Kammala wannan jumla: Bayan rikici a kan zaben 1876, Tilden ya zama dan takarar Democrat a zaben shugaban kasa na 1880. Ya ƙi gudu don wani lokaci a matsayin gwamna a 1879, yana mai da hankali ga gina goyon baya ga zaben shugaban kasa na 1880. Bayyanar Kwamitin Potter, tare da matsalolin kiwon lafiya na Tilden, dukansu sun lalata matsayin Tilden na kasa, amma ƙungiyarsa ta siyasa da dukiyarsa ta tabbatar da cewa ya kasance mai fafatawa mai tsanani don zaben Democrat. Matsayin Tilden tare da jam'iyyar ya kara raguwa bayan nasarar Republican a zaben gwamnan New York a 1879. A waccan zaben, kungiyar Tammany Hall da aka sake farfadowa ta rabu da jam'iyyar Democrat ta yau da kullun a cikin takaddama ta tallafi tare da bangaren Tilden. A cikin watanni kafin
1880 Democratic National Convention, jita-jita game da niyyar Tilden ta bazu sosai, amma Tilden ya ƙi bayyana a fili ko zai nemi takarar Democrat ko a'a.