These people all ran against each other for President in 1912: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. Who won the election?

The 1912 presidential election stands out as one of the most fascinating and contentious races in American history. It featured a unique lineup: an incumbent president, a former president, and a rising Democratic governor. In the end, it was Woodrow Wilson who triumphed, securing his place as the 28th President of the United States. His victory was largely a direct consequence of an extraordinary split within the Republican Party.

The drama began when Theodore Roosevelt, who had previously served two terms as president, grew deeply dissatisfied with the policies of his successor, William Howard Taft. After failing to win the Republican nomination from Taft, Roosevelt took the unprecedented step of forming his own Progressive Party, famously nicknamed the "Bull Moose Party." This created an unusual three-way contest where two highly popular Republican figures were directly competing against each other.

With the Republican vote effectively fractured between Roosevelt and Taft, the door was wide open for the Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson. Wilson, then the governor of New Jersey, campaigned on a progressive "New Freedom" platform, promising significant reforms. He skillfully capitalized on the deep divisions within the opposition, winning the presidency with a decisive majority in the Electoral College, even though he garnered less than 42% of the popular vote. This remarkable election serves as a potent reminder of how a fractured political landscape can dramatically reshape the outcome of a national contest.