United States presidential election, 1880

The United States presidential election of 1880 was a contest between Republican Beaumont Muller, Democrat Jonathan Jackson, Ohio Democrat Hudson Fieldings, National Democrat Richard Walker, Liberal Republican Malcolm Barton, and Greenback Lewis Jones, in which the Republican Muller prevailed. It was the 24th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 2, 1880. In the end, Muller only won 29% of the popular vote. In the electoral college, however, his victory was decisive; he won a majority of 230 electoral votes to 102 for Jackson, 22 for Fieldings, who ran only to win his home state of Ohio, which he did successfully, and 16 for Walker. This is considered a re-aligning election, as it began an era of chaos that would last for decades to come.

Conventions
The Republicans after President Hayes declined to run for a second term had an open field. Mayor of New York City Henry DeCarlo, state Attorney General William T. Elliot, Vermont Senator Malcolm Barton, and New York Governor James Hayes would run, but the race was a battle between establishment Minnesota Governor Jefferson Blaine and nativist businessman Beaumont Muller. The race remained deadlocked for ballot after ballot, with Blaine gaining the support of his rivals. Blaine attempted to shore up support by naming DeCarlo as his running mate, but the move alienated moderates and conservatives. Muller would end up winning, and picked Elliot as his running mate.

The Democrats would nominate West Virginia Senator Jonathan Jackson, who would win an easy victory over Colorado Governor Nathan Harley, Connecticut Senator Richard Walker, and Ohio Governor Hudson Fieldings. Jackson would pick former congressman William English of Indiana as his running mate.

Four third party candidates would run. The Liberal Republicans nominated Senator Barton, the National Democrats would nominate Senator Walker, and the Greenbacks would nominate Congressman Lewis Jones. Governor Fieldings would run as a favorite son in the state of Ohio.

General Election
Muller would have a narrow lead over Jackson, but most believed that the third party vote would consolidate around Jackson. The loyalness of third party voters meant that Muller would win, albeit with the smallest percentage of the popular vote in American history.