Random Notable Presidential Election Loser Ended Up Doing With Their Life (57 items)

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  (#46) Winfield Scott

  • Dec. at 80 (1786-1866)

  Campaign: 1852

  Party: Whig

  Platform:  Winfield Scott was a prominent military figure between the Revolution and the Civil War and remained loyal to the Union throughout his service.

  What He Did Next: Scott was promoted to lieutenant general in 1855 and became the first man since George Washington to hold such a high rank. He angrily retired in 1861 after being ridiculed over his plan to split the Confederacy. He published a memoir in 1864 and died two years later.
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  (#30) Theodore Roosevelt

  • Dec. at 61 (1858-1919)

  Campaign: 1912 (loss), 1904 (win)

  Party: Independent, Republican

  Platform: Theodore Roosevelt became president after the assassination of William McKinley. In the two elections he ran – one as a Republican nominee and one as a Progressive independent – Roosevelt stood firm against monopolies and had great success in foreign affairs with his mantra "speak softly and carry a big stick." He became the first American to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his aid in ending the Russo-Japanese War. He also set aside 200 million acres for national forests and wildlife reserves.

  What He Did Next: After losing the presidency, Roosevelt advocated for American entry into WWI. When America finally entered the war in 1917, he supported all three of his sons as they enlisted, the youngest of which died in battle. In 1919, Roosevelt passed away in his sleep at the age of 60.
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  (#10) George H. W. Bush

  • Dec. at 94 (1924-2018)

  Campaign: 1992 (loss), 1988 (win)

  Party: Republican

  Platform: Bush lost when he ran for a second term, but during his presidency, he helped dissolve the Soviet Union and led a military strike to push Iraqi president Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait.

  What He Did Next: Bush supported his son's successful presidential bid in 2000 with numerous public appearances. In 2005, he created the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund with his presidential rival Bill Clinton, which raised over $100 million for Louisiana hurricane victims. In 2017, he was accused of sexual harassment, which he denied.
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  (#21) Thomas E. Dewey

  • Dec. at 69 (1902-1971)

  Campaign: 1948, 1944

  Party: Republican

  Platform: Dewey believed in fostering the success of farmers and expanding agriculture. He promoted political unity across all parties. His loss in 1948 was considered one of the biggest political upsets in history.

  What He Did Next: He served as the Governor of New York until 1954 then ended his career in politics to focus on practicing law. He died in 1971 at the age of 68.
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  (#18) Barry Goldwater

  • Dec. at 89 (1909-1998)

  Campaign: 1964

  Party: Republican

  Platform: Goldwater rallied against liberal welfare programs as well as the Civil Rights Act, which passed in Congress while he served in the Senate. Goldwater also suggested using aggressive measures, such as nuclear war, to achieve US agendas in North Korea and Cuba.

  What He Did Next: Goldwater was the one to tell Richard Nixon he should resign before he was impeached by Congress for the Watergate scandal. He eventually returned to the US Senate and retired in 1980.
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  (#49) Henry Clay

  • Dec. at 75 (1777-1852)

  Campaign: 1844, 1832, 1824

  Party: Whig, Republican, Democratic-Republican

  Platform: Clay fervently opposed the annexation of Texas and was known for helping create the American System, which promoted America's economic success. He also championed the Missouri Compromise.

  What He Did Next: Clay returned to the Senate and championed an early version of the Compromise of 1850. He died of tuberculosis in 1852.

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