15 vice presidents who became president themselves
As Kamala Harris launches her presidential campaign, she could join the ranks of vice presidents who went on to become president.
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- Fifteen former vice presidents have gone on to become president themselves.
- Some were unexpectedly inaugurated after the president's resignation, assassination, or illness.
- Others, like Joe Biden, ran for office after their terms as vice president ended.
Throughout US history, 15 men who served as vice president have gone on to become president themselves.
Some vice presidents had no choice but to assume office due to the death or resignation of their predecessors, like Lyndon B. Johnson after John F. Kennedy's assassination. Others, like Joe Biden, chose to run for president after serving as second-in-command in the White House.
As Kamala Harris launches her presidential campaign following Biden's exit from the race, she could join the ranks of vice presidents who went on to serve as president.
Here are 15 vice presidents who became president of the United States.
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Adams wasn't fond of the vice president role. He described it to his wife, Abigail Adams, as "the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived," according to the White House's official website.
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After losing a bitter contest, Adams did not attend Jefferson's inauguration, according to the White House Historical Association.
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Van Buren was 5 feet and 6 inches tall, earning him the nickname "Little Magician." He served one term, defeated by the Whig party's William Henry Harrison in 1840.
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William Henry Harrison died in 1841, making Tyler the president. His opponents called him "His Accidency," according to the White House.
Tyler was the first president to marry while in office. After his first wife, Letitia Christian Tyler, died in 1842 — the first wife of a president to die in the White House — he secretly wed Julia Gardiner Tyler in 1844.
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Fillmore was a member of the Whig party. He was the last president who was neither Democrat nor Republican, according to the White House. He served as president until 1853.
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Johnson fought with the Republican-controlled Congress, vetoing their legislation to protect freed slaves, so much so that the House of Representatives voted to impeach him. The Senate acquitted him by one vote, according to the White House.
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Arthur's wife had died in 1880, so his sister, Mary Arthur McElroy, served as first lady and White House hostess, according to the White House.
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At 42 years old, Roosevelt became the youngest president to assume office, according to the White House.
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Coolidge learned he had become president at 2:30 a.m. while visiting his family in Vermont. His father was a notary public and swore him in with the family Bible, according to the White House.
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Truman's presidency included the end of World War II, the outbreak of the Korean War, and the beginning of the Cold War.
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Despite enacting landmark legislation such as Medicare, Head Start, the Voting Rights Act, and the Civil Rights Act, Johnson couldn't end the Vietnam War and decided not to run for a second term. He retired in 1969.
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Nixon was the first president to ever resign from office. He did so after the Watergate scandal came to light in 1974.
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Nixon's former vice president granted him a full pardon for the events of the Watergate scandal, according to the White House. Ford ran for another term in 1976, but lost to Jimmy Carter.
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Bush, who was president between 1989 and 1993, lost his reelection campaign to Bill Clinton.
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Biden and Obama's "bromance" became an internet phenomenon. Their relationship reportedly soured when Obama discouraged Biden from running for president in 2016 and threw his support behind Hillary Clinton, who lost to Donald Trump.
CNN also reported that Obama and Nancy Pelosi had discussed their concerns about Biden winning the 2024 election.
Biden announced his withdrawal from the race on Sunday and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.