 |
William Jefferson
CLINTON
Albert A. Gore, Jr. |
|
Party:
DEMOCRATIC
Home State:
 PR: AR; VP: TN
Electoral Votes: 379
Pop. Vote: 47,402,357 (49.1%) |
 |
Robert Joseph
DOLE
Jack F. Kemp |
|
Party:
REPUBLICAN
Home State:
PR: KS; VP: NY
Electoral Votes: 159
Pop. Vote: 39,198,755 (40.6%) |
 |
H. Ross
PEROT
Pat Choate |
|
Party:
REFORM
Home State:
PR: TX; VP: CO?
Electoral Votes: 0
Pop. Vote: 8,085,402 (8.4%) |
 |
Other Candidates
Green, Libertarian |
|
Party:
SEVERAL
Electoral Votes: 0
Pop. Vote: 1,769,831(1.8%)
|
Total electoral votes - 538(from 50 states and D.C.)
Majority needed to win - 270
Total popular vote - 96,456,345
| In 1996, the electorate seemed to be voting for the status quo. Only two years earlier during the 1994 mid-term elections this was definitely not the case. Voter backlash to Democrat Bill Clinton's liberal ideas and policies and numerous scandals swept the Republicans into power in both houses of congress for the first time in 40 years. The thought among political analysts and many Democrats in 1994 was that Clinton wouldn't survive the 1996 election. Clinton seemed to get the message and moderated his public stance on many issues. And while the scandals still continued, there seemed to be so many that the public appeared to get bored with them and didn't give them as much attention.
The Republican candidate, Senate majority leader Bob Dole, while well-liked and respected by those who knew him, was portrayed as mean-spirited and extremist by the Democrats. A veteran of WWII, Dole stood in sharp contrast to Clinton. Dole was older, liked to speak without a script but wasn't very good at it, and seemed stiff
(he was paralyzed in one arm from a war injury). Clinton was younger, could speak for an hour at a time without a prepared speech, and seemed more energetic. However, on character issues Dole was considered honorable and trustworthy, qualities most polls at the time Clinton didn't rate high on.
Once again millionaire Ross Perot threw his hat into the ring, this time with his newly created Reform Party. However, because of his eccentricities during the years following his 1992 run, many had grown disenchanted with him. He hadn't announced whether he was going to run again or not until someone else announced they would seek the Reform party candidacy. When asked about this potential rival, Perot shocked the reporter by announcing he was already running for president, had been for months, and didn't understand why everyone didn't know! Many in the new party saw this as petty jealousy on Perot's part and the party split into two groups: those who were Perot supporters and those who wanted a viable new third party and not just a forum for Perot to play with. Perot did win the nomination, but critics said it was because he created rules at the convention which favored his election.
In the end, the status quo won. Republicans maintained control of both houses of congress, and a more moderate Clinton
(while still plagued by scandals did have a good economy going for him) won the presidency. Over 12 million less votes were cast in 1996 than in 1992. Clinton failed to win the majority of the votes in either of his presidential elections. Dole and the Republicans did manage to get a higher percentage of votes than they did in 1992, but Perot's candidacy, while only half of his 1992 total, once again badly hurt their chances.
If you would like to submit an analysis of this election or an article about a candidate, please see our submission guidelines.
In 1996, 538 electoral votes were available; 270 votes were needed to secure the win.
All percentages in this table are based only on votes to these three candidates. |
| STATE |
CLINTON |
DOLE |
PEROT |
EVs |
| Electors |
|
| ALABAMA |
662,165
(43%) |
769,044
(50%) |
92,149
(6%) |
9 |
| Bill Armistead, Pat Duncan, Glen Dunlap, Len Gavin, Henry King, Melba Peters, George G. Seibels Jr., Don Sledge, Sam Steele |
|
| ALASKA |
80,380
(33%) |
122,746
(51%) |
26,333
(11%) |
3 |
| Joan B. Clutts, Alyce Hanley, Bob Ward |
|
| ARIZONA |
653,288
(46%) |
622,073
(44%) |
112,072
(8%) |
8 |
| Thomas "Tom" Bean, Andrew S. Gordon, Rose Mofford, Scott Thomas Olson Sr., Daniel R. Ortega Jr., Jeanne P. Perpich, E.C. "Polly" Rosenbaum, Mary V. Thomas |
|
| ARKANSAS |
475,171
(54%) |
325,416
(37%) |
69,884
(8%) |
6 |
| Deborah Lee, Bishop L.T. Walker, Ann Henry, Merle Peterson, Mary Jean Benett, Maurice Mitchel |
|
| CALIFORNIA |
5,119,835
(51%) |
3,828,380
(38%) |
697,847
(7%) |
54 |
| Sally J. Alexander, Donald R. Alvarez, Dale K. Bankhead, Nina Banuelos, Paul Barile, Robert Batinovich, Michael Bennet, Beverly D. Braden, Carl Bryan, Lindsey D. Capps, Kathleen Clark, John M. Collins, Joshua L. Conaway, Jorge Covarrubias, Kim Cox, R.O. Davis, Theresa M. Duggan, Paul Eshoo, Tim Farley, Carmen T. Garcia, Bob Glaser, Paul Goldenberg, Juana Gutierrez, Harold L. Halterman, Sandy Hester, Richard E. Holcomb, Stephen Kahn, Steven Kassel, Guy C. Kimbrough, Thomas J. Koch, Grace A. Koza, Tina L. Laine, John Laird, Hellen Lane, Francisco Leal, David C. Lizarraga, Ted Lumpkin, R. Keith McDonald, Paul Pelosi, Tom Pier, Sarah Reyes, Carol Shawn, Lane Sherman, Jason Silva, Frances Skittone, Maureen Southwell, Jennifer A. Steen, Debra Stubblefield, John M. Taylor, Karen W. Titus, Jeffrey B. Towns, Richard L. Waldron, Lenore Wax, Darity Wesley |
|
| COLORADO |
671,152
(44%) |
691,848
(46%) |
99,629
(7%) |
8 |
| Ron Buxman, Mason Carpenter, Carley Johnson, Barbara McTurk, Natalie Meyer, Don Bain, Shannon Robinson, Kendall Sansing |
|
| CONNECTICUT |
735,740
(52%) |
483,109
(35%) |
139,523
(10%) |
8 |
| Frank L. Aieta, Dominic F. Balletto, Marjorie C. Bennett, Leo Canty, John Larson, Fleeta Hudson, Hilda Santiago, Kenneth Slapin |
|
| DELEWARE |
140,355
(52%) |
99,062
(37%) |
28,719
(11%) |
3 |
| Gary E. Hindes, Catherine J. Mancini, Sam Lathem |
|
DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA |
158,220
(85%) |
17,339
(9%) |
3,611
(2%) |
3 |
| Harry L. Thomas Sr., Jeff Coudriet, Anne Westerfield Pitts |
|
| FLORIDA |
2,546,870
(48%) |
2,244,536
(42%) |
483,870
(9%) |
25 |
| Joe Chapman, Marilyn Lenard, Charles William Nelson, Mitchell Berger, Bob Butterworth, Gloria Jackson, Dianne Glasser, Ron LaFace, Adele Graham, Cynthia Hall, Terrie Brady, Nancy Dick, Cathy Bartolotti, George Sheldon, Buddy MacKay, Jon Ausman, Richard Swann, Skeets Friedkin, George Comerford, Katherine Kelly, Scott R. Falmlen, Juanita Geathers, Pattie Lanier, Rudolph Parker, Joyce Cusack |
|
| GEORGIA |
1,053,849
(46%) |
1,080,843
(47%) |
146,337
(6%) |
13 |
| Thomas J. Barnette, Dot Burns, Jeanne Ferst, Briggs A. Goggans, Camilla Johnson-Moore, Brenda R. "B.J." Lopez, Mack Mattingly, Russell K. "Rusty" Paul, Oscar N. Persons, Alec Poitevint, John M. Stuckey Jr., Stan Wise, Ray Wooldridge |
|
| HAWAII |
205,012
(57%) |
113,943
(32%) |
27,358
(7%) |
4 |
| Robert Bunda, Marsha Joyner, Joy Kobashigawa Lewis, R. Carolyn Wilcox |
|
| IDAHO |
165,443
(34%) |
256,595
(52%) |
62,518
(13%) |
4 |
| Helen McKinney, Skip Smyser, Leora Day, John Sandy |
|
| ILLINOIS |
2,341,744
(54%) |
1,587,021
(37%) |
346,408
(8%) |
22 |
| Addie C. Wyatt, Donald Pedro, Rose Marie Lipinski, Neomi Hernandez, James DeLeo, Joan Brennan, Eileen Jackson, James Sheehan, William Marovitz, Dan Pierce, Marge Friedman, Ruth Jackson, Kathryn "Tinker" Harvey, Mary Lou Kearns, Carolyn Brown Hodge, John Nelson, Dave Bybee, Shirley McCombs, Joe McGlaughlin, Jerry Sinclair, Gary J. LaPaille, Patrick Thompson |
|
| INDIANA |
887,424
(42%) |
1,006,693
(47%) |
224,299
(10%) |
12 |
| Michael McDaniel, Barbara McClellan, Roger Chiabai, Virgil Scheidt, R. Wyatt Mick Jr., Iris H. Clark, John R. Zentz, Bob Nelson, David C. Masten, Jim A. Kohlmeyer, Max A. Middendorf, John W. Sweezy |
|
| IOWA |
620,258
(50%) |
492,644
(40%) |
105,159
(8%) |
7 |
| Karl J. Rhomberg, Paul Swenson, Versal Vanordstrand, Jim Carnahan, Steve Mandernach, Patsy Ramacitti, Rich Pope |
|
| KANSAS |
387,659
(36%) |
583,245
(54%) |
92,639
(9%) |
6 |
| Timothy Golba, Michael Harris, Betty Hanicke, Marynell Reece, Marjorie Robards, John Watkins |
|
| KENTUCKY |
636,614
(46%) |
623,283
(45%) |
120,396
(9%) |
8 |
| Winnie Townsend, Bremer Ehrler, June Lyne, Eldon Renaud, Gwen Meehan, Don McMillan, Rodney Casada, Sandra Frank |
|
| LOUISIANA |
927,837
(52%) |
712,586
(40%) |
123,293
(7%) |
9 |
| Benjiman Lee Jeffers, Garland W. Webb, Bonnie P. Tynes, Stephanie R. Edwards, Henry A. Smith Jr., Dorothy Huffman Wallace, Mary Lou T. Winters, Mary E. Wisham, Carla Chrisco |
|
| MAINE |
312,788
(52%) |
186,378
(31%) |
85,970
(14%) |
4 |
| Joseph Mayo, Sharon McIntyre, Samuel D. Shapiro, Burt Wartell |
|
| MARYLAND |
966,207
(54%) |
681,530
(38%) |
115,812
(6%) |
10 |
| Clarence W. Blount, Louis L. Goldstein, Harry R. Hughes, Katherine M. Jones, Dianne Madonni, Shelley Morhaim, Mary K. Prangley, Saul Stern, Irene C. Strieby, Marvin F. Wilson |
|
| MASSACHUSETTS |
1,571,763
(61%) |
718,107
(28%) |
227,217
(9%) |
12 |
| Jovita Fontanez, Carol Ann Aloisi, Barbara Travers, Mary K. O'Brien, Carol A. Donovan, Mary J. Richards, Michael J. Whouley, Mark S. DiSalvo, John R. Doogan, Kevin A. Tarpley, Marc R. Pacheco, William H. Bradley |
|
| MICHIGAN |
1,989,653
(52%) |
1,481,212
(38%) |
336,670
(9%) |
18 |
| Richard Deneweth, Laurie A. Stupak, Rosemary DiPonio, Beverly Barringer, Benjamin Harrison DeHart, Donald J. Mosher, James L. Sjoberg, Elijah Buxton Jr., Eleanor Tocco, George N. Andros, Stephen Borrello, Tom Downs, Evelyn Zeidman, Deborah Dingell, Freeman Hendrix, Julius A. Maddox, Vicki Metz Wagner, Owen Bieber |
|
| MINNESOTA |
1,120,438
(51%) |
766,476
(35%) |
257,704
(12%) |
10 |
| Lance Peterson, Verna Lunz, Jackie Stevenson, Gladys Morton, Peggy Specktor, Opal Peterson, Lorraine Cecil, George Hunter, Marlene Kayser, John Massmann |
|
| MISSISSIPPI |
394,022
(44%) |
439,838
(49%) |
52,222
(6%) |
7 |
| Bob Anthony, J.L. Holloway, Larry Homan, Charles Irby, Robert Kane, John McCarty, Lois Robertson |
|
| MISSOURI |
1,025,935
(47%) |
890,016
(41%) |
217,188
(10%) |
11 |
| Connie Johnson, Carole Gambino, Linda Schilly, Willard Reine, Virgil Troutwine, Bob Staton, Steve Stepp, Shirla Howard, H. E. "Scat" Davis, Nancy Reynolds, Robert Wheeler |
|
| MONTANA |
167,922
(41%) |
179,652
(44%) |
55,229
(13%) |
3 |
| Jack Galt, Ada Nash, Archie Lucht |
|
| NEBRASKA |
236,761
(35%) |
363,467
(54%) |
71,278
(10%) |
5 |
| Chuck Sigerson, Hal Daub, Alice Dittman, Joyce Schram, Dawyn Otto |
|
| NEVADA |
203,974
(44%) |
199,244
(43%) |
43,986
(9%) |
4 |
| Douglas Bache, Virginia Cain, Marie Ripps, Charles Waterman |
|
| NEW HAMPSHIRE |
246,214
(49%) |
196,532
(39%) |
48,390
(10%) |
4 |
| Joseph F. Keefe, Edward E. Shumaker III, Jeanne Shaheen, Pat Russell |
|
| NEW JERSEY |
1,652,329
(54%) |
1,103,078
(36%) |
262,134
(8%) |
15 |
| Reni Erdos, Zulima V. Farber, David Fernandez, Henry Gallo, Thomas P. Giblin, Thomas S. Higgins, Lynne B. Hurwitz, Nicholas deB. Katzenbach, Karen J. Kominsky, Susan Bass Levin, Jean Holtz, David S. Steiner, Phillip Thigpen Sr., Stephen Weinstein, Susan Wilson |
|
| NEW MEXICO |
273,495
(49%) |
232,751
(42%) |
32,257
(6%) |
5 |
| Bruce King, Stephanie Gonzales, Sheryl Williams, Manuel Sanchez, Fannie Atcitty |
|
| NEW YORK |
3,756,177
(59%) |
1,933,492
(31%) |
503,458
(8%) |
33 |
| Dominic J. Baranello, Judith Hope, Jeffrey C. Feldman, Marcella Maxwell, Kathryn B. Mackey, H. Carl Mc Call, Herman D. Farrell Jr., Gerard J. Sweeney, Audrey I. Pheffer, Stanley Kalmon Schlein, Elizabeth Velez, Michael Bragman, Sheldon Silver, Martin Connor, Michael H. Reich, Ann Galante, Raymond B. Harding, Paul F. Cole, Fran Reiter, John Sullivan, Leornard Weiss, G. Steven Pigeon, Victor A. Kovner, Edward F. Draves, Helen M. Marshall, Esther Kate Fiore, Thomas A. Fink, Paula Redd Zeman, Densie W. King, Alberta M. Madonna, Deborah Glick, Inez Dickens, Mary C. Paladino |
|
| NORTH CAROLINA |
1,107,849
(44%) |
1,225,938
(49%) |
168,059
(7%) |
14 |
| Howard B. Smith, Bettie West, J.D. Teachey, Nelson Dollar, Lee Q. McMillan, Carolyn McGee, Jim Cole, Tom Dwiggins, John Van Hanford, Gary Whitener, George Alexander Jones, Quentine Finch, Bill Graham, Dorothy Bursey |
|
| NORTH DAKOTA |
106,905
(40%) |
125,050
(47%) |
32,515
(12%) |
3 |
| Earl Strinden, Vernon E. "Vern" Wagner, Robert W. "Bob" Peterson |
|
| OHIO |
2,148,222
(47%) |
1,859,883
(40%) |
483,207
(11%) |
21 |
| Catherine Barrett, Dan Martin, Regina Rollins, John C. Myers, Mary A. Briggs, John H. Schuler, Barbara Myers, David Giese, Enid Goubeaux, Cecilia Huffman, Nathaniel R. Hodoh, Michael Morley, Dennis Lieberman, Timothy Barnhart, Jack Sizemore, William Anthony Jr., Frances Alberty, Socrates Space, Margaret Kearsey, William Burga, William Sundermeyer |
|
| OKLAHOMA |
488,105
(40%) |
582,315
(48%) |
130,788
(11%) |
8 |
| Gary W. Banz, J. Michael Brown, Dixie I. Galloway, Steven F. Garrett, Skip Healey, Leo F. Herlacher, Dale N. Switzer, Paul E. Thornbrugh |
|
| OREGON |
649,641
(47%) |
538,152
(39%) |
121,221
(9%) |
7 |
| Jeannie Dodson-Edgars, Linda Johnson, Valerie Payne, Marc Abrams, Michael Graham, John McFadden, Margaret Carter |
|
| PENNSYLVANIA |
2,215,819
(49%) |
1,801,169
(40%) |
430,984
(10%) |
23 |
| William Titelman, Lisa Boscola, Robert A. Brady, Michael M. Dawida, Ivan Itkin, Bill George, David Gondak, Catherine Baker Knoll, Thomas A. Leonard, Judy Lynch, Alba E. Martinez, Sophie Masloff, Valerie McDonald, Robert J. Mellow, Joanne Cisco Olszewski, Lazar M. Palnik, Tom Muphy, Evelyn Rafalko-McNulty, Leslie Reid Price, Mark S. Singel, John Street, Marian B. Tasco, Anna Cibotti Verna |
|
| RHODE ISLAND |
233,050
(60%) |
104,683
(27%) |
43,723
(11%) |
4 |
| Muriel A. Evans, Cristine McBurney, Joseph Muschiano, Robert Riesman |
|
| SOUTH CAROLINA |
506,283
(44%) |
57,3458
(50%) |
64,386
(5%) |
8 |
| Thomas H. McLean, Elizabeth G. "Betty" Cox, Lonnie Rowell, Michael F. Davis, Cynthia F. Costa, Daniel A. Richardson Sr., Walter "Buddy" P. Witherspoon, Bob Taylor |
|
| SOUTH DAKOTA |
139,333
(43%) |
150,543
(46%) |
31,250
(40%) |
3 |
| William J. Janklow, Joel Rosenthal, Carole Boos |
|
| TENNESSEE |
909,146
(48%) |
863,530
(46%) |
105,918
(5%) |
11 |
| Dorothy Crook, M. Inez Crutchfield, Jane G. Eskind, Gwen Fleming, Benjamin L. Hooks, Harlan Mathews, Ned McWherter, Olan Mills II, William N. "Bill" Morris, Anna Belle O'Brien, Harold G. Woods |
|
| TEXAS |
2,459,683
(44%) |
2,736,167
(49%) |
378,537
(7%) |
32 |
| Evelyn Collins, Joel Franke, Jean Bensmiller, Donna Peterson, Ben G. Raimer, David Thackston, Kay Copeland, Greg Davidson, Tonna Trumble, David Husband, M. A. Taylor, Nelda Eppes, Marian Faye Crossley, James Garvey, James E. Brandon, Doraline Daeley, Clint Inmon, Frank Corte Jr., Zeb D. Alford, Don Truman, Jonathan Gurwitz, Eric Thode, Mike Dugas, Leland Kirby, Melvin McCoy, Sarah McDougal, Charles D. Johnson, Melvin Cowart, Tina Hardcastle, Martin Daneman, Arthur Granado, Narciso Mendoza |
|
| UTAH |
221,633
(33%) |
361,911
(54%) |
66,461
(10%) |
5 |
| Michael O. Leavitt, Joseph Cannon, Olene S. Walker, Chris Cannon, Arlene Ellis |
|
| VERMONT |
137,894
(53%) |
80,352
(31%) |
31,024
(12%) |
3 |
| Pat Barr, Carolyn Nissen, Michael J. Obuchowski |
|
| VIRGINIA |
1,061,060
(45%) |
1,138,350
(47%) |
159,861
(7%) |
13 |
| Robert R. Fountain, Gary Clarence Byler, Mary A. "Polly" Braswell, Patricia Strawn Bice, Michael W. D. "Mike" Brown, Hugh D. Key, Mark D. Franko, Frank O. Meeks, Ruth Aileen Hancock, Vincent A. DiBenedetto III, Elaine Nunez McConnell, Anne R. Keast, Marilyn L. Lussen |
|
| WASHINGTON |
1,123,323
(50%) |
840,712
(37%) |
201,003
(9%) |
11 |
| Nancy Rust, Leora Province, Mike Barr, Barbara McFarlin-Kosiec, Claude Brewer, Nancy Pease Hogan, Ray Naugle, Doreen Cato, John Thompson, Joe Nilsson, Jody Buckley |
|
| WEST VIRGINIA |
327,812
(51%) |
233,946
(37%) |
71,639
(11%) |
5 |
| Barbara Evans Fleischauer, Daniel P. Lutz, Violet Midkiff, Rebecca I. White, Sarah Lee Neal |
|
| WISCONSIN |
1,071,971
(49%) |
845,029
(39%) |
227,339
(10%) |
11 |
| Jeffrey Neubauer, Mala McGhee, Sue Miller, Karen Sostarich, Rosemarie McDowell, Robert Schweder, Melissa Schroeder, Doug Oitzinger, Heidi Schwoch, Martha Love, Rober Friebert |
|
| WYOMING |
77,934
(37%) |
105,388
(50%) |
25,928
(12%) |
3 |
| Becky Constantino, Jim Geringer, Lorraine Quarberg |
|
| TOTALS |
47,402,357
(50.1%) |
39,198,755
(41.3%) |
8,085,402
(8.5%) |
. |
ELECTORAL
VOTES |
379 |
159 |
0 |
. |
In 1996, 538 electoral votes were available; 270 votes were needed to secure the win.
All percentages in this table are based only on votes to these three candidates. |
|
