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US Elections

US ELECTION 2024

How many Republican and Democratic presidents has the United States had?

Explore the journey of U.S. history through presidential leadership. How have Republican and Democratic presidents shaped our nation?

Maite Knorr-Evans
Maite Knorr-Evansmaiteknorrevans
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Explore the journey of U.S. history through presidential leadership. How have Republican and Democratic presidents shaped our nation?
Eloisa LopezREUTERS

As has been true for over 100 years, voters in the US will head to the polls, and the likely result will be that the election will end with a Democratic or Republican president. This historical trend is not a coincidence but a result of the two-party system that has long dominated US politics. While other parties or independent candidates have sought the highest office in the US government, their power has been marginalized by this system, making the materialization of a third party very difficult as none currently have the resources to compete with the Democrats and Republicans.

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Andrew Jackson was the first candidate of today’s major parties to become president after his election in 1828. This election marked a significant moment, occurring after the split of the Democratic-Republican party in 1825. The Democratic Party emerged from this dissolution, but its political ideology has not remained static over its nearly 200-year history. The party’s stance on issues, including its support for the institution of slavery, has evolved. After the Civil War, the party faced political challenges, winning only four national elections between 1868 and 1928.

These years followed the election of the country’s first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, and the American Civil War. However, the 20th century saw both parties evolve and, in many ways, switch political positions. The Democrats, for instance, would go on to support the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, showcasing their adaptability. At the same time, the Republicans would see their base and ranks filled increasingly by evangelic Christians with conservative opinions on social issues.

The tally of Democratic and Republican party presidents

All in all, the Democrats have had sixteen presidential candidates elected, while the Republicans have had nineteen.

Democratic Presidents 

  1. Andrew Jackson | March 4, 1829–March 4, 1837
  2. Martin Van Buren | March 4, 1837–March 4, 1841
  3. James K. Polk | March 4, 1845–March 4, 1849
  4. Franklin Pierce | March 4, 1853–March 4, 1857
  5. James Buchanan | March 4, 1857–March 4, 1861
  6. Andrew Johnson | April 15, 1865–March 4, 1869
  7. Grover Cleveland | March 4, 1885–March 4, 1889 & March 4, 1893–March 4, 1897
  8. Woodrow Wilson | March 4, 1913–March 4, 1921
  9. Franklin D. Roosevelt | March 4, 1933–April 12, 1945
  10. Harry S. Truman | April 12, 1945–January 20, 1953
  11. John F. Kennedy | January 20, 1961–November 22, 1963
  12. Lyndon B. Johnson | November 22, 1963–January 20, 1969
  13. Jimmy Carter | January 20, 1977–January 20, 1981
  14. Bill Clinton | January 20, 1993–January 20, 2001
  15. Barack Obama: January 20, 2009–January 20, 2017
  16. Joe Biden | January 20, 2021–present 


 

  1. Abraham Lincoln | March 4, 1861–April 15, 1865
  2. Ulysses S. Grant | March 4, 1869–March 4, 1877
  3. Rutherford B. Hayes | March 4, 1877–March 4, 1881
  4. James A. Garfield | March 4, 1881–September 19, 1881
  5. Chester A. Arthur September 19, 1881–March 4, 1885
  6. Benjamin Harrison | March 4, 1889–March 4, 1893
  7. William McKinley | March 4, 1897–September 14, 1901
  8. Theodore Roosevelt | September 14, 1901–March 4, 1909
  9. William Howard Taft | March 4, 1909–March 4, 1913
  10. Warren G. Harding | March 4, 1921–August 2, 1923
  11. Calvin Coolidge: August 2, 1923–March 4, 1929
  12. Herbert Hoover | March 4, 1929–March 4, 1933
  13. Dwight D. Eisenhower: January 20, 1953–January 20, 1961
  14. Richard Nixon | January 20, 1969–August 9, 1974
  15. Gerald Ford | August 9, 1974–January 20, 1977
  16. Ronald Reagan | January 20, 1981–January 20, 1989
  17. George H. W. Bush | January 20, 1989–January 20, 1993
  18. George W. Bush | January 20, 2001–January 20, 2009
  19. Donald Trump | January 20, 2017–January 20, 2021

This year, only the Democrats have the opportunity to add to their tally, as President Trump has already served in the Oval Office.

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