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Senators Who Ran For President

Name the senators and former senators who have run for president since 1968 and who received more than 3% of the primary or general election vote.
Parties: Democratic, Republican
Does not include Mitt Romney who ran for President before becoming Senator
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: March 18, 2020
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First submittedMarch 2, 2016
Times taken14,976
Average score41.4%
Rating4.22
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Year
State
Senator
2020
Delaware
Joe Biden
2020
Vermont
Bernie Sanders
2016
New York
Hillary Clinton
2016
Vermont
Bernie Sanders
2016
Texas
Ted Cruz
2016
Florida
Marco Rubio
2012
Illinois
Barack Obama
2012
Pennsylvania
Rick Santorum
2008
Illinois
Barack Obama
2008
Arizona
John McCain
2008
New York
Hillary Clinton
2004
Massachusetts
John Kerry
2004
North Carolina
John Edwards
2000
Tennessee
Al Gore
2000
New Jersey
Bill Bradley
2000
Arizona
John McCain
1996
Kansas
Bob Dole
1992
Massachusetts
Paul Tsongas
1988
Kansas
Bob Dole
Year
State
Senator
1988
Tennessee
Al Gore
1988
Illinois
Paul Simon
1984
Minnesota
Walter Mondale
1984
Colorado
Gary Hart
1980
Massachusetts
Ted Kennedy
1976
Idaho
Frank Church
1976
Washington
Henry M. Jackson
1972
California
Richard Nixon
1972
South Dakota
George McGovern
1972
Maine
Edmund Muskie
1972
Washington
Henry M. Jackson
1968
California
Richard Nixon
1968
Minnesota
Hubert Humphrey
1968
Minnesota
Eugene McCarthy
1968
New York
Robert Kennedy
1968
Ohio
Steven M. Young
1968
Texas
Lyndon B. Johnson
1968
Florida
George Smathers
+1
Level ∞
Mar 2, 2016
Surprisingly, our other quiz, Governors Who Ran For President, may not have to be updated. (Although Kasich still has a chance to sneak in).
+1
Level 92
Mar 2, 2016
Also Lyndon Johnson decided not to run for re-election as President in 1968 due to the Vietnam War,
+5
Level ∞
Mar 2, 2016
Not before he had already won New Hampshire and garnered 5% of the primary votes.
+1
Level 72
Mar 3, 2016
You forgot Joe Biden.
+1
Level ∞
Mar 3, 2016
He didn't even win a single delegate!
+1
Level 72
Mar 5, 2016
Sure, but Santorum is in this list. It doesn't say "ran, and did well."
+1
Level 44
Jan 22, 2017
But Santorum won something at least
+6
Level ∞
Mar 18, 2020
Biden did much better this time around.
+1
Level 51
Apr 26, 2021
Truly
+1
Level 51
Apr 26, 2021
He won the general election in what's a way above average popular vote % and margin.
+1
Level 59
Aug 30, 2022
bro is the president now
+10
Level 89
Mar 3, 2016
I wonder if Paul Simon's running mate would be Art Garfunkel. (I know it's not the same guy, but still.)
+1
Level 54
Mar 5, 2016
Lol
+1
Level 71
Aug 29, 2022
No, Paul Simon would probably accept him as his running mate then kick him out of office once they got elected... then have a highly publicized re-inauguration of him a year later... then kick him out a month later... then reinstate him again...
+1
Level 75
Mar 4, 2016
Arlen Specter?
+1
Level 11
Mar 5, 2016
you should add jfk. he ran for president as senator
+6
Level 60
Aug 24, 2016
Since 1968
+2
Level 52
Mar 7, 2016
Feel the Bern!!!
+1
Level 89
Jul 29, 2018
He did.
+2
Level 29
Nov 10, 2016
Bernie Sanders is not Democrat, I think he's Independent (he caucuses with the democrats).
+7
Level 43
Nov 23, 2017
True but he ran in the Democratic primary so the quiz is accurate.
+1
Level 43
Jan 5, 2017
what about Elizabeth dole
+1
Level 44
Jan 22, 2017
Forgot John Kerry. For some reason, he's the guy I forget on every quiz
+2
Level 66
Apr 14, 2020
Being forgettable had everything to do with why Kerry lost.
+1
Level 87
Mar 13, 2017
Headers STILL say "Governor" instead of "Senator"
+2
Level 71
Jul 23, 2018
I find it interesting that the majority of these people are Democrats. Is there a good reason for this or is it just a coincidence?
+1
Level 89
Jul 29, 2018
There's never a good reason to run for President.
+8
Level ∞
Mar 18, 2020
Traditionally the Republicans were more of a party machine where one candidate was anointed by the party leaders earlier in the process, meaning there were fewer candidates overall. That all changed in 2016 obviously.
+1
Level 93
Apr 4, 2021
Also, I think Republicans run more Governors and Representatives.
+1
Level ∞
Mar 18, 2020
Note: Elizabeth Warren garnered 72 delegates in 2020 which is only 1.8% of the total.
+6
Level 47
Mar 19, 2020
But the inclusion criteria says 3% of the vote, not 3% of convention delegates. Warren currently has 10.1% of the vote
+1
Level 85
Mar 18, 2020
Instructions are ambiguous as to whether a current senator who formerly ran for president (e.g. Romney) qualifies.
+1
Level ∞
Mar 18, 2020
Added a caveat
+1
Level 82
Apr 13, 2020
if that's the rule it ought to be a more general caveat and not specifically about Romney
+1
Level 82
Apr 13, 2020
What about Strom Thurmond?
+1
Level 62
Apr 13, 2020
Most Obvious omission is Barry Goldwater
+8
Level 78
Apr 13, 2020
Along with everyone else before 1968.
+1
Level 70
Apr 13, 2020
Great quiz!
+1
Level 29
Jun 4, 2020
I know it wouldn't be people's first picks, but could you accept "Bernard Sanders" for Sanders, I'm not sure if Joseph is accepted for Biden though...
+1
Level 75
Nov 1, 2020
Didn't Booker get 3% of the vote?
+1
Level 59
Nov 10, 2020
no
+1
Level 36
Dec 30, 2020
Elizabeth Warren got 7% of 2020 Democratic primary vote
+1
Level ∞
Dec 30, 2020
Looks like you are right. She must have got some more votes in garbage time. Unfortunately, we've already updated the quiz for this election cycle so the update will have to wait until 2024.
+2
Level 82
Aug 27, 2022
Not sure the "garbage time" sports analogy works here... it's not like Biden and Sanders quit running late in the season and Warren's only competition then was Tulsi Gabbard. It's sort of the opposite: as election season drags on, less viable candidates drop out leaving more votes for those who remain. And Warren was the strongest of the whole field from the beginning, but Bernie has his die-hard supporters, and then everyone else was afraid that only Biden was mainstream enough to win the general election.
+1
Level 40
Aug 28, 2022
A Democrat from Idaho?! I had no idea such a specimen existed!
+1
Level 81
Sep 2, 2022
It did 50 years ago. But not anymore. Frank Church was notable for his criticisms of the NSA, which I think most people can agree with.
+1
Level 56
Aug 29, 2022
Robert F. Kennedy was a Senator from New York in 1968.
+1
Level 83
Aug 30, 2022
The answer stats say that Bradley in 2000 was from New York, not New Jersey. The quiz hint is accurate