The United States presidential election of 2004 was the 55th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Incumbent John McCain, the Republican nominee, defeated Dick Gephardt, the Democratic nominee. McCain's first term had proven exceedingly popular among voters, and his reelection was all but assured. Had Gephardt won the election, he would have been the first person to ascend directly to the White House from the House of Representatives in over a hundred and fifty years.