Tuhia he tomokanga mō tēnei rārangi - I te pōtitanga ā-Peresideniraa, i hinga te mema Reipa o te Whare Pāremata, a James Garfield mai i Ohio i te rangatira ā-Tiamana, a Winfield Hancock. Ahakoa i wikitoria a Garfield i te nuinga o nga pooti pooti pooti, i wikitoria ia i te pooti rongonui ma te iti rawa o te hitori. Ko te Perehitini Republican kotahi-wa, ko Rutherford B. Hayes, i whakakahore ki te tono kia whiriwhiria ano. I puta mai a Garfield hei kaitono pere pouri mo te Republican i muri i te 1880 Republican National Convention, i te pooti 36th i runga i te Perehitini o mua a Ulysses S. Grant, Maine Senator James G. Blaine, me Ohio Senator John Sherman. I riro i a Hancock te tohu i te Democratic National Convention o te tau 1880
I te pōti tuarua, i hinga ai i a Delaware Senator Thomas F. Bayard me ētahi atu kaitono. Ko Garfield te mema tuatahi o te Kaunihera i pootihia hei perehitini, a ko ia anake te mema o te Whare hei wikitoria i te pooti perehitini.