Final answer:
In the U.S. presidential election, a candidate could theoretically lose up to 39 of the smallest states (and Washington D.C.) and still win if they secure all the electoral votes from the largest states. The exact number of states a candidate can lose and still be elected president depends on the electoral votes allocated to the states they win.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States Presidential Election is determined through a system called the Electoral College. Each state, plus Washington D.C., holds a certain number of electoral votes, adding up to a total of 538. A candidate must secure at least 270 votes to win the election.
Due to differences in electoral votes allocated to each state, a candidate can technically lose a larger number of states yet still win the election. For instance, winning states like California (55 votes), Texas (38 votes), and New York (29 votes) will accumulate a significant number of votes.
Therefore, there's no fixed number of states that a candidate can lose and still become president because it’s dependent on which states those are. However, a candidate could theoretically lose as many as 39 of the smallest states (and D.C.) and still win the election if they win all the largest states.
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