Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

U.S. presidential election, 1836

Presidential CandidateElectoral Vote Popular Vote Pct Party Running Mate
(Electoral Votes)
Martin Van Buren of New York (W) 170 762,678 Democrat Richard M. Johnson of Kentucky (147)
William Henry Harrison of Ohio 73 735,651 Whig Francis Granger of New York (77)
John Tyler of Virginia (47)
William Smith of South Carolina (23)
Hugh L. White of Tennessee 26
Daniel Webster of Massachusetts 14
William P. Mangum of North Carolina 11
Other
Total 100.0%
Other elections: 1824, 1828, 1832, 1836, 1840, 1844, 1848
Source: U.S. Office of the Federal Register


Notes:

The election for Vice President was decided in the Senate, with Johnson receiving 33 votes and Granger receiving 17 votes. This came about because Virginia electors for Van Buren declined to vote for Johnson due to local disagreements.

The Whigs ran several candidates in different areas, hoping to maximise their chances of winning votes in the U.S. Electoral College. They hoped that this way they could deny Martin Van Buren a majority in the Electoral College and then use the House of Representatives to elect whichever Whig candidate proved the most popular. This strategy failed, however it did help to select Harrison as a single candidate to stand in the following election.

See also: President of the United States, U.S. presidential election, 1836, History of the United States (1776-1865)