On November 5, 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented fourth term as president, defeating Republican Thomas E. Dewey. The election took place during World War II, with American forces fighting in Europe and the Pacific. Many voters saw continuity in leadership as important for winning the war, despite concerns about Roosevelt’s health. His victory reinforced the New Deal coalition that had shaped U.S. politics since the 1930s. After the war, worries about long presidencies helped drive adoption of the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms. Roosevelt’s 1944 win remains unique in U.S. electoral history.
