John Adams (Federalist) won over Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) in 1796, the first contested election.
the 1796 presidential election:
The Presidential elections of 1796 were the third quadrennial elections. It was the first time that president and vice president were selected from opposing parties.
The purpose of primary elections is to choose the candidates for the main elections.
Elections in which no candidate has party label
Candidates for officeReferendumsRecallInitiatives
Candidates
Such is the purpose of primary elections. Candidates may also be determined by caucuses and state conventions.
The election in 1796 was run by state governments, as there was no centralized federal body overseeing elections at that time. The main candidates were John Adams, who ran as a Federalist, and Thomas Jefferson, who ran as a Democratic-Republican. Other candidates from different parties also participated in the election.
The major candidates were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
primary
Recall elections
See the link below for information on Fianna Fáil and its candidates in elections.