Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1996

Infobox Election
election_name = Republican Presidential Primaries, 1996
country = United States
type = presidential
ongoing = no
previous_election = Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1992
previous_year = 1992
next_election = Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2000
next_year = 2000
election_date = 1996

nominee1 = Bob Dole
home_state1 = Kansas
states_carried1 = 44
popular_vote1 = 9,024,742
percentage1 = 58.82%

nominee2 = Pat Buchanan
home_state2 = Virginia
states_carried2 = 4
popular_vote2 = 3,184,943
percentage2 = 20.76%

nominee3 = Steve Forbes
home_state3 = New York
states_carried3 = 2
popular_vote3 = 1,751,187
percentage3 = 11.41%

map_

---

map_size = 450px
map_caption =
before_election = George H. W. Bush
before_party =
after_election = George W. Bush
after_party =

Republican Party nomination

A number of Republican candidates entered the field to challenge the incumbent Democratic President, Bill Clinton. The list included:

The fragmented field of candidates debated issues such as a flat tax and other tax cut proposals, and a return to supply-side economic policies popularized by Ronald Reagan. More attention was drawn to the race by the budget stalemate in 1995 between the Congress and the President, which caused temporary shutdowns and slowdowns in many areas of federal government service.

Potential candidates who did not run

Former U.S. Army Gen. Colin L. Powell was widely courted as a potential Republican nominee. However, on November 8, 1995, Powell announced that he would not seek the nomination. Former Secretary of Defense and future Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney was touted by many as a possible candidate for the presidency, but he declared his intentions not to run in early 1995. Former and future Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld formed a Presidential Campaign Exploratory Committee, but declined to formally enter the race. Then-Texas Governor George W. Bush was also urged by some party leaders to seek the Republican Party nomination, but opted against doing so.

Primaries and convention

Going into the 1996 primary contest, Senate majority leader and former vice-presidential nominee Bob Dole was seen as the most likely winner. However, in the primaries and caucuses, social conservative Pat Buchanan received early victories in Alaska, Louisiana and New Hampshire, and Steve Forbes in Delaware and Arizona which put Dole's leadership in doubt. However, Dole won every primary starting with North and South Dakota, which gave him a lock on the party nomination. Dole resigned his Senate seat on June 11. The Republican National Convention formally nominated Dole on August 15, 1996 as the GOP candidate for the fall election.

Overall popular primaries votecite web| url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494| work=Our Campaigns.com| title=US President – R Primaries Race – July 07, 1996| accessdate=2008-03-10]
* Bob Dole - 9,024,742 (58.82%)
* Pat Buchanan - 3,184,943 (20.76%)
* Steve Forbes - 1,751,187 (11.41%)
* Lamar Alexander - 495,590 (3.23%)
* Alan Keyes - 471,716 (3.08%)
* Dick Lugar - 127,111 (0.83%)
* Unpledged - 123,278 (0.80%)
* Phil Gramm - 71,456 (0.47%)
* Bob Dornan - 42,140 (0.28%)
* Morry Taylor - 21,180 (0.14%)

Convention tally:

*Bob Dole 1,928
*Pat Buchanan 43
*Steve Forbes 2
*Alan Keyes 1
*Robert Bork 1

Former Congressman and Cabinet secretary Jack Kemp was nominated by acclamation as Dole's running mate the following day.

Other politicians mentioned as possible GOP V.P. nominees before Kemp was selected were Ohio Governor George Voinovich, Michigan Governor John Engler, and Texas Governor George W. Bush.

Notable endorsements

Bob Dole
* Former Senator and 1964 Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater of Arizona [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=36285 Our Campaigns - AZ US President - R Primary Race - Feb 27, 1996 ] ]
* Governor George W. Bush of Texas [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]
* Senator William V. Roth of Delaware [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]
* Senator Alan K. Simpson of Wyoming [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]
* Senator Al D'Amato of New York [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]
* Former Governor Pete DuPont of Delaware [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=36304 Our Campaigns - DE US President - R Primary Race - Feb 24, 1996 ] ]
* Former Governor George Wallace of Alabama [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=4038 Our Campaigns - Candidate - George Corley Wallace ] ]

Pat Buchanan
* Governor Mike Foster of Louisiana [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=36320 Our Campaigns - LA US President - R Primary Race - Mar 12, 1996 ] ]

Steve Forbes
* Former Representative and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp of New York [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]
* Former Senator Gordon Humphrey of New Hampshire [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]

Lamar Alexander
* Former Governor Thomas H. Kean of New Jersey [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]
* Former Secretary of Education William Bennett [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]

W. Phillip Gramm
* Senator John McCain of Arizona [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]
* Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]

Pete Wilson
* Governor William Weld of Massachusetts [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]
* 1992 Perot's running-mate and retired admiral James Stockdale [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]

Arlen Specter
* Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]
* Former Representative Fred Grandy of Iowa [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]

Alan Keyes
* Norma McCorvey [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Jul 07, 1996 ] ]

References

See also

*United States history
*Political science