With the presidential election more than a month away, many may wonder what happens to the guy who comes in second. Take a look at how the past 10 presidential runners-up have spent their time.

John Kerry

The most recent runner-up to a presidential election, Sen. John Kerry returned to his home state of Massachusetts where he remains a U.S. senator. Though his time as senator ranks him 18th among his 99 peers for longevity, Kerry remains the junior senator of Massachusetts, as Sen. Ted Kennedy, second among current senators, remains in the senate. Kerry faces Republican Jeff Beatty in the 2008 Senatorial election.

Al Gore

After the Supreme Court decision of Gore v. Bush awarded the presidency to President George W. Bush, Vice President Al Gore spent the following two elections deflecting questions about whether he would run for president again. Instead of concentrating on political office, Gore shifted his efforts to help address global warming. After the release of his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" and a worldwide rock concert project to promote the control of air pollution, Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

Bob Dole

Sen. Bob Dole rose from the ranks of a second lieutenant during World War II to become the senate majority leader in 1984. He ran for president in 1996. After losing to Democratic incumbent President Bill Clinton, Dole went on to work as an advisor for the Washington D.C.-based law firm Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson, and Hand. He also wrote several books during and after his political life, and he even appeared in a Pepsi commercial with pop star Britney Spears.

George Bush

After serving as president of the United States from 1988-1992, Bush was bested by President Bill Clinton in the '92 election. Following the defeat, Bush retired, with his wife Barbara, to their Houston-area home in the exclusive Tanglewood neighborhood and their summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush has made several celebrity appearances following the election of his son, President George W. Bush, and he hosts a fishing tournament on an island in the Florida Keys. Still active in his octogenarian days, George H.W. Bush went skydiving on his 80th birthday in 2004. When his presidential museum reopened in 2007, he celebrated the event with another skydive. He is also one of only three U.S. presidents to receive an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and President Ronald Reagan are the other two presidents.

Michael Dukakis

Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis ran against President George H.W. Bush in 1988. While still governor during his presidential bid, Dukakis did not run for re-election in 1990. Since then, Dukakis has remained active in the political field by trying to bolster grassroots programs and other locally-centered movements. In 2006, Dukakis and his wife, Kitty, worked to help elect Deval Patrick to the gubernatorial position in Massachusetts.

Walter Mondale

As President Jimmy Carter's vice president from 1976-1980, former Sen. Walter Mondale ran against President Ronald Reagan in 1984. After suffering a landslide defeat, Mondale remained active in politics. After returning to practice law in his home state of Minnesota, President Bill Clinton tapped Mondale to be the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. After long-time Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone died in a helicopter crash in 2002 just 11 days before the election, Mondale stepped in to run for the seat. He lost to current Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman.

Jimmy Carter

Following an electoral landslide defeat to President Ronald Reagan, President Jimmy Carter returned to his home in Georgia. In 1982, Carter established the Carter Center, which pushes for human rights and fair elections. Known throughout his presidency as a peacemaker, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 in conjunction for the efforts advanced by the Carter Center. He was the third U.S. president to be award the honor, following President Theodore Roosevelt and President Woodrow Wilson.

George McGovern

Though his campaign was formidable at the beginning of the campaign season, Sen. George McGovern's bid for the White House was harpooned after it was revealed that his vice presidential pick, Thomas Eagleton, had received electro-shock therapy for depression. McGovern lost to Nixon in a landslide. Following the defeat, McGovern returned to his home in South Dakota, where he successfully ran for re-election for a U.S. Senate seat.

Hubert Humphrey

Winning the Democratic presidential nomination amid controversy within the party, Vice President Hubert Humphrey lost a close election to a fellow former vice president in President Richard Nixon. Following his defeat, Humphrey returned to his home state of Minnesota. At first, he planned on not returning to politics, and he became an educator at Macalester College and the University of Minnesota, both located in the twin cities. In 1971, however, he was re-elected to the U.S. Senate, a position to which he was first elected in 1948. He remained a U.S. Senator until his death, in 1978. In all, Humphrey served on the 81st-87th and a portion of the 88th congress, and the 92nd-94th and a portion of the 95th Congress.

Barry Goldwater

In the 1964 Presidential election, Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater faced off against President Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson took over the presidency following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Goldwater lost the election, winning only 52 electoral votes compared to Johnson's 486. Following his defeat, Goldwater returned to his home state of Arizona and won reelection to the U.S. Senate, a seat that he held from 1952-1964. He served three full terms as senator, from 1968-1986.