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1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries

Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

Field	Value
election_name	1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries
country	United States
type	primary
ongoing	no
previous_election	1988 Democratic Party presidential primaries
previous_year	1988
next_election	1996 Democratic Party presidential primaries
next_year	1996
election_date	February 10 to June 9, 1992
votes_for_election	4,289 delegates to the [Democratic National Convention](1992-democratic-national-convention)
needed_votes	2,145 (majority)
<!-- Bill Clinton -->	image1	File:President Bill Clinton, half-length portrait, seated at desk, facing front (color) (1).jpg
candidate1	Bill Clinton
colour1	6c00e8
home_state1	Arkansas
states_carried1	37
popular_vote1	10,482,411
percentage1	52.0%
delegate_count1	1,997
<!-- Jerry Brown -->	image2	Jerry Brown (2003 b) (1).JPG
candidate2	Jerry Brown
colour2	e56cbf
home_state2	California
states_carried2	6
popular_vote2	4,071,232
percentage2	20.2%
delegate_count2	588
<!-- Paul Tsongas -->	image3	Paul Tsongas (cropped).jpg
candidate3	Paul Tsongas
colour3	ffff00
home_state3	Massachusetts
states_carried3	9
popular_vote3	3,656,010
percentage3	18.1%
delegate_count3	533
<!-- Tom Harkin -->	image4	Tom Harkin Portrait Signed Crop.jpg
candidate4	Tom Harkin
colour4	41bf1a
home_state4	Iowa
states_carried4	3
popular_vote4	280,304
percentage4	1.4%
delegate_count4	38
<!-- Bob Kerrey -->	image5	Bob Kerrey portrait.gif
candidate5	Bob Kerrey
colour5	1c86a4
home_state5	Nebraska
states_carried5	1
popular_vote5	318,457
percentage5	1.6%
delegate_count5	7
<!-- Other info -->	map	{{Switcher
First place by popular vote	default	2
map_caption

title	Democratic nominee
before_election	Michael Dukakis
after_election	Bill Clinton

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
[[File:President Bill Clinton, half-length portrait, seated at desk, facing front (color) (1).jpg	x126px]]		Governor of Arkansas
(1979–1981)
(1983–1992)	Arkansas	[[File:Bill Clinton for president 1992 logo.svg	149x149px]]
(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

Eliminated at convention

Candidate	Most recent office	Home state	Campaign
[[File:JerryBrownMayor2000-recolorized.png	x126px]]		Governor of California
(1975–1983)	California	[[File:JerryBrownLogo92.jpg	163x163px]]
(Campaign)	4,071,232
(20.20%)	6

Withdrew during or before primaries

Candidate	Most recent office	Home state	Campaign	Popular vote
[[File:Paul Tsongas (cropped).jpg	x126px]]		U.S. Senator
from Massachusetts
(1979–1985)	Massachusetts	[[File:Paul Tsongas 1992 presidential campaign logo.svg	163x163px]]
Suspended Campaign:
March 19, 1992
Endorsed Bill Clinton:
June 3, 1992
3,656,010
(18.14%)	9
[[File:Tom Harkin Portrait Signed Crop.jpg	x126px]]		U.S. Senator
from Iowa
(1985–2015)	Iowa	[[File:Harkin1992.gif	136x136px]]
(Campaign) Withdrew:
March 9, 1992
Endorsed Bill Clinton:
March 26, 1992	280,304
(1.39%)	3
[[File:Bob Kerrey portrait.gif	x126px]]		U.S. Senator
from Nebraska
(1989–2001)	Nebraska	[[File:Bob Kerrey 1992 presidential campaign logo.svg	136x136px]]
Withdrew:
March 5, 1992
Endorsed Bill Clinton:
May 14, 1992	318,457
(1.58%)	1
[[File:Douglas Wilder 2003 NIH.jpg	x126px]]		**Governor
of Virginia**
(1990–1994)	Virginia	[[File:Dougwilder1992.gif	frameless	150x150px]]
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
[[File:Official City Portrait of Larry Agran.jpg	center	120x120px]]	[[File:LaRouche 1988 (filter).jpg	center	120x120px]]	[[File:Tom Laughlin 1978.jpg	center	120x120px]]	[[File:Eugene McCarthy, RIT NandE 1976 Nov8 Complete.jpg	center	120x120px]]
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:

Dale Bumpers	Michael Dukakis	John Silber	Sam Nunn	Pat Schroeder	George J. Mitchell	George McGovern	Stephen Solarz	Dick Gephardt	Jay Rockefeller	Al Gore	Lloyd Bentsen	Bill Bradley	Dave McCurdy	Jesse Jackson	Mario Cuomo
[[File:Dale Bumpers.jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:Michael Dukakis 1988 DNC (1).jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:John Silber (6789866467).jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:Sam Nunn 1991 (cropped).jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:PatSchroeder.jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:GeorgeJMitchellPortrait.jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:George McGovern 1970s.png	center	150x150px]]	[[File:Stephen Solarz 100th Congress.jpg	center	150x150px]]
**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	November 25, 1990	March 8, 1991	March 10, 1991	March 13, 1991	March 31, 1991	May 23, 1991	July 5, 1991
[[File:Dick Gephardt portrait (3x4 crop).jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:Jay Rockefeller portrait (3x4).jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:Al Gore Senate portrait (cropped).jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:LloydBentsen (cropped 3x4).jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:BillBradley (cropped).jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:Dave McCurdy.jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:Jesse Jackson (32360424508).jpg	center	150x150px]]	[[File:Mario Cuomo 1991.jpg	center	150x150px]]
**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	August 7, 1991	August 21, 1991	August 28, 1991	August 28, 1991	October 18, 1991	November 2, 1991	December 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." 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:

Date	Contest
and total popular vote	Awarded
pledged delegates	Delegates won and popular vote	Bill
Clinton	Jerry
Brown	Paul
Tsongas	Tom
Harkin	Bob
Kerrey	Others	Uncommitted	1,997 (56.78%)	588 (16.72%)	533 (15.15%)	38 (1.08%)	7 (0.20%)	6 (0.17%)	271 (7.71%)
February 10	[Iowa
Caucuses](1992-iowa-democratic-caucuses)
2,996 CDs	0 of (49)	76 CDs (2.81%)	51 CDs (1.60%)	128 CDs (4.11%)	2,314 CDs (76.55%)	72 CDs (2.41%)	-	355 CDs (11.85%)
February 18	[New Hampshire
Primary](1992-new-hampshire-democratic-presidential-primary)
167,664	18 of (18)	9 Del.
41,540 (24.78%)
13,659 (8.15%)	**9 Del.
55,663 (33.20%)**
17,063 (10.18%)
18,584 (11.08%)
21,155 (12.62%)	-
February 22	Maine
Caucuses
3,368 SDs	0 of (24)	501 SDs (14.88%)	1,026 SDs (30.46%)	970 SDs (28.80%)	174 SDs (5.17%)	105 SDs (3.12%)	-	548 SDs (16.27%)
February 25	South Dakota
Primary
59,794	15 of (15)	3 Del.
11,421 (19.10%)
2,304 (3.86%)
5,756 (9.62%)	5 Del.
15,153 (25.23%)	**7 Del.
23,974 (40.12%)**
1,238 (2.07%)	-
March 3
title=Brown Prevails In Colorado Test	last=Edsall	first=Thomas	work=The Washington Post	date=4 Mar 1992	page=A1}}
239,643	47 of (47)	14 Del.
64,470 (26.90%)	**18 Del.
69,073 (28.82%)**	15 Del.
61,360 (25.61%)
5,866 (2.45%)
29,572 (12.34%)
3,946 (1.65%)
5,356 (2.24%)
date=March 4, 1992	title=March 3 Primary & Caucus Results	page=8	work=Omaha World-Herald	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald-march-3-primary-cau/162078779/	via=Newspapers.com}}
454,631	76 of (76)	**54 Del.
259,907 (57.17%)**
36,808 (8.10%)	22 Del.
109,148 (24.01%)
9,479 (2.09%)
22,033 (4.85%)	-
17,256 (3.80%)
Idaho
Caucuses
372 SDs	0 of (18)	43 SDs (11.56%)	17 SDs (4.57%)	107 SDs (28.76%)	110 SDs (29.57%)	30 SDs (8.06%)	-	65 SDs (17.47%)
Maryland
Primary
531,068	67 of (67)	29 Del.
189,905 (35.76%)
46,480 (8.75%)	**38 Del.
230,490 (43.40%)**
32,899 (6.20%)
27,035 (5.09%)
4,259 (0.80)	-
Minnesota
Caucuses	0 of (92)	(10.3%)	(8.2%)	(19.2%)	(26.7%)	(7.6%)	-	(24.3%)
Utah
Caucuses
31,429	23 of (23)	5 Del.
5,763 (18.34%)	9 Del.
8,972 (28.55%)	**9 Del.
10,761 (34.24%)**
1,267 (4.03%)
3,442 (10.95%)
598 (1.90%)
726 (2.31%)
Washington
Caucuses
? CDs	0 of (72)	835 CDs (15.9%)	1,019 CDs (19.1%)	1,485 CDs (27.9%)	397 CDs (7.5%)	221 CDs (4.1%)	-	1,293 SDs (24.3%)
American Samoa
Caucuses
31,429	3 of (3)	(9%)	-	-	-	-	(4%)	**3 Del.
(87%)**
March 7	date=March 8, 1992	title=Vote Results	page=A20	work=The Los Angeles Times	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-vote-results/162184480/	via=Newspapers.com}}
36,727	41 of (41)	15 Del.
10,607 (29.28%)	12 Del.
10,145 (27.62%)	14 Del.
12,663 (34.48%)
2,831 (7.71%)	-	-
334 (0.91%)
South Carolina
Primary
116,414	43 of (43)	**36 Del.
73,221 (62.90%)**
6,961 (5.98%)	7 Del.
21,338 (18.33%)
7,657 (6.58%)
566 (0.49%)	-	-
date=March 8, 1992	title=Clinton Top Votegetter At Democratic Caucucses	page=1	work=Casper Star-Tribune	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune-clinton-top-votegett/162185520/	via=Newspapers.com}}
274 SDs	0 of (11)	78 SDs (28.57%)	63 SDs (23.08%)	32 SDs (11.72%)	39 SDs (14.29%)	–	1 SD (0.36%)	61 SDs (22.26%)
March 8	Nevada
Caucuses
1,546 CDs	0 of (17)	400 CDs (25.87%)	542 CDs (35.06%)	305 CDs (19.73%)	16 CDs (1.03%)	6 CDs (0.39%)	6 CDs (0.39%)	266 CDs (17.21%)
March 10
(Super Tuesday)
(777)	Delaware
Caucuses
318 SDs
2,503	0 of (14)	66 SDs (20.75%)
520 (20.78%)	62 SDs (17.47%)
488 (19.50%)	**96 SDs (30.19%)
755 (30.16%)**	–	–	-	94 SDs (29.56%)
740 (29.56%)
Florida
Primary
1,092,448	148 of (148)	**87 Del.
554,861 (50.79%)**	3 Del.
133,156 (12.19%)	58 Del.
379,572 (34.75%)
13,302 (1.22%)
11,557 (1.06%)	-	-
Hawaii
Caucuses
2,966	0 of (20)	1,501 (50.61%)	409 (13.79%)	421 (14.19%)	406 (13.69%)	13 (0.44%)	-	216 (7.28%)
Louisiana
Primary
384,426	60 of (60)	**59 Del.
267,029 (69.46%)**
25,480 (6.63%)	1 Del.
42,509 (11.06%)
4,033 (1.05%)
2,984 (0.78%)
42,391 (11.03%)	-
date=March 11, 1992	title=State-By-State Results	page=A18	work=The San Francisco Examiner	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-state-by-stat/162203374/	via=Newspapers.com}}
794,115	94 of (94)
86,817 (10.95%)	6 Del.
115,746 (14.60%)	**88 Del.
526,297 (66.38%)**
3,764 (0.48%)
5,409 (0.68%)
12,218 (1.54%)
43,864 (5.52%)
Mississippi
Primary
191,200	39 of (39)	**39 Del.
139,893 (73.11%)**
18,396 (9.61%)
15,538 (8.12%)
2,509 (1.31%)
1,660 (0.87%)
1,394 (0.73%)
11,807 (6.18%)
Missouri
Caucuses
963 DDs
22,500	0 of (92)	**434 DDs (45.07%)
10,148 (45.10%)**	55 DDs (5.71%)
1,282 (5.70%)	98 DDs (10.18%)
2,295 (10.20%)	–	–	-	376 DDs (39.04%)
8,775 (39.00%)
Oklahoma
Primary
416,129	45 of (45)	**38 Del.
293,266 (70.47%)**	7 Del.
69,624 (16.69%)	–
14,015 (3.40%)
13,252 (3.20%)
25,972 (3.20%)	-
Rhode Island
Primary
50,402	22 of (22)	6 Del.
10,762 (21.22%)	3 Del.
9,541 (18.82%)	**13 Del.
26,825 (52.90%)**
319 (0.63%)
469 (0.92%)
1,783 (3.54%)
703 (1.39%)
Tennessee
Primary
318,482	68 of (68)	**56 Del.
214,485 (67.35%)**
25,560 (8.02%)	12 Del.
61,717 (19.38%)
2,099 (0.66%)
1,638 (0.51%)
432 (0.14%)
12,551 (3.94%)
Texas
Primary
1,483,047	196 of (196)	**94 Del.
972,235 (65.56%)**	2 Del.
118,869 (8.02%)	31 Del.
285,224 (19.23%)
19,618 (1.32%)
20,298 (1.37%)
66,803 (4.50%)	-
March 17	date=March 19, 1992	title=June Primaries May Lock Up Clinton Win	page=A18	work=The San Bernardino County Sun	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-bernardino-county-sun-june-prima/162206984/	via=Newspapers.com}}
1,504,130	164 of (164)	**107 Del.
776,829 (51.65%)**	11 Del.
220,346 (14.65%)	46 Del.
387,891 (25.79%)
30,710 (2.04%)
10,916 (0.73%)
9,826 (0.65%)
67,612 (4.50%)
Michigan
Primary
585,972	131 of (131)	**74 Del.
297,280 (50.73%)**	37 Del.
151,400 (25.84%)	20 Del.
97,017 (16.56%)
6,265 (1.07%)
3,219 (0.55%)
2,955 (0.50%)
27,836 (4.75%)
March 19	Democrats Abroad
Caucuses	?	?
(27.00%)	–	**?
(37.00%)**
(7.00%)	–	-	-
North Dakota
Caucuses
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
173,119	53 of (53)	22 Del.
61,698 (35.64%)	21 Del.
64,472 (37.24%)	10 Del.
33,811 (19.53%)
1,919 (1.11%)
1,169 (0.68%)
4,620 (2.67%)
5,430 (3.14%)
March 28	Iowa
County Conventions
2,998 CDs	0 of (49)	347 CDs (11.57%)	280 CDs (9.34%)	-	1,105 CDs (36.86%)	-	32 CDs (1.08%)	1,234 CDs (41.16%)
Virgin Islands
Caucuses
31,429	3 of (3)	1 Del.
(42%)	-	-	-	-	(4%)	**2 Del.
(58%)**
March 31	Vermont
Caucus
1,209 SDs	0 of (15)	208 SDs (17.20%)	573 SDs (47.40%)	117 SDs (9.68%)	–	–	-	311 SDs (25.72%)
April 2	Alaska
Caucus
2,907 DDs	0 of (13)	884 DDs (30.41%)	964 DDs (33.16%)	-	–	–	-	1,059 DDs (36.43%)
April 5	North Dakota
State Convention	14 of (14)	3 Del.	-	-	-	-	-	9 Del.
Puerto Rico
Primary
64,962	51 of (51)	**51 Del.
62,273 (95.86%)**
921 (1.42%)
59 (0.09%)
31 (0.05%)
930 (1.43%)
504 (0.78%)
244 (0.38%)
April 7	Kansas
Primary
160,251	36 of (36)	**27 Del.
82,145 (51.26%)**	2 Del.
20,811 (12.99%)	6 Del.
24,413 (15.23%)
940 (0.59%)
2,215 (1.38%)
2,215 (1.38%)	1 Del.
22,159 (13.83%)
Minnesota
Primary
204,402	0 of (92)	63,584 (31.14%)	62,474 (30.60%)	43,588 (21.35%)	4,077 (2.00%)	1,191 (0.58%)	17,890 (8.75%)	11,366 (5.56%)
New York
Primary
1,007,726	244 of (244)	**102 Del.
412,349 (40.92%)**	67 Del.
264,278 (26.23%)	75 Del.
288,330 (28.61%)
11,535 (1.15%)
11,147 (1.11%)
20,087 (1.99%)	-
Wisconsin
Primary
772,597	82 of (82)	**34 Del.
287,356 (37.19%)**	29 Del.
266,207 (34.46%)	19 Del.
168,619 (21.83%)
5,395 (0.70%)
3,044 (0.39%)
3,044 (3.43%)
26,489 (2.00%)
April 11	Nevada
County Conventions
271 SDs	0 of (17)	87 SDs (32.10%)	114 SDs (42.07%)	40 SDs (30.19%)	–	–	-	30 SDs (29.56%)
Virginia
Caucuses	0 of (78)	(52.00%)	(12.00%)	–	–	–	–	(36.00%)
April 14	Missouri
District Conventions	50 of (92)	24 Del.	2 Del.	3 Del.	-	-	-	21 Del.
April 25	Delaware
State Convention	15 of (15)	3 Del.	3 Del.	4 Del.	-	-	-	5 Del.
Missouri
District Conventions	25 of (92)	10 Del.	-	-	-	-	-	15 Del.
Washington
County Conventions
2,003 DDs	0 of (72)	533 DDs (26.61%)	476 DDs (23.76%)	432 DDs (21.57%)	-	-	1 DDs (0.05%)	561 DDs (28.01%)
April 28	Pennsylvania
Primary
1,265,495	169 of (169)	**112 Del.
715,031 (56.48%)**	50 Del.
325,543 (25.72%)	7 Del.
161,572 (12.76%)
21,013 (1.66%)
20,802 (1.64%)
21,534 (1.70%)	-
May 2	Iowa
District Conventions	32 of (49)	4 Del.	1 Del.	-	17 Del.	-	-	10 Del.
Missouri
State Convention	17 of (92)	9 Del.	1 Del.	2 Del.	-	-	-	5 Del.
Nevada
State Convention	17 of (17)	8 Del.	6 Del.	-	-	-	-	3 Del.
Wyoming
State Convention	11 of (11)	5 Del.	3 Del.	-	-	-	-	3 Del.
May 3	Guam
Caucuses
1,020	3 of (3)	**1 Del.
500 (49%)**
204 (20%)	-	-	-	-	**2 Del.
316 (31%)**
May 5	date=May 7, 1992	title=Results Of Major Races	page=4A	work=USA Today	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/usa-today-results-of-major-races/162220343/	via=Newspapers.com}}
476,849	77 of (77)	**57 Del.
301,905 (63.31%)**	20 Del.
102,379 (21.47%)
58,215 (12.21%)	–
14,350 (3.01%)	–	–
North Carolina
Primary
691,866	84 of (84)	**72 Del.
443,498 (54.10%)**
71,984 (10.40%)
57,589 (8.32%)
5,891 (0.85%)
6,216 (0.90%)	-	12 Del.
106,697 (15.42%)
Washington D.C.
Primary
61,842	17 of (17)	**17 Del.
45,685 (73.87%)**
57,589 (7.21%)
71,984 (10.41%)	–	–	–
5,262 (8.51%)
May 9	Minnesota
District Conventions	63 of (92)	10 Del.	4 Del.	-	-	-	-	49 Del.
May 12	date=May 13, 1992	title=Bush, Clinton Record Wins	page=A5	work=Fremont Tribune	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fremont-tribune-bush-clinton-record-win/162220820/	via=Newspapers.com}}
150,587	25 of (25)	**13 Del.
68,562 (45.53%)**	8 Del.
31,673 (21.03%)
10,707 (7.11%)
4,239 (2.82%)	–
10,692 (7.10%)	4 Del.
24,714 (16.41%)
West Virginia
Primary
317,587	31 of (31)	**31 Del.
227,815 (74.24%)**
36,505 (11.90%)
21,271 (6.93%)
2,774 (0.90%)
3,152 (1.03%)
15,349 (4.83%)
10,721 (3.38%)
May 16	Vermont
State Convention	15 of (15)	3 Del.	6 Del.	-	-	-	-	6 Del.
May 17	Maine
State Convention	24 of (24)	6 Del.	10 Del.	5 Del.	-	-	-	3 Del.
May 19	date=May 20, 1992	title=Northwest Voters Give Perot The Write-In	page=A2	work=The Tribune	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-northwest-voters-give-perot/162221437/	via=Newspapers.com}}
354,332	47 of (47)	**29 Del.
159,802 (45.10%)**	18 Del.
110,494 (31.18%)
37,139 (10.48%)	–	–
46,897 (13.24%)	–
Washington
Primary
147,981	0 of (72)	62,171 (42.01%)	34,111 (23.05%)	18,981 (12.83%)	1,858 (1.26%)	1,489 (1.01%)	29,371 (19.85%)	-
May 26	date=May 27, 1992	title=Primaries	page=12	work=The Union	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-union-primaries/162222111/	via=Newspapers.com}}
506,679	36 of (36)	**30 Del.
344,758 (68.04%)**
55,800 (11.01%)	–	–	–
14,719 (2.90%)	6 Del.
91,402 (18.04%)
Idaho
Primary
Primary
55,124	0 of (18)	27,004 (48.99%)	9,212 (16.71%)	–	–	–	2,879 (5.22%)	16,029 (29.08%)
Kentucky
Primary
Primary
370,578	52 of (52)	**34 Del.
207,804 (56.08%)**	30,709 (8.29%)	18,097 (4.88%)	7,136 (1.93%)	3,242 (0.87%)	-	18 Del.
103,590 (27.95%)
May 30	Washington
District Conventions	46 of (72)	15 Del.	10 Del.	9 Del.	-	-	-	12 Del.
May 31	Alaska
State Convention	14 of (14)	5 Del.	-	-	-	-	-	8 Del.
Hawaii
State Convention	20 of (20)	16 Del.	2 Del.	-	2 Del.	-	-	-
June 2	date=June 4, 1992	title=Presidential Primaries	page=7D	work=Dayton Daily News	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-presidential-primaries/162224369/	via=Newspapers.com}}
450,899	55 of (55)	**43 Del.
307,621 (68.22%)**
30,626 (6.79%)	–	–	–
18,097 (4.83%)	12 Del.
90,863 (20.15%)
California
Primary
2,863,419	348 of (348)	**191 Del.
1,359,112 (47.47%)**	157 Del.
1,150,460 (40.18%)
212,522 (7.42%)	–
33,935 (1.19%)
107,390 (3.75%)	–
Montana
Primary
117,471	16 of (16)	**8 Del.
54,989 (46.81%)**	3 Del.
21,704 (18.48%)
12,614 (10.74%)	–	–	–	5 Del.
28,164 (23.98%)
New Jersey
Primary
405,222	105 of (105)	**73 Del.
256,337 (63.26%)**	26 Del.
79,877 (19.71%)
45,191 (11.15%)	–	–	2 Del.
23,817 (5.88%)	–
New Mexico
Primary
181,443	25 of (25)	**17 Del.
95,933 (52.87%)**	3 Del.
30,705 (16.92%)
11,315 (6.24%)
3,233 (1.78%)	–
4,988 (2.75%)	5 Del.
35,269 (19.44%)
Ohio
Primary
1,042,235	151 of (151)	**113 Del.
638,347 (61.25%)**	34 Del.
197,449 (18.94%)	1 Del.
110,673 (10.62%)
25,395 (2.44%)
22,976 (2.20%)	3 Del.
47,395 (4.55%)	-
June 6	Minnesota
State Convention	29 of (92)	7 Del.	3 Del.	-	-	-	1 Del.	18 Del.
Virginia
State Convention	78 of (78)	58 Del.	3 Del.	-	-	-	-	17 Del.
June 7	Washington
State Convention	26 of (72)	8 Del.	6 Del.	5 Del.	-	-	-	7 Del.
June 9	North Dakota
Primary
32,786	0 of (14)	4,760 (14.52%)	–	–	–	–	****	–
June 20	Idaho
State Convention	18 of (18)	4 Del.	-	4 Del.	5 Del.	-	-	5 Del.
June 21	Iowa
State Convention	17 of (49)	3 Del.	-	-	9 Del.	-	-	5 Del.
Total pledged delegates
(3,517)

Polling

Nationwide

Poll source	Publication
title=US President - D Primaries Polling	url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=55212&ShowAllMUPoll=Y	website=OurCampaigns.com	access-date=29 Oct 2020	date=11 Dec 2010}}	Sep. 1991
Gallup	Nov. 1991
Gallup	Jan. 1992
last=Apple	first=R.W.	title=Tsongas Gains Substantially, Pulling Near Clinton in Poll	date=22 Feb 1992	work=The New York Times	page=1}}	Jan. 1992
Gallup	Feb. 2, 1992
New York Times/CBS News	Feb. 22, 1992

State polling

New Hampshire

Poll source	Publication	Sample size	MoE
title=Latest poll shows Tsongas holding lead over Clinton	date=16 Feb 1992	work=The Hartford Courant	page=A25}}	Feb. 12–14	600 V	±5%
Boston Globe–WBZ-TV	Feb. 13–14	400 LV	±5%
Mason-Dixon	Feb. 13–15	433 V	±5%

The convention

Main article: 1992 Democratic National Convention

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. Also, Gore's similarities to Clinton allowed him to push some of his key campaign themes, such as centrism and generational change.

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. Clinton supporters have said that Casey was not allowed to speak because he had not endorsed the ticket.

Popular vote results

Total popular vote number in primaries:

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

File:CountyMap1992.png|Results by county

Convention tallies

For President:

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

Main article: 1992 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

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.
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.

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.

Bibliography

My Life by Bill Clinton, 2004, Vintage.

References

Works cited

References

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(Apr 4, 1992). "Alaska's Democrats Mostly Uncommitted". Daily Press.
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