# 1848 United States presidential election

1848 United States presidential election|

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| **November 7, 1848** |

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290 members of the Electoral College 146 electoral votes needed to win |
| Turnout | 72.8%  6.4 pp |
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| Nominee | **Zachary Taylor** | Lewis Cass | Martin Van Buren |
| Party | Whig | Democratic | Free Soil |
| Home state | Louisiana | Michigan | New York |
| Running mate | **Millard Fillmore** | William O. Butler | Charles Francis Adams Sr. |
| Electoral vote | **163** | 127 | 0 |
| States carried | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Popular vote | **1,361,396** | 1,223,460 | 291,501 |
| Percentage | **47.3%** | 42.5% | 10.1% |

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Presidential election results map. Yellow denotes states won by Taylor/Fillmore and Blue by Cass/Butler. Numbers indicate the number of electoral votes cast by each state. |
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| **Presidentbefore election**
James K. Polk
Democratic | **ElectedPresident**
Zachary Taylor
Whig |

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The **1848 United States presidential election** was the 16th election in the history of the United States. It occurred on November 7, 1848.

This election was a three-way race between the Whig nominee, Major General Zachary Taylor of Louisiana, the Democratic nominee, former Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan, and the Free Soil nominee, former President Martin Van Buren of New York. Taylor won the election with 163 electoral votes, while Cass got 127 electoral votes and Van Buren got 0 electoral votes.

## Nominees

### Whig Party

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| **1848 Whig Party ticket** |
| Zachary Taylor | Millard Fillmore |
| for President | for Vice President |
|  |  |
| Major general of the U.S. Army (1846–1849) | 14th New York State Comptroller (1848-1849) |
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#### Presidential

* Zachary Taylor, Major general of the U.S. Army (1846–1849) *(Nominee)*
* Henry Clay, former U.S. senator from Kentucky (1806-1807, 1810-1811, 1831-1842) *(1844 Nominee) (1832 National Republican Nominee) (1824 Democratic-Republican Nominee)*
* Winfield Scott, 3rd Commanding General of the U.S. Army from New Jersey (1841–1861) and candidate for President in 1840 and 1844 *(1852 Nominee)*
* Daniel Webster, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1827-1841, 1845-1850) *(1836 Nominee)*
* John M. Clayton, U.S. Senator from Delaware (1829-1836, 1845-1849)
* John McLean, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from Ohio (1841–1861)

#### Vice Presidential

* Millard Fillmore, 14th Comptroller of New York *(1848-1849) (Vice Presidential nominee)*
* Daniel Webster, U.S. senator from Massachusetts (1827-1841, 1845-1850) *(1836 Nominee) (Vice Presidential nominee, declined)*
* Abbott Lawrence, former Congressman from Massachusetts (1835-1837, 1839-1840)
* Andrew Stewart, U.S. representative from Pennsylvania (1832-1839, 1842-1843)
* Thomas McKennan, U.S. representative from Pennsylvania (1821-1829, 1831-1835, 1843-1849)
* George Evans, U.S. senator from Maine (1841-1849)
* John Sargeant, U.S. representative from Pennsylvania (1821-1829, 1831-1835, 1843-1849) *(1832 National Republican vice presidential nominee)*
* John M. Clayton, U.S. Senator from Delaware (1829-1836, 1845-1849)
* Hamilton Fish, 17th Lieutenant Governor of New York (1848)
* Thomas Ewing Sr., 14th Secretary of the Treasury (1841)
* John Young, 15th Governor of New York (1847-1848)
* Rufus Choate, former U.S. senator from Massachusetts (1841-1845)
* Solomon Foot, former Congressman from Vermont (1843-1847)
* Robert C. Winthrop, U.S. representative from Massachusetts (1840-1842, 1842-1850) and 18th Speaker of the House (1847-1849)
* Thurlow Weed, publisher (1843-1882) and former member of the New York State Assembly (1843-1882)
* Thomas B. King, U.S. representative from Georgia (1839-1843, 1845-1850)
* William H. Seward, 12th Governor of New York (1839-1842)

### Democratic Party

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| **1848 Democratic Party ticket** |
| Lewis Cass | William O. Butler |
| for President | for Vice President |
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| U.S. Senator from Michigan (1845-1848) | U.S. Representative from Kentucky (1839-1843) |

#### Presidential

* Lewis Cass, U.S. Senator from Michigan (1845-1848) *(Nominee)*
* Levi Woodbury, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from New Hampshire (1845–1851)
* James Buchanan, 17th U.S. Secretary of State from Pennsylvania (1845-1849) *(1856 Nominee)*
* Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the United States from New York (1837-1841) *(Ran as a third party)*
* John C. Calhoun, 7th Vice President of the United States from South Carolina (1825-1832)
* William J. Worth, Major general of the U.S. Army (1813–1849)
* George M. Dallas, 11th Vice President of the United States from Pennsylvania (1845-1849)
* William O. Butler, U.S. representative from Kentucky (1839-1843) *(Vice Presidential Nominee)*
* William Allen, U.S. Senator from Ohio (1837-1849) *(Declined)*

#### Vice Presidential

* William O. Butler, U.S. representative from Kentucky (1839-1843) *(Vice Presidential Nominee)*
* John A. Quitman, 10th Governor of Mississippi (1835-1836)
* William R. King, U.S. Senator from Alabama (1819–1844, 1848–1852) *(**1852 VP Nominee)*
* John Y. Mason, 16th & 18th Secretary of the Navy (1844–1845, 1846–1849)
* James Iver McKay, U.S. representative from North Carolina (1831-1849)
* Levin Hudson Coe, Inspector General of the Tennessee Militia from Tennessee
* Benjamin Chew Howard, Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court from Maryland (1843-1860) *(Declined)*

### Free Soil Party

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| **1848 Free Soil Party ticket** |
| Martin Van Buren | Charles F. Adams Sr. |
| for President | for Vice President |
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| 8th President of the United States (1837–1841) | Massachusetts State Senator (1844–1845) |
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#### Presidential

* Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the United States from New York (1837-1841) *(Nominee)*
* John P. Hale, U.S. senator from New Hampshire (1847–1853)
* Joshua R. Giddings, U.S. representative from Ohio (1838–1842, 1842-1859)
* Charles F. Adams Sr., former State Senator from Massachusetts (1844–1845) *(Vice presidential nominee)*
* Henry L. Ellsworth, Former Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office from Indiana (1847–1853)

#### Vice Presidential

* Charles F. Adams Sr., former State Senator from Massachusetts (1844–1845) *(Vice presidential nominee)*