Today, Vice President Kamala Harris certified the 2024 election in favor of her opponent, Donald Trump. She is not the first vice president to have that uncomfortable duty. Al Gore certified the 2000 election - in which he won the popular vote - for George W Bush. Hubert Humphrey certified Richard Nixon's 1968 victory. Nixon could sympathize with Humphrey, having been in the same position in 1960, when he certified his defeat against John F Kennedy. One has to go back a century to find another sitting VP and failed presidential candidate announcing his opponent's victory. John C Breckinridge was James Buchanan's VP. He was one of 3 candidates opposing Lincoln and placed 2nd in the electoral college. In February 1861, he announced that "Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, having received a majority of the whole number of electoral votes, is elected President." He then joined the Confederacy to oppose Lincoln in a less civilized fashion.
By contrast, only two VPs have had the joyous opportunity to preside over a victory. VP George Bush certified his victory in the 1988 election. Prior to him, one has to go back to Martin Van Buren who won the 1836 election as Andrew Jackson's VP.
The remaining two men who jumped directly from VP to presidency did so prior to the 12th Amendment. As Washington's VP, John Adams was elected in 1796, but his opponent, Thomas Jefferson, won the vice-presidency. The awkwardness of having the president and VP from rival parties brought about the 12th Amendment so that - generally - each party put up their picks for each office. Thus, in 1800, Adams and Jefferson had a rematch but selected VP candidates; Aaron Burr for Jefferson and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney for Adams. The Jefferson-Burr ticket won, but both had identical electoral vote totals. Now Burr argued that he had just as much right to be president as Jefferson. This triggered a contingent election where the House had to choose, thus denying Jefferson the opportunity to announce his victory.
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