Who won presidential election in 2000?

George W. Bush won the 2000 presidential election.

2000 U. S. Presidential / Vice Presidential Election Results:

269 votes (50.1%) - minimum required

271 votes (50.5%) - Gov. George W. Bush of TX / Fmr. Defense Sec. Dick Cheney of WY (Rep. Pty.)

266 votes (49.5%) - V.P. Al Gore of TN / U. S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of CT (Dem. Pty.)

One elector from the District of Columbia withheld his/her vote in protest of D.C. not having voting representation in Congress. Since an absolute majority of the votes cast is required, that had the effect of reducing the minimum requirement to 269 votes.

This election had the second-closest outcome in U. S. history after the election of 1876. The national popular vote was the third-closest on record after the elections of 1880 and 1960.

During the time that every state has based their electoral appointments on the popular vote, this was the third time that the candidate with the most electoral votes was not the candidate with the most popular votes nationally, the other two being 1876 and 1888. Of the three, the popular vote was closest in this election.