1996 United States presidential election in Iowa
← 1992 November 5, 1996 2000 →
 
Nominee Bill Clinton Bob Dole Ross Perot
Party Democratic Republican Reform
Home state Arkansas Kansas Texas
Running mate Al Gore Jack Kemp James Campbell
Electoral vote 7 0 0
Popular vote 620,258 492,644 105,159
Percentage 50.26% 39.92% 8.52%
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Bill Clinton
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Bill Clinton
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The 1996 United States presidential election in Iowa took place on November 5, 1996, as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose seven representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Iowa was easily won by Democratic incumbent President Bill Clinton over Republican Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, with Clinton winning 50.26% of the vote to Dole's 39.92%, a margin of 10.34%. The Reform Party candidate, billionaire businessman Ross Perot, finished in third, with 8.52% of the popular vote.[1] Although Clinton barely exceeded Michael Dukakis’ 1988 margin in Iowa, he was the first Democrat to carry Allamakee County and Butler County – the only Iowa counties outside the arch-conservative western fringe to back Barry Goldwater in 1964 – since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.[2] He was indeed only the second Democratic presidential nominee to ever carry Butler County since the Civil War. Clinton was the second of three Democrats (after Roosevelt in 1936 and Barack Obama in 2012) to carry the state twice.

Iowa was one of thirteen states where on the election ballot, James Campbell of California, Perot's former boss at IBM, was listed as a stand-in vice-presidential candidate.[1][3]

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time Iowa was decided by a double-digit margin. It is also the last time that the counties of Adair, Appanoose, Butler, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Dallas, Davis, Decatur, Dickinson, Guthrie, Hancock, Henry, Keokuk, Lucas, Madison, Monona, Monroe, Pocahontas, Ringgold, Taylor, Van Buren, Washington, Wayne, and Wright voted for the Democratic Party presidential nominee.

Results

1996 United States presidential election in Iowa[4]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Bill Clinton (incumbent) Al Gore 620,258 50.26% 7
Republican Robert Dole Jack Kemp 492,644 39.92% 0
Reform Ross Perot James Campbell 105,159 8.52% 0
Green Ralph Nader Anne Goeke[1][a] 6,550 0.53% 0
Natural Law Dr. John Hagelin Dr. V. Tompkins 3,349 0.27% 0
Libertarian IA Harry Browne Jo Jorgensen 2,315 0.19% 0
Taxpayer Howard Phillips Albion W. Knight Jr.[1][5] 2,229 0.18% 0
No party Write-in 1,240 0.10% 0
Socialist Workers James Harris Laura Garza 331[b] 0.03% 0
Totals 1,234,075 100.0% 7
Voter Turnout (Voting age/Registered) 58%/69%

Results by county

County Bill Clinton[4]
Democratic 		Bob Dole[4]
Republican 		Ross Perot[4]
Reform 		Ralph Nader[4]
Green 		John Hagelin[4]
Natural Law 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Adair 1,802 45.79% 1,655 42.06% 458 11.64% 5 0.13% 2 0.05% 13 0.33% 147 3.73% 3,935
Adams 1,070 46.00% 920 39.55% 320 13.76% 4 0.17% 2 0.09% 10 0.43% 150 6.45% 2,326
Allamakee 2,551 44.13% 2,457 42.50% 680 11.76% 28 0.48% 10 0.17% 55 0.95% 94 1.63% 5,781
Appanoose 2,747 49.12% 2,233 39.93% 554 9.91% 12 0.21% 6 0.11% 40 0.72% 514 9.19% 5,592
Audubon 1,827 52.38% 1,314 37.67% 314 9.00% 8 0.23% 6 0.17% 19 0.54% 513 14.71% 3,488
Benton 5,546 53.95% 3,835 37.31% 846 8.23% 13 0.13% 11 0.11% 28 0.27% 1,711 16.64% 10,279
Black Hawk 29,651 55.83% 19,322 36.38% 3,623 6.82% 253 0.48% 36 0.07% 224 0.42% 10,329 19.45% 53,109
Boone 6,446 54.47% 4,293 36.27% 987 8.34% 58 0.49% 13 0.11% 38 0.32% 2,153 18.20% 11,835
Bremer 5,023 49.38% 4,213 41.42% 862 8.47% 33 0.32% 14 0.14% 27 0.27% 810 7.96% 10,172
Buchanan 4,997 55.83% 3,043 34.00% 836 9.34% 20 0.22% 19 0.21% 36 0.40% 1,954 21.83% 8,951
Buena Vista 3,420 42.94% 3,636 45.65% 831 10.43% 19 0.24% 12 0.15% 47 0.59% -216 -2.71% 7,965
Butler 3,061 46.16% 3,036 45.78% 489 7.37% 12 0.18% 8 0.12% 25 0.38% 25 0.38% 6,631
Calhoun 2,193 45.89% 2,077 43.46% 462 9.67% 16 0.33% 7 0.15% 24 0.50% 116 2.43% 4,779
Carroll 4,333 49.29% 3,392 38.59% 998 11.35% 20 0.23% 11 0.13% 36 0.41% 941 10.70% 8,790
Cass 2,616 38.11% 3,384 49.29% 809 11.78% 15 0.22% 8 0.12% 33 0.48% -768 -11.18% 6,865
Cedar 3,856 50.23% 2,966 38.64% 756 9.85% 42 0.55% 22 0.29% 34 0.44% 890 11.59% 7,676
Cerro Gordo 11,943 56.26% 7,427 34.99% 1,689 7.96% 60 0.28% 14 0.07% 94 0.44% 4,516 21.27% 21,227
Cherokee 2,853 44.79% 2,629 41.27% 834 13.09% 15 0.24% 6 0.09% 33 0.52% 224 3.52% 6,370
Chickasaw 3,355 52.75% 2,191 34.45% 759 11.93% 14 0.22% 11 0.17% 30 0.47% 1,164 18.30% 6,360
Clarke 2,053 52.33% 1,401 35.71% 440 11.22% 11 0.28% 3 0.08% 15 0.38% 652 16.62% 3,923
Clay 3,659 47.80% 3,129 40.88% 802 10.48% 20 0.26% 8 0.10% 37 0.48% 530 6.92% 7,655
Clayton 4,284 52.28% 2,944 35.93% 912 11.13% 32 0.39% 3 0.04% 19 0.23% 1,340 16.35% 8,194
Clinton 11,481 53.17% 7,624 35.30% 2,300 10.65% 77 0.36% 32 0.15% 81 0.38% 3,857 17.87% 21,595
Crawford 3,140 46.76% 2,686 40.00% 847 12.61% 10 0.15% 8 0.12% 24 0.36% 454 6.76% 6,715
Dallas 8,017 50.07% 6,647 41.52% 1,198 7.48% 55 0.34% 24 0.15% 69 0.43% 1,370 8.55% 16,010
Davis 1,894 50.39% 1,445 38.44% 382 10.16% 10 0.27% 8 0.21% 20 0.53% 449 11.95% 3,759
Decatur 1,846 50.95% 1,287 35.52% 452 12.48% 17 0.47% 4 0.11% 17 0.47% 559 15.43% 3,623
Delaware 3,704 49.41% 3,065 40.88% 679 9.06% 20 0.27% 4 0.05% 25 0.33% 639 8.53% 7,497
Des Moines 10,761 57.94% 5,778 31.11% 1,792 9.65% 83 0.45% 31 0.17% 129 0.69% 4,983 26.83% 18,574
Dickinson 3,562 46.59% 3,129 40.92% 901 11.78% 23 0.30% 10 0.13% 21 0.27% 433 5.67% 7,646
Dubuque 20,839 54.77% 13,391 35.19% 3,304 8.68% 254 0.67% 66 0.17% 197 0.52% 7,448 19.58% 38,051
Emmet 2,270 51.46% 1,641 37.20% 470 10.66% 11 0.25% 8 0.18% 11 0.25% 629 14.26% 4,411
Fayette 4,832 50.21% 3,848 39.98% 890 9.25% 17 0.18% 9 0.09% 28 0.29% 984 10.23% 9,624
Floyd 3,769 54.73% 2,379 34.54% 689 10.00% 15 0.22% 15 0.22% 20 0.29% 1,390 20.19% 6,887
Franklin 2,232 47.16% 2,054 43.40% 417 8.81% 14 0.30% 5 0.11% 11 0.23% 178 3.76% 4,733
Fremont 1,481 41.58% 1,576 44.24% 480 13.48% 3 0.08% 6 0.17% 16 0.45% -95 -2.66% 3,562
Greene 2,519 52.49% 1,861 38.78% 396 8.25% 9 0.19% 1 0.02% 13 0.27% 658 13.71% 4,799
Grundy 2,322 40.83% 2,928 51.49% 401 7.05% 11 0.19% 3 0.05% 22 0.39% -606 -10.66% 5,687
Guthrie 2,552 49.65% 2,034 39.57% 515 10.02% 11 0.21% 4 0.08% 24 0.47% 518 10.08% 5,140
Hamilton 3,455 47.48% 3,109 42.72% 661 9.08% 23 0.32% 7 0.10% 22 0.30% 346 4.76% 7,277
Hancock 2,399 45.19% 2,353 44.32% 529 9.96% 11 0.21% 6 0.11% 11 0.21% 46 0.87% 5,309
Hardin 4,053 48.69% 3,505 42.11% 713 8.57% 25 0.30% 5 0.06% 23 0.28% 548 6.58% 8,324
Harrison 2,576 39.47% 3,070 47.04% 820 12.56% 10 0.15% 14 0.21% 37 0.57% -494 -7.57% 6,527
Henry 3,798 45.90% 3,478 42.03% 914 11.05% 23 0.28% 24 0.29% 38 0.46% 320 3.87% 8,275
Howard 2,303 52.28% 1,528 34.69% 555 12.60% 3 0.07% 2 0.05% 14 0.32% 775 17.59% 4,405
Humboldt 2,080 42.17% 2,236 45.33% 590 11.96% 9 0.18% 4 0.08% 14 0.28% -156 -3.16% 4,933
Ida 1,589 42.58% 1,684 45.12% 436 11.68% 6 0.16% 3 0.08% 14 0.38% -95 -2.54% 3,732
Iowa 3,354 47.68% 3,042 43.24% 575 8.17% 24 0.34% 11 0.16% 29 0.41% 312 4.44% 7,035
Jackson 4,609 54.47% 2,827 33.41% 936 11.06% 37 0.44% 18 0.21% 34 0.40% 1,782 21.06% 8,461
Jasper 8,776 52.92% 6,414 38.67% 1,263 7.62% 63 0.38% 18 0.11% 51 0.31% 2,362 14.25% 16,585
Jefferson 2,597 35.11% 2,541 34.35% 571 7.72% 47 0.64% 1,574 21.28% 67 0.91% 56 0.76% 7,397
Johnson 27,888 60.98% 13,402 29.31% 2,313 5.06% 1,491 3.26% 199 0.44% 439 0.96% 14,486 31.67% 45,732
Jones 4,668 54.40% 3,083 35.93% 765 8.92% 27 0.31% 6 0.07% 32 0.37% 1,585 18.47% 8,581
Keokuk 2,545 49.89% 2,080 40.78% 432 8.47% 10 0.20% 10 0.20% 24 0.47% 465 9.11% 5,101
Kossuth 4,031 47.40% 3,477 40.88% 932 10.96% 23 0.27% 16 0.19% 26 0.31% 554 6.52% 8,505
Lee 8,831 56.38% 4,932 31.49% 1,734 11.07% 64 0.41% 27 0.17% 74 0.47% 3,899 24.89% 15,662
Linn 45,497 54.79% 30,958 37.28% 5,607 6.75% 453 0.55% 91 0.11% 429 0.52% 14,539 17.51% 83,035
Louisa 2,081 48.68% 1,565 36.61% 590 13.80% 7 0.16% 6 0.14% 26 0.61% 516 12.07% 4,275
Lucas 2,168 51.51% 1,586 37.68% 433 10.29% 6 0.14% 3 0.07% 13 0.31% 582 13.83% 4,209
Lyon 1,489 27.82% 3,396 63.45% 422 7.88% 12 0.22% 7 0.13% 26 0.49% -1,907 -35.63% 5,352
Madison 3,070 48.52% 2,550 40.30% 654 10.34% 18 0.28% 6 0.09% 29 0.46% 520 8.22% 6,327
Mahaska 3,737 41.80% 4,473 50.03% 656 7.34% 24 0.27% 17 0.19% 34 0.38% -736 -8.23% 8,941
Marion 5,978 45.80% 6,100 46.74% 871 6.67% 52 0.40% 14 0.11% 37 0.28% -122 -0.94% 13,052
Marshall 8,669 50.04% 7,017 40.50% 1,455 8.40% 80 0.46% 26 0.15% 77 0.44% 1,652 9.54% 17,324
Mills 2,068 35.83% 2,958 51.25% 683 11.83% 17 0.29% 10 0.17% 36 0.62% -890 -15.42% 5,772
Mitchell 2,596 51.19% 1,877 37.01% 563 11.10% 16 0.32% 7 0.14% 12 0.24% 719 14.18% 5,071
Monona 1,952 46.06% 1,674 39.50% 580 13.69% 11 0.26% 8 0.19% 13 0.31% 278 6.56% 4,238
Monroe 1,884 53.63% 1,272 36.21% 329 9.37% 9 0.26% 7 0.20% 12 0.34% 612 17.42% 3,513
Montgomery 1,912 36.79% 2,583 49.70% 663 12.76% 5 0.10% 13 0.25% 21 0.40% -671 -12.91% 5,197
Muscatine 7,674 49.88% 5,858 38.07% 1,705 11.08% 68 0.44% 21 0.14% 60 0.39% 1,816 11.81% 15,386
O'Brien 2,236 33.20% 3,877 57.56% 578 8.58% 13 0.19% 8 0.12% 23 0.34% -1,641 -24.36% 6,735
Osceola 1,010 33.10% 1,736 56.90% 274 8.98% 6 0.20% 2 0.07% 23 0.75% -726 -23.80% 3,051
Page 2,220 31.52% 4,032 57.25% 753 10.69% 16 0.23% 11 0.16% 11 0.16% -1,812 -25.73% 7,043
Palo Alto 2,371 50.41% 1,817 38.63% 477 10.14% 11 0.23% 4 0.09% 23 0.49% 554 11.78% 4,703
Plymouth 3,745 37.62% 5,117 51.40% 997 10.01% 16 0.16% 12 0.12% 69 0.69% -1,372 -13.78% 9,956
Pocahontas 1,981 47.00% 1,707 40.50% 478 11.34% 9 0.21% 8 0.19% 32 0.76% 274 6.50% 4,215
Polk 83,877 53.73% 60,884 39.00% 9,516 6.10% 786 0.50% 197 0.13% 846 0.54% 22,993 14.73% 156,106
Pottawattamie 13,276 40.45% 15,648 47.68% 3,534 10.77% 96 0.29% 66 0.20% 201 0.61% -2,372 -7.23% 32,821
Poweshiek 4,183 50.93% 3,221 39.21% 681 8.29% 73 0.89% 12 0.15% 44 0.54% 962 11.72% 8,214
Ringgold 1,439 52.52% 967 35.29% 310 11.31% 8 0.29% 5 0.18% 11 0.40% 472 17.23% 2,740
Sac 2,170 43.43% 2,209 44.21% 579 11.59% 15 0.30% 3 0.06% 21 0.42% -39 -0.78% 4,997
Scott 32,694 50.14% 26,751 41.03% 4,991 7.65% 295 0.45% 86 0.13% 385 0.59% 5,943 9.11% 65,202
Shelby 2,176 36.63% 3,056 51.44% 652 10.97% 16 0.27% 8 0.13% 33 0.56% -880 -14.81% 5,941
Sioux 2,392 16.95% 10,864 77.00% 718 5.09% 42 0.30% 9 0.06% 85 0.60% -8,472 -60.05% 14,110
Story 17,234 52.71% 12,468 38.13% 2,091 6.40% 601 1.84% 59 0.18% 242 0.74% 4,766 14.58% 32,695
Tama 3,994 51.52% 2,986 38.52% 713 9.20% 18 0.23% 13 0.17% 28 0.36% 1,008 13.00% 7,752
Taylor 1,458 44.51% 1,419 43.32% 379 11.57% 7 0.21% 1 0.03% 12 0.37% 39 1.19% 3,276
Union 2,787 49.27% 2,156 38.11% 660 11.67% 18 0.32% 2 0.04% 34 0.60% 631 11.16% 5,657
Van Buren 1,536 45.51% 1,460 43.26% 347 10.28% 6 0.18% 8 0.24% 18 0.53% 76 2.25% 3,375
Wapello 8,437 57.12% 4,828 32.69% 1,376 9.32% 54 0.37% 29 0.20% 46 0.31% 3,609 24.43% 14,770
Warren 9,120 52.20% 6,905 39.52% 1,267 7.25% 61 0.35% 20 0.11% 99 0.57% 2,215 12.68% 17,472
Washington 3,828 46.84% 3,600 44.05% 636 7.78% 38 0.46% 27 0.33% 44 0.54% 228 2.79% 8,173
Wayne 1,650 50.51% 1,295 39.64% 310 9.49% 3 0.09% 4 0.12% 5 0.15% 355 10.87% 3,267
Webster 8,380 51.32% 6,275 38.43% 1,580 9.68% 40 0.24% 9 0.06% 44 0.27% 2,105 12.89% 16,328
Winnebago 2,679 48.52% 2,211 40.05% 590 10.69% 10 0.18% 8 0.14% 23 0.42% 468 8.47% 5,521
Winneshiek 4,122 47.00% 3,532 40.27% 973 11.09% 102 1.16% 14 0.16% 27 0.31% 590 6.73% 8,770
Woodbury 17,224 45.97% 16,368 43.69% 3,436 9.17% 142 0.38% 72 0.19% 222 0.59% 856 2.28% 37,464
Worth 2,293 57.15% 1,284 32.00% 403 10.04% 14 0.35% 5 0.12% 13 0.32% 1,009 25.15% 4,012
Wright 2,912 48.87% 2,473 41.50% 536 8.99% 9 0.15% 4 0.07% 25 0.42% 439 7.37% 5,959
Totals 620,258 50.26% 492,644 39.92% 105,159 8.52% 6,550 0.53% 3,349 0.27% 6,115 0.50% 127,614 10.34% 1,234,075[b]

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Iowa was one of the states where Ralph Nader's running mate (Winona LaDuke) was replaced on the ballot by Anne Goeke.
  2. ^ a b The Socialist Workers votes were not separated by county and included only as a statewide total.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "1996 Presidential General Election Results – Iowa". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
  2. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 193-197 ISBN 0786422173
  3. ^ "Perot Names Stand-in Veep Candidate". Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "IA US President Race, November 05, 1996". Our Campaigns.
  5. ^ "President Elect - 1996". Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
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