Prior to this year’s election, when the last time a Republican candidate won popular vote? Explained
Prior to this year’s election, when was the last time a Republican presidential candidate won the popular vote? Explained
Before the recent election, the most recent instance of a Republican presidential nominee winning the popular vote was in 2004. In that election, President George W. Bush clinched a second term by triumphing over Democratic opponent John Kerry. Bush garnered around 62 million votes, constituting 50.7% of the total ballots cast, marking the first time since 1988 that a Republican contender had secured a majority in the popular vote. During that period, Bush amassed the highest number of popular votes ever, a record that would later be exceeded in the 2008 presidential election.