Who Was the First Republican President?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 09, 2023

Elected in 1860, the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was the first Republican president to win the office. The first Republican candidate to run for president was John C. Fremont in 1856.

The Republican party was formed in 1854 and gleaned massive support in the Northern states. The Southern states greatly opposed the new party and said they would secede if the Republicans won the presidency in 1860. Just weeks after President Lincoln’s victory, South Carolina left the Union. George W. Bush was the 18th Republican president of the United States, while Barack Obama is the 14th Democrat.