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. For 1992 two-thirds of the delegates were selected in 35 primaries.
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.
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.
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. 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 Popular vote Contests won Running mateBill Clinton Governor of Arkansas(1979–1981)(1983–1992)(Campaign • Positions)Secured nomination:June 2, 199210,482,411(52.01%)37NY, 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, PRAl Gore
Eliminated at convention Candidate Most recent office Home stateCampaignWithdrawal datePopular voteContests wonJerry BrownGovernor of California(1975–1983)(Campaign)Eliminated at Convention:July 15, 19924,071,232(20.20%)6
Withdrew during or before primaries Candidate Most recent office Home stateCampaign Withdrawal datePopular voteContests wonPaul TsongasU.S. Senatorfrom Massachusetts(1979–1985)Suspended Campaign:March 19, 1992Endorsed Bill Clinton:June 3, 19923,656,010(18.14%)9Tom HarkinU.S. Senatorfrom Iowa(1985–2015)(Campaign) Withdrew:March 9, 1992Endorsed Bill Clinton:March 26, 1992280,304(1.39%)3 Bob KerreyU.S. Senatorfrom Nebraska(1989–2001)Withdrew:March 5, 1992Endorsed Bill Clinton:May 14, 1992318,457(1.58%)1Douglas WilderGovernorof Virginia(1990–1994)Withdrew:January 8, 1992Endorsed Bill Clinton:July 14, 1992240(0.00%)0
Minor candidates Other notable individuals campaigning for the nomination but not featuring in major polls were:
Larry AgranLyndon LaRoucheTom LaughlinRon KovicEugene McCarthyMayor of Irvine, California(1982–1984), (1986–1990) No Elected Office(Head of the NCLB) No Elected Office(Actor) No Elected Office(Anti-war Activist and Author)U.S. Senator (MN)(1959–1971)
Declined Note on Declination Dates: Dale BumpersMichael DukakisJohn SilberSam NunnPat SchroederGeorge J. MitchellGeorge McGovernStephen Solarz U.S. Senatorfrom Arkansas(1975–1999)Governorof Massachusetts(1975–1979)(1983–1991)President of Boston University(1971–1996)U.S. Senatorfrom Georgia(1972–1997)U.S. Representativefrom Colorado(1973–1997)U.S. Senatorfrom Maine(1980–1995)U.S. Senatorfrom South Dakota(1963–1981)U.S. Representativefrom New York(1975–1993)April 20, 1990November 25, 1990March 8, 1991March 10, 1991March 13, 1991March 31, 1991May 23, 1991July 5, 1991Dick GephardtJay RockefellerAl GoreLloyd BentsenBill BradleyDave McCurdyJesse JacksonMario CuomoU.S. Representativefrom Missouri(1977–2005)U.S. Senatorfrom West Virginia(1985–2015)U.S. Senatorfrom Tennessee(1985–1993)U.S. Senatorfrom Texas(1971–1993)U.S. Senatorfrom New Jersey(1979–1997)U.S. Representativefrom Oklahoma(1981–1995)Shadow Senatorfrom the District of Columbia(1991–1997)Governorof New York(1983–1994)July 17, 1991August 7, 1991August 21, 1991August 28, 1991August 28, 1991October 18, 1991November 2, 1991December 20, 1991
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 Senator Bob Graham of Florida Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts Senator Chuck Robb of Virginia Governor Ann Richards of Texas General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. of Florida Senator Paul Simon of Illinois Senator Tim Wirth of Colorado
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.
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. 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."Walker, Jesse (2009-11-01) Five Faces of Jerry Brown , The American Conservative 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."
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. 70% of black voters supported Clinton, 15% supported Brown, and 8% supported Tsongas.
Schedule and results Tablemaker's Note:
DateContestAwardedpledged delegatesDelegates won and popular voteBillClintonJerryBrownPaulTsongasTomHarkinBobKerreyOthersUncommittedFebruary 10IowaCaucuses2,996 0 of (49) -February 18New HampshirePrimary167,66418 of (18)9 Del.9 Del. -February 22MaineCaucuses3,368 0 of (24) -February 25South DakotaPrimary59,79415 of (15)3 Del.5 Del.7 Del. -March 3ColoradoPrimary239,64347 of (47)14 Del.18 Del.15 Del.GeorgiaPrimary454,63176 of (76)54 Del.22 Del. -IdahoCaucuses372 0 of (18) -MarylandPrimary531,06867 of (67)29 Del.38 Del. -MinnesotaCaucuses0 of (92)(10.3%)(8.2%)(19.2%)(26.7%)(7.6%) -(24.3%)UtahCaucuses31,42923 of (23)5 Del.9 Del.9 Del.WashingtonCaucuses? 0 of (72) -American SamoaCaucuses31,4293 of (3) - - - -3 Del.March 7ArizonaCaucuses36,72741 of (41)15 Del.12 Del.14 Del.- -South CarolinaPrimary116,41443 of (43)36 Del.7 Del. - -WyomingCaucuses274 0 of (11)–March 8NevadaCaucuses1,546 0 of (17)March 10(Super Tuesday)(777)DelawareCaucuses318 2,5030 of (14)–– -FloridaPrimary1,092,448148 of (148)87 Del.3 Del.58 Del. - -HawaiiCaucuses2,9660 of (20) -LouisianaPrimary384,42660 of (60)59 Del.1 Del. -MassachusettsPrimary794,11594 of (94)6 Del.88 Del.MississippiPrimary191,20039 of (39)39 Del.MissouriCaucuses22,5000 of (92)–– -OklahomaPrimary416,12945 of (45)38 Del.7 Del.– -Rhode IslandPrimary50,40222 of (22)6 Del.3 Del.13 Del.TennesseePrimary318,48268 of (68)56 Del.12 Del.TexasPrimary1,483,047196 of (196)94 Del.2 Del.31 Del. -March 17