This is a list of former presidents of the United States who ran for office (the presidency, a seat in Congress, or governor) after leaving office as president. It does not include presidents who sought reelection to a consecutive term while still in office. Prior to the passage of the Twenty-second Amendment, presidents could run for reelection without restriction; since then, presidents can be reelected only once. Grover Cleveland was the first president to win reelection after leaving office.
Some presidents have been recruited, requested, or drafted to run again. This list, however, only includes those presidents who actively campaigned. __TOC__
Presidency This list only includes former presidents who ran again for president. President Previous term Reason the presidentfirst left office Year ofattemptedcomeback Result Notes Martin Van Buren 1837–1841 Defeated in the general election 1844 Failed nomination Failed in his attempt to win the nomination of the Democratic Party 1848 Lost First nominee of the newly formed Free Soil Party Millard Fillmore 1850–1853 Denied nomination by his party 1856 Lost Nominee for the American Party (Know Nothing) Ulysses S. Grant 1869–1877 Retired 1880 Failed nomination Failed in his attempt to win the nomination of the Republican Party Grover Cleveland 1885–1889 Defeated in the general election 1892 Won First president to win a second nonconsecutive term (1893–1897) Theodore Roosevelt 1901–1909 Retired 1912 Lost Nominee of the Progressive Party (Bull Moose), after he was denied the nomination of the Republican Party. Herbert Hoover 1929–1933 Defeated in the general election 1940 Failed nomination Failed in his attempt to win the nomination of the Republican Party Donald Trump 2017–2021 Defeated in the general election 2024 Won Second president to win a second nonconsecutive term (2025–present)
Other selected office
President Presidential term Reason for leaving office Year of election Office Result Notes James Madison 1809–1817 Chose not to run again 1829 Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830 Won Represented Orange County, Virginia James Monroe 1817–1825 Chose not to run again 1829 Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830 Won Represented Loudoun County, Virginia Presiding officer of the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830 Won Withdrew on December 8 due to failing health John Quincy Adams 1825–1829 Defeated in the general election 1830–1846(9 elections) U.S. House of Representatives Won Only former president to serve in the House, served until his 1848 death 1833 Governor of Massachusetts Lost Continued in House after defeat John Tyler 1841–1845 Denied nomination by his party/withdrew from race 1861 Confederate States Congress Won Died before he could take office (had served in the unelected Provisional Congress).Only former president to ever run for an office outside the United States Andrew Johnson 1865–1869 Denied nomination by his party 1872 U.S. House of Representatives Lost Ran as an Independent and finished 3rd in the general election 1874 U.S. Senate Won Only former president to serve in the Senate, served until his 1875 death William Howard Taft 1909–1913 Defeated in the general election 1921 Chief Justice of the United States Confirmed Only former president ever to serve on the Supreme Court, served until his 1930 resignation
See also List of presidents of the United States by other offices held
References