3. John B. Anderson
Election: 1980
Party: Independent
Votes / Percentage: 5,719,850 / 6.61
Electoral votes / Total: 0 / 538
Running mate: Patrick Lucey
With Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Robert Dole, and several other prominent politicians all seeking the presidential nomination, 1980 Republican primaries were a crowded and highly competitive affair. Despite having some success during the campaign, it became clear to John Anderson that he’s very far from receiving the Republican nomination. So, he decided to run as an independent and seek his chance in the fact that both major party candidates weren’t very popular even in their own parties, less so in the general public. Unfortunately for Anderson, Reagan had a very successful campaign and mopped the floor with both him and Carter. Anderson finished with less than 7% of the popular vote and zero electoral votes. And now, let’s see the top two entries in our list of most successful third party presidential candidates in history.
