Mini-Tuesday was the name given to the February 3, 2004 U.S. presidential primary where several states, which to that point had participated in "Super Tuesday," cast their votes for the Presidential nominees of the 2004 Presidential election. Mini-Tuesday was also called Super Tuesday I (with the March Super Tuesday called Super Tuesday II, in reference to their respective chronological order). With the large number of states moving their election dates up to Mini-Tuesday for the 2008 election cycle, pundits have largely shied away from using the term again, instead choosing to reappropriate the term "Super Tuesday" to better represent the primaries held on that approximate date. The date is also known as "Super Duper Tuesday," "Giga Tuesday," and "Tsunami Tuesday," among others, with the term "Mini Tuesday" falling to apparent disuse for the time being.
In 2004, U.S. presidential primary elections occurred in Missouri, South Carolina, Arizona, Oklahoma and Delaware. Presidential caucuses were held in New Mexico and North Dakota. The Republican primaries and caucuses were virtually uncontested as incumbent President George W. Bush faced no substantial opposition. The Democratic primaries and caucuses were contested between retired General Wesley Clark of Arkansas, former Governor Howard Dean of Vermont, Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, and the Reverend Al Sharpton of New York. Of the seven Democratic primaries contested, five were won by Kerry, reinforcing his status as frontrunner for the 2004 nomination.
2004 Results
Missouri
Kerry handily won the biggest prize of the day by securing 51% of the vote in Missouri. Edwards placed second with 25%. All other candidates were in the single digits.
Democratic Results:
CandidateVotesPercentageDelegatesJohn Kerry211,73750.6%48John Edwards103,18824.7%26Howard Dean36,3058.7%0Wesley Clark18,3284.4%0Joseph Lieberman14,7263.5%0Al Sharpton14,3123.4%0Richard Gephardt8,3062.0%0Dennis Kucinich4,8761.2%0Uncommitted4,3161.0%0
Republican Results:
CandidateVotesPercentageGeorge W. Bush117,00795.1%Bill Wyatt1,2681.0%Blake Ashby9810.8%Uncommitted3,8303.4%
Libertarian Results:
CandidateVotesPercentageGary Nolan87445.2%Ruben Perez1648.5%Jeffrey Diket1527.9%Uncommitted74438.5%
Source: Missouri Department of State
South Carolina In a major victory, Edwards took his birth state of South Carolina, garnering 45% of the vote to Kerry's 30%.
Democratic Results:
CandidateVotesPercentageDelegatesJohn Edwards126,32045.0%28John Kerry84,87230.2%17Al Sharpton26,9469.6%0Wesley Clark20,1897.2%0Howard Dean13,0554.7%0Joseph Lieberman6,8532.4%0Dennis Kucinich1,2460.4%0Richard Gephardt6040.2%0Carol Moseley Braun5690.2%0
Republican Results:
On January 19, 2003, the Republican National Convention announced that the South Carolina Republican Party had passed a resolution granting George W. Bush South Carolina's 46 delegates.
Source: The Green Papers
Arizona Kerry made a strong showing in Arizona by winning the support of 43% of voters. Clark placed second with 27%. Arizona was the only state primary in which Dean acquired any delegates. His 14% share of the vote netted him just one delegate.
Democratic Results:
CandidateVotesPercentageDelegatesJohn Kerry101,80942.5%30Wesley Clark63,25626.7%22Howard Dean33,55513.9%3John Edwards16,5966.9%0Joseph Lieberman15,9066.7%0Dennis Kucinich3,8961.6%0Al Sharpton1,1770.5%0Richard Gephardt7550.3%0Carol Moseley Braun3250.1%0Lyndon LaRouche2950.1%0Dianne Barker2570.1%0Bill Wyatt2330.1%0
Republican Results:
On March 12, 2003 - A state Senate committee in Arizona backed a Republican measure to save $3 million by forgoing that state's primary. District and county conventions will be held in April.
Sources: Arizona Department of State, The Green Papers
Oklahoma Oklahoma was the most hotly contested state of Mini-Tuesday 2004. Clark needed it to stay in the race, while Edwards wanted it so that he could walk away with two victories. In the end, both candidates got 30% of the vote, with Clark slightly ahead of Edwards. Kerry also placed strongly with 27%.
Democratic Results:
CandidateVotesPercentageDelegatesWesley Clark90,45329.93%15John Edwards89,23429.53%13John Kerry81,01526.81%12Joseph Lieberman19,6786.51%0Howard Dean12,7284.21%0Al Sharpton3,9391.30%0Dennis Kucinich2,5440.84%0Richard Gephardt1,8900.64%0Lyndon LaRouche6880.23%0
Republican Results:
CandidateVotesPercentageGeorge W. Bush59,56289.99%Bill Wyatt6,62210.01%
Source: Oklahoma Department of State
Delaware Lieberman took second place in Delaware with 11% of the vote. However, as this was insufficient to gain him any delegates, he dropped out of the race after a bad showing in the other primaries. Kerry carried the state with 50% of the vote and all thirteen delegates.
Democratic Results:
CandidateVotesPercentageDelegatesJohn Kerry16,78750.4%14Joseph Lieberman3,70611.1%0John Edwards3,67411.0%0Howard Dean3,46210.4%0Wesley Clark3,1659.5%0Al Sharpton1,8885.7%1Dennis Kucinich3441.0%0Richard Gephardt1870.6%0Lyndon LaRouche780.2%0
Republican Results:
Regional meetings in April will choose delegates for a State Convention in mid-May.
Source: The Green Papers
Caucuses In both New Mexico and North Dakota, Kerry placed first by a wide margin and Clark came in second to score a small number of delegates. Additionally, Dean achieved moderate success in New Mexico by netting 18% of the vote and three delegates.
Democratic Results:
New Mexico
CandidateVotesPercentageDelegatesJohn Kerry43,55342.6%14Wesley Clark20,88320.4%8Howard Dean16,74716.4%4John Edwards11,44011.2%0Dennis Kucinich5,6385.5%0Joseph Lieberman2,5782.5%0Richard Gephardt6530.6%0Uncommitted4790.5%10write-in /others1760.2%0Fern Penna840.1%0
North Dakota
CandidateVotesPercentageDelegatesJohn Kerry5,36650.8%9Wesley Clark2,50223.7%5Howard Dean1,23111.7%4John Edwards1,0259.7%0Dennis Kucinich3082.9%0Joseph Lieberman980.9%0Al Sharpton280.3%0Uncommitted--7
Republican Results:
George W. Bush won all 26 of North Dakota's Delegates to the Republican National Convention in the Republican Presidential Preference Caucus.
See also Super Tuesday Super Tuesday (2008)
References