Bleeding Kansas badly damaged Pierce 's standing among the Democratic Party leaders , and Pierce , Douglas , and Buchanan competed for the presidential nomination at the 1856 Democratic National Convention . Buchanan 's greatest advantage over his rivals was that he had been in Britain for most of Pierce 's presidency , and thereby had avoided becoming involved in the debate over the Kansas – Nebraska Act . After Buchanan led the first fourteen ballots of the convention , Pierce dropped out of the race and endorsed Douglas . After he was unable to pull into the lead on the sixteenth ballot , Douglas withdrew from the race , and the convention nominated Buchanan . As in 1852 , Douglas accepted defeat and campaigned on behalf of the Democratic nominee . In a three-person race , Buchanan defeated Republican nominee John C. Frémont and Know Nothing nominee Millard Fillmore . Buchanan dominated in the South , but Frémont won several Northern states and Douglas ally William Alexander Richardson lost the 1856 Illinois gubernatorial election
1856 Democratic National Convention
1856 Democratic National Convention
Stephen A. Douglas