Analysis
Third Party History
While the U.S. has a two-party system, third-party and independent candidates have occasionally made significant impacts on presidential elections.
13
Notable Third-Party Runs
8
Won Electoral Votes
27.4%
Highest Popular Vote (1912)
Third-Party Popular Vote Performance
Third-Party Electoral Vote Winners
Only a handful of third-party candidates have ever won electoral votes
#1
Theodore Roosevelt
1912
Progressive (Bull Moose)
88
electoral votes
#2
John Breckinridge
1860
Southern Democratic
72
electoral votes
#3
George Wallace
1968
American Independent
46
electoral votes
#4
Strom Thurmond
1948
States' Rights Democratic
39
electoral votes
#5
John Bell
1860
Constitutional Union
39
electoral votes
#6
Robert La Follette
1924
Progressive
13
electoral votes
#7
Millard Fillmore
1856
Know Nothing/Whig
8
electoral votes
#8
William Wirt
1832
Anti-Masonic
7
electoral votes
All Notable Third-Party Candidates
| Year | Candidate | Party | Electoral | Popular % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | Theodore Roosevelt | Progressive (Bull Moose) | 88 | 27.4% |
| 1856 | Millard Fillmore | Know Nothing/Whig | 8 | 21.5% |
| 1992 | Ross Perot | Independent | 0 | 18.9% |
| 1860 | John Breckinridge | Southern Democratic | 72 | 18.1% |
| 1924 | Robert La Follette | Progressive | 13 | 16.6% |
| 1968 | George Wallace | American Independent | 46 | 13.5% |
| 1860 | John Bell | Constitutional Union | 39 | 12.6% |
| 1996 | Ross Perot | Reform Party | 0 | 8.4% |
| 1832 | William Wirt | Anti-Masonic | 7 | 7.8% |
| 1980 | John Anderson | Independent | 0 | 6.6% |
| 2016 | Gary Johnson | Libertarian | 0 | 3.3% |
| 2000 | Ralph Nader | Green Party | 0 | 2.7% |
| 1948 | Strom Thurmond | States' Rights Democratic | 39 | 2.4% |
The Spoiler Effect
Third-party candidates can significantly impact election outcomes even without winning. In close elections, they may draw votes away from major-party candidates:
- 2000: Ralph Nader (Green) received 97,000 votes in Florida, where George W. Bush won by just 537 votes.
- 1992: Ross Perot received 19% nationally, potentially affecting George H.W. Bush's reelection.
- 1912: Theodore Roosevelt split the Republican vote, helping Woodrow Wilson win with just 42% of the popular vote.