They Ran for President Trivia Quiz

Answer: Howard Dean

The former Governor of Vermont announced he would seek the Democratic nomination in May of 2002, more than six months before anyone else. Though he was the early leader, a third place finish in the Iowa Caucuses followed by the infamous "I have a scream" speech started Dean's downfall. Dean ended the campaign for his party's nomination on February 18, 2004.

Answer: Pat Buchanan

Buchanan, a Reform Party candidate in 2000, briefly left the campaign trail after being admitted to Washington Hospital Center to have his gall bladder removed. Buchanan knew he had gallstones, but was hoping to wait until after the November election to have them removed.

After repeated episodes of stomach pain, Buchanan went into the hospital in August where doctors decided to remove the entire gall bladder.

Answer: 13

Mondale and his running mate Geraldine Ferraro took the 10 electoral votes from Mondale's home state of Minnesota, plus 3 electoral votes from the District of Colombia. All 525 other electoral votes from the other 49 states went to the Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, giving them another term as President and Vice President respectively.

Answer: John Anderson

Anderson was trounced in the Republican primaries by the eventual President-elect Ronald Reagan. Not ready to give up on his centrist message, Anderson looked to the National Unity Party to continue his quest for the nations highest office. Though his attempt to become President is generally looked at as a failure, many of his moderate ideas and campaign strategies would become common place in years to come.

Answer: Ronald Reagan

After serving two terms as Governor of California, Reagan made his second attempt to gain the Republican Presidential nomination in 1976, eventually being defeated by incumbent Gerald Ford. This was one of nine times before the end of the 20th century that an elector placed a vote for someone other than the winner of that states popular vote.

Answer: Dick Gregory

Gregory first started performing comedy in the 1950s while in the U.S. Army. After his discharge in 1956, Gregory moved to Chicago to perform comedy professionally and soon became part of a new generation of black comedians along with Nipsey Russell and Bill Cosby. Always holding a strong sense of social justice, Dick first displayed that sense by running against Richard J. Daley in the 1966 Chicago mayoral election.

He continued as a write in candidate for the Freedom and Peace Party in the 1968 Presidential election, gaining 1.5 million votes.

Answer: Illinois and Texas

The 1960 election essentially came down to the total of 51 electoral votes from Texas and Illinois. Though charges of voter fraud and ballot tampering ran rampant, Nixon refused to challenge the outcome.

Answer: Adlai Stevenson

Despite that exclamation, Stevenson ran again in 1956, again losing to Dwight Eisenhower.

Answer: Wendell Wilkie

Wilkie, a former Democrat that switched to Republican in 1939, ran against FDR in the 1940 election. Originally pointing to the government's lack of military preparedness under Roosevelt, Wilkie changed gear and accused Roosevelt of warmongering after the President expanded military contracts.

Answer: Millard Fillmore

The 13th President of the United States, Fillmore was a member of the Whig Party which was the party of four out of five Presidents between 1841 and 1853. Beginning with Franklin Pierce, every President between 1853 and the beginning of the 21st Century was either a Republican or a Democrat.