#WoodrowWilson August 5

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In August 2025, many of us are participating in the 30-Day Governors Coach4aday Challenge. Each day, we highlight one of the 2,300+ U.S. Governors—past or present—sharing insights into their achievements, controversies, or unique aspects of their careers. For today my choice is going to be profiling WOODROW WILSON who immediately went from Governor to being elected President of the United States.

There have been 9 men who went directly from being a governor to being elected as US President. Woodrow Wilson was the 4th to earn that distinction in 1913 after serving as New Jersey’s Governor for 2 years. I was surprised to learn that Wilson was a student at Davidson College in 1873-74 when he was 16 years old. He would transfer to Princeton after that one year. He would return to Princeton as a professor and ultimately became its president.

Governor-30 Day Challenge Guidelines

As with previous challenges, participants are encouraged to adapt the guidelines to fit their own circumstances. If you can, commit to sharing something about a Governor in August.

1. Record something about a particular US Governor. Make sure you include what US State and years that he/she served. Try to highlight an achievement, controversy, or some unique aspect of their career.
2. Share with a challenge partner if you have one.
3. Join the conversation by posting on social media with the hashtag #Coach4adayChallenge

August 5-Woodrow Wilson from Governor to US President

During the US Presidential Election of 1912 Woodrow Wilson did not relinquish his role as Governor of New Jersey until 3 days before his March 4, 1913, inauguration. He became president in an electoral college landslide but only garnered 42% of the popular vote. He also was running against two former US Presidents –William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt.

From ChatGPT here is a review of that election and what made it interesting.

Here’s a concise overview of the 1912 U.S. presidential election:

1. Held on November 5, 1912, the election featured a dramatic three-way split: incumbent Republican President William Howard Taft, former president Theodore Roosevelt running under the new Progressive (“Bull Moose”) Party, and Democrat Woodrow Wilson, then Governor of New Jersey gilderlehrman.org+15teachingamericanhistory.org+15claremontreviewofbooks.com+15.
2. Roosevelt and Taft together captured a majority of the popular vote—Roosevelt at ~27% and Taft ~23%—but Wilson won decisively in the Electoral College with 435 electoral votes and just under 42% of the popular vote, becoming the only Democrat elected president between 1892 and 1932 britannica.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2270towin.com+2.
3. The election is especially notable for Roosevelt’s third-party run—garnering 88 electoral votes and ushering in major progressive reforms—while demonstrating the fragmentation of the Republican Party and paving the way for modern presidential campaigning and regulatory politics billofrightsinstitute.org.