United States presidential election, 1956

The 43 Election of the President of the United States took place in 1956. The incumbent President Dwight D. Eisenhower won superior against challenger Adlai Stevenson II

Candidates

As incumbent Eisenhower was nominated without problems by the Republicans. His Vice President was Richard Nixon, although it was not undisputed party internally. Stevenson, who had already lost to Eisenhower in 1952, this time had to actively seek the Democratic nomination ( In 1952 he had been taken by the party in the obligation) and could arise only after some setbacks prevail against Senator Estes Kefauver. He appointed his running mate is not himself, but let him choose by the party conference. This Kefauver won just ahead of Senator John F. Kennedy, but the unexpectedly strong showing was regarded as a real surprise of the party congress.

Result

Eisenhower won the election with 35,579,180 votes ( 57.4 %), far ahead of Stevenson's 26,028,028 ( 42.0 %). In the electoral college, it looked even more clearly, Eisenhower had 457, Stevenson only 73 266 votes were necessary for election as President.