The worst showing by an incumbent candidate in an election was when this man came in third with just 8 electoral votes

On the October 16, 2025, episode of Jeopardy!, the Final Jeopardy category was “U.S. Presidential Elections.” The clue read:

“The worst showing by an incumbent candidate in an election was when this man came in third with just 8 electoral votes.”

Who is William Howard Taft?

This clue drew from one of the most significant and unusual presidential elections in American history—the 1912 contest that saw an incumbent president not only lose re-election but finish third behind both his challenger and a former president from his own party.

The 1912 Election: A Unique Three-Way Race

The 1912 presidential election was unlike any other before or since. It featured a sitting president, William Howard Taft (Republican), being challenged not only by the Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson but also by former Republican president Theodore Roosevelt, who ran as a third-party candidate under the Progressive “Bull Moose” banner. The division in the Republican Party played a pivotal role in the outcome.

Taft had alienated many progressive Republicans during his term, particularly Roosevelt, who had initially supported him as his successor in 1908. By 1912, their political split was irreparable. Roosevelt’s decision to form a third party effectively split the Republican vote, handing a decisive advantage to Wilson.

William Howard Taft’s Historic Defeat

When the results came in, Taft had managed to win just 8 electoral votes—from Utah and Vermont—marking the lowest electoral performance by an incumbent president in U.S. history. He garnered just 23% of the popular vote, finishing behind both Wilson and Roosevelt.

This remains the only instance in which a sitting U.S. president came in third in both the popular and electoral vote count. Roosevelt, running as a third-party candidate, won 88 electoral votes and a greater share of the popular vote than the incumbent, which is itself an extremely rare feat. Wilson, the Democrat, won the presidency with a commanding 435 electoral votes.

Consequences and Legacy of the 1912 Election

The 1912 election effectively reshaped the political landscape. Taft’s crushing defeat highlighted the dangers of a divided party and underscored the appeal of progressive reform during the early 20th century. Despite his loss, Taft went on to have a distinguished career after the presidency, eventually serving as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, the only person to hold both offices.

The election also marked the peak of third-party success in American presidential politics. Roosevelt’s second-place finish with a third-party platform remains the strongest such showing in history, illustrating just how much of the Republican base he was able to carry with him when he broke away from Taft.

Why This Clue Stood Out

This Final Jeopardy clue tested players on an often-overlooked aspect of presidential election history. While most remember the winners and the landslides, fewer recall that an incumbent president once fell to third place. William Howard Taft’s 1912 loss is a critical example of how internal party divisions and shifting public sentiments can dramatically impact electoral outcomes.

The clue not only pointed to a factual historical low point for any incumbent president but also connected to broader themes of political fragmentation and realignment—issues still relevant in modern political discussions. It served as a reminder of how volatile the electorate can become under the right (or wrong) conditions.

Conclusion

William Howard Taft’s third-place finish in the 1912 presidential election remains one of the most dramatic defeats for an incumbent in American history. Receiving just eight electoral votes, he set a record that has never been equaled by a sitting president. The outcome of that election would influence American politics for years, cementing 1912 as one of the most pivotal elections in U.S. history—and making it a fitting and challenging topic for Final Jeopardy