed on ballot as "Popular Government Candidate"
- Listed on ballot as "Pro-League Independent Party"
- Listed on ballot as "La Follette Progressive Republican National Platform"
- Listed on ballot as "Agricultural Relief Republican"
- Listed on ballot as "Republican for Beer and Wine"
- Listed on ballot as "Good Government and Clean Elections"
- Listed as "Nonpartisan, Progressive, Old Age Pension"
- Listed as "Progressive Republican for Clean Government"
- Affiliated with the Workers World Party
- Affiliated with the Libertarian Party
- Also listed as the de facto Democratic nominee.
- Technically designation is Unknown