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U.S. Presidents had immediately before assuming office. Here is my list and at the end I compile the results.
Offices held by Popular and/or Electoral Vote Winners for the U.S. Presidency back to 1860 U.S. Presidential Election: 2000-Disputed Election Popular vote winner/winner of most votes in Florida-- Al Gore, Jr. -Vice President Awarded Florida votes and the Electoral College Votes by 5-4 of Supreme Court--George W. Bush-Governor of Texas 1992-1996 Bill Clinton-Governor of Arkansas 1988 George H.W. Bush-Vice President 1980-1984 Ronald Reagan-Governor of California 1976 James Carter-Governor of Georgia (1974) (Gerald Ford named Vice President) 1968-1972 Richard Nixon-Vice President 1964 Lyndon Johnson-Vice President 1960 John F. Kennedy-Senator from Massachusetts 1952-1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower-WWII General and President of Columbia University 1948 Harry Truman-Vice President 1932-1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt-Governor of New York 1928 Herbert Hoover-Secretary of Commerce, administrator under Wilson/Harding, engineer 1924 Calvin Coolidge--Vice President 1920 Warren G. Harding-Senator from Ohio 1912-1916 Woodrow Wilson-Governor of New Jersey 1908 William Howard Taft-Governor of Philippines and former federal judge 1904 Theodore Roosevelt-Vice President 1896-1900 William McKinley-Governor of Ohio 1884,1892 Grover Cleveland-Governor of New York 1888 Benjamin Harrison-Senator from Indiana and Civil War general (Lost popular vote; won electoral college over Cleveland) (1881) (Chester A. Arthur-after death of James Garfield) 1880 James Garfield-Congressman from Ohio and Civil War general 1876-Disputed Election Republican Hayes awarded electoral victory over popular vote winner Samuel J. Tilden by special commission which awarded votes of 3 Southern states to Hayes; Democrats in South used widespread suppression of African-American voters; the winner in the 3 Southern states cannot be known. Rutherford B. Hayes-Governor of Ohio Samuel J. Tilden-Governor of New York In either case, the actual winner was a governor. 1868-1872 Ulysses S. Grant-Civil War general (1865) (Andrew Johnson became president upon Lincoln's death} 1860-1864 Abraham Lincoln-Illinois lawyer, former Congressman ******** Tally of Offices held by U.S. Presidents-Elect since 1860: Governor (counting G.W. Bush): 9 Vice President (counting Al Gore): 7 Generals: 4 (counting Harrison for both Senate and General and Garfield for both General and U.S. Congressman.) U.S. Senator: 3--from 1960, 1920, 1888 (counting Harrison for both Senate and General) U.S. Congressman: 1-in 1880-(but Garfield was also a former general) Cabinet : 1 (Hoover) Other: 1 (Lincoln) You may choose to count them differently of course, but the top three jobs held by Electoral/Popular vote winners for the presidency are: Governor, Vice President, and General. Only two came from the U.S. Senate who were not generals. No one came from the House who was not also a general. Since 1860, the odds are against someone who comes from the U.S. Senate or U.S. House to directly run for and win the presidency. Now I know why Senator Kay Bailey Hutchins-Repuke from Texas-wants to leave the U.S. Senate and run for governor of Texas: she has presidential ambitions. Doesn't she know that the Bush Dynasty has other plans?
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