Abraham Lincoln Did Not Lose Every Election Before Becoming President

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I recently saw Abraham Lincoln’s political record used to explain repeated electoral defeats in Nigeria. The popular claim is that Lincoln lost election after election before eventually becoming US president. It is inspiring, but it is not historically accurate. Lincoln did suffer notable defeats, especially in the Senate races of 1855 and 1858. However, he also won several elections: he entered the Illinois legislature in 1834 and was re-elected three times, then won a seat in the US House of Representatives in 1846. He won the presidency in 1860 and was re-elected in 1864. Lincoln also won the 1860 election with less than 40% of the popular vote because his opponents were divided among several candidates. That makes his path to power a better comparison for Bola Tinubu’s 2023 victory than for a politician whose record is defined mainly by repeated losses. The lesson from Lincoln is not simply persistence after failure, but the importance of political timing, prior electoral success and a divided opposition.

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