Which president was elected in his own right in 1904 after completing the remainder of McKinley's term?

Which president was elected in his own right in 1904 after completing the remainder of McKinley's term?

• A. Theodore Roosevelt
• B. Taft
• C. Wilson
• D. Cleveland

Answer: (A)

When a president dies in office, the vice president steps in to complete the term and can later run for a full term of their own. Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901 after William McKinley was assassinated, finishing McKinley’s term. In the 1904 election, Roosevelt ran and won to serve a full, separate term of his own. That sequence—ascend because of the predecessor’s death, then win election to a complete term—is why he fits the description. Taft wouldn't win until 1908 (taking office in 1909), Wilson won in 1912, and Cleveland's earlier and later terms were in the 19th century, not 1904.