When American presidents leave office, most settle into private life, but a few have made notable attempts to return to the Oval Office.

These efforts have highlighted how difficult it is to reclaim America’s highest office once you leave it. Some former U.S. presidents have run for their former offices and failed, while only one has succeeded.

Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign places him among this select group of political figures.

Grover Cleveland: The only successful comeback

Grover Cleveland remains the only American president to successfully return to the White House after losing re-election. Cleveland, a Democrat from New York, was first elected in 1884 but lost to Benjamin Harrison in 1888, although he won the popular vote.

However, in 1892 he was re-elected and defeated Harrison in a decisive victory, regaining the presidency. His successful return to the highest office remains a unique feat in American history.

Cleveland’s return was driven by dissatisfaction with Harrison’s policies and a lack of viable Democratic successors.

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Cleveland’s second term is remembered for his dedication to fiscal conservatism and his resistance to extravagant government spending, earning him a place in history as the only American president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Ulysses S Grant: a failed bid for a third term

Ulysses S Grant, a Republican, served two full terms from 1869 to 1877. Although he initially declined to run for an unprecedented third term, he reconsidered his decision four years later and sought the Republican nomination in 1880 .

Grant led the field at the GOP convention but could not secure the necessary majority, losing to James A Garfield on the 36th ballot. At the time, there were no official limits on presidential terms: the two-term rule became law in 1951 with the ratification of the 22nd Amendment.

Grant’s attempt to win back the presidency was one of the longest nomination struggles in United States political history. His near success highlighted the fractured nature of the Republican Party at the time, as well as the risks of political blowback.

Other attempts to return to the presidential election

Several other former U.S. presidents have attempted to return to their former offices, but all have failed to replicate Cleveland’s success.

Herbert Hooverwho lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, made behind-the-scenes efforts to regain the Republican nomination in 1936 and an open bid in 1940.

However, Hoover’s candidacies were overshadowed by stronger contenders and he never came close to returning to power. In 1940, Hoover received only 17 votes in the first round of the Republican convention.

Martin Van Buren sought to return to the presidency in 1848, running as the candidate of the anti-slavery Free Soil Party.

His campaign received about 10 percent of the popular vote but failed to win any electoral votes, placing him a distant third in the race.

Millard Fillmorewho succeeded Zachary Taylor after his death, ran as a candidate for the American Party, or “I Know Nothing” Party, in 1856.

He received 21.6 percent of the popular vote, but won only Maryland’s eight electoral votes.

Theodore Roosevelt had perhaps the most dramatic post-presidential campaign. After becoming dissatisfied with his hand-picked successor, William Howard Taft, Roosevelt again sought the Republican nomination in 1912 but lost to Taft.

Undeterred, he formed the Progressive Party, or “Bull Moose,” and ran as a candidate. His third-party bid was the strongest in U.S. history, winning 27.4 percent of the popular vote and 88 electoral votes, placing second behind Woodrow Wilson but ahead of Taft.

Post-presidential political careers

Several former U.S. presidents have also remained active in politics after leaving the White House, although not necessarily by running for president again.

John Quincy Adams had one of the most distinguished post-presidential careers. After losing re-election to Andrew Jackson in 1828, Adams ran for the United States House of Representatives in 1831.

He served in Congress for nearly two decades, where he became a leading abolitionist and argued the Amistad case before the Supreme Court.

John Tyler returned to politics in the Confederate government after his presidency, serving briefly in the Confederate House of Representatives before his death in 1862.

Andrew Johnsonafter surviving his impeachment trial in 1868, ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Senate and the House.

He ultimately succeeded in being elected senator from Tennessee in 1875, only to die five months into his term.

James Madison And James Monroe both were delegates to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830, with Monroe presiding over the gathering until ill health forced him to withdraw.

A balance of power

The path back to the presidency has proven elusive for all but one president. Ronald Reagan, after securing the Republican nomination in 1980, briefly considered choosing former President Gerald Ford as his running mate.

However, Ford was reportedly reluctant to return to the vice presidency and Reagan chose George HW Bush instead. Reagan’s decision highlighted the difficult balance of power that former presidents face when considering returning to political office.

From 2024, Donald Trump’s campaign for his return to the White House places him in this small group of former presidents who are attempting their return. It remains to be seen whether Trump will replicate Grover Cleveland’s success.

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