<P> George Washington Nonpartisan </P> <P> John Adams Federalist </P> <P> The United States presidential election of 1796 was the third quadrennial presidential election . It was held from Friday, November 4 to Wednesday, December 7, 1796 . It was the first contested American presidential election, the first presidential election in which political parties played a dominant role, and the only presidential election in which a president and vice president were elected from opposing tickets . Incumbent Vice President John Adams of the Federalist Party defeated former Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic - Republican Party . </P> <P> With incumbent President George Washington having refused a third term in office, the 1796 election became the first U.S. presidential election in which political parties competed for the presidency . The Federalists coalesced behind Adams and the Democratic - Republicans supported Jefferson, but each party ran multiple candidates . Under the electoral rules in place prior to the 1804 ratification of the Twelfth Amendment, the members of the Electoral College each cast two votes, with no distinction made between electoral votes for president and electoral votes for vice president . In order to be elected president, the winning candidate had to win the votes of a majority of electors; should no individual win a majority, the House of Representatives would hold a contingent election . </P>

Who won the first contested race for president