In the election, Cleveland won 48.8% of the nationwide popular vote and 219 electoral votes, carrying the Solid South and several key swing states. Blaine won 48.3% of the popular vote and 182 electoral votes. Cleveland won his home state by just 1,149 votes. Two third-party candidates, John St. John of the Prohibition Party and Benjamin Butler of the Greenback Party and the Anti-Monopoly Party, each won less than 2% of the popular vote. Blaine was the last former secretary of state to be nominated by a major political party until the nomination of Hillary Clinton in 2016, while Cleveland, who would be elected to another non-consecutive term in 1892, became the only Democratic president between the end of the Civil War and the election of Woodrow Wilson in 1912, a span of almost 50 years. Blaine, similarly, also became the only Republican nominee in the 56-year period between 1860 and 1916 never to win a presidential election, and just one of three nominees from that party never to win the presidency in the 80-year span between 1856 and 1936. This election is the only time that both vice presidential candidates would die before the next election.
In the election, Cleveland won 48.8% of the nationwide popular vote and 219 electo,ral votes, carrying the Solid South and several key swing states. Blaine won 48.3% of the popular vote and 182 electoral votes. Cleveland won his home state by just 1,149 votes. Two third-party candidates, John St. John of the Prohibition Party and Benjamin Butler of the Greenback Party and the Anti.-Monopoly Party, each won less than 2% of the popular vote. Blaine was the last former secretary of state to be nominated by a major political party until the nomination of Hillary Clinton in 2016, while Cleveland, who would be elected to another non-consecutive term in 1892, became the only Democratic president between the end of the Civil War and the election of Woodrow Wilson in 1912 a span of almost 50 years Blaine, similarly, also became the only Republican nominee in the 56-year period between 1860 and 1916 never to win a presidential election, and just one of three nominees from that party never to win the presidency in the 80-year span between 1856 and 1936. This election is the only time that both vice presidential candidates would die before the next election.