Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, became president upon the death of President Chester Arthur who had just been defeated in the elections by Grover Cleveland. He had been selected for Secretary of State, which was next in line of succession. President Arthur had neglected to choose a vice president. His first term was uneventful, lasting only from November 1886 to March 1887. However, he would be the Republican choice for president in 1890, running with James Blaine as his vice president. He won that election in a landslide primarily due to name recognition.