Though it may seem a bit foreign in today’s era of politics, there was a time when candidates running in presidential elections would secure overwhelming victories both in the Electoral College and the popular vote — results often referred to as election landslides. Many of the candidates who achieved such wins enjoyed a sense of near-certain triumph, while their opponents suffered historic defeats. In this list, we’ll look back at ten of the most dominant election landslides in U.S. history, measured by electoral votes and popular vote percentages.
From Civil War commanders to Cold War charmers, here are the ten times a U.S. presidential election turned into a blowout — ranked by just how one-sided things got.
10. Theodore Roosevelt vs. Alton B. Parker (1904)
By 1904, Teddy Roosevelt was already a national hero — he’d built the Panama Canal, brokered peace in the Russo-Japanese War, and carved out a reformist legacy. The Democrats? They handed the nomination to Alton B. Parker, a respected New York judge… with all the charisma of a tax return.
Parker agreed with Roosevelt on most big issues, so voters figured: why swap a Rough Rider for a guy who looks like he’s grading papers? Roosevelt won 336–140 in the Electoral College, 56% to 38% in the popular vote.
The 1904 contest between Theodore Roosevelt and Alton B. Parker wasn’t just a win — it was an early 20th-century election landslide that cemented Republican dominance for years to come.
9. Warren G. Harding vs. James M. Cox (1920)
After World War I, President Woodrow Wilson was unpopular, exhausted, and — after a series of strokes — barely functioning. The Democrats ran Ohio Governor James M. Cox, who couldn’t escape Wilson’s shadow.
The 1920 Harding vs. Cox matchup remains one of the clearest election landslides of the post–World War I era. The Republicans rolled out fellow Ohioan Warren G. Harding, promising a “Return to Normalcy.” Translation: no more war, no more drama. Harding also appealed to newly enfranchised women voters. Result: 404–127 in the Electoral College, 60% to 34% in the popular vote. Harding didn’t last — he died in 1923 — but his win was decisive.
8. George H.W. Bush vs. Michael Dukakis (1988)
The economy was booming, Reagan was still popular, and Vice President George H.W. Bush was ready to keep the Republican streak alive. Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis had a strong state record but all the warmth of a damp handshake.
Bush’s campaign pounced — from the infamous Willie Horton ad to mocking Dukakis’ awkward tank photo-op. Dukakis limped to the finish with 111 electoral votes and 46% of the popular vote. Bush cruised with 426 electoral votes and 53%.
7. Herbert Hoover vs. Al Smith (1928)
In the middle of the “Roaring Twenties,” Herbert Hoover was running on good times and optimism. Al Smith, the Democratic governor of New York, was battling anti-Catholic prejudice, his ties to political corruption, and his opposition to Prohibition — not a great mix for 1928 voters.
Hoover won in a walk: 444–87 in the Electoral College, 58% to 31% in the popular vote. Then came the 1929 stock market crash, and suddenly Hoover wasn’t quite so popular.
6. Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. Adlai Stevenson (1952 & 1956)
Losing a presidential election is rough. Losing twice to the same guy in landslides? Brutal. That was Adlai Stevenson’s fate against General Dwight “I Like Ike” Eisenhower.
In 1952, Ike’s war hero status and promise to end the Korean War got him 442 electoral votes to Stevenson’s 89. In 1956, with the economy strong and civil rights advancing, Stevenson somehow did worse: 457–73.
5. Lyndon B. Johnson vs. Barry Goldwater (1964)
LBJ took over after JFK’s assassination and pushed through the Civil Rights Act — a move that split his own party but defined his presidency. Republican Barry Goldwater opposed the Act and built his platform on hardline conservatism.
Johnson’s campaign painted Goldwater as a nuclear-happy extremist, most famously with the “Daisy” ad. The result? 486–52 in the Electoral College, 61% to 39% in the popular vote. Lyndon B. Johnson’s crushing victory over Barry Goldwater in 1964 stands as one of the most famous election landslides in modern political memory, redefining both parties for decades.
4. Abraham Lincoln vs. George McClellan (1864)
In the middle of the Civil War, Lincoln faced former Union general George McClellan — a man he’d fired. McClellan wanted to keep fighting; his running mate wanted peace. Mixed messages don’t win elections.
A string of Union battlefield victories helped Lincoln secure 212 electoral votes to McClellan’s 21, 55% to 45% in the popular vote. Lincoln didn’t live to see the war’s end, assassinated in April 1865.
3. Richard Nixon vs. George McGovern (1972)
Nixon was riding high on foreign policy wins and a promise to end the Vietnam War. The Democrats, after a chaotic primary season, nominated George McGovern — whose campaign promptly imploded when his VP pick was revealed to have mental health issues.
Nixon won in a wipeout: 520–17 in the Electoral College, 61% to 38%. Less than two years later, Watergate blew it all up.
2. Ronald Reagan vs. Walter Mondale (1984)
The economy was strong, the Cold War was thawing, and Reagan was the “Great Communicator.” Walter Mondale’s campaign never recovered from admitting in his acceptance speech that he’d raise taxes.
Reagan won every state except Minnesota (Mondale’s home) and D.C., for a 525–13 Electoral College split — still the biggest in history.
1. Franklin D. Roosevelt vs. Alf Landon (1936)
The Great Depression was still raging, but FDR’s New Deal was popular. Republican Alf Landon barely campaigned, and when he did, he attacked Social Security — not exactly a winning move.
Roosevelt won 523–8 in the Electoral College, 61% to 37% in the popular vote. Landon carried only Maine and Vermont, setting the record for the fewest states ever won by a major-party nominee.
From Abraham Lincoln’s wartime re-election to Ronald Reagan’s 1984 dominance and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unmatched 1936 victory, these election landslides are not only political milestones but also reflections of the social, economic, and cultural moments that shaped them.
