1996 United States presidential election
Presidential electionswere held in theUnited Stateson November 5, 1996.[2]IncumbentDemocraticPresidentBill Clintonand his running mate, incumbentDemocraticVice PresidentAl Gorewere re-elected to a second and final term, defeating the Republican ticket of former Senate Majority LeaderBob Doleand former Secretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentJack Kempand the Reform ticket of businessmanRoss Perotand economistPat Choate.
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538 members of theElectoral College 270 electoral votes needed to win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 51.7%[1]6.4pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Presidential election results map.Bluedenotes states won by Clinton/Gore andreddenotes those won by Dole/Kemp. Numbers indicateelectoral votescast by each state and the District of Columbia. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Clinton andVice PresidentAl Gorewere re-nominated without incident by the Democratic Party. Numerous candidates entered the1996 Republican primaries,with Dole considered the early frontrunner. Dole clinched the nomination after defeating challenges by publisherSteve ForbesandpaleoconservativeleaderPat Buchanan.Dole's running mate wasJack Kemp,a former congressman and football player who had served as thehousing secretaryunder PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush.Ross Perot,who had won 18.9% of the popular vote as anindependentcandidate in the1992 election,ran as the candidate of theReform Party.Perot received less media attention in 1996 and was excluded from thepresidential debates.
Clinton's chances of winning were initially considered slim in the middle of his term, as his party had lost both theHouse of Representativesand theSenatein1994for the first time in decades. He was able to regain ground as the economy began to recover from theearly 1990s recessionwith a relatively stable world stage. Clinton tied Dole toNewt Gingrich,the unpopular Republican speaker of the House, and warned that Republicans would increase thedeficitand slash spending on popular programs likeSocial SecurityandMedicare.Dole promised an across-the-board 15% reduction infederal income taxesand labeled Clinton as a member of the "spoiled"Baby Boomergeneration. Dole's age was a persistent issue in the election, and gaffes by Dole exacerbated the issue for his campaign.
On election day, Clinton defeated Dole by a wide margin, winning 379 electors to Dole's 159 and taking 49.2% of the national popular vote to Dole's 40.7%. As in 1992, Perot's strong candidacy held both major party candidates below 50% nationwide. This is the most recent election in which a candidate got 70% or more of the electoral vote and is thus the most recent landslide election of a U.S. president.[3]Notably, Clinton's strength with many southern and rural whites makes him the last Democrat to carry the states ofKentucky,Louisiana,West Virginia,Arkansas,Missouri,andTennesseein a presidential election. He was also the last Democrat to winArizonauntil2020.
This was the first presidential election since1944in which an incumbent Democratic president won a second full term in office. It is the most recent election in which the Democratic presidential nominee never served as a senator. This is also the only presidential election between1980and2004in which aBushdid not appear on the Republican ticket, the last winning Democratic ticket that did not haveJoe Bidenon it, and the most recent election when the Republican candidate would win fewer than 20 states. It also has the lowest voter turnout since 1980, when the statistic began being measured across the voting eligible population rather than the voting age population.[4]
Background
editIn 1995, theRepublican Partywas riding high on thesignificant gainsmade in the1994 mid-term elections.In those races, the Republicans, led bywhipNewt Gingrich,captured the majority of seats in theHousefor the first time in forty years and the majority of seats in theSenatefor the first time in eight years. Gingrich becamespeaker of the House,whileBob Dolewas elevated toSenate Majority leader.
The Republicans of the104th Congresspursued an ambitious agenda, highlighted by theirContract with America,but were often forced to compromise with Clinton, who wieldedveto power.A budget impasse between Congress and theClinton Administrationeventually resulted ina government shutdown.Clinton, meanwhile, was praised for signing the GOP'swelfare reform,and other notable bills, but was forced to abandon his ownhealth care plan.
Democratic Party nomination
editDemocratic Candidates
- Bill Clinton,President of the United States
- Lyndon LaRouche,Activist fromVirginia
- Jimmy Griffin,FormerMayor of BuffalofromNew York
1996 Democratic Party ticket | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bill Clinton | Al Gore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
for President | for Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
42nd President of the United States (1993–2001) |
45th Vice President of the United States (1993–2001) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Campaign | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Candidates gallery
editWith the advantage of incumbency,Bill Clinton's path to renomination by theDemocratic Partywas uneventful. At the1996 Democratic National Convention,Clinton and incumbentVice PresidentAl Gorewere renominated with token opposition. Formerly incarcerated fringe candidateLyndon LaRouchewon a few Arkansas delegates who were barred from the convention.Jimmy Griffin,formerMayor of Buffalo, New York,mounted a brief campaign but withdrew after a poor showing in the New Hampshire primary. FormerPennsylvaniagovernorBob Caseycontemplated a challenge to Clinton, but health problems forced Casey to abandon a bid.[5][6]
Clinton easily won primaries nationwide, with margins consistently higher than 80%.
Popular primaries vote:[7]
- Bill Clinton(inc.) – 9,730,184 (88.5%)
- Lyndon LaRouche– 597,081 (5.4%)
- Unpledged – 423,265 (3.8%)
Convention tally:[8]
- Bill Clinton (inc.) – 4,277
- Not voting – 12
Republican Party nomination
editRepublican Candidates
- Bob Dole,U.S. Senator fromKansasand Republican nominee forVice President of the United Statesin1976
- Pat Buchanan,conservative columnist fromVirginia
- Steve Forbes,newspaper and magazine publisher fromNew York
- Lamar Alexander,former governor ofTennessee
- Phil Gramm,U.S. Senator fromTexas
- Alan Keyes,former U.S.ECOSOCAmbassador fromMaryland
- Richard Lugar,U.S. Senator fromIndiana
- Bob Dornan,U.S. Representative fromCalifornia
- Arlen Specter,U.S. Senator fromPennsylvania
- Pete Wilson,Governor ofCalifornia
- Morry Taylor,CEO fromMichigan
1996 Republican Party ticket | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bob Dole | Jack Kemp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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for President | for Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
U.S. Senator fromKansas (1969–1996) |
9th U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1989–1993) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Campaign | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Candidates gallery
editA number of Republican candidates entered the field to challenge the incumbent Democratic president,Bill Clinton.
The fragmented field of candidates debated issues such as aflat taxand other tax cut proposals, and a return tosupply-side economicpolicies popularized byRonald Reagan.More attention was drawn to the race by the budget stalemate in 1995 between Congress and the president, which caused temporary shutdowns and slowdowns in many areas of federal government service.
Former Secretary of LaborLynn Martinof Illinois, who served in theUnited States House of RepresentativesfromIllinois's 16th District and was the 1990 Republican U.S. Senate nominee losing to incumbentPaul Simonconducted a bid for most of 1995, but withdrew before theIowacaucuses as polls showed her languishing far behind. She participated in a number of primarypresidential debatesbefore withdrawing.[9]Martin's predecessor in Congress,John Andersonhad made first a Republican then independent presidential bid in 1980. Also, Simon who defeated Martin for the U.S. Senate had run for president as a Democrat in 1988.
FormerU.S. ArmyGeneralColin Powellwas widely courted as a potential Republican nominee. However, on November 8, 1995, Powell announced that he would not seek the nomination. FormerSecretary of Defenseand futureVice President of the United StatesDick Cheneywas touted by many as a possible candidate for the presidency, but he declared his intentions not to run in early 1995. Former and futureDefense SecretaryDonald Rumsfeldformed a presidential campaign exploratory committee, but declined to formally enter the race. FormerSecretary of StateJames A. Baker IIIand formerSecretary of EducationWilliam Bennettboth flirted with bids, both even set up exploratory committees, for a number of months but both finally declared within days of each other they would not run either.[10]
Primaries and convention
editAhead of the 1996 primary contest,Republican Leader of the United States Senateand former vice-presidential candidateBob Dolewas seen as the most likely winner. However,Steve Forbesfinished first inDelawareandArizonawhilepaleoconservativefirebrandPat Buchananmanaged early victories inAlaskaandLouisiana,in addition to a strong second place in theIowa caucusesand a surprising victory in the small but keyNew Hampshire primary.Buchanan's New Hampshire win alarmed the Republican "establishment" sufficiently as to provoke prominent Republicans to quickly coalesce around Dole,[11]and Dole won every primary starting withNorthandSouth Dakota.Dole resigned his Senate seat on June 11 and theRepublican National Conventionformally nominated Dole on August 15, 1996, for president.
Popular primaries vote:[7]
- Bob Dole– 8,427,601 (59.2%)
- Pat Buchanan– 3,021,935 (21.2%)
- Steve Forbes– 1,425,998 (10.0%)
- Lamar Alexander– 495,590 (3.5%)
- Alan Keyes– 449,536 (3.2%)
- Richard Lugar– 127,111 (0.9%)
- Unpledged – 123,765 (0.9%)
- Phil Gramm– 71,457 (0.5%)
- Bob Dornan– 42,141 (0.3%)
- Morry Taylor– 21,180 (0.1%)
Convention tally:[12]
- Bob Dole –1928
- Pat Buchanan –43
- Phil Gramm –2
- Alan Keyes –1
- Robert Bork –1
- Not voting – 15
Former Representative and Housing SecretaryJack Kempwas nominated by acclamation for vice president, the following day. This was the only Republican ticket between 1980 and 2004 that did not include a member of theBush family.
Reform Party nomination
edit1996 Reform Party ticket | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ross Perot | Pat Choate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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for President | for Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President and CEO ofPerot Systems (1988–2009) |
Economist | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Campaign | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Candidates gallery
edit-
Party founderRoss Perot,fromTexas
TheUnited States Reform Partyhad great difficulty in finding a candidate willing to run in the general election.Lowell Weicker,Tim Penny,David BorenandRichard Lammwere among those who toyed with the notion of seeking its presidential nomination, though all but Lamm decided against it; Lamm had himself come close to withdrawing his name from consideration. Lamm designatedEd Zschauas his vice presidential candidate.
Ultimately, the Reform Party nominated its founderRoss PerotfromTexasin its first election as an official political party. Although Perot easily won the nomination, his victory at the party's national convention led to a schism as supporters of Lamm accused him of rigging the vote to prevent them from casting their ballots. This faction walked out of the national convention and eventually formed their own group, theAmerican Reform Party,and attempted to convince Lamm to run as an Independent in the general election; Lamm declined, pointing out a promise he made before running that he would respect the Party's final decision.
EconomistPat Choatewas nominated forVice President.
Minor parties and independents
editParties in this section obtained ballot access in enough states to theoretically obtain the minimum number of electoral votes needed to win the election. Individuals included in this section completed one or more of the following actions: received, or formally announced their candidacy for, the presidential nomination of athird party;formally announced intention to run as anindependentcandidate and obtained enough ballot access to win the election; filed as a third party or non-affiliated candidate with the FEC (for other than exploratory purposes). Within each party, candidates are listed alphabetically by surname.
Minor party candidates, 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Libertarian | Green | Natural Law | U.S. Taxpayers' | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Harry Browne | Ralph Nader | John Hagelin | Howard Phillips | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Investment analyst | Author and consumer advocate |
Scientist and researcher |
Conservative political activist |
Libertarian Party nomination
editLibertarian candidates
- Harry Browne– writer and investment analyst fromTennessee
- Rick Tompkins – former candidate for Senator fromArizona
- Irwin Schiff– writer and prominent figure in the tax protester movement fromNevada
- Douglas J. Ohmen – political activist fromCalifornia
- Jeffrey Diket – political activist fromLouisiana
TheLibertarian Partynominated free-market writer and investment analyst,Harry Brownefrom Tennessee, and selectedJo JorgensenfromSouth Carolinaas his running-mate. Browne and Jorgensen drew 485,798 votes (0.5% of the popular vote).
Presidential Ballot | 1st |
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Harry Browne | 416 |
Rick Tompkins | 74 |
None | 61 |
Irwin Schiff | 32 |
Douglas J. Ohmen | 20 |
Jeffrey Diket | 1 |
Jo Jorgensen | 1 |
Green Party nomination
editTheGreen Party of the United StatesdraftedRalph NaderofConnecticutas a candidate forPresident of the United Stateson the Green Party ticket. He was not formally nominated by theGreen Party USA,which was, at the time, the largest national Green group; instead, he was nominated independently by various state Green parties (in some areas, he appeared on the ballot as an independent). Nader vowed to spend only $5,000 in his election campaign (to avoid having to file a financial statement with the FEC).Winona LaDuke,a Native American activist and economist fromWisconsin,was named as his running-mate. InIowaandVermont,Anne Goeke was listed as Nader's running mate; in New Jersey it was Madelyn Hoffman and in New York it wasMuriel Tillinghast.
Nader and his running mates drew 685,128 votes (0.71% of the popular vote).
Natural Law Party nomination
editTheNatural Law Partyfor a second time nominated scientist and researcherJohn Hagelinfor president andMike Tompkinsfor vice president. The party platform included preventive health care, sustainable agriculture and renewable energy technologies. During his campaigns, Hagelin favored abortion rights without public financing, campaign finance law reform, improved gun control, a flat tax, the eradication ofPACs,a ban onsoft moneycontributions, andschool vouchers,and was a believer in "yogic flying."
Hagelin and Tompkins drew 113,671 votes (0.1% of the popular vote).
U.S. Taxpayers' Party nomination
editTheU.S. Taxpayers Partyhad run its first presidential ticket in 1992, headed byHoward Phillips,who had failed to find any prominent conservative willing to take the mantle. In 1996 the situation ultimately proved the same, thoughPat Buchananfor a time was widely speculated to be planning on bolting to the Taxpayers' Party should the expected Republican nominee, SenatorBob Dole,name a pro-choice running-mate. WhenJack Kemp,whoopposed abortion,was tapped for the position Buchanan agreed to endorse the Republican ticket. Phillips again led the Taxpayers ticket, withHerbert Titusnominated for the vice presidency.
Phillips and Titus drew 182,820 votes (0.2% of the popular vote).
General election
editCampaign
editWithout meaningful primary opposition,Clintonwas able to focus on the general election early, whileDolewas forced to move to the right and spend his campaign reserves fighting off challengers. Political adviserDick Morrisurged Clinton to raise huge sums of campaign funds viasoft moneyfor an unprecedented early TV blitz of swing states promoting Clinton's agenda and record. As a result, Clinton could run a campaign through the summer defining his opponent as an aged conservative far from the mainstream before Dole was in a position to respond. Compared to the 50-year-old Clinton, then 73-year-old Dole appeared especially old and frail, as illustrated by an embarrassing fall off a stage during a campaign event inChico, California.Dole further enhanced this contrast on September 18 when he made a reference to a no-hitter thrown the day before byHideo Nomoof the "Brooklyn Dodgers",a team that had left Brooklyn for Los Angeles 38 years earlier. A few days later Dole would make a joke about the remark by saying," And I'd like to congratulate theSt. Louis Cardinalson winning theN.L. Central.Notice I said the St. Louis Cardinals, not theSt. Louis Browns."(The Browns had left St. Louis after the 1954 season to become theBaltimore Orioles.)
Dole chose to focus on Clinton as being "part of the spoiled baby boomer generation"[citation needed]and said, "My generation won [World War II], and we may need to be called to service one last time." Although his message won appeal with older voters, surveys found that his age was widely held as a liability and his frequent allusions to WWII and theGreat Depressionin speeches and campaign ads "unappealing" to younger voters. To prove that he was still healthy and active, Dole released all of his medical records to the public and published photographs of himself running on atreadmill.After the falling incident in California, he joked that he "was trying to dothat new Democratic dance, the macarena."[13]
The Clinton campaign avoided mentioning Dole's age directly, choosing to confront it in more subtle ways such as the slogan "Building Bridges to the Future" in contrast to the Republican candidate's frequent remarks that he was a "bridge to the past", before the social upheavals of the 1960s. Clinton, without actually calling Dole old, questioned the age of his ideas.[14]
With respect to the issues, Dole promised a 15% across-the-board reduction inincome taxrates and made former congressman andsupply sideadvocateJack Kemphis running mate.Bill Clintonframed the narrative against Dole early, painting him as a mere clone of unpopular House speakerNewt Gingrich,warning America that Bob Dole would work in concert with the Republican Congress to slash popular social programs, like Medicare and Social Security, dubbed by Clinton as "Dole-Gingrich".[15]Bob Dole's tax-cut plan found itself under attack from the White House, who said it would "blow a hole in the deficit," which had been cut nearly in half during his opponent's term.[16]
The televised debates featured only Dole and Clinton, locking outPerotand the other minor candidates from the discussion. Perot, who had been allowed to participate in the1992 debates,would eventually take his case to court, seeking damages from not being in the debate, as well as citing unfair coverage from the major media outlets.
In a first for either major party in a presidential election, both the Clinton and Dole campaigns had official websites. Dole invited viewers to visit his "homepage" at the end of the first debate.[17]
Throughout the campaign, Clintonmaintained leads in the pollsover Dole and Perot, generally by large margins. In October,Republican National Committee"operatives urg[ed] their party's Congressional candidates to cut loose from Bob Dole and press voters to maintain a Republican majority"[18]and spent $4 million on advertising in targeted districts.[19]
Presidential debates
editThree debates, organized by theCommission on Presidential Debates,took place—two between the presidential candidates and one between the vice presidential candidates:
No. | Date | Host | Location | Moderators | Participants | Viewership (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P1 | Sunday, October 6, 1996 | Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts | Hartford, Connecticut | Jim Lehrer | President Bill Clinton Senator Bob Dole |
46.1[20] |
VP | Wednesday, October 9, 1996 | Mahaffey Theater | St. Petersburg, Florida | Jim Lehrer | Vice President Al Gore Secretary Jack Kemp |
26.6[20] |
P2 | Wednesday, October 16, 1996 | University of San Diego | San Diego, California | Jim Lehrer | President Bill Clinton Senator Bob Dole |
36.6[20] |
Campaign donations controversy
editIn late September 1995, questions arose regarding theDemocratic National Committee's fund-raising practices. In February the following year, China's alleged role in the campaign finance controversy first gained public attention afterThe Washington Postpublished a story stating that aU.S. Department of Justiceinvestigation had discovered evidence that agents of China sought to direct contributions from foreign sources to the DNC before the 1996 presidential campaign. The paper wrote that intelligence information had showed the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. was used for coordinating contributions to the DNC[21]in violation of U.S. law forbidding non-American citizens from giving monetary donations to U.S. politicians and political parties. Seventeen people were eventually convicted for fraud or for funneling Asian funds into the U.S. elections.
One of the more notable events learned involved Vice PresidentAl Goreand a fund-raising event held atHsi Lai TempleinHacienda Heights, California.The Temple event was organized by DNC fund-raisersJohn HuangandMaria Hsia.It is illegal under U.S. law for religious organizations to donate money to politicians or political groups due to their tax-exempt status. The U.S. Justice Department alleged Hsia facilitated $100,000 (~$179,387 in 2023) in illegal contributions to the 1996 Clinton-Gore re-election campaign through her efforts at the Temple. Hsia was eventually convicted by a jury in March 2000.[22]The DNC eventually returned the money donated by the Temple's monks and nuns. Twelve nuns and employees of the Temple refused to answer questions by pleading theFifth Amendmentwhen they weresubpoenaedto testify before Congress in 1997.[23]
Results
editOn election day, President Clinton won a decisive victory over Dole, becoming the first Democrat to win two consecutive presidential elections sinceFranklin D. Rooseveltin1936,1940,and1944.In the popular vote, he out-polled Dole by over 8.2 million votes. The Electoral College map did not change much from theprevious election,with the Democratic incumbent winning 379 votes to the Republican ticket's 159. In the West, Dole managed to narrowly win Colorado and Montana (both had voted for Clinton four years earlier), while Clinton became the first Democrat to win Arizona since Harry Truman in1948.In the South, Clinton won Florida, a state he had failed to win in 1992, but lost Georgia, a state that he had carried. The election helped to cement Democratic presidential control in California, Vermont, Maine, Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut; all went on to vote Democratic in every subsequent presidential election after having voted Republican in the five prior to 1992. 1996 marked the first time that Vermont voted for a Democrat in two successive elections. Pennsylvania and Michigan both voted Democratic, and would remain in the Democratic presidential fold until2016.
Although Clinton's margin of victory in the popular vote was slightly greater than that ofGeorge H.W. Busheight years prior,he won fewer states, in part due to his relatively poor performance in areas of low population density – a precursor of the trend where future Democratic contenders for the presidency perform very well in populous metropolitan areas but vastly underperform in rural counties.
Reform Party nomineeRoss Perotwon approximately 8% of the popular vote. His vote total was less than half of his performance in 1992. The 1996 national exit poll showed that just as in 1992,[24]Perot drew supporters from Clinton and Dole equally.[25]In polls directed at Perot voters as to who would be a second choice, Clinton consistently held substantial leads.[26]Perot's best showing was in states that tended to strongly favor either Clinton (such as Maine) or Dole (particularly Montana, though the margin of victory there was much closer). Perot once again received his lowest amount of support in the South.
Although Clinton is a native of Arkansas and his running mate hailed from Tennessee, the Democratic ticket carried just four of the eleven states of theformer Confederacy(and of those four only Florida and Georgia have voted Democratic in any election since). As such, Clinton's 1992 run was tied for the weakest performance in the region by a nationally successful Democratic presidential candidate up until that point. Clinton's performance both followed and preceded a substantial decline in support for the Democratic Party in the South; in the2000and2004 elections,the Democrats would fail to carry even one of the former Confederate states, contributing to their defeat both times. This completed the Republican takeover of the American South, a region in which Democrats had held a near monopoly from1880to 1948. In2008,the Democrats were able to win three former Confederate states (Virginia,North Carolina,andFlorida), however this was still a worse performance than either of Clinton's. Since1984,no winning presidential candidate has surpassed Bill Clinton's 8.5 percent popular vote margin, or his 220 electoral vote margin since1988.Additionally, since1964,no other Democratic presidential candidate has surpassed Clinton's electoral vote margin and, exceptLyndon B. Johnsonin that election, no Democratic presidential candidate has surpassed Clinton's 8.5 percentage popular vote margin since 1940.
The election also marked the first time in U.S. history that the winner was elected without winning the male vote, the third time in U.S. history that a candidate won two terms as president without winning a majority either time (afterGrover ClevelandandWoodrow Wilson,both Democrats).[25]Clinton also remains the last presidential candidate of either party to win at least one county in every state.[27]Clinton maintained a consistent polling edge over Dole, and he won re-election with a substantial margin in the popular vote and theElectoral College.Clinton became the first Democrat sinceFranklin D. Rooseveltto win two consecutive presidential elections. Dole won 40.7% of the popular vote and 159 electoral votes, while Perot won 8.4% of the popular vote. Despite Dole's defeat, the Republican Party was able to maintain majorities in both theHouse of Representativesand theSenate.Voter turnout was registered at 51.7%, the lowest for a presidential election since1924.
As of2020,this remains the last time that the states ofKentucky,Louisiana,West Virginia,Arkansas,Missouri,andTennesseewere carried by a Democratic presidential nominee. It was also the first time most Arizona voters chose a Democratic candidate since1948,[28]which they would not do again until 2020. Five states switched party predominance in 1996 with their presidential voting:Montana,Colorado,andGeorgiawere flipped by Senator Dole, whileFloridaandArizonawere flipped by President Clinton. This is also the most recent time a third-party candidate finished with over 5% of the vote nationwide. This is the last time a Democratic president was re-elected with a higher share of the electoral or popular vote, while also being the last time when an incumbent Democratic candidate would flip any states (Arizona, and Florida in this instance) which they failed to win in their previous election bid.
Presidential candidate | Party | Home state | Popular vote | Electoral vote |
Running mate | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Count | Percentage | Vice-presidential candidate | Home state | Electoral vote | ||||
Bill Clinton(incumbent) | Democratic[a] | Arkansas | 47,401,185 | 49.24% | 379 | Al Gore(incumbent) | Tennessee | 379 |
Bob Dole | Republican[b] | Kansas | 39,197,469 | 40.71% | 159 | Jack Kemp | New York[30] | 159 |
Ross Perot | Reform[c] | Texas | 8,085,294 | 8.40% | 0 | Patrick Choate[d] | Washington, D.C. | 0 |
Ralph Nader | Green | Connecticut | 684,871 | 0.71% | 0 | Winona LaDuke[e] | California | 0 |
Harry Browne | Libertarian | Tennessee | 485,759 | 0.50% | 0 | Jo Jorgensen | South Carolina | 0 |
Howard Phillips | Taxpayers | Virginia | 184,656 | 0.19% | 0 | Herbert Titus | Oregon | 0 |
John Hagelin | Natural Law | Iowa | 113,667 | 0.12% | 0 | Mike Tompkins | Massachusetts | 0 |
Other[f] | 121,663 | 0.12% | — | Other[f] | — | |||
Total | 96,274,564 | 100% | 538 | 538 | ||||
Needed to win | 270 | 270 |
Official Source (Popular Vote):1996 Official Presidential General Election Results
Source (popular and electoral vote):Federal Elections Commission Electoral and Popular Vote Summary unofficial Secondary Source (Popular Vote):Leip, David."1996 Presidential Election Results".Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.RetrievedAugust 7,2005.
Voting age population:196,498,000
Percent of voting age population casting a vote for President:49.00%
-
Results by congressional district, shaded according to winning candidate's percentage of the vote.
-
Results by county, shaded according to winning candidate's percentage of the vote.
-
Change in vote margins at the county level from the 1992 election to the 1996 election.
Results by state
editSource:[34]
States/districts won byClinton/Gore | |
States/districts won byDole/Kemp | |
† | At-large results (For states that split electoral votes) |
Bill Clinton Democratic |
Bob Dole Republican |
Ross Perot Reform |
Ralph Nader Green |
Harry Browne Libertarian |
Others | Margin | State Total | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | electoral votes |
# | % | electoral votes |
# | % | electoral votes |
# | % | electoral votes |
# | % | electoral votes |
# | % | electoral votes |
# | % | electoral votes |
# | % | # | |
Alabama | 9 | 662,165 | 43.16% | – | 769,044 | 50.12% | 9 | 92,149 | 6.01% | – | – | – | – | 5,290 | 0.34% | – | 5,701 | 0.37% | – | −106,879 | −6.96% | 1,534,349 | AL |
Alaska | 3 | 80,380 | 33.27% | – | 122,746 | 50.80% | 3 | 26,333 | 10.90% | – | 7,597 | 3.14% | – | 2,276 | 0.94% | – | 2,288 | 0.95% | – | −42,366 | −17.53% | 241,620 | AK |
Arizona | 8 | 653,288 | 46.52% | 8 | 622,073 | 44.29% | – | 112,072 | 7.98% | – | 2,062 | 0.15% | – | 14,358 | 1.02% | – | 552 | 0.04% | – | 31,215 | 2.23% | 1,404,405 | AZ |
Arkansas | 6 | 475,171 | 53.74% | 6 | 325,416 | 36.80% | – | 69,884 | 7.90% | – | 3,649 | 0.41% | – | 3,076 | 0.35% | – | 7,066 | 0.80% | – | 149,755 | 16.94% | 884,262 | AR |
California | 54 | 5,119,835 | 51.10% | 54 | 3,828,380 | 38.21% | – | 697,847 | 6.96% | – | 237,016 | 2.37% | – | 73,600 | 0.73% | – | 62,806 | 0.63% | – | 1,291,455 | 12.89% | 10,019,484 | CA |
Colorado | 8 | 671,152 | 44.43% | – | 691,848 | 45.80% | 8 | 99,629 | 6.59% | – | 25,070 | 1.66% | – | 12,392 | 0.82% | – | 10,613 | 0.70% | – | −20,696 | −1.37% | 1,510,704 | CO |
Connecticut | 8 | 735,740 | 52.83% | 8 | 483,109 | 34.69% | – | 139,523 | 10.02% | – | 24,321 | 1.75% | – | 5,788 | 0.42% | – | 4,133 | 0.30% | – | 252,631 | 18.14% | 1,392,614 | CT |
Delaware | 3 | 140,355 | 51.80% | 3 | 99,062 | 36.58% | – | 28,719 | 10.60% | – | 18 | 0.01% | – | 2,052 | 0.76% | – | 639 | 0.24% | – | 41,293 | 15.22% | 270,845 | DE |
D.C. | 3 | 158,220 | 85.19% | 3 | 17,339 | 9.34% | – | 3,611 | 1.94% | – | 4,780 | 2.57% | – | 588 | 0.32% | – | 1,188 | 0.64% | – | 140,881 | 75.85% | 185,726 | DC |
Florida | 25 | 2,546,870 | 48.02% | 25 | 2,244,536 | 42.32% | – | 483,870 | 9.12% | – | 4,101 | 0.08% | – | 23,965 | 0.45% | – | 452 | 0.01% | – | 302,334 | 5.70% | 5,303,794 | FL |
Georgia | 13 | 1,053,849 | 45.84% | – | 1,080,843 | 47.01% | 13 | 146,337 | 6.37% | – | – | – | – | 17,870 | 0.78% | – | 172 | 0.01% | – | −26,994 | −1.17% | 2,299,071 | GA |
Hawaii | 4 | 205,012 | 56.93% | 4 | 113,943 | 31.64% | – | 27,358 | 7.60% | – | 10,386 | 2.88% | – | 2,493 | 0.69% | – | 928 | 0.26% | – | 91,069 | 25.29% | 360,120 | HI |
Idaho | 4 | 165,443 | 33.65% | – | 256,595 | 52.18% | 4 | 62,518 | 12.71% | – | – | – | – | 3,325 | 0.68% | – | 3,838 | 0.78% | – | −91,152 | −18.53% | 491,719 | ID |
Illinois | 22 | 2,341,744 | 54.32% | 22 | 1,587,021 | 36.81% | – | 346,408 | 8.03% | – | 1,447 | 0.03% | – | 22,548 | 0.52% | – | 12,223 | 0.29% | – | 754,723 | 17.51% | 4,311,391 | IL |
Indiana | 12 | 887,424 | 41.55% | – | 1,006,693 | 47.13% | 12 | 224,299 | 10.50% | – | 1,121 | 0.05% | – | 15,632 | 0.73% | – | 673 | 0.03% | – | −119,269 | −5.58% | 2,135,842 | IN |
Iowa | 7 | 620,258 | 50.26% | 7 | 492,644 | 39.92% | – | 105,159 | 8.52% | – | 6,550 | 0.53% | – | 2,315 | 0.19% | – | 7,149 | 0.58% | – | 127,614 | 10.34% | 1,234,075 | IA |
Kansas | 6 | 387,659 | 36.08% | – | 583,245 | 54.29% | 6 | 92,639 | 8.62% | – | 914 | 0.09% | – | 4,557 | 0.42% | – | 5,286 | 0.49% | – | −195,586 | −18.21% | 1,074,300 | KS |
Kentucky | 8 | 636,614 | 45.84% | 8 | 623,283 | 44.88% | – | 120,396 | 8.67% | – | 701 | 0.05% | – | 4,009 | 0.29% | – | 3,705 | 0.27% | – | 13,331 | 0.96% | 1,388,708 | KY |
Louisiana | 9 | 927,837 | 52.01% | 9 | 712,586 | 39.94% | – | 123,293 | 6.91% | – | 4,719 | 0.26% | – | 7,499 | 0.42% | – | 8,025 | 0.45% | – | 215,251 | 12.07% | 1,783,959 | LA |
Maine† | 2 | 312,788 | 51.62% | 2 | 186,378 | 30.76% | – | 85,970 | 14.19% | – | 15,279 | 2.52% | – | 2,996 | 0.49% | – | 2,486 | 0.41% | – | 126,410 | 20.86% | 605,897 | ME |
Maine-1 | 1 | 165,053 | 52.1% | 1 | 100,851 | 31.8% | – | 39,845 | 12.6% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11,372 | 3.6% | – | 64,202 | 20.3% | 317,121 | ME1 |
Maine-2 | 1 | 147,735 | 51.2% | 1 | 85,527 | 29.6% | – | 46,125 | 16.0% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9,389 | 3.3% | – | 62,208 | 21.5% | 288,776 | ME2 |
Maryland | 10 | 966,207 | 54.25% | 10 | 681,530 | 38.27% | – | 115,812 | 6.50% | – | 2,606 | 0.15% | – | 8,765 | 0.49% | – | 5,950 | 0.33% | – | 284,677 | 15.98% | 1,780,870 | MD |
Massachusetts | 12 | 1,571,763 | 61.47% | 12 | 718,107 | 28.08% | – | 227,217 | 8.89% | – | 4,565 | 0.18% | – | 20,426 | 0.80% | – | 14,708 | 0.58% | – | 853,656 | 33.39% | 2,556,786 | MA |
Michigan | 18 | 1,989,653 | 51.69% | 18 | 1,481,212 | 38.48% | – | 336,670 | 8.75% | – | 2,322 | 0.06% | – | 27,670 | 0.72% | – | 11,317 | 0.29% | – | 508,441 | 13.21% | 3,848,844 | MI |
Minnesota | 10 | 1,120,438 | 51.10% | 10 | 766,476 | 34.96% | – | 257,704 | 11.75% | – | 24,908 | 1.14% | – | 8,271 | 0.38% | – | 14,843 | 0.68% | – | 353,962 | 16.14% | 2,192,640 | MN |
Mississippi | 7 | 394,022 | 44.08% | – | 439,838 | 49.21% | 7 | 52,222 | 5.84% | – | – | – | – | 2,809 | 0.31% | – | 4,966 | 0.56% | – | −45,816 | −5.13% | 893,857 | MS |
Missouri | 11 | 1,025,935 | 47.54% | 11 | 890,016 | 41.24% | – | 217,188 | 10.06% | – | 534 | 0.02% | – | 10,522 | 0.49% | – | 13,870 | 0.64% | – | 135,919 | 6.30% | 2,158,065 | MO |
Montana | 3 | 167,922 | 41.23% | – | 179,652 | 44.11% | 3 | 55,229 | 13.56% | – | – | – | – | 2,526 | 0.62% | – | 1,932 | 0.47% | – | −11,730 | −2.88% | 407,261 | MT |
Nebraska† | 2 | 236,761 | 34.95% | – | 363,467 | 53.65% | 2 | 71,278 | 10.52% | – | – | – | – | 2,792 | 0.41% | – | 3,117 | 0.46% | – | −126,706 | −18.70% | 677,415 | NE |
Nebraska-1 | 1 | 87,713 | 38.1% | – | 114,560 | 49.7% | 1 | 25,973 | 11.3% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,074 | 0.9% | – | -28,847 | -11.7% | 230,330 | NE1 |
Nebraska-2 | 1 | 84,666 | 38.0% | – | 116,892 | 52.5% | 1 | 18,935 | 8.5% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,164 | 1.0% | – | -32,226 | -14.5% | 222,660 | NE2 |
Nebraska-3 | 1 | 64,382 | 28.7% | – | 132,015 | 58.8% | 1 | 26,370 | 11.8% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,658 | 0.7% | – | -67,633 | -30.1% | 224,425 | NE3 |
Nevada | 4 | 203,974 | 43.93% | 4 | 199,244 | 42.91% | – | 43,986 | 9.47% | – | 4,730 | 1.02% | – | 4,460 | 0.96% | – | 7,885 | 1.70% | – | 4,730 | 1.02% | 464,279 | NV |
New Hampshire | 4 | 246,214 | 49.32% | 4 | 196,532 | 39.37% | – | 48,390 | 9.69% | – | – | – | – | 4,237 | 0.85% | – | 3,802 | 0.76% | – | 49,682 | 9.95% | 499,175 | NH |
New Jersey | 15 | 1,652,329 | 53.72% | 15 | 1,103,078 | 35.86% | – | 262,134 | 8.52% | – | 32,465 | 1.06% | – | 14,763 | 0.48% | – | 11,038 | 0.36% | – | 549,251 | 17.86% | 3,075,807 | NJ |
New Mexico | 5 | 273,495 | 49.18% | 5 | 232,751 | 41.86% | – | 32,257 | 5.80% | – | 13,218 | 2.38% | – | 2,996 | 0.54% | – | 1,357 | 0.24% | – | 40,744 | 7.32% | 556,074 | NM |
New York | 33 | 3,756,177 | 59.47% | 33 | 1,933,492 | 30.61% | – | 503,458 | 7.97% | – | 75,956 | 1.20% | – | 12,220 | 0.19% | – | 34,826 | 0.55% | – | 1,822,685 | 28.86% | 6,316,129 | NY |
North Carolina | 14 | 1,107,849 | 44.04% | – | 1,225,938 | 48.73% | 14 | 168,059 | 6.68% | – | 2,108 | 0.08% | – | 8,740 | 0.35% | – | 3,113 | 0.12% | – | −118,089 | −4.69% | 2,515,807 | NC |
North Dakota | 3 | 106,905 | 40.13% | – | 125,050 | 46.94% | 3 | 32,515 | 12.20% | – | – | – | – | 847 | 0.32% | – | 1,094 | 0.41% | – | −18,145 | −6.81% | 266,411 | ND |
Ohio | 21 | 2,148,222 | 47.38% | 21 | 1,859,883 | 41.02% | – | 483,207 | 10.66% | – | 2,962 | 0.07% | – | 12,851 | 0.28% | – | 27,309 | 0.60% | – | 288,339 | 6.36% | 4,534,434 | OH |
Oklahoma | 8 | 488,105 | 40.45% | – | 582,315 | 48.26% | 8 | 130,788 | 10.84% | – | – | – | – | 5,505 | 0.46% | – | – | – | – | −94,210 | −7.81% | 1,206,713 | OK |
Oregon | 7 | 649,641 | 47.15% | 7 | 538,152 | 39.06% | – | 121,221 | 8.80% | – | 49,415 | 3.59% | – | 8,903 | 0.65% | – | 10,428 | 0.76% | – | 111,489 | 8.09% | 1,377,760 | OR |
Pennsylvania | 23 | 2,215,819 | 49.17% | 23 | 1,801,169 | 39.97% | – | 430,984 | 9.56% | – | 3,086 | 0.07% | – | 28,000 | 0.62% | – | 27,060 | 0.60% | – | 414,650 | 9.20% | 4,506,118 | PA |
Rhode Island | 4 | 233,050 | 59.71% | 4 | 104,683 | 26.82% | – | 43,723 | 11.20% | – | 6,040 | 1.55% | – | 1,109 | 0.28% | – | 1,679 | 0.43% | – | 128,367 | 32.89% | 390,284 | RI |
South Carolina | 8 | 506,283 | 43.96% | – | 573,458 | 49.79% | 8 | 64,386 | 5.59% | – | – | – | – | 4,271 | 0.37% | – | 3,291 | 0.29% | – | −67,175 | −5.83% | 1,151,689 | SC |
South Dakota | 3 | 139,333 | 43.03% | – | 150,543 | 46.49% | 3 | 31,250 | 9.65% | – | – | – | – | 1,472 | 0.45% | – | 1,228 | 0.38% | – | −11,210 | −3.46% | 323,826 | SD |
Tennessee | 11 | 909,146 | 48.00% | 11 | 863,530 | 45.59% | – | 105,918 | 5.59% | – | 6,427 | 0.34% | – | 5,020 | 0.27% | – | 4,064 | 0.21% | – | 45,616 | 2.41% | 1,894,105 | TN |
Texas | 32 | 2,459,683 | 43.83% | – | 2,736,167 | 48.76% | 32 | 378,537 | 6.75% | – | 4,810 | 0.09% | – | 20,256 | 0.36% | – | 12,191 | 0.22% | – | −276,484 | −4.93% | 5,611,644 | TX |
Utah | 5 | 221,633 | 33.30% | – | 361,911 | 54.37% | 5 | 66,461 | 9.98% | – | 4,615 | 0.69% | – | 4,129 | 0.62% | – | 6,880 | 1.03% | – | −140,278 | −21.07% | 665,629 | UT |
Vermont | 3 | 137,894 | 53.35% | 3 | 80,352 | 31.09% | – | 31,024 | 12.00% | – | 5,585 | 2.16% | – | 1,183 | 0.46% | – | 2,411 | 0.93% | – | 57,542 | 22.26% | 258,449 | VT |
Virginia | 13 | 1,091,060 | 45.15% | – | 1,138,350 | 47.10% | 13 | 159,861 | 6.62% | – | – | – | – | 9,174 | 0.38% | – | 18,197 | 0.75% | – | −47,290 | −1.95% | 2,416,642 | VA |
Washington | 11 | 1,123,323 | 49.84% | 11 | 840,712 | 37.30% | – | 201,003 | 8.92% | – | 60,322 | 2.68% | – | 12,522 | 0.56% | – | 15,955 | 0.71% | – | 282,611 | 12.54% | 2,253,837 | WA |
West Virginia | 5 | 327,812 | 51.51% | 5 | 233,946 | 36.76% | – | 71,639 | 11.26% | – | – | – | – | 3,062 | 0.48% | – | – | – | – | 93,866 | 14.75% | 636,459 | WV |
Wisconsin | 11 | 1,071,971 | 48.81% | 11 | 845,029 | 38.48% | – | 227,339 | 10.35% | – | 28,723 | 1.31% | – | 7,929 | 0.36% | – | 15,178 | 0.69% | – | 226,942 | 10.33% | 2,196,169 | WI |
Wyoming | 3 | 77,934 | 36.84% | – | 105,388 | 49.81% | 3 | 25,928 | 12.25% | – | – | – | – | 1,739 | 0.82% | – | 582 | 0.28% | – | −27,454 | −12.97% | 211,571 | WY |
TOTALS: | 538 | 47,402,357 | 49.24% | 379 | 39,198,755 | 40.71% | 159 | 8,085,402 | 8.40% | – | 685,128 | 0.71% | – | 485,798 | 0.50% | – | 420,194 | 0.44% | – | 8,203,602 | 8.52% | 96,277,634 | US |
†Maine and Nebraska each allow for their electoral votes to be split between candidates. In both states, two electoral votes are awarded to the winner of the statewide race and one electoral vote is awarded to the winner of each congressional district.[35]
States that flipped from Democratic to Republican
editStates that flipped from Republican to Democratic
editClose states
editState where the margin of victory was under 1% (8 electoral votes):
- Kentucky, 0.96% (13,331 votes)
States where the margin of victory was under 5% (109 electoral votes):
- Nevada, 1.02% (4,730 votes)
- Georgia, 1.17% (26,994 votes)
- Colorado, 1.37% (20,696 votes)
- Virginia, 1.96% (47,290 votes)
- Arizona, 2.22% (31,215 votes)
- Tennessee, 2.41% (45,616 votes)
- Montana, 2.88% (11,730 votes)
- South Dakota, 3.46% (11,210 votes)
- North Carolina, 4.69% (118,089 votes)
- Texas, 4.93% (276,484 votes)
States where the margin of victory was between 5% and 10% (143 electoral votes):
- Mississippi, 5.13% (45,816 votes)
- Indiana, 5.58% (119,269 votes)
- Florida, 5.70% (302,334 votes)
- South Carolina, 6.04% (69,407 votes)
- Missouri, 6.30% (135,919 votes)
- Ohio, 6.36% (288,339 votes)
- North Dakota, 6.81% (18,145 votes)
- Alabama, 6.96% (106,879 votes)
- New Mexico, 7.32% (40,744 votes)
- Oklahoma, 7.81% (94,210 votes)
- Oregon, 8.09% (111,489 votes)
- Pennsylvania, 9.20% (414,650 votes)(tipping point state)
- New Hampshire, 9.95% (49,682 votes)
Statistics
editCounties with Highest Percent of Vote (Democratic)
- Starr County, Texas86.94%
- Bronx County, New York85.80%
- Macon County, Alabama85.55%
- Washington, D.C.85.19%
- Duval County, Texas84.94%
Counties with Highest Percent of Vote (Republican)
- Ochiltree County, Texas79.20%
- Russell County, Kansas78.98%
- Glasscock County, Texas78.93%
- Hayes County, Nebraska77.02%
- Sioux County, Iowa77.00%
Counties with Highest Percent of Vote (Other)
- Mineral County, Montana23.72%
- Grant County, North Dakota21.55%
- Shoshone County, Idaho21.55%
- Sanders County, Montana21.24%
- Billings County, North Dakota21.10%
Voter demographics
editThe presidential vote in social groups (percentages) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Social group | Clinton | Dole | Perot | Others | % of total vote | ||
Total vote | 49 | 41 | 8 | 2 | 100 | ||
Party and ideology | |||||||
ConservativeRepublicans | 6 | 88 | 5 | 1 | 21 | ||
ModerateRepublicans | 20 | 72 | 7 | 1 | 13 | ||
LiberalRepublicans | 44 | 46 | 9 | 1 | 2 | ||
Conservative independents | 19 | 60 | 19 | 2 | 7 | ||
Moderate independents | 50 | 30 | 17 | 3 | 15 | ||
Liberalindependents | 58 | 15 | 18 | 9 | 4 | ||
Conservative Democrats | 69 | 23 | 7 | 1 | 6 | ||
Moderate Democrats | 84 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 20 | ||
Liberal Democrats | 89 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 13 | ||
Gender and marital status | |||||||
Married men | 40 | 48 | 10 | 2 | 32 | ||
Married women | 48 | 43 | 7 | 2 | 33 | ||
Unmarried men | 49 | 36 | 12 | 3 | 15 | ||
Unmarried women | 62 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 20 | ||
Race | |||||||
White | 43 | 46 | 9 | 2 | 83 | ||
Black | 84 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 10 | ||
Hispanic | 72 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 5 | ||
Asian | 43 | 48 | 8 | 1 | 1 | ||
Religion | |||||||
Protestant | 41 | 50 | 8 | 1 | 38 | ||
Catholic | 53 | 37 | 9 | 1 | 29 | ||
OtherChristian | 45 | 41 | 12 | 2 | 16 | ||
Jewish | 78 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||
Other | 60 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 6 | ||
None | 59 | 23 | 13 | 5 | 7 | ||
White Religious Right | |||||||
White Religious Right | 26 | 65 | 8 | 1 | 17 | ||
Everyone else | 54 | 35 | 9 | 2 | 83 | ||
Age | |||||||
18–29 years old | 53 | 34 | 10 | 3 | 16 | ||
30–44 years old | 48 | 41 | 9 | 2 | 33 | ||
45–59 years old | 48 | 41 | 9 | 2 | 26 | ||
60 and older | 48 | 44 | 7 | 1 | 25 | ||
First time voters | |||||||
First time voter | 54 | 34 | 11 | 1 | 9 | ||
Everyone else | 48 | 42 | 8 | 2 | 91 | ||
Sexual orientation | |||||||
Gay, lesbian, or bisexual | 66 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 5 | ||
Heterosexual | 47 | 43 | 8 | 2 | 95 | ||
Education | |||||||
Not ahigh schoolgraduate | 59 | 28 | 11 | 2 | 6 | ||
High school graduate | 51 | 35 | 13 | 1 | 24 | ||
Somecollegeeducation | 48 | 40 | 10 | 2 | 27 | ||
College graduate | 44 | 46 | 8 | 2 | 26 | ||
Postgraduate education | 52 | 40 | 5 | 3 | 17 | ||
Family income | |||||||
Under $15,000 | 59 | 28 | 11 | 2 | 11 | ||
$15,000–30,000 | 51 | 38 | 9 | 2 | 23 | ||
$30,000–50,000 | 48 | 40 | 10 | 2 | 27 | ||
$50,000–75,000 | 47 | 45 | 7 | 1 | 21 | ||
$75,000–100,000 | 44 | 48 | 7 | 1 | 9 | ||
Over $100,000 | 38 | 54 | 6 | 2 | 9 | ||
Region | |||||||
East | 55 | 34 | 9 | 2 | 23 | ||
Midwest | 48 | 41 | 10 | 1 | 26 | ||
South | 46 | 46 | 7 | 1 | 30 | ||
West | 48 | 40 | 8 | 4 | 20 | ||
Community size | |||||||
Population over 500,000 | 68 | 25 | 5 | 2 | 10 | ||
Population 50,000 to 500,000 | 50 | 39 | 8 | 3 | 21 | ||
Suburbs | 47 | 42 | 8 | 3 | 39 | ||
Rural areas, towns | 45 | 44 | 10 | 1 | 30 |
Source:Voter News Service exit poll, reported inThe New York Times,November 10, 1996, 28.[36]
Polling controversy
editThe polling in the election was criticized byEverett Carll Ladd,who argued that "polls had overestimated Clinton's lead during the campaign and had thereby dampened interest in the election."[37]Others such asWarren J. Mitofskyrebutted Ladd's view; in an analysis inPublic Opinion Quarterly,Mitofsky wrote that "1996 was not the best but was far from the worst year for the polls", with accuracy surpassing the polling in1948and in1980.[37]Because Clinton won the election by a comfortable margin, there was no major reaction towards the impreciseness of the polls.[37]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^InNew York,the Clinton vote was a fusion of the Democratic andLiberalslates. There, Clinton obtained 3,649,630 votes on the Democratic ticket and 106,547 votes on the Liberal ticket.[29]
- ^InNew York,the Dole vote was a fusion of the Republican,Conservative,and Freedom slates. There, Dole obtained 1,738,707 votes on the Republican ticket, 183,392 votes on the Conservative ticket, and 11,393 votes on the Freedom ticket.[29]
- ^In South Carolina,the Perot vote was a fusion of the Reform and Patriot slates. There, Perot obtained 27,464 votes on the Reform ticket and 36,913 votes on the Patriot ticket.[29]
- ^On theCalifornia,Indiana,Iowa,Kansas,Louisiana,Maine,Maryland,Missouri,Montana,Oregon,South Dakota,Tennessee,andTexaselection ballots, James Campbell of California, Perot's former boss atIBM,was listed as a stand-in vice-presidential candidate until Perot decided on Pat Choate as his choice for Vice President.
- ^The Green Party vice presidential candidate varied from state to state. Winona LaDuke was his vice presidential candidate in eighteen of the twenty-two states where he appeared on the ballot. Anne Goeke was Nader's running mate in Iowa[31]and Vermont. Madelyn Hoffman was his running mate in New Jersey.[32]Muriel Tillinghast was his running mate in New York.[33]
- ^Candidates receiving less than 0.05% of the total popular vote.
References
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- ^"What Defines a Landslide Victory in Politics?".ThoughtCo.RetrievedNovember 25,2024.
- ^"Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections | The American Presidency Project".www.presidency.ucsb.edu.RetrievedNovember 8,2024.
- ^"Anyone left? The search for a Clinton challenger in 1996".The Progressive.TheFreeLibrary.com. May 1, 1995.Archivedfrom the original on April 5, 2019.RetrievedDecember 6,2010.
- ^Newton-Small, Jay (November 24, 2009)."Can a Pro-Life Dem Bridge the Health-Care Divide?".Time.Archived fromthe originalon November 27, 2009.RetrievedDecember 6,2010.
- ^abKalb, Deborah, ed. (2010).Guide to U.S. Elections.Washington, DC:CQ Press.pp. 460–461.ISBN978-1-60426-536-1.
- ^Kalb, Deborah, ed. (2010).Guide to U.S. Elections.Washington, DC:CQ Press.p. 745.ISBN978-1-60426-536-1.
- ^"New Hampshire Republican Forum".C-SPAN.org.February 19, 1995.RetrievedAugust 7,2018.
- ^Washington watch (June 6, 1994)."Republicans Prepare to Run in 1996 – Arab American Institute".Aaiusa.org. Archived fromthe originalon October 1, 2017.RetrievedApril 4,2018.
- ^Julie Hirschfeld Davis (January 26, 2012),"'Stop-Newt' Republicans Confront New Base"ArchivedDecember 2, 2013, at theWayback MachineBloomberg News
- ^Kalb, Deborah, ed. (2010).Guide to U.S. Elections.Washington, DC:CQ Press.p. 744.ISBN978-1-60426-536-1.
- ^Hardy, Thomas (September 20, 1996)."Dole Makes Strong Rebound After Fall".Chicago Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on March 25, 2024.RetrievedMarch 25,2024.
- ^Lewis, Matt (September 25, 2008)."McCain and Obama Can Learn A Lot From Past Debaters".Townhall.com.Archivedfrom the original on October 26, 2016.RetrievedAugust 18,2016.
It's the age of his ideas that I question
- ^Berke, Richard L. (October 7, 1996)."Clinton And Dole, Face To Face, Spar Over Medicare And Taxes".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on December 7, 2008.RetrievedMay 26,2010.
- ^"09/02/96 Medicare, Taxes, and Bob Dole: A Talk with the President".Business Week. June 14, 1997. Archived fromthe originalon June 28, 1997.RetrievedJune 17,2010.
- ^Shields, Mike (February 18, 2016)."An Oral History of The First Presidential Campaign Websites in 1996".The Wall Street Journal.Archivedfrom the original on November 8, 2020.RetrievedNovember 12,2020.
- ^Clyme, Adam (October 23, 1996)."G.O.P. Pushes Congress Strategy That Shuns Dole".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on March 7, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 20,2017.
- ^Romano, Andrew (August 16, 2016)."Down Ticket #3: Republicans want to keep Congress by sacrificing Trump. Good luck with that".Yahoo! News.Archivedfrom the original on October 10, 2016.RetrievedOctober 8,2016.
- ^abc"CPD: 1996 Debates".www.debates.org.Archivedfrom the original on January 8, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 8,2019.
- ^Woodward, Bob; Duffy, Brian (February 13, 1997)."Chinese Embassy Role In Contributions Probed".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on August 18, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 17,2017.
- ^Eskenazi, Michael (March 3, 2000)."For both Gore and GOP, a guilty verdict to watch".CNN.Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2013.
- ^Abse, Nathan (June 9, 1998)."A Look at the 94 Who Aren't Talking".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on August 10, 2017.RetrievedSeptember 17,2017.
- ^Holmes, Steven A. (November 5, 1992)."The 1992 Elections: Disappointment – News Analysis An Eccentric but No Joke; Perot's Strong Showing Raises Questions On What Might Have Been, and Might Be".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2008.RetrievedMay 26,2010.
- ^ab"AllPolitics – Presidential Election Exit Poll Results".CNN. November 1996.Archivedfrom the original on March 8, 2008.RetrievedFebruary 9,2008.
- ^"AllPolitics – Tracking Poll".CNN. November 4, 1996.Archivedfrom the original on February 5, 2008.RetrievedMarch 4,2008.
- ^Sullivan, Robert David;'How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'ArchivedNovember 16, 2016, at theWayback Machine;America MagazineinThe National Catholic Review;June 29, 2016
- ^Stone, Daria; Caldwell, Alicia A. (November 6, 1996)."Clinton takes Arizona, nation".Arizona Daily Wildcat.RetrievedAugust 5,2024.
- ^abc"'96 Presidential and Congressional Election Statistics ".Official website of the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives.Archived fromthe originalon January 26, 2006.RetrievedFebruary 17,2006.
- ^Matthews, Dylan (August 9, 2012)."The effect of veep picks, in two charts".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on December 6, 2014.RetrievedNovember 27,2014.
Jack Kemp, whose home state of New York saw an even stronger anti-Republican swing in 1996
- ^"November 12, 1996"(PDF).Minutes of the Meetings of the Board of Supervisors.Cerro Gordo County. 1996. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on May 26, 2006.RetrievedMarch 30,2006.
- ^Fernandez, Sonia (February 22, 2000)."Nader '55 to run for president".The Daily Princetonian.Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon March 24, 2007.RetrievedMarch 30,2006.
- ^"Electors of President and Vice President".Cattaraugus County: Board of Elections: 1996 Election Results.Cattaraugus County, New York State. Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2007.RetrievedMarch 30,2006.
- ^ab1996 Presidential General Election Data - NationalArchivedJuly 9, 2019, at theWayback Machine,Uselectionatlas.org.
- ^Quain, Anthony J. (1999).The Political Reference Almanac, 1999–2000.Keynote Publishing Company. pp. 405, 406, 435, 436.ISBN978-0-9670286-0-6.
- ^Connelly, Marjorie (November 10, 1996)."Portrait of the Electorate".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on March 12, 2023.RetrievedMarch 12,2023.
- ^abcMitofsky, W. J. (1998). "Review: Was 1996 a Worse Year for Polls Than 1948?".The Public Opinion Quarterly.62(2): 230–249.doi:10.1086/297842.
Further reading
editBooks
edit- Ceaser, James W.;Andrew E. Busch (1997).Losing to Win: The 1996 Elections and American Politics.Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.ISBN0-8476-8405-9.
- Clinton, Bill (2005).My Life.Vintage.ISBN1-4000-3003-X.
- Dole, Bob; Kemp, Jack (1996).Trusting the People: The Dole-Kemp Plan to Free the Economy and Create a Better America.HarperCollins.ISBN0-06-101153-3.
- Green, John C.(1999).Financing the 1996 Election.ISBN0-585-26014-1.
- Moreland, Laurence W.; Steed, Robert P., eds. (1997).The 1996 Presidential Election in the South: Southern Party Systems in the 1990s.Bloomsbury Academic.ISBN0-275-95951-1.
- Nelson, Michael.Clinton's Elections: 1992, 1996, and the Birth of a New Era of Governance(UP of Kansas, 2020)online.
- Pomper, Gerald M.;et al. (1997).The Election of 1996: Reports and Interpretations.ISBN0-585-22457-9.
- Srodes, James L.;Arthur Jones (1996).Campaign 1996: Who's Who in the Race for the White House.HarperPaperbacks.ISBN978-006100993-8.
- Woodward, Bob(1996).The Choice.Simon & Schuster.ISBN978-068481308-0.
Journals
edit- Highton, Benjamin. "Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and the 1998 house elections."Public Opinion Quarterly66.1 (2002): 1–17.online
- Hillygus, D. Sunshine, and Simon Jackman. "Voter decision making in election 2000: Campaign effects, partisan activation, and the Clinton legacy."American Journal of Political Science47.4 (2003): 583–596.online
- Immelman, Aubrey. "The political personalities of 1996 US presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Bob Dole."Leadership Quarterly9.3 (1998): 335–366.online
- Jelen, Ted G.; Marthe Chandler (2000). "Culture Wars in the Trenches: Social Issues as Short-Term Forces in Presidential Elections, 1968–1996".The American Review of Politics.21:69–87.
Web references
edit- "Libertarian Party Historical Overview".Archived fromthe originalon January 30, 2006.RetrievedJanuary 25,2006.
- "Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail '96".Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedDecember 21,2011.
External links
editCampaign websites
edit- Clinton-Gore 1996 website screen shotsArchivedNovember 16, 2012, at theWayback Machine
- Dole-Kemp Pageat theWayback Machine(archived 1996-11-06) (as of 1996)
- Dole-Kemp 1996 website(still active as of February 2021)
Other links
edit- The Election Wall's 1996 Election Video Page
- 1996 popular vote by counties
- 1996 popular vote by states
- 1996 popular vote by states (with bar graphs)
- CNN: 1996 Presidential Campaign Ads
- Popular vote data from the Federal Election Commission
- Choose or Loseat theWayback Machine(archived December 22, 1996) –MTVpages on the election
- Election of 1996 in Counting the Votesat theWayback Machine(archived April 4, 2016)
- Documentary about the 1996 Vice Presidential Candidates,"Running Mate",American Archive of Public Broadcasting