List of presidents who did not win reelection
Updated: 11/6/2025, 12:14:40 AM Wikipedia source
This is a list of incumbent presidents as heads of state and/or heads of state and government in any country who ran for another term in office but were not reelected.
Tables
· List
1825–1829
1825
1825–1829
1825–1829
Term in office
1825–1829
President
John Quincy Adams
Country
United States
Lost election
1828 United States presidential election
Winning successor
Andrew Jackson
Notes
Jackson previously won a plurality of the popular vote against Adams in the 1824 presidential election but lost a contingent election.
1837–1841
1837
1837–1841
1837–1841
Term in office
1837–1841
President
Martin Van Buren
Country
United States
Lost election
1840 United States presidential election
Winning successor
William Henry Harrison
Notes
Van Buren also ran in the 1848 presidential election with the Free Soil Party.
1871–1873
1871
1871–1873
1871–1873
Term in office
1871–1873
President
Miguel García Granados
Country
Guatemala
Lost election
1873 Guatemalan general election
Winning successor
Justo Rufino Barrios
Notes
García Granados was serving as acting president of Guatemala, however, he was defeated by Justo Rufino Barrios.
1885–1889
1885
1885–1889
1885–1889
Term in office
1885–1889
President
Grover Cleveland
Country
United States
Lost election
1888 United States presidential election
Winning successor
Benjamin Harrison
Notes
Cleveland lost the 1888 presidential election, but won the 1892 United States presidential election, becoming the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms.
1889–1893
1889
1889–1893
1889–1893
Term in office
1889–1893
President
Benjamin Harrison
Country
United States
Lost election
1892 United States presidential election
Winning successor
Grover Cleveland
Notes
A rematch of the presidential election four years earlier.
1909–1913
1909
1909–1913
1909–1913
Term in office
1909–1913
President
William Howard Taft
Country
United States
Lost election
1912 United States presidential election
Winning successor
Woodrow Wilson
Notes
Taft also ran against former President Theodore Roosevelt for the Republican nomination. After Taft won Roosevelt launched his own presidential campaign under the Progressive Party. Taft came in third behind both Wilson and Roosevelt.
1929–1933
1929
1929–1933
1929–1933
Term in office
1929–1933
President
Herbert Hoover
Country
United States
Lost election
1932 United States presidential election
Winning successor
Franklin D. Roosevelt
1931–1937
1931
1931–1937
1931–1937
Term in office
1931–1937
President
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
Country
Finland
Lost election
1937 Finnish presidential election
Winning successor
Kyösti Kallio
1944–1946
1944
1944–1946
1944–1946
Term in office
1944–1946
President
Sergio Osmeña
Country
Philippines
Lost election
1946 Philippine presidential election
Winning successor
Manuel Roxas
Notes
Then-Vice President Osmeña succeeded Manuel L. Quezon after the latter died on 1944. Osmeña lost his own right term to Manuel Roxas on 1946 Philippine presidential election.
1948–1953
1948
1948–1953
1948–1953
Term in office
1948–1953
President
Elpidio Quirino
Country
Philippines
Lost election
1953 Philippine presidential election
Winning successor
Ramon Magsaysay
Notes
Then-Vice President Quirino succeeded Manuel Roxas on 1948.
Quirino won his own right on 1949 presidential election.
1948–1955
1948
1948–1955
1948–1955
Term in office
1948–1955
President
Luigi Einaudi
Country
Italy
Lost election
1955 Italian presidential election
Winning successor
Giovanni Gronchi
1938–1950
1938
1938–1950
1938–1950
Term in office
1938–1950
President
İsmet İnönü
Country
Turkey
Lost election
1950 Turkish presidential election
Winning successor
Celal Bayar
1955–1962
1955
1955–1962
1955–1962
Term in office
1955–1962
President
Giovanni Gronchi
Country
Italy
Lost election
1962 Italian presidential election
Winning successor
Antonio Segni
1957–1961
1957
1957–1961
1957–1961
Term in office
1957–1961
President
Carlos P. Garcia
Country
Philippines
Lost election
1961 Philippine presidential election
Winning successor
Diosdado Macapagal
Notes
Then-Vice President Garcia succeeded Ramon Magsaysay after the latter died in 1957. Garcia became president on his own right after winning the 1957 presidential election.
1960–1967
1960
1960–1967
1960–1967
Term in office
1960–1967
President
Aden Abdullah Osman Daar
Country
Somalia
Lost election
1967 Somali presidential election
Winning successor
Abdirashid Shermarke
1961–1965
1961
1961–1965
1961–1965
Term in office
1961–1965
President
Diosdado Macapagal
Country
Philippines
Lost election
1965 Philippine presidential election
Winning successor
Ferdinand Marcos
1964–1971
1964
1964–1971
1964–1971
Term in office
1964–1971
President
Giuseppe Saragat
Country
Italy
Lost election
1971 Italian presidential election
Winning successor
Giovanni Leone
1974–1977
1974
1974–1977
1974–1977
Term in office
1974–1977
President
Gerald Ford
Country
United States
Lost election
1976 United States presidential election
Winning successor
Jimmy Carter
Notes
Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter and Minnesota senator Walter Mondale narrowly defeated the Republican ticket of incumbent president Gerald Ford and Kansas senator Bob Dole.
1977–1981
1977
1977–1981
1977–1981
Term in office
1977–1981
President
Jimmy Carter
Country
United States
Lost election
1980 United States presidential election
Winning successor
Ronald Reagan
Notes
Carter was the first elected president to lose a re-election bid since Herbert Hoover in 1932.
1974–1981
1974
1974–1981
1974–1981
Term in office
1974–1981
President
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Country
France
Lost election
1981 French presidential election
Winning successor
François Mitterrand
1965–1986
1965
1965–1986
1965–1986
Term in office
1965–1986
President
Ferdinand Marcos
Country
Philippines
Lost election
1986 Philippine presidential election
Winning successor
Corazon Aquino
Notes
The final results of the election led to the belief that the polls were tampered and considered an electoral fraud. These events eventually lead to the People Power Revolution.
1985–1990
1985
1985–1990
1985–1990
Term in office
1985–1990
President
Daniel Ortega
Country
Nicaragua
Lost election
1990 Nicaraguan general election
Winning successor
Violeta Chamorro
Notes
Ortega later returned to power in the 2006 elections.
1972–1991
1972
1972–1991
1972–1991
Term in office
1972–1991
President
Mathieu Kérékou
Country
Benin
Lost election
1991 Beninese presidential election
Winning successor
Nicéphore Soglo
1980–1991
1980
1980–1991
1980–1991
Term in office
1980–1991
President
Aristides Pereira
Country
Cape Verde
Lost election
1991 Cape Verdean presidential election
Winning successor
António Mascarenhas Monteiro
1964–1991
1964
1964–1991
1964–1991
Term in office
1964–1991
President
Kenneth Kaunda
Country
Zambia
Lost election
1991 Zambian general election
Winning successor
Frederick Chiluba
1977–1992
1977
1977–1992
1977–1992
Term in office
1977–1992
President
Denis Sassou-Nguesso
Country
Congo
Lost election
1992 Republic of the Congo presidential election
Winning successor
Pascal Lissouba
1989–1993
1989
1989–1993
1989–1993
Term in office
1989–1993
President
George H. W. Bush
Country
United States
Lost election
1992 United States presidential election
Winning successor
Bill Clinton
Notes
Some speculated that Ross Perot, the unsuccessful third candidate in the presidential race, cost Bush the election.
1989–1992
1989
1989–1992
1989–1992
Term in office
1989–1992
President
Václav Havel
Country
Czechoslovakia
Lost election
1992 Czechoslovak presidential election
Winning successor
none due to the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
Notes
Havel later elected President of the Czech Republic.
1975–1993
1975
1975–1993
1975–1993
Term in office
1975–1993
President
Didier Ratsiraka
Country
Madagascar
Lost election
1992–93 Malagasy presidential election
Winning successor
Albert Zafy
Notes
Ratsiraka returned to power in 1996.
1988–1993
1988
1988–1993
1988–1993
Term in office
1988–1993
President
George Vassiliou
Country
Cyprus
Lost election
1993 Cypriot presidential election
Winning successor
Glafcos Clerides
1981–1993
1981
1981–1993
1981–1993
Term in office
1981–1993
President
André Kolingba
Country
Central African Republic
Lost election
1993 Central African general election
Winning successor
Ange-Félix Patassé
1966–1994
1966
1966–1994
1966–1994
Term in office
1966–1994
President
Hastings Banda
Country
Malawi
Lost election
1994 Malawian general election
Winning successor
Bakili Muluzi
1991–1994
1991
1991–1994
1991–1994
Term in office
1991–1994
President
Leonid Kravchuk
Country
Ukraine
Lost election
1994 Ukrainian presidential election
Winning successor
Leonid Kuchma
1990–1995
1990
1990–1995
1990–1995
Term in office
1990–1995
President
Lech Wałęsa
Country
Poland
Lost election
1995 Polish presidential election
Winning successor
Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Notes
Walesa also lost 2000 election.
1989–1996
1989
1989–1996
1989–1996
Term in office
1989–1996
President
Ion Iliescu
Country
Romania
Lost election
1996 Romanian general election
Winning successor
Emil Constantinescu
Notes
Iliescu returned to power in the 2000 election. Constantinescu did not run for reelection.
1991–1996
1991
1991–1996
1991–1996
Term in office
1991–1996
President
Nicéphore Soglo
Country
Benin
Lost election
1996 Beninese presidential election
Winning successor
Mathieu Kérékou
1993–1996
1993
1993–1996
1993–1996
Term in office
1993–1996
President
Albert Zafy
Country
Madagascar
Lost election
1996 Malagasy presidential election
Winning successor
Didier Ratsiraka
1990–1997
1990
1990–1997
1990–1997
Term in office
1990–1997
President
Mircea Snegur
Country
Moldova
Lost election
1996 Moldovan presidential election
Winning successor
Petru Lucinschi
1990–1997
1990
1990–1997
1990–1997
Term in office
1990–1997
President
Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat
Country
Mongolia
Lost election
1997 Mongolian presidential election
Winning successor
Natsagiin Bagabandi
1981–2000
1981
1981–2000
1981–2000
Term in office
1981–2000
President
Abdou Diouf
Country
Senegal
Lost election
2000 Senegalese presidential election
Winning successor
Abdoulaye Wade
1996–2001
1996
1996–2001
1996–2001
Term in office
1996–2001
President
Didier Ratsiraka
Country
Madagascar
Lost election
2001 Malagasy presidential election
Winning successor
Marc Ravalomanana
1996–2001
1996
1996–2001
1996–2001
Term in office
1996–2001
President
Petar Stoyanov
Country
Bulgaria
Lost election
2001 Bulgarian presidential election
Winning successor
Georgi Parvanov
1996–2001
1996
1996–2001
1996–2001
Term in office
1996–2001
President
Lyudvig Chibirov
Country
South Ossetia
Lost election
2001 South Ossetian presidential election
Winning successor
Eduard Kokoity
Notes
The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states.
1998–2003
1998
1998–2003
1998–2003
Term in office
1998–2003
President
Valdas Adamkus
Country
Lithuania
Lost election
2002–2003 Lithuanian presidential election
Winning successor
Rolandas Paksas
Notes
Returned to the office in 2004.
1993–2003
1993
1993–2003
1993–2003
Term in office
1993–2003
President
Glafcos Clerides
Country
Cyprus
Lost election
2003 Cypriot presidential election
Winning successor
Tassos Papadopoulos
Notes
Lost reelection in the first round of voting.
2000–2004
2000
2000–2004
2000–2004
Term in office
2000–2004
President
Hipólito Mejía
Country
Dominican Republic
Lost election
2004 Dominican Republic presidential election
Winning successor
Leonel Fernández
1999–2004
1999
1999–2004
1999–2004
Term in office
1999–2004
President
Rudolf Schuster
Country
Slovakia
Lost election
2004 Slovak presidential election
Winning successor
Ivan Gašparovič
2001–2006
2001
2001–2006
2001–2006
Term in office
2001–2006
President
Arnold Rüütel
Country
Estonia
Lost election
2006 Estonian presidential election
Winning successor
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
2003–2008
2003
2003–2008
2003–2008
Term in office
2003–2008
President
Tassos Papadopoulos
Country
Cyprus
Lost election
2008 Cypriot presidential election
Winning successor
Demetris Christofias
Notes
Lost reelection in the first round of voting where he placed third.
2005–2009
2005
2005–2009
2005–2009
Term in office
2005–2009
President
Nambaryn Enkhbayar
Country
Mongolia
Lost election
2009 Mongolian presidential election
Winning successor
Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
2002–2010
2002
2002–2010
2002–2010
Term in office
2002–2010
President
Dahir Riyale Kahin
Country
Somaliland
Lost election
2010 Somaliland presidential election
Winning successor
Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo
Notes
The President of Somaliland is not diplomatically recognized as an independent head of state by the international community.
2005–2010
2005
2005–2010
2005–2010
Term in office
2005–2010
President
Viktor Yushchenko
Country
Ukraine
Lost election
2010 Ukrainian presidential election
Winning successor
Viktor Yanukovich
2000–2011
2000
2000–2011
2000–2011
Term in office
2000–2011
President
Laurent Gbagbo
Country
Ivory Coast
Lost election
2010 Ivorian presidential election
Winning successor
Alassane Ouattara
Notes
Gbagbo declared President by Constitutional Council despite recognition of Outtara by the international community, leading to the Second Ivorian Civil War
1991–2011
1991
1991–2011
1991–2011
Term in office
1991–2011
President
Igor Smirnov
Country
Transnistria
Lost election
2011 Transnistrian presidential election
Winning successor
Yevgeny Shevchuk
Notes
The President of Transnistria is not recognized as an independent head of state by the international community.
2007–2011
2007
2007–2011
2007–2011
Term in office
2007–2011
President
Valdis Zatlers
Country
Latvia
Lost election
2011 Latvian presidential election
Winning successor
Andris Bērziņš
2007–2012
2007
2007–2012
2007–2012
Term in office
2007–2012
President
José Ramos-Horta
Country
East Timor
Lost election
2012 East Timorese presidential election
Winning successor
Taur Matan Ruak
Notes
Won the 2022 East Timorese presidential election
2008–2011
2008
2008–2011
2008–2011
Term in office
2008–2011
President
Rupiah Banda
Country
Zambia
Lost election
2011 Zambian general election
Winning successor
Michael Sata
2007–2012
2007
2007–2012
2007–2012
Term in office
2007–2012
President
Nicolas Sarkozy
Country
France
Lost election
2012 French presidential election
Winning successor
François Hollande
Notes
Also ran in 2017 but lost The Republicans primary.
2000–2012
2000
2000–2012
2000–2012
Term in office
2000–2012
President
Abdoulaye Wade
Country
Senegal
Lost election
2012 Senegalese presidential election
Winning successor
Macky Sall
2004–2012
2004
2004–2012
2004–2012
Term in office
2004–2012
President
Boris Tadić
Country
Serbia
Lost election
2012 Serbian presidential election
Winning successor
Tomislav Nikolić
2005–2015
2005
2005–2015
2005–2015
Term in office
2005–2015
President
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Country
Sri Lanka
Lost election
2015 Sri Lankan presidential election
Winning successor
Maithripala Sirisena
Notes
Failed after running for an unprecedented third term after a constitutional amendment. Returned as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 2019 after his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected president.
2007–2012
2007
2007–2012
2007–2012
Term in office
2007–2012
President
Danilo Türk
Country
Slovenia
Lost election
2012 Slovenian presidential election
Winning successor
Borut Pahor
2012–2014
2012
2012–2014
2012–2014
Term in office
2012–2014
President
Joyce Banda
Country
Malawi
Lost election
2014 Malawian general election
Winning successor
Peter Mutharika
2010–2015
2010
2010–2015
2010–2015
Term in office
2010–2015
President
Ivo Josipović
Country
Croatia
Lost election
2014–2015 Croatian presidential election
Winning successor
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
2010–2015
2010
2010–2015
2010–2015
Term in office
2010–2015
President
Goodluck Jonathan
Country
Nigeria
Lost election
2015 Nigerian presidential election
Winning successor
Muhammadu Buhari
2010–2015
2010
2010–2015
2010–2015
Term in office
2010–2015
President
Bronisław Komorowski
Country
Poland
Lost election
2015 Polish presidential election
Winning successor
Andrzej Duda
1994–2017
1994
1994–2017
1994–2017
Term in office
1994–2017
President
Yahya Jammeh
Country
The Gambia
Lost election
2016 Gambian presidential election
Winning successor
Adama Barrow
Notes
Jammeh initially refused to step down, causing the 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis and the ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia.
2012–2017
2012
2012–2017
2012–2017
Term in office
2012–2017
President
John Mahama
Country
Ghana
Lost election
2016 Ghanaian general election
Winning successor
Nana Akufo-Addo
Notes
After later losing the 2020 election, Mahama would win the 2024 election and succeed Akufo-Addo.
2011–2016
2011
2011–2016
2011–2016
Term in office
2011–2016
President
Manuel Pinto da Costa
Country
São Tomé and Príncipe
Lost election
2016 São Toméan presidential election
Winning successor
Evaristo Carvalho
2011–2016
2011
2011–2016
2011–2016
Term in office
2011–2016
President
Yevgeny Shevchuk
Country
Transnistria
Lost election
2016 Transnistrian presidential election
Winning successor
Vadim Krasnoselsky
Notes
The President of Transnistria is not recognized as an independent head of state by the international community.
2012–2017
2012
2012–2017
2012–2017
Term in office
2012–2017
President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Country
Somalia
Lost election
2017 Somali presidential election
Winning successor
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
Notes
Won the 2022 Somali presidential election.
2012–2017
2012
2012–2017
2012–2017
Term in office
2012–2017
President
Leonid Tibilov
Country
South Ossetia
Lost election
2017 South Ossetian presidential election
Winning successor
Anatoly Bibilov
Notes
The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states.
2014–2018
2014
2014–2018
2014–2018
Term in office
2014–2018
President
Hery Rajaonarimampianina
Country
Madagascar
Lost election
2018 Malagasy presidential election
Winning successor
Andry Rajoelina
2014–2019
2014
2014–2019
2014–2019
Term in office
2014–2019
President
Petro Poroshenko
Country
Ukraine
Lost election
2019 Ukrainian presidential election
Winning successor
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
2015–2019
2015
2015–2019
2015–2019
Term in office
2015–2019
President
Mauricio Macri
Country
Argentina
Lost election
2019 Argentine presidential election
Winning successor
Alberto Fernández
2014–2020
2014
2014–2020
2014–2020
Term in office
2014–2020
President
José Mário Vaz
Country
Guinea-Bissau
Lost election
2019 Guinea-Bissau presidential election
Winning successor
Umaro Sissoco Embaló
2015–2020
2015
2015–2020
2015–2020
Term in office
2015–2020
President
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
Country
Croatia
Lost election
2019–2020 Croatian presidential election
Winning successor
Zoran Milanović
2014–2020
2014
2014–2020
2014–2020
Term in office
2014–2020
President
Peter Mutharika
Country
Malawi
Lost election
2020 Malawian presidential election
Winning successor
Lazarus Chakwera
Notes
A re-run of the previous year's election, which had been won by Mutharika but overturned by a court due to irregularities. Mutharika would later go on to defeat Chakwera in re-match at the 2025 election.
2017–2021
2017
2017–2021
2017–2021
Term in office
2017–2021
President
Donald Trump
Country
United States
Lost election
2020 United States presidential election
Winning successor
Joe Biden
Notes
Trump refused to concede, alleging fraud and filing and ultimately losing post-election lawsuits before 86 judges. The counting of the Electoral College votes by Congress on January 6, 2021, was briefly stopped when rioters stormed the Capitol building. Joe Biden's victory was confirmed when Congress reconvened hours later. Trump and Biden were initially presumptive nominees in the 2024 United States presidential election until Biden withdrew, Trump subsequently won the 2024 presidential election and is ineligible to run for another term due to the Twenty-second Amendment.
2016–2020
2016
2016–2020
2016–2020
Term in office
2016–2020
President
Igor Dodon
Country
Moldova
Lost election
2020 Moldovan presidential election
Winning successor
Maia Sandu
Notes
Dodon alleged multiple voting irregularities including the prevention of Transnistrians from voting and interference from foreign leaders but congratulated Sandu as a precaution. Sandu became the first female president of the country.
2015–2021
2015
2015–2021
2015–2021
Term in office
2015–2021
President
Edgar Lungu
Country
Zambia
Lost election
2021 Zambian general election
Winning successor
Hakainde Hichilema
2017–2022
2017
2017–2022
2017–2022
Term in office
2017–2022
President
Francisco Guterres
Country
East Timor
Lost election
2022 East Timorese presidential election
Winning successor
José Ramos-Horta
2017–2022
2017
2017–2022
2017–2022
Term in office
2017–2022
President
Anatoly Bibilov
Country
South Ossetia
Lost election
2022 South Ossetian presidential election
Winning successor
Alan Gagloev
Notes
The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states.
2017–2022
2017
2017–2022
2017–2022
Term in office
2017–2022
President
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
Country
Somalia
Lost election
2022 Somali presidential election
Winning successor
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
2019–2022
2019
2019–2022
2019–2022
Term in office
2019–2022
President
Jair Bolsonaro
Country
Brazil
Lost election
2022 Brazilian general election
Winning successor
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Notes
Bolsonaro ran against former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
2018–2022
2018
2018–2022
2018–2022
Term in office
2018–2022
President
Barham Salih
Country
Iraq
Lost election
2022 Iraqi presidential election
Winning successor
Abdul Latif Rashid
2018–2023
2018
2018–2023
2018–2023
Term in office
2018–2023
President
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Country
Maldives
Lost election
2023 Maldivian presidential election
Winning successor
Mohamed Muizzu
2018–2024
2018
2018–2024
2018–2024
Term in office
2018–2024
President
George Weah
Country
Liberia
Lost election
2023 Liberian general election
Winning successor
Joseph Boakai
2019–2024
2019
2019–2024
2019–2024
Term in office
2019–2024
President
Stevo Pendarovski
Country
North Macedonia
Lost election
2024 North Macedonian presidential election
Winning successor
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova
2022–2024
2022
2022–2024
2022–2024
Term in office
2022–2024
President
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Country
Sri Lanka
Lost election
2024 Sri Lankan presidential election
Winning successor
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
2019–2024
2019
2019–2024
2019–2024
Term in office
2019–2024
President
Mokgweetsi Masisi
Country
Botswana
Lost election
2024 Botswana general election
Winning successor
Duma Boko
2017–2024
2017
2017–2024
2017–2024
Term in office
2017–2024
President
Muse Bihi Abdi
Country
Somaliland
Lost election
2024 Somaliland presidential election
Winning successor
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi
Notes
The President of Somaliland is not diplomatically recognized as an independent head of state by the international community.
2020–2025
2020
2020–2025
2020–2025
Term in office
2020–2025
President
Lazarus Chakwera
Country
Malawi
Lost election
2025 Malawian general election
Winning successor
Peter Mutharika
Notes
Mutharaika previously served as president from 2014 until his defeat by Chakwera in 2020.
| Term in office | President | Country | Lost election | Winning successor | Notes |
| 1797–1801 | John Adams | United States | 1800 United States presidential election | Thomas Jefferson | Adams placed third behind Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr. Jefferson narrowly won a contingent election in the U.S. House of Representatives. |
| 1825–1829 | John Quincy Adams | United States | 1828 United States presidential election | Andrew Jackson | Jackson previously won a plurality of the popular vote against Adams in the 1824 presidential election but lost a contingent election. |
| 1837–1841 | Martin Van Buren | United States | 1840 United States presidential election | William Henry Harrison | Van Buren also ran in the 1848 presidential election with the Free Soil Party. |
| 1871–1873 | Miguel García Granados | Guatemala | 1873 Guatemalan general election | Justo Rufino Barrios | García Granados was serving as acting president of Guatemala, however, he was defeated by Justo Rufino Barrios. |
| 1885–1889 | Grover Cleveland | United States | 1888 United States presidential election | Benjamin Harrison | Cleveland lost the 1888 presidential election, but won the 1892 United States presidential election, becoming the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms. |
| 1889–1893 | Benjamin Harrison | United States | 1892 United States presidential election | Grover Cleveland | A rematch of the presidential election four years earlier. |
| 1909–1913 | William Howard Taft | United States | 1912 United States presidential election | Woodrow Wilson | Taft also ran against former President Theodore Roosevelt for the Republican nomination. After Taft won Roosevelt launched his own presidential campaign under the Progressive Party. Taft came in third behind both Wilson and Roosevelt. |
| 1929–1933 | Herbert Hoover | United States | 1932 United States presidential election | Franklin D. Roosevelt | |
| 1931–1937 | Pehr Evind Svinhufvud | Finland | 1937 Finnish presidential election | Kyösti Kallio | |
| 1944–1946 | Sergio Osmeña | Philippines | 1946 Philippine presidential election | Manuel Roxas | Then-Vice President Osmeña succeeded Manuel L. Quezon after the latter died on 1944. Osmeña lost his own right term to Manuel Roxas on 1946 Philippine presidential election. |
| 1948–1953 | Elpidio Quirino | Philippines | 1953 Philippine presidential election | Ramon Magsaysay | Then-Vice President Quirino succeeded Manuel Roxas on 1948. Quirino won his own right on 1949 presidential election. |
| 1948–1955 | Luigi Einaudi | Italy | 1955 Italian presidential election | Giovanni Gronchi | |
| 1938–1950 | İsmet İnönü | Turkey | 1950 Turkish presidential election | Celal Bayar | |
| 1955–1962 | Giovanni Gronchi | Italy | 1962 Italian presidential election | Antonio Segni | |
| 1957–1961 | Carlos P. Garcia | Philippines | 1961 Philippine presidential election | Diosdado Macapagal | Then-Vice President Garcia succeeded Ramon Magsaysay after the latter died in 1957. Garcia became president on his own right after winning the 1957 presidential election. |
| 1960–1967 | Aden Abdullah Osman Daar | Somalia | 1967 Somali presidential election | Abdirashid Shermarke | |
| 1961–1965 | Diosdado Macapagal | Philippines | 1965 Philippine presidential election | Ferdinand Marcos | |
| 1964–1971 | Giuseppe Saragat | Italy | 1971 Italian presidential election | Giovanni Leone | |
| 1974–1977 | Gerald Ford | United States | 1976 United States presidential election | Jimmy Carter | Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter and Minnesota senator Walter Mondale narrowly defeated the Republican ticket of incumbent president Gerald Ford and Kansas senator Bob Dole. |
| 1977–1981 | Jimmy Carter | United States | 1980 United States presidential election | Ronald Reagan | Carter was the first elected president to lose a re-election bid since Herbert Hoover in 1932. |
| 1974–1981 | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | France | 1981 French presidential election | François Mitterrand | |
| 1965–1986 | Ferdinand Marcos | Philippines | 1986 Philippine presidential election | Corazon Aquino | The final results of the election led to the belief that the polls were tampered and considered an electoral fraud. These events eventually lead to the People Power Revolution. |
| 1977–1988 | Spyros Kyprianou | Cyprus | 1988 Cypriot presidential election | George Vassiliou | Then President of the House of Representatives succeeded Archbishop Makarios III after his death in 1977. Kyprianou became president on his own right after winning the 1977 presidential by-election unopposed. He lost re-election in the first round of voting in the 1988 Cypriot presidential election, placing third. |
| 1985–1990 | Daniel Ortega | Nicaragua | 1990 Nicaraguan general election | Violeta Chamorro | Ortega later returned to power in the 2006 elections. |
| 1972–1991 | Mathieu Kérékou | Benin | 1991 Beninese presidential election | Nicéphore Soglo | |
| 1980–1991 | Aristides Pereira | Cape Verde | 1991 Cape Verdean presidential election | António Mascarenhas Monteiro | |
| 1964–1991 | Kenneth Kaunda | Zambia | 1991 Zambian general election | Frederick Chiluba | |
| 1977–1992 | Denis Sassou-Nguesso | Congo | 1992 Republic of the Congo presidential election | Pascal Lissouba | |
| 1989–1993 | George H. W. Bush | United States | 1992 United States presidential election | Bill Clinton | Some speculated that Ross Perot, the unsuccessful third candidate in the presidential race, cost Bush the election. |
| 1989–1992 | Václav Havel | Czechoslovakia | 1992 Czechoslovak presidential election | none due to the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia | Havel later elected President of the Czech Republic. |
| 1975–1993 | Didier Ratsiraka | Madagascar | 1992–93 Malagasy presidential election | Albert Zafy | Ratsiraka returned to power in 1996. |
| 1988–1993 | George Vassiliou | Cyprus | 1993 Cypriot presidential election | Glafcos Clerides | |
| 1981–1993 | André Kolingba | Central African Republic | 1993 Central African general election | Ange-Félix Patassé | |
| 1966–1994 | Hastings Banda | Malawi | 1994 Malawian general election | Bakili Muluzi | |
| 1991–1994 | Leonid Kravchuk | Ukraine | 1994 Ukrainian presidential election | Leonid Kuchma | |
| 1990–1995 | Lech Wałęsa | Poland | 1995 Polish presidential election | Aleksander Kwaśniewski | Walesa also lost 2000 election. |
| 1989–1996 | Ion Iliescu | Romania | 1996 Romanian general election | Emil Constantinescu | Iliescu returned to power in the 2000 election. Constantinescu did not run for reelection. |
| 1991–1996 | Nicéphore Soglo | Benin | 1996 Beninese presidential election | Mathieu Kérékou | |
| 1993–1996 | Albert Zafy | Madagascar | 1996 Malagasy presidential election | Didier Ratsiraka | |
| 1990–1997 | Mircea Snegur | Moldova | 1996 Moldovan presidential election | Petru Lucinschi | |
| 1990–1997 | Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat | Mongolia | 1997 Mongolian presidential election | Natsagiin Bagabandi | |
| 1981–2000 | Abdou Diouf | Senegal | 2000 Senegalese presidential election | Abdoulaye Wade | |
| 1996–2001 | Didier Ratsiraka | Madagascar | 2001 Malagasy presidential election | Marc Ravalomanana | |
| 1996–2001 | Petar Stoyanov | Bulgaria | 2001 Bulgarian presidential election | Georgi Parvanov | |
| 1996–2001 | Lyudvig Chibirov | South Ossetia | 2001 South Ossetian presidential election | Eduard Kokoity | The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states. |
| 1998–2003 | Valdas Adamkus | Lithuania | 2002–2003 Lithuanian presidential election | Rolandas Paksas | Returned to the office in 2004. |
| 1993–2003 | Glafcos Clerides | Cyprus | 2003 Cypriot presidential election | Tassos Papadopoulos | Lost reelection in the first round of voting. |
| 2000–2004 | Hipólito Mejía | Dominican Republic | 2004 Dominican Republic presidential election | Leonel Fernández | |
| 2001–2004 | Megawati Sukarnoputri | Indonesia | 2004 Indonesian presidential election | Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono | Megawati was vice president elected by indirect votes from the Indonesian House of Representatives. She then became President after her predecessor Abdurrahman Wahid was impeached and removed from the office. In the 2004 Presidential Election, she sought reelection in the first direct presidential elections but lost to her former minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. |
References
- lehrmaninstitute.orghttps://lehrmaninstitute.org/history/1800.html
- USA Todayhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/30/one-term-presidents-u-s-presidents-who-ran-reelection-but-lost/6085465002/
- www.polignosi.comhttp://www.polignosi.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=6288&-V=limmata
- The Wall Street Journalhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/did-perot-spoil-1992-election-for-bush-its-complicated-11562714375
- iROZHLAShttps://www.irozhlas.cz/veda-technologie/historie/prezidentske-volby-3-7-1992-stop-havlovi-a-spolecnemu-statu_1707171159_per
- Česká televizehttps://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/domaci/2170318-nezvoleni-havla-prezidentem-pred-25-lety-predznamenalo-rozpad-ceskoslovenska
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15871838
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/09/world/polish-president-wins-election-for-second-term.html
- iDNES.czhttps://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/zahranicni/meciar-ma-sanci-vratit-se-na-vysluni.A040402_211440_zahranicni_fri
- Jamestownhttps://jamestown.org/program/ukrainian-election-yanukovych-beats-tymoshenko-in-first-round/
- Arab Newshttps://www.arabnews.com/slovenia-elects-new-leader-amid-social-tensions
- www.ft.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/270f2fb6-9a2c-11e4-8426-00144feabdc0
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32862772
- OC Mediahttps://oc-media.org/ruling-party-loses-majority-in-south-ossetian-parliament/
- Atlantic Councilhttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/why-poroshenko-lost/
- France 24https://www.france24.com/en/20200106-croatia-zoran-milanovic-kolinda-grabar-kitarovic-presidential-election
- AP Newshttps://apnews.com/article/malawi-election-chakwera-07706188fde0f0314348e74919ee3e10
- Deutsche Wellehttps://www.dw.com/en/donald-trump-refuses-to-concede-in-first-post-election-tv-appearance/a-55766431
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judges-trump-election-lawsuits/2020/12/12/e3a57224-3a72-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/us/politics/capitol-mob-trump-supporters.html
- NPRhttps://www.npr.org/2021/01/07/954234902/congress-certifies-biden-victory-after-pro-trump-rioters-storm-the-capitol
- stiri.mdhttps://stiri.md/article/politica/dodon-va-contesta-rezultatele-alegerilor-felicit-preliminar-oponenta
- Deutsche Wellehttps://www.dw.com/en/moldova-election-pro-eu-maia-sandu-wins-presidency/a-55611249
- Reutershttps://www.reuters.com/world/africa/somalias-new-president-be-elected-by-parliament-behind-barricades-2022-05-15/
- Cite error: The named reference Malawi 2025 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).