1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries

From February 10 to June 9, 1992, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1992 United States presidential election. Despite scandals and questions about his character, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton won the nomination through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1992 Democratic National Convention held from July 13 to July 16, 1992, in New York City. Clinton and Tennessee Senator Al Gore were nominated by the convention for president and vice president, respectively.

Clinton and Gore went on to take advantage of the chaos and disarray of the Reagan coalition and win the presidential election, defeating incumbent President George H. W. Bush and becoming the first Democratic nominee since Jimmy Carter to win a presidential election.

Background

Although the McGovern–Fraser Commission had recommended proportionality as early as 1972, this primary was the first to adopt the proportional 15% rule, still in place today, as the standard throughout the country. Any candidate receiving greater than 15% of the vote in a given congressional district (or in the case of New Jersey, state legislative district) would receive a proportional share of the apportioned delegates for that district or state.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For 1992 two-thirds of the delegates were selected in 35 primaries.Template:Sfn

Candidates

During the aftermath of the Gulf War, President George H. W. Bush's approval ratings were high. At one point after the successful performance by U.S. forces in Kuwait, President Bush had an 89% approval rating.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As a result of Bush's high popularity, major high-profile Democratic candidates feared a high likelihood of defeat in the 1992 general election. This fear was "captured perfectly by Saturday Night Live in a skit called 'Campaign '92: The Race to Avoid Being the Guy Who Loses to Bush,'" in which each prospective major candidate "tried to top the other in explaining why they were unfit to run" for the presidency.<ref name=Dickerson>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Popkin>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=NBC>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Mario Cuomo and Jesse Jackson declined to seek the Democratic nomination for president, as did U.S. Senator and eventual Vice President Al Gore, whose son had been struck by a car and was undergoing extensive surgery and physical therapy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, Governors Bill Clinton and Jerry Brown and U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas opted to run for president.

Nominee

Candidate			Most recent office	Home state	Campaign Withdrawal date	Popular vote	Contests won	Running mate
Bill Clinton	File:President Bill Clinton, half-length portrait, seated at desk, facing front (color) (1).jpg		Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981) (1983–1992)	Template:Flag	File:Bill Clinton for president 1992 logo.svg (Campaign • Positions) Secured nomination: June 2, 1992	10,482,411 (52.01%)	37 NY, NJ, PA, OH, WV, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, MI, WI, IL, IN, KY, TN, AL, MS, LA, AR, NE, KS, OK, TX, NM, WY, MT, OR, CA, HI, DC, PR	Al Gore	File:Al Gore Senate portrait (cropped).jpg

Eliminated at convention

Candidate			Most recent office	Home state	Campaign Withdrawal date	Popular vote	Contests won
Jerry Brown	File:JerryBrownMayor2000-recolorized.png		Governor of California (1975–1983)	Template:Flag	File:JerryBrownLogo92.jpg (Campaign) Eliminated at Convention: July 15, 1992	4,071,232 (20.20%)	6 Template:Nobr

Withdrew during or before primaries

Candidate			Most recent office	Home state	Campaign Withdrawal date	Popular vote	Contests won
Paul Tsongas	File:Paul Tsongas (cropped).jpg		U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1979–1985)	Template:Flag	File:Paul Tsongas 1992 presidential campaign logo.svg Suspended Campaign: March 19, 1992 Endorsed Bill Clinton: June 3, 1992	3,656,010 (18.14%)	9 Template:Nobr
Tom Harkin	File:Tom Harkin Portrait Signed Crop.jpg		U.S. Senator from Iowa (1985–2015)	Template:Flag	File:Harkin1992.gif (Campaign) Withdrew: March 9, 1992 Endorsed Bill Clinton: March 26, 1992	280,304 (1.39%)	3 Template:Nobr
Bob Kerrey	File:Bob Kerrey portrait.gif		U.S. Senator from Nebraska (1989–2001)	Template:Flag	File:Bob Kerrey 1992 presidential campaign logo.svg Withdrew: March 5, 1992 Endorsed Bill Clinton: May 14, 1992	318,457 (1.58%)	1 Template:Nobr
Douglas Wilder	File:Douglas Wilder 2003 NIH.jpg		Governor of Virginia (1990–1994)	Template:Flag	Withdrew: January 8, 1992 Endorsed Bill Clinton: July 14, 1992	240 (0.00%)	0

Minor candidates

Other notable individuals campaigning for the nomination but not featuring in major polls were:

Larry Agran	Lyndon LaRouche	Tom Laughlin	Eugene McCarthy
Mayor of Irvine, California (1982–1984), (1986–1990)	No Elected Office (Head of the National Caucus of Labor Committees)	No Elected Office (Actor)	U.S. Senator from Minnesota (1959–1971)

Declined

Note on Declination Dates:Template:Efn

Dale Bumpers	Michael Dukakis	John Silber	Sam Nunn	Pat Schroeder	George J. Mitchell	George McGovern	Stephen Solarz
		File:John Silber (6789866467).jpg	File:Sam Nunn 1991 (cropped).jpg	File:PatSchroeder.jpg	File:GeorgeJMitchellPortrait.jpg	File:George McGovern 1970s.png	File:Stephen Solarz 100th Congress.jpg
U.S. Senator from Arkansas (1975–1999)	Governor of Massachusetts (1975–1979) (1983–1991)	President of Boston University (1971–1996)	U.S. Senator from Georgia (1972–1997)	U.S. Representative from Colorado (1973–1997)	U.S. Senator from Maine (1980–1995)	U.S. Senator from South Dakota (1963–1981)	U.S. Representative from New York (1975–1993)
April 20, 1990<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	November 25, 1990<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	March 8, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	March 10, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	March 13, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	March 31, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	May 23, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	July 5, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Dick Gephardt	Jay Rockefeller	Al Gore	Lloyd Bentsen	Bill Bradley	Dave McCurdy	Jesse Jackson	Mario Cuomo
File:Dick Gephardt portrait (3x4 crop).jpg	File:Jay Rockefeller portrait (3x4).jpg	File:Al Gore Senate portrait (cropped).jpg	File:LloydBentsen (cropped 3x4).jpg	File:BillBradley (cropped).jpg	File:Dave McCurdy.jpg	File:Jesse Jackson (32360424508).jpg	File:Mario Cuomo 1991.jpg
U.S. Representative from Missouri (1977–2005)	U.S. Senator from West Virginia (1985–2015)	U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1985–1993)	U.S. Senator from Texas (1971–1993)	U.S. Senator from New Jersey (1979–1997)	U.S. Representative from Oklahoma (1981–1995)	Shadow Senator from the District of Columbia (1991–1997)	Governor of New York (1983–1994)
July 17, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	August 7, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	August 21, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	August 28, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	August 28, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	October 18, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	November 2, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	December 20, 1991<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Speculated candidates

The following potential candidates were considered possible candidates to run for the Democratic nomination in 1992 by the media, but never stated a preference for or against running.

• Senator Joe Biden of Delaware<ref name="PASB">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Senator Bob Graham of Florida<ref name="PASB" />
• Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts<ref name="PASB" />
• Senator Chuck Robb of Virginia<ref name="PASB" />
• Governor Ann Richards of Texas<ref name="Orange">Template:Cite news</ref>
• General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. of Florida<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Senator Paul Simon of Illinois<ref name="Orange" />
• Senator Tim Wirth of Colorado<ref name="PASB" />

Timeline

Bush's high approval rating after the Gulf War made many Democrats feel that they could not defeat him in the election. Dick Gephardt, Al Gore, Jesse Jackson, Sam Nunn, and Jay Rockefeller did not enter the race despite speculation around them as candidates.Template:Sfn

Clinton, a Southerner with experience governing a more conservative state, positioned himself as a centrist New Democrat. He prepared for a run in 1992 amidst a crowded field seeking to beat the incumbent President George H. W. Bush. In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, Bush seemed unbeatable, but an economic recession—which ultimately proved to be small by historical standards—spurred the Democrats on. Tom Harkin won his native Iowa without much surprise. Clinton, meanwhile, was still a relatively unknown national candidate before the primary season when a woman named Gennifer Flowers appeared in the press to reveal allegations of an affair.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Clinton sought damage control by appearing on 60 Minutes with his wife, Hillary Clinton, for an interview with Steve Kroft. Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts won the primary in neighboring New Hampshire but Clinton's second-place finish – strengthened by Clinton's speech labeling himself "The Comeback Kid" – re-energized his campaign. Clinton swept nearly all of the Southern Super Tuesday primaries, making him the solid front runner. Jerry Brown, however, began to run a surprising insurgent campaign, particularly through use of a 1-800 number to receive grassroots funding. Brown "seemed to be the most left-wing and right-wing man in the field. [He] called for term limits, a flat tax, and the abolition of the Department of Education."<ref name=Walker>Walker, Jesse (2009-11-01) Five Faces of Jerry Brown Template:Webarchive, The American Conservative</ref> Brown scored surprising wins in Connecticut and Colorado.

On March 17, Tsongas left the race when he decisively lost both the Illinois and Michigan primaries to Clinton, with Brown as a distant third. Exactly one week later, Brown eked out a narrow win in the bitterly fought Connecticut primary. As the press focused on the primaries in New York and Wisconsin, which were both to be held on the same day, Brown, who had taken the lead in polls in both states, made a serious gaffe: he announced to an audience of various leaders of New York City's Jewish community that, if nominated, he would consider the Reverend Jesse Jackson as a vice presidential candidate. Jackson was still a controversial figure in that community and Brown's polling numbers suffered. On April 7, he lost narrowly to Clinton in Wisconsin (37–34), and dramatically in New York (41–26). In addition, his "willingness to break with liberal orthodoxy on taxes led to denunciations from the party regulars, but by the end of the race he had been embraced by much of the Left."<ref name=Walker/>

Although Brown continued to campaign in a number of states, he won no further primaries. Despite this, he still had a sizable number of delegates, and a big win in his home state of California would have deprived Clinton of sufficient support to win the nomination. After nearly a month of intense campaigning and multiple debates between the two candidates, Clinton managed to defeat Brown in the California primary by a margin of 47% to 40%. Clinton became the second candidate after George McGovern in 1972 to win the nomination without winning Iowa or New Hampshire. The same feat would be repeated nearly 30 years later by Joe Biden in 2020.

Clinton won 28 of the 35 states that held primaries while only winning 4 of the 16 states that used caucuses.Template:Sfn 70% of black voters supported Clinton, 15% supported Brown, and 8% supported Tsongas.Template:Sfn

Schedule and results

Tablemaker's Note:Template:Efn

Date	Contest Template:Small	Awarded pledged delegates	Delegates won and popular vote
			Bill Clinton	Jerry Brown	Paul Tsongas	Tom Harkin	Bob Kerrey	Others	Uncommitted
February 10	Iowa Caucuses 2,996 Template:Abbr	0 of (49)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	Template:Nowrap
February 18	New Hampshire Primary 167,664	18 of (18)	9 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	9 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-
February 22	Maine Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 3,368 Template:Abbr	0 of (24)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:NowrapTemplate:Efn	Template:NowrapTemplate:Efn	-	Template:Nowrap
February 25	South Dakota Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 59,794	15 of (15)	3 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	5 Del. Template:Nowrap	7 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-
March 3	Colorado Primary<ref name=Mar3>Template:Cite news</ref> 239,643	47 of (47)	14 Del. Template:Nowrap	18 Del. Template:Nowrap	15 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	Georgia Primary<ref name=Mar3/><ref name="March 3 Primary & Caucus Results">Template:Cite news</ref> 454,631	76 of (76)	54 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	22 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	Template:Nowrap
	Idaho Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 372 Template:Abbr	0 of (18)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	Template:Nowrap
	Maryland Primary<ref name="March 3 Primary & Caucus Results"/> 531,068	67 of (67)	29 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	38 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-
	Minnesota Caucuses<ref name="March 3 Primary & Caucus Results"/>	0 of (92)	(10.3%)	(8.2%)	(19.2%)	(26.7%)	(7.6%)	-	(24.3%)
	Utah Caucuses<ref name="March 3 Primary & Caucus Results"/> 31,429	23 of (23)	5 Del. Template:Nowrap	9 Del. Template:Nowrap	9 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	Washington Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ? Template:AbbrTemplate:Efn	0 of (72)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	Template:Nowrap
	American Samoa Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 31,429	3 of (3)	Template:Nowrap	-	-	-	-	Template:Nowrap	3 Del. Template:Nowrap
March 7	Arizona Caucuses<ref name="Vote Results">Template:Cite news</ref> 36,727	41 of (41)	15 Del. Template:Nowrap	12 Del. Template:Nowrap	14 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	-	Template:Nowrap
	South Carolina Primary<ref name="Vote Results"/> 116,414	43 of (43)	36 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	7 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	-
	Wyoming Caucuses<ref name="Vote Results"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 274 Template:Abbr	0 of (11)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
March 8	Nevada Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1,546 Template:AbbrTemplate:Efn	0 of (17)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
March 10 (Super Tuesday) (777)	Delaware Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 318 Template:Abbr 2,503	0 of (14)	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap	–	–	-	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap
	Florida Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1,092,448	148 of (148)	87 Del. Template:Nowrap	3 Del. Template:Nowrap	58 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	-
	Hawaii Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2,966	0 of (20)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	Template:Nowrap
	Louisiana Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 384,426	60 of (60)	59 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	1 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-
	Massachusetts Primary<ref name="State-By-State Results">Template:Cite news</ref> 794,115	94 of (94)	Template:Nowrap	6 Del. Template:Nowrap	88 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	Mississippi Primary<ref name="State-By-State Results"/> 191,200	39 of (39)	39 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	Missouri Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:NowrapTemplate:Efn 22,500	0 of (92)	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap	–	–	-	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap
	Oklahoma Primary<ref name="State-By-State Results"/> 416,129	45 of (45)	38 Del. Template:Nowrap	7 Del. Template:Nowrap	–	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-
	Rhode Island Primary<ref name="State-By-State Results"/> 50,402	22 of (22)	6 Del. Template:Nowrap	3 Del. Template:Nowrap	13 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	Tennessee Primary<ref name="State-By-State Results"/> 318,482	68 of (68)	56 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	12 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	Texas Primary<ref name="State-By-State Results"/> 1,483,047	196 of (196)	94 Del. Template:Nowrap	2 Del. Template:Nowrap	31 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-
March 17 (295)	Illinois Primary<ref name="The San Bernardino County Sun">Template:Cite news</ref> 1,504,130	164 of (164)	107 Del. Template:Nowrap	11 Del. Template:Nowrap	46 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	Michigan Primary<ref name="The San Bernardino County Sun"/> 585,972	131 of (131)	74 Del. Template:Nowrap	37 Del. Template:Nowrap	20 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
March 19	Democrats Abroad Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	?	? Template:Nowrap	–	? Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	-	-
	North Dakota Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 974	0 of (14)	448 (46.00%)	73 (7.49%)	100 (10.27%)	66 (6.78%)	12 (1.23%)	23 (2.36%)	252 (25.87%)
March 24	Connecticut Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 173,119	53 of (53)	22 Del. Template:Nowrap	21 Del. Template:Nowrap	10 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
March 28	Iowa County Conventions<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2,998 Template:Abbr	0 of (49)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	Template:Nowrap	-	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	Virgin Islands Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 31,429	3 of (3)	1 Del. Template:Nowrap	-	-	-	-	Template:Nowrap	2 Del. Template:Nowrap
March 31	Vermont Caucus<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1,209 Template:AbbrTemplate:Efn	0 of (15)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	–	-	Template:Nowrap
April 2	Alaska Caucus<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2,907 Template:AbbrTemplate:Efn	0 of (13)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	–	–	-	Template:Nowrap
April 5	North Dakota State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	14 of (14)	3 Del.	-	-	-	-	-	9 Del.
	Puerto Rico Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 64,962	51 of (51)	51 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
April 7	Kansas Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 160,251	36 of (36)	27 Del. Template:Nowrap	2 Del. Template:Nowrap	6 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	1 Del. Template:Nowrap
	Minnesota Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 204,402	0 of (92)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	New York Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1,007,726	244 of (244)	102 Del. Template:Nowrap	67 Del. Template:Nowrap	75 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-
	Wisconsin Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 772,597	82 of (82)	34 Del. Template:Nowrap	29 Del. Template:Nowrap	19 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
April 11	Nevada County Conventions<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 271 Template:AbbrTemplate:Efn	0 of (17)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	–	-	Template:Nowrap
	Virginia Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	0 of (78)	(52.00%)	(12.00%)	–	–	–	–	(36.00%)
April 14	Missouri District ConventionsTemplate:Efn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	50 of (92)	24 Del.	2 Del.	3 Del.	-	-	-	21 Del.
April 25	Delaware State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	15 of (15)	3 Del.	3 Del.	4 Del.	-	-	-	5 Del.
	Missouri District ConventionsTemplate:Efn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	25 of (92)	10 Del.	-	-	-	-	-	15 Del.
	Washington County Conventions<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2,003 Template:Abbr	0 of (72)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	-	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
April 28	Pennsylvania Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1,265,495Template:Efn	169 of (169)	112 Del. Template:Nowrap	50 Del. Template:Nowrap	7 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-
May 2	Iowa District Conventions<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	32 of (49)	4 Del.	1 Del.	-	17 Del.	-	-	10 Del.
	Missouri State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	17 of (92)	9 Del.	1 Del.	2 Del.	-	-	-	5 Del.
	Nevada State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	17 of (17)	8 Del.	6 Del.	-	-	-	-	3 Del.
	Wyoming State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	11 of (11)	5 Del.	3 Del.	-	-	-	-	3 Del.
May 3	Guam Caucuses<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1,020	3 of (3)	1 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	-	-	-	2 Del. Template:Nowrap
May 5	Indiana Primary<ref name="Results Of Major Races">Template:Cite news</ref> 476,849	77 of (77)	57 Del. Template:Nowrap	20 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	Template:Nowrap	–	–
	North Carolina Primary<ref name="Results Of Major Races"/> 691,866	84 of (84)	72 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	12 Del. Template:Nowrap
	Washington D.C. Primary<ref name="Results Of Major Races"/> 61,842	17 of (17)	17 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	–	–	Template:Nowrap
May 9	Minnesota District ConventionsTemplate:Efn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	63 of (92)	10 Del.	4 Del.	-	-	-	-	49 Del.
May 12	Nebraska Primary<ref name="Bush, Clinton Record Wins">Template:Cite news</ref> 150,587	25 of (25)	13 Del. Template:Nowrap	8 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	Template:Nowrap	4 Del. Template:Nowrap
	West Virginia Primary<ref name="Bush, Clinton Record Wins"/> 317,587	31 of (31)	31 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
May 16	Vermont State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	15 of (15)	3 Del.	6 Del.	-	-	-	-	6 Del.
May 17	Maine State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	24 of (24)	6 Del.	10 Del.	5 Del.	-	-	-	3 Del.
May 19	Oregon Primary<ref name="The Tribune">Template:Cite news</ref> 354,332	47 of (47)	29 Del. Template:Nowrap	18 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	–	Template:Nowrap	–
	Washington Primary<ref name="The Tribune"/> 147,981	0 of (72)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-
May 26	Arkansas Primary<ref name="Primaries">Template:Cite news</ref> 506,679	36 of (36)	30 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	–	–	Template:Nowrap	6 Del. Template:Nowrap
	Idaho Primary Primary<ref name="Primaries"/> 55,124	0 of (18)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	–	–	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
	Kentucky Primary Primary<ref name="Primaries"/> 370,578	52 of (52)	34 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	-	18 Del. Template:Nowrap
May 30	Washington District Conventions<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	46 of (72)	15 Del.	10 Del.	9 Del.	-	-	-	12 Del.
May 31	Alaska State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	14 of (14)	5 Del.	-	-	-	-	-	8 Del.
	Hawaii State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Efn	20 of (20)	16 Del.	2 Del.	-	2 Del.	-	-	-
June 2	Alabama Primary<ref name="Presidential Primaries">Template:Cite news</ref> 450,899	55 of (55)	43 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	–	–	Template:Nowrap	12 Del. Template:Nowrap
	California Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2,863,419	348 of (348)	191 Del. Template:Nowrap	157 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–
	Montana Primary<ref name="Presidential Primaries"/> 117,471	16 of (16)	8 Del. Template:Nowrap	3 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	–	–	5 Del. Template:Nowrap
	New Jersey Primary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 405,222	105 of (105)	73 Del. Template:Nowrap	26 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	–	2 Del. Template:Nowrap	–
	New Mexico Primary<ref name="Presidential Primaries"/> 181,443	25 of (25)	17 Del. Template:Nowrap	3 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	–	Template:Nowrap	5 Del. Template:Nowrap
	Ohio Primary<ref name="Presidential Primaries"/> 1,042,235	151 of (151)	113 Del. Template:Nowrap	34 Del. Template:Nowrap	1 Del. Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	3 Del.Template:Efn Template:Nowrap	-
June 6	Minnesota State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	29 of (92)	7 Del.	3 Del.	-	-	-	1 Del.Template:Efn	18 Del.
	Virginia State ConventionTemplate:Efn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	78 of (78)	58 Del.	3 Del.	-	-	-	-	17 Del.
June 7	Washington State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	26 of (72)	8 Del.	6 Del.	5 Del.	-	-	-	7 Del.
June 9	North Dakota Primary<ref name="Presidential Primaries"/> 32,786	0 of (14)	Template:Nowrap	–	–	–	–	Template:Nowrap	–
June 20	Idaho State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	18 of (18)	4 Del.	-	4 Del.	5 Del.	-	-	5 Del.
June 21	Iowa State Convention<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	17 of (49)	3 Del.	-	-	9 Del.	-	-	5 Del.
Total pledged delegates (3,517)Template:Efn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>			1,997 (56.78%)	588 (16.72%)	533 (15.15%)	38 (1.08%)	7 (0.20%)	6 (0.17%)	271 (7.71%)

Polling

Nationwide

Poll source	Publication	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Sep. 1991	21%	6%	6%	5%	5%	?	—
Gallup<ref name="polls"/>	Nov. 1991	21%	9%	10%	10%	7%	?	—
Gallup<ref name="polls"/>	Jan. 1992	21%	17%	9%	11%	6%	?	—
New York Times/CBS News<ref name="Apple 1">Template:Cite news</ref>	Jan. 1992	?	Template:Party shading/Democratic |22%	?	?	10%	?	—
Gallup<ref name="polls"/>	Feb. 2, 1992	21%	Template:Party shading/Democratic |42%	9%	10%	9%	?	—
New York Times/CBS News<ref name="Apple 1"/>	Feb. 22, 1992	10%	Template:Party shading/Democratic |29%	3%	4%	24%	4%Template:Efn	26%

State polling

New Hampshire

Poll source	Publication	Sample size	MoE	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header
USA Today–CNN–Gallup<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>	Feb. 12–14	600 V	±5%	6%	23%	–	14%	10%	39%	–	8%
Boston Globe–WBZ-TV<ref name=":0" />	Feb. 13–14	400 LV	±5%	5%	25%	4%	11%	11%	32%	4%	8%
Mason-Dixon<ref name=":0" />	Feb. 13–15	433 V	±5%	4%	21%	4%	9%	8%	34%	–	20%

The convention

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The convention met in New York City, and the official tally was:

• Bill Clinton 3,372
• Jerry Brown 596
• Paul Tsongas 209
• Penn. Gov. Robert P. Casey 10
• Rep. Pat Schroeder 8
• Larry Agran 3
• Ron Daniels 1
• Al Gore 1
• Joe Simonetta 1

Clinton chose U.S. Senator Albert A. Gore Jr. (D-Tennessee) to be his running mate on July 9, 1992. Choosing Gore, who is from Clinton's neighboring state of Tennessee, went against the popular strategy of balancing a Southern candidate with a Northern partner. Gore did serve to balance the ticket in other ways, as he was perceived as strong on foreign policy and environmental issues, while Clinton was not.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Also, Gore's similarities to Clinton allowed him to push some of his key campaign themes, such as centrism and generational change.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Before Gore's selection, other politicians were mentioned as a possible running-mate, e.g. Bob Kerrey, Dick Gephardt, Mario Cuomo, Indiana Representative Lee H. Hamilton, Pennsylvania Senator Harris Wofford, Florida Senator Bob Graham, and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.

The Democratic Convention in New York City was essentially a solidification of the party around Clinton and Gore, though there was controversy over whether Jerry Brown, who did not endorse Clinton, would be allowed to speak. Brown did speak at the convention by seconding his own nomination.

Another additional controversy concerned Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey, who sought a speaking slot at the convention but was not granted one. Casey complained that it was because of his outspoken anti-abortion views: he had warned the platform committee that Democrats were committing political suicide because of their support for abortion rights.<ref>The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution May 19, 1992 Page: A/8</ref> Clinton supporters have said that Casey was not allowed to speak because he had not endorsed the ticket.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Popular vote results

Total popular vote number in primaries:<ref name="ourcampaigns.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Bill Clinton - 10,482,411 (52.01%)
• Jerry Brown - 4,071,232 (20.20%)
• Paul Tsongas - 3,656,010 (18.14%)
• Unpledged - 750,873 (3.73%)
• Bob Kerrey - 318,457 (1.58%)
• Tom Harkin - 280,304 (1.39%)
• Lyndon LaRouche - 154,599 (0.77%)
• Eugene McCarthy - 108,678 (0.54%)
• Charles Woods - 88,948 (0.44%)
• Larry Agran - 58,611 (0.29%)
• Ross Perot - 54,755 (0.27%)
• Ralph Nader - 35,935 (0.18%)
• Louis Stokes - 29,983 (0.15%)
• Angus Wheeler McDonald - 9,900 (0.05%)
• J. Louis McAlpine - 7,911 (0.04%)
• George W. Benns - 7,887 (0.04%)
• Rufus T. Higginbotham - 7,705 (0.04%)
• Tod Howard Hawks - 7,434 (0.04%)
• Stephen Bruke - 5,261 (0.03%)
• Tom Laughlin - 5,202 (0.03%)
• Tom Shiekman - 4,965 (0.03%)
• Jeffrey F. Marsh - 2,445 (0.01%)
• George Ballard - 2,067 (0.01%)
• Ray Rollinson - 1,206 (0.01%)
• Lenora Fulani - 402 (0.00%)
• Douglas Wilder - 240 (0.00%)

Maps

• Results by county
  Results by county

Convention tallies

For President:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Bill Clinton - 3,372 (80.27%)
• Jerry Brown - 596 (14.19%)
• Paul Tsongas - 209 (4.98%)
• Robert P. Casey - 10 (0.24%)
• Patricia Schroeder - 8 (0.19%)
• Larry Agran - 3 (0.07%)
• Ron Daniels - 1 (0.02%)
• Al Gore - 1 (0.02%)
• Joe Simonetta 1 (0.02%)

Vice presidential nomination

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Clinton selected Tennessee Senator and 1988 candidate Al Gore to be his running-mate. Among other confirmed possible V.P. nominees, who were finalists of Clinton's selection were:

• Jay Rockefeller, U.S. senator from West Virginia
• Bob Graham, U.S. senator from Florida
• Lee H. Hamilton, U.S. representative from Indiana.<ref name="query.nytimes.com">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Tom Harkin, U.S. senator from Iowa
• Bob Kerrey, U.S. senator from Nebraska
• George Mitchell, U.S. Senate Majority Leader from Maine
• Paul Tsongas, former U.S. senator from Massachusetts
• Doug Wilder, Governor of Virginia
• Harris Wofford, U.S. senator from Pennsylvania

Clinton's list of finalists did not include Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey and Governor of New York Mario Cuomo, who publicly disavowed interest in the vice presidency.<ref name="query.nytimes.com"/>

Convention tally for vice president

• Al Gore - was nominated by acclamation on a voice vote.

In popular media

The story of the race was covered in the 1993 documentary film The War Room and fictionalized into the 1996 novel and 1998 film Primary Colors.

See also

• 1992 Republican Party presidential primaries

Bibliography

• My Life by Bill Clinton, 2004, Vintage. Template:ISBN

Works cited

• Template:Cite book