The Last Time the Incumbent President Dropped Out: The Election of 1968

Despite winning in a landslide in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to seek reelection in 1968. He was facing pressure within his own party from the left and the right, with some opposing him on the Vietnam War, while others on the Civil Rights Act. This gave Richard Nixon the chance to beat Vice President Hubert Humphrey, although in a much tighter race than expected.