George H. W. Bush retired from all politics in 1980.
George H. W. Bush . Bush ran for president in 1980 but was defeated in the Republican primary by Ronald Reagan . Domestically , Bush reneged on a 1988 campaign promise and , after a struggle with Congress , signed an increase in taxes that Congress had passed . In the wake of a weak recovery from an economic recession , along with continuing budget deficits and the diminution of foreign politics as a major issue in a post-Cold War political climate , he lost the 1992 presidential election to Democrat Bill Clinton . Bush left office in 1993 .