Six United States Presidents Sought A Third Term in the White House

President George Washington voluntarily stepped down after two terms.

Some will say that most United States Presidents, prior to the 22nd Amendment, voluntarily stepped down after two terms in the White House, following in the steps of President Washington.

The reality, however, is that six US Presidents have sought a third term in the White House:

1. President Ulysses S. Grant sought a third term in the White House after serving as President from 1869 to 1877. Grant sought the Republican nomination in 1880, in the hopes of securing a third term in the White House, but ultimately fell short, as the Republican party indicated that they wanted a change.

2. President Theodore Roosevelt sought a third term in the White House in 1912. After taking over for the assassinated President William McKinley in 1901 and winning re-election in 1904, President Roosevelt elected to step down ahead of the 1908 election. In 1912, President Roosevelt changed his mind, and he unsuccessfully challenged William Taft for the Republican nomination, and ultimately came up short.

3. President Woodrow Wilson, who had served as President from 1913 to 1921, was fully intending on running for a third term in 1920. Unfortunately for President Wilson, he was struck by a stroke and was ultimately unable to run in 1920.

4. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is the only US President to actually serve for more than two terms. In fact, FDR won four Presidential elections and is the reason for the 22nd Amendment being implemented. Republicans were sick of President Roosevelt winning, while even some Democrats felt as though FDR should have stepped down after his third term due to his health issues.

5. President Harry Truman could have run for a third term in the White House due to the grandfather clause in the 22nd Amendment. Truman took over when President Roosevelt died in 1945 and won re-election in 1948. Despite serving nearly two full terms in the White House, Truman was eligible to run against in 1952, but ultimately decided against it due to a poor showing in a primary.

6. President Lyndon B. Johnson became President when JFK was assassinated. Since Johnson served less than half of a full term, he was eligible to run twice more. After winning easily in 1964, President Johnson became unpopular and decided against running again in 1968 after a disappointing result in the New Hampshire primary.

Filed under: General Knowledge