It seems that every presidential election year we talk about whether a candidate can win without winning his (or her) home state. Yet, this year, we aren't hearing this at all. The fact is, in the history of the United States, it has only happened two times. Once was during a re-election campaign.
Maybe it is because pundits aren't really sure what to consider Mitt Romney's home state. Would it be Michigan, where he was born? Massachusetts, where he was governor and a failed senate candidate and lived in an unfinished basement? California, where he has a car elevator? New Hampshire, where he has a lake house? It doesn't actually matter, since he is losing in all four of those states.
So, who are these home-state-losing presidents Romney is trying to join? More after the jump.
James Polk
The first president to lose his home state and still be elected was James Polk. He was a former governor of Tennessee and was elected as the 11th president in 1844. Polk aggressively expanded the U.S. borders; signing the Oregon treaty in 1846 and declaring war on Mexico that same year. He also tried, unsuccessfully, to buy Cuba from Spain for $100 million. Under Polk, Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin were admitted to the union.
Woodrow Wilson
The second home-state-losing president to win an election was Woodrow Wilson, former governor of New Jersey, in 1916. This was during his re-election campaign. He originally won New Jersey in 1912. Wilson was a progressive president who enacted several business regulations and banking and anti-trust laws. He also lead us into WWI during his second term.
Neither of these candidates was running against an incumbent president.
No one has ever won against an incumbent without winning his home state. So, whichever state we decide is Romney's home state, it does not look good. History is not on his side. Any other year, everyone would be talking about this. This year? No one seems to have noticed.
All electoral college information came from here.