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5 of the closest Presidential elections in US history

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Not every election is decided by a large margin.

There have been many big elections in US history decided by very, very small margins.

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Here are some of the most memorable:

1960: Kennedy defeats Nixon by 84 Electoral votes, .2 percent popular vote

It's regarded as one of the most famous elections in our history.

The Nov. 8 election in 1960 gave John F. Kennedy an early lead as polls in the earlier time zones closed, but as the west began to close  - Richard Nixon gained.

It wasn't until the following afternoon that Nixon conceded the election. Kennedy carried 11 states by three percentage points or less - Nixon carried 5 states by the same margin.

2004: George W. Bush defeats John Kerry by 35 Electoral votes, 2.4 percent popular vote

The winner wasn't announced until the following day when Kerry conceded Ohio.

Bush carried 31 states, Kerry carried 19.

Bush's margin of victory was the smallest ever for a reelected incumbent president.

2000: George W. Bush defeats Al Gore by 5 Electoral votes,  but loses .5 percent popular vote

The recount! The 2000 matchup was narrowly won by Bush after a controversy over Florida's electoral votes spawned a recount in the state.

Gore received 543,816 more votes than Bush, but lost on the Electoral map.

1876: Rutherford Hayes beats Samuel Tilden by 1 Electoral vote, loses popular vote by 3 percent

The 1876 election was one of the most disputed in American history.

Tilden defeated Rutherford in the popular vote, but had 184 electoral votes to Hayes' 165 - there were 20 uncounted.

The 20 votes were in flux because three states (Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina) were being claimed by both parties. They were ultimately awarded to Hayes.

1916: Woodrow Wilson beats Charles Hughes by 23 electoral votes, 3.1 percent popular vote

The election took place during World War I. Incumbent President Wilson faced Supreme Court Justice Charles Hughes, beating him by a small margin.


About the Author
Ken Haddad headshot

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.

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