<P> With incumbent President George Washington having refused a third term in office , incumbent Vice President John Adams from Massachusetts became a candidate for the presidency on the Federalist Party ticket with former Governor Thomas Pinckney of South Carolina as the next most popular Federalist . Their opponents were former Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson from Virginia along with Senator Aaron Burr of New York of the Democratic - Republicans . At this point , each man from any party ran alone , as the formal position of `` running mate '' had not yet been established . </P>
<P> With incumbent President George Washington having refused a third term in office , incumbent Vice President John Adams from Massachusetts became a candidate for the presidency on the Federalist Party ticket with former Governor Thomas Pinckney of South Carolina as the next most popular Federalist . Their opponents were former Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson from Virginia along with Senator Aaron Burr of New York of the Democratic - Republicans . At this point , each man from any party ran alone , as the formal position of `` running mate '' had not yet been established . </P>
who was the federalist candidate for president in the election of 1796
who was the federalist candidate for president in the election of 1796
John Adams
John Adams