Kamala harris joins rare list of vice presidents losing presidential bids to certify their victor's election

Kamala Harris joins rare list of vice presidents losing presidential bids to certify their victor’s election

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1 min read
January 6, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Vice President Kamala Harris will certify her own presidential election defeat and declare Donald J. Trump as the official winner of the 2024 election. It’s the fourth time in history a sitting vice president had to certify their own defeat.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who sought to ascend to the presidency in the 2024 election, has joined a historically small group of vice presidents who were unable to secure victory in their White House bids.

“Today, I will perform my constitutional duty as Vice President to certify the results of the 2024 election. This duty is a sacred obligation — one I will uphold guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and unwavering faith in the American people,” she said today.

https:// /VP/status/1876260143509192977

Harris’ loss marks the fourth time in recent decades that an incumbent vice president failed to win the presidency, following Vice Presidents Richard Nixon in 1960, Hubert Humphrey in 1968, and Al Gore in 2000. Her defeat continues a complex history of vice presidents navigating the path from the second-highest office to the nation’s top job.

In contrast, four sitting vice presidents have successfully achieved this feat, beginning with John Adams in 1796, followed by Thomas Jefferson in 1800, Martin Van Buren in 1836, and most recently, George H.W. Bush in 1988. Additionally, two former vice presidents—Richard Nixon in 1968 and Joe Biden in 2020—managed to return to the political arena to win the presidency after their vice-presidential terms had ended.

The vice presidency has long served as a launchpad for political ambition, with a total of 15 vice presidents ascending to the presidency either by election or succession. However, as Harris’ loss demonstrates, the position is no guarantee of a successful bid for the Oval Office.

Harris’ defeat underscores the unique challenges vice presidents face when campaigning to succeed their administrations.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

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