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President Joe Biden ended weeks of speculation Sunday when he announced that he would withdraw from the 2024 election. That decision, made just weeks before the Democratic National Convention, adds Biden to the short list of presidents who were eligible for reelection but chose not to run.
James K. Polk
James K. Polk entered office in 1845 with a specific set of goals, including the annexation of Texas and acquisition of the Oregon Territory. At the time there was no presidential term limit, and it was common for candidates to pledge not to run for reelection as a mark of personal humility. Having accomplished his objectives, Polk honored his pledge to serve only one term and did not seek reelection in 1848.
James Buchanan
Elected in 1856, James Buchanan also pledged to serve only one term as president, but his decision to honor this pledge in 1860 was likely influenced by the tumultuous state of the nation and his own unpopularity. Buchanan's presidency was marked by his failure to effectively address the growing national divide over slavery that would eventually lead to the Civil War, and by the end of his term, the Democratic Party was torn between its northern and southern factions.
Rutherford B. Hayes
Upon accepting the Republican Party nomination, Rutherford B. Hayes pledged to serve only one term as president and would stay true to his word, declining to seek reelection in 1880. This decision was partly influenced by the controversy surrounding his initial election in 1876. Claims of election fraud had left several states with disputed electoral votes, and although a special bipartisan commission decided in favor of Hayes, his legitimacy was never fully accepted by many Democrats.
Calvin Coolidge
In 1927, President Calvin Coolidge surprised many by declaring "I do not choose to run for president in 1928." Coolidge had assumed the presidency after Warren G. Harding's death in 1923 and won election in his own right in 1924. Despite his popularity and a strong economy, Coolidge chose not to seek another term, later writing in his autobiography that he was never interested in power or fame and was ready to be "relieved of the pretensions and delusions of public life."
Harry S. Truman
After serving nearly two full terms, President Harry S. Truman decided not to run for reelection in 1952. Truman had become president upon Franklin D. Roosevelt's death in 1945, won a full term in 1948, and had strongly considered running again. However, faced with low approval ratings due to the ongoing Korean War and corruption scandals in his administration, Truman announced his decision to withdraw from the race, allowing the Democratic Party to nominate a new candidate.
Lyndon B. Johnson
In 1968, amid growing opposition to the Vietnam War and challenges from within his own party, President Lyndon B. Johnson shocked the nation by announcing he would not seek reelection. Johnson assumed the presidency upon John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963 and won a full term in 1964. But as anti-war sentiment grew and his approval ratings declined, Johnson chose to step aside, famously declaring, "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president."
Joe Biden
In response to concerns about his age as a presidential candidate in 2020, Joe Biden made statements suggesting that he would only seek one term, calling himself a "transitional candidate." In 2024, however, Biden sought the Democratic Party nomination, explaining that the multiple challenges facing the nation left him with more work to be done. He ran virtually unopposed in the Democratic state primaries, where he won a majority of delegates. Although Biden, 81, initially resisted suggestions that his advanced age and lagging performance in public would harm the Democrats' electoral chances, he eventually chose to step aside and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination.
Conclusion
In recent decades, running for reelection has become the default expectation for eligible candidates, making Biden's decision to step aside appear extraordinary. But for much of American history, seeking reelection was by no means expected, and sometimes even looked down upon. While politicians are often motivated by many different factors, an incumbent stepping aside could be seen as either an indication of crisis or a responsible move that allows new leadership to emerge.