1996 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 1996 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 5, 1996. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president. Tennessee was won by incumbent United States President Bill Clinton of Arkansas, who was running against Kansas Senator Bob Dole. Clinton ran a second time with former Tennessee Senator Al Gore as vice president, and Dole ran with former New York Congressman Jack Kemp.

Tennessee weighed in for this election as 6.01 points more Republican than the national average. , this is the last time that the Democratic nominee carried Tennessee, as well as Montgomery County, Maury County, Carroll County, Weakley County, Obion County, McNairy County, Anderson County, Coffee County, Polk County, Putnam County, Sequatchie County, Morgan County, Fayette County, Cheatham County, Roane County, Lawrence County, Dyer County, Union County, Fentress County, Meigs County, and Moore County.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

The presidential election of 1996 was a very multi-partisan election for Tennessee, with nearly seven percent of the electorate voting for third-party candidates. Most counties in Tennessee turned out for Clinton, including the highly populated Shelby County and Davidson County, by narrow margins. Both Shelby and Davidson counties have voted consistently Democratic since the prior election. In his second bid for the presidency, Reform Party candidate Ross Perot received over five percent of the votes in Tennessee, as part of the strongest national third-party presidential campaign in recent history. Tennessee nonetheless showed Perot his worst performance out of any state.

Primary elections

Democratic primary The Tennessee Democratic primary was held on March 12, 1996. Incumbent President Bill Clinton won the primary in a landslide, receiving 122,538 votes (88.9%) and effectively securing all 67 pledged delegates. The uncommitted option received 15,144 votes (11%) and did not earn any delegates. Clinton earned all 67 pledged delegates. Tennessee also had 8 unpledged party leader and elected official delegates (Superdelegates). 1996 Tennessee Democratic PrimaryCandidateVotes%DelegatesBill Clinton122,53888.93%67Uncommitted15,14410.99%0Scattered 1150.08%0Total137,797 100.00%75

Republican primary

The Tennessee Republican primary was held on March 12, 1996. Senator Bob Dole comfortably won the state, earning all 37 delegates.

Dole's victory in Tennessee contributed to a series of wins across several Super Tuesday states that consolidated his position as the front-runner for the Republican nomination.

Although Lamar Alexander had been viewed as a potential favorite-son candidate in Tennessee, he suspended his campaign shortly before the primary and endorsed Dole. 1996 Tennessee Republican Presidential PrimaryCandidateVotes%DelegatesBob Dole148,06351.16%37Pat Buchanan72,92825.20%0Lamar Alexander(withdrawn)32,74211.31%0Steve Forbes22,1717.66%0Alan Keyes7,6612.65%0Uncommitted3,0781.06%0Bob Dornan 8980.31%0Phil Gramm(withdrawn)6880.24%0Richard Lugar(withdrawn)5310.18%0Write-ins4160.14%0Morry Taylor(withdrawn)2100.07%0Total289,386100.00%37

General election 1996 United States presidential election in TennesseePartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Democratic Bill Clinton (incumbent) 909,146 48.00% 11 Republican Bob Dole 863,530 45.59% 0 Independent Ross Perot 105,918 5.59% 0 Independent Ralph Nader 6,427 0.34% 0 Independent Harry Browne 5,020 0.27% 0 Independent Howard Phillips 1,818 0.10% 0 Independent Charles E. Collins 688 0.04% 0 Independent Dr. John Hagelin 636 0.03% 0 Independent Steve Michael 408 0.02% 0 Independent Earl Dodge 324 0.02% 0 Write-ins 190 0.01% 0 Totals 1,894,105 100.00% 11 Voter Turnout (Voting age/Registered)

Results by county CountyBill ClintonOur Campaigns; TN US President Race, November 05, 1996DemocraticBob DoleRepublicanRoss PerotIndependentVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%#%#%Anderson13,45748.91%11,94343.40%1,8176.60%2991.09%1,5145.51%27,516Bedford5,73550.82%4,63441.07%8237.29%920.82%1,1019.75%11,284Benton4,34158.27%2,39532.15%6638.90%510.68%1,94626.12%7,450Bledsoe1,62145.89%1,62646.04%2517.11%340.96%-5-0.15%3,532Blount14,68739.77%19,31052.29%2,5566.92%3771.02%-4,623-12.52%36,930Bradley9,09534.16%15,47858.13%1,8566.97%1990.75%-6,383-23.97%26,628Campbell6,12253.77%4,39338.59%7856.90%850.75%1,72915.18%11,385Cannon2,31855.39%1,46835.08%3618.63%380.91%85020.31%4,185Carroll4,91249.87%4,20642.70%6977.08%340.35%7067.17%9,849Carter6,21834.01%10,54057.65%1,3837.56%1410.77%-4,322-23.64%18,282Cheatham4,88349.01%4,28342.98%7057.08%930.93%6006.03%9,964Chester1,92239.22%2,74656.03%2034.14%300.61%-824-16.81%4,901Claiborne3,86144.49%4,02346.35%7278.38%680.78%-162-1.86%8,679Clay1,55951.86%1,10836.86%31610.51%230.77%45115.00%3,006Cocke3,32638.27%4,48151.56%7989.18%860.99%-1,155-13.29%8,691Coffee7,95148.78%7,03843.18%1,2057.39%1070.66%9135.60%16,301Crockett2,25651.96%1,87243.11%2014.63%130.30%3848.85%4,342Cumberland6,67640.84%8,09649.53%1,3998.56%1761.08%-1,420-8.69%16,347Davidson110,80555.30%78,45339.15%9,0184.50%2,1061.05%32,35216.15%200,382Decatur2,26253.55%1,71240.53%2295.42%510.96%55013.02%4,254DeKalb3,21360.60%1,69631.99%3426.45%210.50%1,51728.61%5,272Dickson7,45853.93%5,28338.20%9967.20%920.67%2,17515.73%13,829Dyer5,60249.25%5,05944.48%6765.94%370.33%5434.77%11,374Fayette4,65548.90%4,40646.29%4164.37%420.44%2492.61%9,519Fentress2,33246.12%2,30745.63%3867.63%310.61%250.49%5,056Franklin6,92951.79%5,29639.58%1,0577.90%970.73%1,63312.21%13,379Gibson8,85153.88%6,61440.26%8915.42%720.44%2,23713.62%16,428Giles4,94854.80%3,26936.20%7338.12%800.89%1,67918.60%9,030Grainger2,16239.65%2,87552.72%3827.01%340.62%-713-13.07%5,453Greene6,88537.39%9,77953.10%1,6048.71%1480.80%-2,894-15.71%18,416Grundy2,59664.15%1,09427.03%3268.06%310.77%1,50237.12%4,047Hamblen7,00638.71%9,79754.13%1,1066.11%1901.05%-2,791-15.42%18,099Hamilton48,00843.55%55,20550.08%6,6996.08%3250.29%-7,197-6.53%110,237Hancock76035.28%1,25958.45%1165.39%190.88%-499-23.17%2,154Hardeman4,85959.03%2,96135.97%3464.20%650.79%1,89823.06%8,231Hardin3,50843.22%3,98049.03%5947.32%350.43%-472-5.81%8,117Hawkins6,36739.94%8,16451.21%1,2828.04%1280.80%-1,797-11.27%15,941Haywood3,56559.12%2,29338.03%1542.55%180.30%1,27221.09%6,030Henderson2,84139.01%4,00254.96%4085.60%310.43%-1,161-15.95%7,282Henry6,15353.50%4,27237.14%9928.63%840.73%1,88116.36%11,501Hickman3,91761.03%2,00231.19%4607.17%390.61%1,91529.84%6,418Houston1,86866.31%74226.34%1826.46%250.89%1,12639.97%2,817Humphreys3,67561.05%1,89231.43%4237.03%300.50%1,78329.62%6,020Jackson2,88969.43%94422.69%2896.95%390.94%1,94546.74%4,161Jefferson4,68838.57%6,44653.03%8827.26%1391.14%-1,758-14.46%12,155Johnson1,69831.69%3,13758.54%4899.12%350.65%-1,439-26.85%5,359Knox61,15843.67%70,76150.53%6,4024.57%1,7241.23%-9,603-6.86%140,045Lake1,27364.23%58929.72%1105.55%100.50%68434.51%1,982Lauderdale4,34960.71%2,48134.63%3084.30%260.36%1,86826.08%7,164Lawrence6,18846.32%6,11545.77%9737.28%830.62%730.55%13,359Lewis1,97154.78%1,29836.08%3168.78%130.36%67318.70%3,598Lincoln4,36144.74%4,55146.69%7617.81%740.76%-190-1.95%9,747Loudon5,55240.43%7,09851.69%8896.47%1921.40%-1,546-11.26%13,731Macon2,24043.36%2,48148.03%4218.15%240.46%-241-4.67%5,166Madison13,57745.92%14,90850.42%9683.27%1120.38%-1,331-4.50%29,565Marion5,19456.51%3,16634.45%7688.36%630.69%2,02822.06%9,191Marshall4,44756.20%2,78135.14%6037.62%821.04%1,66621.06%7,913Maury10,36750.39%8,73742.47%1,3666.64%1040.51%1,6307.92%20,574McMinn5,98740.50%7,65551.78%1,0336.99%1090.74%-1,668-11.28%14,784McNairy4,05047.22%3,96046.18%5196.05%470.55%901.04%8,576Meigs1,47649.73%1,22841.37%2458.25%190.64%2488.36%2,968Monroe4,87244.58%5,25748.11%7136.52%860.79%-385-3.53%10,928Montgomery16,49849.06%15,13345.01%1,7815.30%2130.63%1,3654.05%33,625Moore93547.22%84642.73%1778.94%221.11%894.49%1,980Morgan2,76751.97%2,07038.88%4468.38%410.77%69713.09%5,324Obion6,22653.97%4,31037.36%9328.08%680.59%1,91616.61%11,536Overton3,80063.00%1,75629.11%4317.15%450.75%2,04433.89%6,032Perry1,44460.52%74731.31%1787.46%170.71%69729.21%2,386Pickett90143.51%1,04650.51%1165.60%80.39%-145-7.00%2,071Polk2,45051.36%1,91040.04%3777.90%330.69%54011.32%4,770Putnam10,04748.10%9,09343.53%1,4877.12%2611.25%9544.57%20,888Rhea3,96943.20%4,47648.72%6947.55%490.53%-507-5.52%9,188Roane9,74447.57%9,04444.15%1,4387.02%2591.26%7003.42%20,485Robertson8,46552.16%6,68541.19%9936.12%860.53%1,78010.97%16,229Rutherford22,81544.22%24,56547.61%3,7877.34%4270.83%-1,750-3.39%51,594Scott2,50644.46%2,64646.94%4317.65%540.96%-140-2.48%5,637Sequatchie1,59848.45%1,39142.18%2888.73%210.64%2076.27%3,298Sevier7,13634.23%11,84756.83%1,6507.92%2131.02%-4,711-22.60%20,846Shelby179,66355.05%136,31541.77%8,3072.55%2,0950.64%43,34813.28%326,380Smith3,81262.94%1,85730.66%3465.71%420.69%1,95532.28%6,057Stewart2,96263.02%1,30627.79%3868.21%460.98%1,65635.23%4,700Sullivan20,57138.21%29,29654.42%3,5556.60%4150.77%-8,725-16.21%53,837Sumner19,20544.50%20,86348.35%2,7836.45%3030.70%-1,658-3.85%43,154Tipton6,59643.82%7,58550.40%7995.31%710.47%-989-6.58%15,051Trousdale1,61564.63%68327.33%1907.60%110.44%93237.30%2,499Unicoi2,13137.03%3,12254.25%4477.77%550.96%-991-17.22%5,755Union2,42147.37%2,25344.08%3857.53%521.02%1683.29%5,111Van Buren1,01060.73%50430.31%1287.70%211.26%50630.42%1,663Warren6,38954.92%4,22636.33%9177.88%1010.87%2,16318.59%11,633Washington13,25938.06%18,96054.42%2,2376.42%3841.10%-5,701-16.36%34,840Wayne1,57433.85%2,71558.39%3236.95%380.82%-1,141-24.54%4,650Weakley5,65750.45%4,62241.22%8727.78%630.56%1,0359.23%11,214White3,59254.14%2,49837.65%5057.61%400.60%1,09416.49%6,635Williamson15,23133.57%27,69961.04%2,0714.56%3750.83%-12,468-27.47%45,376Wilson13,65546.22%13,81746.77%1,8416.23%2300.78%-162-0.55%29,543Totals909,14648.00%863,53045.59%105,9185.59%15,5110.82%45,6162.41%1,894,105

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Bledsoe Claiborne Hardin Lincoln Macon Pickett Rutherford Sumner Wilson

By congressional district Despite losing the state, Dole won five of nine districts, including one which elected a Democrat, while the remaining four were won by Clinton, including one which elected a Republican. District Clinton Dole Perot Representative38%55%7%Jimmy QuillenBill Jenkins 43% 52% 6%Jimmy Duncan 46% 47% 7%Zach Wamp 47% 46% 8%Van Hilleary 56% 39% 5%Bob Clement 46% 48% 7%Bart Gordon 41% 54% 5%Ed Bryant51% 44% 6%John S. Tanner71%27%2%Harold Ford Sr.Harold Ford Jr.

See also

1996 United States Senate election in Tennessee 1996 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee Presidency of Bill Clinton

Notes

References