Electoral history of George Washington

This article is part of a series about George Washington
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George Washington stood for public office five times, serving two terms in the Virginia House of Burgesses, and two terms as President of the United States. George Washington is, to date, the only independent to serve as U.S. president and the only person unanimously elected to that office.

1757 House of Burgesses election

Washington first stood for election to the Virginia House of Burgesses from Frederick County, Virginia in 1757, at the age of 25. Two burgesses were elected from each Virginia county by and among the male landowners. Unlike its successor, the Virginia House of Delegates, the House of Burgesses did not serve fixed terms and remained sitting until dissolved by the governor, or until seven years had passed, whichever occurred sooner.^[1][2]

Elections during this time were not conducted by secret ballot, but rather viva voce. Each elector would approach a table at which was seated the sheriff of the county, a clerk, and a representative of each candidate, and openly declare his vote. In elections to the House of Burgesses, each voter cast two votes and the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes were elected.^[3]

1758 House of Burgesses election

In 1758 Washington again stood for election to the House of Burgesses. Washington's campaign was managed by Colonel James Wood who procured 160 gallons of alcoholic drinks, which were distributed gratis to 391 voters in the county.^[4] Washington won the election with more than 39-percent of the vote. Thomas Bryan Martin, the nephew of the Lord Fairfax of Cameron, governor of Virginia, won Frederick County's other house seat.^[1][4]

1761 House of Burgesses election

Washington successfully stood for re-election to his seat in the House of Burgesses in 1761, campaigning with his neighbor George Mercer. Washington, Mercer, and the third candidate, Adam Stephen, had all fought together during the disastrous Battle of Fort Necessity in the Seven Years' War and, unlike Mercer, Stephen emerged as a critic of Washington with their rivalry continuing through to the American Revolution.^[5][1][3]

Washington and Mercer received the support of "the leaders of all the patrician families" of the county while Stephen attracted "the attention of the plebians".^[1][3]

1788 United States presidential election

Washington is inaugurated as president of the United States in 1789.

The first U.S. presidential election was held over a period of weeks from December 1788 to January 1789. Washington was elected with 69 of the 69 first-round votes cast in the United States Electoral College. With this election, Washington became the only U.S. president to be unanimously chosen.^[6][7]

No popular vote totals are listed in this table. In early elections, many electors were chosen by state legislatures instead of public balloting and, in those states which practiced public balloting, votes were cast for undifferentiated lists of candidates, leaving no or only partial vote totals.^[8][9][10]

1792 United States presidential election

Washington was unanimously re-elected President of the United States in the 1792 election, carrying all first-round electoral votes.^[7]

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