Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2008, but lost the nomination to Barack Obama. Now she is running again. How many previously losing candidates — either failing to be nominated or losing the election — have succeeded in becoming president on the second or subsequent attempt?
There are plenty who have tried and lost: McCain, Romney, Gore (who ran in the Democratic primaries in 1988), Dole (also 1988), Stevenson, Humphrey, Dewey — and going back further, Clay, Webster, and Bryan.
The two most recent winners are Reagan (losing the nomination in 1976) and Nixon.
But who was the last Democrat who won the presidency after an earlier defeat? (Hint: it was after Andrew Jackson.)
[Correction: George H.W. Bush also lost (in 1980) before eventually winning. H/T Ann Miller.]
Grover Cleveland, unless you count FDR's loss as a VP candidate in 1920.
Right.
George H.W. Bush ran against Reagan, unsuccessfully, so he is the last to qualify for your list.
Oh, I see you corrected yourself, nevermind.
One minor correction, Reagan also jumped into the 1968 race at the Republican convention.
LBJ lost the nomination to JFK in 1960.
That is a fair point about LBJ. I left him out because he did not initially reach the presidency in his own right, and thereafter ran as an incumbent. But yes, he did lose to Kennedy in 1960.
It sounds like all the Republican presidents in the last half century other than Dubya went the loser to winner route, and none of the Democrats did.