Yes, He Might Have Been Acting President in 1989.

James Stockdale.

How? Had Ross Perot remained in the race (he was leading in the polls through most of May and June), the election might have gone to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Oh, and you non-Americans on SW who are probably already confused enough at how we elect a president are just going to love this!

Each state would get one vote (D.C. gets shut out). And it's the House that would have been elected in November and sworn in on January 3rd, 1989 that would decide the election if no candidate got to 270 Electoral Vote. And that would have been the case had the election been held in May or June. Perot would have won enough states to deny both George H. W. Bush or Bill Clinton from reaching the magical 270 mark.

If a state delegation voted along party lines, they would then aassign their one vote to the candidate of the party holding the majority of elected Representatives in that state. If their delegation was tied (like Hawai'i at 1-1) or eight other states, they might deadlock and not be able to cast a vote. Twenty-six votes would be needed to elect the president from the tickets having the three most electoral votes.

Control of Congressional Delegations by State
January 3, 1989:

D- Alabama
R- Alaska
R- Arizona
D- Arkansas
D- California
* - Colorado 3/3
* - Connecticut 3/3
D- Delaware
D- Florida
D- Georgia
* - Hawai'i 1/1
* - Idaho 1/1
D- Illinois
D- Indiana
R- Iowa
R- Kansas
D- Kentucky
* - Louisiana 4/4
* - Maine 1/1
D- Maryland
D- Massachsetts
D- Michigan
D- Minnesota
D- Mississippi
D- Missouri
* - Montana 1/1
R- Nebraska
* - Nevada
R- New Hampshire 1/1
D- New Jersey
R- New Mexico
D- New York
D- North Carolina
D- North Dakota
D- Ohio
D- Oklahoma
D- Oregon
D- Pennsylvania
R- Rhode Island
D- South Carolina
D- South Dakota
D- Tennessee
D- Texas
R- Utah
R- Vermont
* - Virginia
D- Washington
D- West Virginia
D- Wisconsin
R- Wyoming
--------------------
Democrats controlled 30 state delegations when those Representatives elected in November 1988 took office on January 3, 1989.

The District of Columbia is shut out of this vote. Only states vote, each state getting one vote.

But that also assumes all the same candidates win. They might not. It's very possible that with a weaker Democratic campaign, Republicans pull out the handful of wins they need to cause a deadlock. Especially, if an endorsement from Perot makes the difference in a tight race.

One Democrat in Arkansas switched parties in 1989, which if he votes for Bush deadlocks that delegation. One Democrat in Florida switches parties in 1989, which if he votes for Bush could give Florida's one vote to Bush by a 10-9 score.

And what does Tim Johnson (D-SD) do? Does he vote for his party's nominee (Clinton)? Or how his state voted (Bush)? And he wouldn't be the only one who might swing the election.

It's possible no one gets to 26 (again each state gets one vote; if they can't break any ties among their own delegations they don't get a vote).

And then it would be either Sen. Al Gore, Sen. Dan Quayle or retired Admiral James Stockdale who the Democratic-controlled Senate would have voted for Vice President.

And it would be the elected Vice President who would act as president until the House elects a president. The Senate can only chose the VP from the top TWO tickets in Electoral Votes. So if Clinton finishes third, Gore wouldn't be any option. It would have to be either Quayle or Stockdale.