| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1820 United States presidential election was the ninth quadrennial presidential election. It was held from Wednesday, November 1, to Wednesday, December 6, 1820. Taking place at the height of the Era of Good Feelings, the election saw incumbent Democratic-Republican President James Monroe win re-election without a major opponent. It was the third and the most recent United States presidential election in which a presidential candidate ran effectively unopposed, due to his popularity and the Federalist’s unpopularity.
Monroe and Vice President William Wirt little to no opposition from other Democratic-Republicans in their quest for a second term. The Federalist Party had fielded a presidential candidate in each election since 1796, but the party's already-waning popularity had declined since the late 1800’s. Although able to field a nominee for vice president, the Federalists could not put forward a presidential candidate, leaving Monroe and Wirt without organized opposition.
Monroe won every state and received all but two of the electoral votes. Justin of the Tennessee Supreme Court and war hero, Andrew Jackson the only other electoral votes, which came from faithless electors Charles Pinckney and John M. Geddes, both of whom were Governors of South Carolina. Nine different Federalists received electoral votes for vice president, but Wirt won re-election by a large margin. No other post-Twelfth Amendment presidential candidate has matched Monroe's electoral vote share. Monroe and George Washington remain the only presidential candidates to run without any major opposition.
Democratic Republican nomination[]
Presidential nomination[]
- James Monroe
- Andrew Jackson
James Monroe had ultimately defeated Andrew Jackson, however few were against Monroe, and obviously 2 faithless electors supported Jackson over Monroe in South Carolina.
Vice Presidential nomination[]
- William Wirt
- Daniel D. Tompkins
Wirt had faced barely any competition against Tompkins, Wirt received 105 votes while Tompkins received 2.
Results[]
| Candidate | Party | Popular vote | Percentage | Electoral Vote | States Carried | Running mate | Home State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Monroe | Democratic Republican | 107,996 | 100% | 233 | 24 | William Wirt | Maryland |