Today in history: Two presidents re-elected

On November 7, 1944, FDR was re-elected to his fourth and final term. This race was much closer than his earlier ones, but he still got 53% of the popular vote to 46% for Republican Thomas Dewey. Dewey won a good portion of the great plains, some of the midwest and some of New England. FDR’s best state was Mississippi, where he got 93% of the vote. Dewey’s best state was Kansas, where he got 60%.

28 years later, in 1972, Richard Nixon(the Republican)was re-elected in a landslide over George McGovern (the Democrat). Nixon won every state but Massachusetts and got 61% of the popular vote to McGovern’s 38%. Nixon’s best state was Mississippi where he got 78% of the vote; McGovern’s best was Massachusetts, where he got 54%.