Roosevelt’s best and worst campaign: the Bull Moose Party

To date, the Bull Moose Party remains the strongest third-party run for the United States presidency of the past 125 years.

After Theodore Roosevelt became frustrated with the business-friendly policies of his hand-picked successor, President William Howard Taft, he entered the 1912 race for the Republican ticket. He entered the race late and despite outpolling Taft in most primaries, lost the nomination.

Undeterred, Roosevelt met with a handful of progressive Republicans to form his own party. The party was given its nickname after Roosevelt told reporters “I’m as fit as bull moose.”

Roosevelt had the energy, but the party had little support and limited funding. Nevertheless, 2000 delegates attended and Roosevelt was officially nominated, while California Governor Hiram Johnson was selected as his running mate.

Roosevelt pulled 27 percent of the popular vote and 88 electoral votes, compared to winner Woodrow Wilson’s 42 percent and 435 votes and Taft’s 23 percent and 8 votes. It still is the best showing by any third-party candidate, but having split the vote two ways, Roosevelt’s successes only guaranteed a victory for the party he most opposed.