List of presidents who did not win reelection

Term in office President Country Lost election Winning successor Notes 1797–1801 John Adams  United States 1800 United States presidential election Thomas Jefferson Adams placed third behind Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr. Jefferson narrowly won a contingent election in the U.S. House of Representatives. 1825–1829 John Quincy Adams  United States 1828 United States presidential election Andrew Jackson Jackson previously won a plurality of the popular vote against Adams in the 1824 presidential election but lost a contingent election. 1837–1841 Martin Van Buren  United States 1840 United States presidential election William Henry Harrison Van Buren also ran in the 1848 presidential election with the Free Soil Party. 1871–1873 Miguel García Granados  Guatemala 1873 Guatemalan general election Justo Rufino Barrios García Granados was serving as acting president of Guatemala, however, he was defeated by Justo Rufino Barrios. 1885–1889 Grover Cleveland  United States 1888 United States presidential election Benjamin Harrison Cleveland lost the 1888 presidential election, but won the 1892 United States presidential election. 1889–1893 Benjamin Harrison  United States 1892 United States presidential election Grover Cleveland 1909–1913 William Howard Taft  United States 1912 United States presidential election Woodrow Wilson Taft also ran against former President Theodore Roosevelt for the Republican nomination. After Taft won Roosevelt launched his own presidential campaign under the Progressive Party. Taft came in third behind both Wilson and Roosevelt. 1929–1933 Herbert Hoover  United States 1932 United States presidential election Franklin D. Roosevelt 1931–1937 Pehr Evind Svinhufvud  Finland 1937 Finnish presidential election Kyösti Kallio 1948–1953 Elpidio Quirino  Philippines 1953 Philippine presidential election Ramon Magsaysay Then-Vice President Quirino succeeded Manuel Roxas after the latter died in 1948. Quirino became president on his own right after winning the 1949 presidential election. 1948–1955 Luigi Einaudi  Italy 1955 Italian presidential election Giovanni Gronchi 1955–1962 Giovanni Gronchi  Italy 1962 Italian presidential election Antonio Segni 1957–1961 Carlos P. Garcia  Philippines 1961 Philippine presidential election Diosdado Macapagal Then-Vice President Garcia succeeded Ramon Magsaysay after the latter died in 1957. Garcia became president on his own right after winning the 1957 presidential election. 1960–1967 Aden Abdullah Osman Daar  Somalia 1967 Somali presidential election Abdirashid Shermarke 1961–1965 Diosdado Macapagal  Philippines 1965 Philippine presidential election Ferdinand Marcos 1964–1971 Giuseppe Saragat  Italy 1971 Italian presidential election Giovanni Leone 1977–1981 Jimmy Carter  United States 1980 United States presidential election Ronald Reagan Carter was the first elected president to be refused a second term since 1932.^[1] 1974–1981 Valéry Giscard d’Estaing  France 1981 French presidential election François Mitterrand 1981–1986 Ferdinand Marcos  Philippines 1986 Philippine presidential election Corazon Aquino The final results of the election led to the belief that the polls were tampered and considered an electoral fraud. These events eventually lead to the People Power Revolution. 1977–1988 Spyros Kyprianou  Cyprus 1988 Cypriot presidential election George Vassiliou Then President of the House of Representatives succeeded Archbishop Makarios III after his death in 1977. Kyprianou became president on his own right after winning the 1977 presidential by-election unopposed. He lost re-election in the first round of voting in the 1988 Cypriot presidential election, placing third.^[2] 1985–1990 Daniel Ortega  Nicaragua 1990 Nicaraguan general election Violeta Chamorro Ortega later returned to power in the 2006 elections. 1972–1991 Mathieu Kérékou  Benin 1991 Beninese presidential election Nicéphore Soglo 1980–1991 Aristides Pereira  Cape Verde 1991 Cape Verdean presidential election António Mascarenhas Monteiro 1964–1991 Kenneth Kaunda  Zambia 1991 Zambian general election Frederick Chiluba 1977–1992 Denis Sassou-Nguesso  Congo 1992 Republic of the Congo presidential election Pascal Lissouba 1989–1993 George H. W. Bush  United States 1992 United States presidential election Bill Clinton Some speculated that Ross Perot, the unsuccessful third candidate in the presidential race, cost Bush the election.^[3] 1989–1992 Václav Havel  Czechoslovakia 1992 Czechoslovak presidential election none due to the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia Havel later elected President of the Czech Republic.^[4][5] 1975–1993 Didier Ratsiraka  Madagascar 1992-93 Malagasy presidential election Albert Zafy Ratsiraka returned to power in 1996.^[6] 1988–1993 George Vassiliou  Cyprus 1993 Cypriot presidential election Glafcos Clerides 1981–1993 André Kolingba  Central African Republic 1993 Central African general election Ange-Félix Patassé 1966–1994 Hastings Banda  Malawi 1994 Malawian general election Bakili Muluzi 1991–1994 Leonid Kravchuk  Ukraine 1994 Ukrainian presidential election Leonid Kuchma 1990–1995 Lech Wałęsa  Poland 1995 Polish presidential election Aleksander Kwaśniewski Walesa also lost 2000 election.^[7] 1989–1996 Ion Iliescu  Romania 1996 Romanian general election Emil Constantinescu Iliescu returned to power in the 2000 election. Constantinescu did not run for reelection. 1991–1996 Nicéphore Soglo  Benin 1996 Beninese presidential election Mathieu Kérékou 1993–1996 Albert Zafy  Madagascar 1996 Malagasy presidential election Didier Ratsiraka 1990–1997 Mircea Snegur  Moldova 1996 Moldovan presidential election Petru Lucinschi 1990–1997 Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat  Mongolia 1997 Mongolian presidential election Natsagiin Bagabandi 1981–2000 Abdou Diouf  Senegal 2000 Senegalese presidential election Abdoulaye Wade 1996–2001 Didier Ratsiraka  Madagascar 2001 Malagasy presidential election Marc Ravalomanana 1996–2001 Petar Stoyanov  Bulgaria 2001 Bulgarian presidential election Georgi Parvanov 1996–2001 Lyudvig Chibirov  South Ossetia 2001 South Ossetian presidential election Eduard Kokoity The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states. 1998–2003 Valdas Adamkus  Lithuania 2002–2003 Lithuanian presidential election Rolandas Paksas Returned to the office in 2004. 1993–2003 Glafcos Clerides  Cyprus 2003 Cypriot presidential election Tassos Papadopoulos Lost reelection in the first round of voting. 2000–2004 Hipólito Mejía  Dominican Republic 2004 Dominican Republic presidential election Leonel Fernández 1999–2004 Rudolf Schuster  Slovakia 2004 Slovak presidential election Ivan Gašparovič ^[8] 2001–2006 Arnold Rüütel  Estonia 2006 Estonian presidential election Toomas Hendrik Ilves 2003–2008 Tassos Papadopoulos  Cyprus 2008 Cypriot presidential election Demetris Christofias Lost reelection in the first round of voting where he placed third. 2005–2009 Nambaryn Enkhbayar  Mongolia 2009 Mongolian presidential election Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj 2002–2010 Dahir Riyale Kahin  Somaliland 2010 Somaliland presidential election Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo The President of Somaliland is not diplomatically recognized as an independent head of state by the international community. 2005–2010 Viktor Yushchenko  Ukraine 2010 Ukrainian presidential election Viktor Yanukovich ^[9] 2000–2011 Laurent Gbagbo  Ivory Coast 2010 Ivorian presidential election Alassane Ouattara Gbagbo declared President by Constitutional Council despite recognition of Outtara by the international community, leading to the Second Ivorian Civil War 1991–2011 Igor Smirnov  Transnistria 2011 Transnistrian presidential election Yevgeny Shevchuk The President of Transnistria is not recognized as an independent head of state by the international community. 2007–2011 Valdis Zatlers  Latvia 2011 Latvian presidential election Andris Bērziņš 2007–2012 José Ramos-Horta  East Timor 2012 East Timorese presidential election Taur Matan Ruak Won the 2022 East Timorese presidential election 2008–2011 Rupiah Banda  Zambia 2011 Zambian general election Michael Sata 2007–2012 Nicolas Sarkozy  France 2012 French presidential election François Hollande Also ran in 2017 but lost The Republicans primary. 2000–2012 Abdoulaye Wade  Senegal 2012 Senegalese presidential election Macky Sall 2004–2012 Boris Tadić  Serbia 2012 Serbian presidential election Tomislav Nikolić 2005–2015 Mahinda Rajapaksa  Sri Lanka 2015 Sri Lankan presidential election Maithripala Sirisena Failed after running for an unprecedented third term after a constitutional amendment. Returned as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 2019 after his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected president. 2007–2012 Danilo Türk  Slovenia 2012 Slovenian presidential election Borut Pahor ^[10] 2012–2014 Joyce Banda  Malawi 2014 Malawian general election Peter Mutharika 2010–2015 Ivo Josipović  Croatia 2014–2015 Croatian presidential election Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović ^[11] 2010–2015 Goodluck Jonathan  Nigeria 2015 Nigerian presidential election Muhammadu Buhari 2010–2015 Bronisław Komorowski  Poland 2015 Polish presidential election Andrzej Duda ^[12] 1994–2017 Yahya Jammeh  The Gambia 2016 Gambian presidential election Adama Barrow Jammeh initially refused to step down, causing the 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis and the ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia. 2012–2017 John Mahama  Ghana 2016 Ghanaian general election Nana Akufo-Addo 2011–2016 Manuel Pinto da Costa  São Tomé and Príncipe 2016 São Toméan presidential election Evaristo Carvalho 2011–2016 Yevgeny Shevchuk  Transnistria 2016 Transnistrian presidential election Vadim Krasnoselsky The President of Transnistria is not recognized as an independent head of state by the international community. 2012–2017 Hassan Sheikh Mohamud  Somalia 2017 Somali presidential election Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Won the 2022 Somali presidential election. 2012–2017 Leonid Tibilov  South Ossetia 2017 South Ossetian presidential election Anatoly Bibilov The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states.^[13] 2008–2018 Najib Razak  Malaysia 2018 Malaysian general election Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir returned to power in 2018 until 2020. 2014–2018 Hery Rajaonarimampianina  Madagascar 2018 Malagasy presidential election Andry Rajoelina 2014–2019 Petro Poroshenko  Ukraine 2019 Ukrainian presidential election Volodymyr Zelenskyy ^[14] 2015–2019 Mauricio Macri  Argentina 2019 Argentine presidential election Alberto Fernández 2014–2020 José Mário Vaz  Guinea-Bissau 2019 Guinea-Bissau presidential election Umaro Sissoco Embaló 2015–2020 Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović  Croatia 2019–2020 Croatian presidential election Zoran Milanović ^[15] 2014–2020 Peter Mutharika  Malawi 2020 Malawian presidential election Lazarus Chakwera 2017–2021 Donald Trump  United States 2020 United States presidential election Joe Biden Trump refused to concede, alleging fraud and filing and ultimately losing post-election lawsuits before 86 judges.^[16][17] The counting of the Electoral College votes by Congress on January 6, 2021, was briefly stopped when rioters stormed the Capitol building.^[18] Joe Biden’s victory was confirmed when Congress reconvened hours later.^[19] 2016–2020 Igor Dodon  Moldova 2020 Moldovan presidential election Maia Sandu Dodon alleged multiple voting irregularities including the prevention of Transnistrians from voting and interference from foreign leaders but congratulated Sandu as a precaution. Sandu became the first female president of the country.^[20][21] 2015–2021 Edgar Lungu  Zambia 2021 Zambian general election Hakainde Hichilema 2017–2022 Francisco Guterres  East Timor 2022 East Timorese presidential election José Ramos-Horta 2017–2022 Anatoly Bibilov  South Ossetia 2022 South Ossetian presidential election Alan Gagloev The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states. 2017–2022 Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed  Somalia 2022 Somali presidential election Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ^[22] 2019–2022 Jair Bolsonaro  Brazil 2022 Brazilian general election Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 2018–2022 Barham Salih  Iraq 2022 Iraqi presidential election Abdul Latif Rashid