15 Presidential Candidates Who Changed the Race — and Still Lost

15. Hubert Humphrey (1968)

In the 1968 presidential election, Hubert Humphrey, then Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson, became the Democratic nominee amid a nation grappling with civil unrest and divisions over the Vietnam War. His campaign emphasized civil rights and sought to end the conflict in Vietnam. Despite a late surge in support, Humphrey narrowly lost to Richard Nixon, influencing liberal policy discussions and the Democratic Party’s future direction (britannica.com).