Which American has won the most votes in history?

[Lief 🗽]

Looking at every single election they ever ran in. I'm pretty sure it's Nixon right?

1946 (Congressional): 65,586
1948 (Congressional): 141,509
1950 (Senate): 2,183,454
(1952 (Vice President): 34,075,529) Not sure if VP votes should count?
(1956 (Vice President): 35,579,180)
1960 (President): 34,108,157 (+4,975,938 in the primaries)
1962 (Governor): 2,740,351
1968 (President): 31,783,783 (+1,679,443 in the primaries)
1972 (President): 47,168,710 (+5,378,704 in the primaries)

Total: 130,225,635 (or 199,880,344 if we count VP votes)

I suppose I should also add votes won in the Republican primaries for House, Senate and Governor. Probably wouldn't change things by more than a few hundred thousand though.

Second place would be Barack Obama I think:

2004 (Senate): 3,597,456 (+655,923 in the primary)
2008 (President): 69,498,516 (+17,584,692 in the primaries)
2012 (President): 65,915,796 (+6,158,064 in the primaries)

Total: 163,410,447 (+ a few hundred thousand from Illinois state senate elections)

So Obama is first if you don't count VP votes for Nixon, second if you do.

The only other candidate I can think of that might be in contention is Reagan.

1966 (Governor): 3,742,913 (+1,417,623 in the primary)
1968 (President): 1,696,632 in the primaries
1970 (Governor): 3,439,174 (No primary?)
1976 (President): 4,760,222 in the primaries
1980 (President): 43,903,230 (+7,709,793 in the primaries)
1984 (President): 54,455,472 (+6,484,987 in the primaries)

Total: 111,996,643

Doesn't really come close. I wonder who won the most votes without ever becoming president? Mondale must be the answer if you count VP votes. But otherwise, I'm not sure.

[Lief 🗽]

Yeah, FDR just edges out Reagan it looks like. I underestimated just how many votes you could get winning four landslides in the 30s and 40s.

And if you do count VP votes, then it looks like George H.W. Bush actually comes in second, beating Obama.

1964 (Senate): 1,134,337 (+62,985 in primary and +49,751 in runoff)
1966 (House): 53,756
1968 (House): 110,455
1970 (Senate): 1,035,794 (+96,806 in the primary)
1980 (Vice President): 43,903,230 (+3,070,033 in the primaries)
1984 (Vice President): 54,455,472
1988 (President): 48,886,097 (+8,253,512 in the primaries)
1992 (President): 39,104,550 (+9,199,463 in the primaries)

Total: 191,962,546 (but only 93 million if you don't count VP votes)

[Lief 🗽]

Oh yeah, I didn't think of Jerry Brown. He's probably the highest to never be pres or VP>