1996 United States presidential election in Nebraska
← 1992 November 5, 1996 2000 →
 
Nominee Bob Dole Bill Clinton Ross Perot
Party Republican Democratic Reform
Home state Kansas Arkansas Texas
Running mate Jack Kemp Al Gore Pat Choate
Electoral vote 5 0 0
Popular vote 363,467 236,761 71,278
Percentage 53.65% 34.95% 10.52%
County Results
President before election

Bill Clinton
Democratic

Elected President

Bill Clinton
Democratic

Elections in Nebraska
Federal offices
Presidential elections
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
U.S. House of Representatives elections
State government
State elections
Gubernatorial elections
Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections
Secretary of State elections
Attorney General elections
State Legislature elections
Ballot measures
2000
Initiative 416
Bellevue
Mayoral elections
Lincoln
Mayoral elections
Omaha
Mayoral elections
Government

The 1996 United States presidential election in Nebraska took place on November 5, 1996. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose five electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Nebraska was won by Kansas Senator Bob Dole, who was running against incumbent United States President Bill Clinton of Arkansas. Clinton ran a second time with former Tennessee Senator and Vice President Al Gore, and Dole ran with former New York Congressman Jack Kemp.[1]

Nebraska weighed in for this election as 27.22 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This would be the last presidential election until 2012 when the Democratic candidate won the general election without carrying Nebraska's second congressional district. The presidential election of 1996 was a very multi-partisan election for Nebraska, with more than 11 percent of the electorate voting for third-party candidates. As was typical for the time, nearly every county in Nebraska turned out primarily for the Republican candidate, with the exception of Saline County, which had long been the most Democratic county in the state, plus two northeastern counties with substantial Hispanic or Native American populations. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Dakota County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[2]

With 53.65 percent of the popular vote, Nebraska would prove to be Dole's third strongest state in the 1996 election after Utah and neighboring Kansas.[3]

In his second bid for the presidency, Ross Perot led the newly formed Reform Party to gain over 10% of the votes in Nebraska, and to pull in support nationally as the most popular third-party (not including independents) candidate to run for United States Presidency in recent times. Arthur County, Nebraska was one of only two counties in which Perot came in second place in 1996, ahead of one of the two major-party nominees, the other being Loving County, Texas.

Results

1996 United States presidential election in Nebraska
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Bob Dole 363,467 53.65% 5
Democratic Bill Clinton (incumbent) 236,761 34.95% 0
Reform Ross Perot 71,278 10.52% 0
Libertarian Harry Browne 2,792 0.41% 0
Independent Howard Phillips 1,928 0.28% 0
Natural Law Dr. John Hagelin 1,189 0.18% 0
Totals 677,415 100.00% 5
Voter Turnout (Voting age/Registered)

Congressional district

Dole won all 3 congressional districts.[4]

district Dole Clinton Representative
1st 50% 38% Doug Bereuter
2nd 53% 38% Jon Lynn Christensen
3rd 59% 29% Bill Barrett

Results by county

County[5] Robert Joseph Dole
Republican 		William Jefferson Clinton
Democratic 		Henry Ross Perot
Reform 		Harry Edson Browne
Libertarian 		Howard Jay Phillips
Independent 		Dr. John Hagelin
Natural Law 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 6,924 55.41% 3,935 31.49% 1,513 12.11% 60 0.48% 53 0.42% 11 0.09% 2,989 23.92% 12,496
Antelope 2,005 59.50% 884 26.23% 457 13.56% 11 0.33% 10 0.30% 3 0.09% 1,121 33.26% 3,370
Arthur 187 72.48% 25 9.69% 46 17.83% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 141[a] 54.65% 258
Banner 309 76.11% 62 15.27% 30 7.39% 2 0.49% 3 0.74% 0 0.00% 247 60.84% 406
Blaine 284 75.13% 53 14.02% 39 10.32% 1 0.26% 1 0.26% 0 0.00% 231 61.11% 378
Boone 1,695 57.63% 806 27.41% 424 14.42% 7 0.24% 3 0.10% 6 0.20% 889 30.23% 2,941
Box Butte 2,458 49.41% 1,782 35.82% 695 13.97% 18 0.36% 15 0.30% 7 0.14% 676 13.59% 4,975
Boyd 778 57.97% 372 27.72% 181 13.49% 5 0.37% 3 0.22% 3 0.22% 406 30.25% 1,342
Brown 1,105 62.57% 359 20.33% 289 16.36% 4 0.23% 8 0.45% 1 0.06% 746 42.24% 1,766
Buffalo 10,004 63.09% 4,277 26.97% 1,484 9.36% 49 0.31% 16 0.10% 26 0.16% 5,727 36.12% 15,856
Burt 1,707 48.83% 1,237 35.38% 497 14.22% 21 0.60% 31 0.89% 3 0.09% 470 13.44% 3,496
Butler 2,042 55.25% 1,099 29.73% 512 13.85% 19 0.51% 14 0.38% 10 0.27% 943 25.51% 3,696
Cass 4,878 50.37% 3,477 35.90% 1,239 12.79% 41 0.42% 29 0.30% 21 0.22% 1,401 14.47% 9,685
Cedar 2,171 52.20% 1,218 29.29% 739 17.77% 10 0.24% 19 0.46% 2 0.05% 953 22.91% 4,159
Chase 1,277 68.88% 365 19.69% 197 10.63% 9 0.49% 3 0.16% 3 0.16% 912 49.19% 1,854
Cherry 1,905 68.04% 551 19.68% 332 11.86% 2 0.07% 7 0.25% 3 0.11% 1,354 48.36% 2,800
Cheyenne 2,571 64.83% 1,059 26.70% 287 7.24% 31 0.78% 10 0.25% 8 0.20% 1,512 38.12% 3,966
Clay 1,982 59.86% 880 26.58% 425 12.84% 6 0.18% 16 0.48% 2 0.06% 1,102 33.28% 3,311
Colfax 1,954 55.23% 1,065 30.10% 492 13.91% 9 0.25% 14 0.40% 4 0.11% 889 25.13% 3,538
Cuming 2,520 61.60% 1,033 25.25% 503 12.30% 10 0.24% 20 0.49% 5 0.12% 1,487 36.35% 4,091
Custer 3,453 64.15% 1,293 24.02% 615 11.42% 10 0.19% 9 0.17% 3 0.06% 2,160 40.13% 5,383
Dakota 2,592 43.31% 2,632 43.98% 721 12.05% 13 0.22% 21 0.35% 6 0.10% -40 -0.67% 5,985
Dawes 1,991 55.69% 1,108 30.99% 442 12.36% 20 0.56% 8 0.22% 6 0.17% 883 24.70% 3,575
Dawson 4,794 59.44% 2,180 27.03% 1,044 12.94% 26 0.32% 15 0.19% 6 0.07% 2,614 32.41% 8,065
Deuel 629 63.47% 245 24.72% 111 11.20% 3 0.30% 3 0.30% 0 0.00% 384 38.75% 991
Dixon 1,478 51.95% 931 32.72% 414 14.55% 4 0.14% 15 0.53% 3 0.11% 547 19.23% 2,845
Dodge 7,484 50.95% 5,181 35.27% 1,894 12.89% 44 0.30% 53 0.36% 32 0.22% 2,303 15.68% 14,688
Douglas 92,334 51.38% 70,708 39.34% 14,863 8.27% 803 0.45% 603 0.34% 410 0.23% 21,626 12.03% 179,721
Dundy 752 68.30% 224 20.35% 112 10.17% 4 0.36% 7 0.64% 2 0.18% 528 47.96% 1,101
Fillmore 1,696 54.80% 1,058 34.18% 321 10.37% 9 0.29% 8 0.26% 3 0.10% 638 20.61% 3,095
Franklin 1,013 59.03% 483 28.15% 215 12.53% 2 0.12% 1 0.06% 2 0.12% 530 30.89% 1,716
Frontier 901 64.96% 310 22.35% 169 12.18% 2 0.14% 2 0.14% 3 0.22% 591 42.61% 1,387
Furnas 1,475 61.18% 663 27.50% 207 8.59% 56 2.32% 7 0.29% 3 0.12% 812 33.68% 2,411
Gage 4,413 44.83% 4,008 40.72% 1,346 13.67% 37 0.38% 27 0.27% 12 0.12% 405 4.11% 9,843
Garden 851 65.61% 279 21.51% 155 11.95% 7 0.54% 3 0.23% 2 0.15% 572 44.10% 1,297
Garfield 625 63.26% 249 25.20% 111 11.23% 3 0.30% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 376 38.06% 988
Gosper 609 58.78% 275 26.54% 150 14.48% 1 0.10% 1 0.10% 0 0.00% 334 32.24% 1,036
Grant 258 64.82% 84 21.11% 55 13.82% 1 0.25% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 174 43.72% 398
Greeley 642 50.27% 472 36.96% 155 12.14% 4 0.31% 3 0.23% 1 0.08% 170 13.31% 1,277
Hall 10,183 52.45% 6,708 34.55% 2,403 12.38% 78 0.40% 26 0.13% 18 0.09% 3,475 17.90% 19,416
Hamilton 2,623 61.37% 1,172 27.42% 457 10.69% 17 0.40% 3 0.07% 2 0.05% 1,451 33.95% 4,274
Harlan 1,120 60.28% 520 27.99% 203 10.93% 8 0.43% 4 0.22% 3 0.16% 600 32.29% 1,858
Hayes 439 77.02% 87 15.26% 39 6.84% 1 0.18% 2 0.35% 2 0.35% 352 61.75% 570
Hitchcock 977 62.27% 409 26.07% 173 11.03% 2 0.13% 5 0.32% 3 0.19% 568 36.20% 1,569
Holt 3,436 65.27% 1,107 21.03% 677 12.86% 14 0.27% 23 0.44% 7 0.13% 2,329 44.24% 5,264
Hooker 308 59.92% 115 22.37% 83 16.15% 3 0.58% 3 0.58% 2 0.39% 193 37.55% 514
Howard 1,294 50.10% 853 33.02% 417 16.14% 8 0.31% 4 0.15% 7 0.27% 441 17.07% 2,583
Jefferson 1,979 49.17% 1,520 37.76% 495 12.30% 12 0.30% 15 0.37% 4 0.10% 459 11.40% 4,025
Johnson 1,009 47.98% 770 36.61% 309 14.69% 5 0.24% 4 0.19% 6 0.29% 239 11.36% 2,103
Kearney 1,953 64.07% 782 25.66% 296 9.71% 12 0.39% 5 0.16% 0 0.00% 1,171 38.42% 3,048
Keith 2,504 65.50% 830 21.71% 460 12.03% 21 0.55% 5 0.13% 3 0.08% 1,674 43.79% 3,823
Keya Paha 385 72.10% 94 17.60% 47 8.80% 2 0.37% 6 1.12% 0 0.00% 291 54.49% 534
Kimball 1,011 56.67% 527 29.54% 212 11.88% 24 1.35% 8 0.45% 2 0.11% 484 27.13% 1,784
Knox 2,123 53.91% 1,266 32.15% 531 13.48% 3 0.08% 12 0.30% 3 0.08% 857 21.76% 3,938
Lancaster 44,812 45.86% 43,339 44.36% 8,595 8.80% 486 0.50% 210 0.21% 266 0.27% 1,473 1.51% 97,708
Lincoln 7,482 50.54% 5,165 34.89% 2,043 13.80% 71 0.48% 26 0.18% 17 0.11% 2,317 15.65% 14,804
Logan 294 65.63% 79 17.63% 72 16.07% 1 0.22% 2 0.45% 0 0.00% 215 47.99% 448
Loup 229 68.77% 74 22.22% 28 8.41% 2 0.60% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 155 46.55% 333
Madison 7,965 62.97% 3,047 24.09% 1,554 12.29% 28 0.22% 41 0.32% 14 0.11% 4,918 38.88% 12,649
McPherson 233 72.36% 50 15.53% 33 10.25% 3 0.93% 3 0.93% 0 0.00% 183 56.83% 322
Merrick 2,084 58.67% 997 28.07% 449 12.64% 9 0.25% 8 0.23% 5 0.14% 1,087 30.60% 3,552
Morrill 1,296 58.86% 620 28.16% 262 11.90% 13 0.59% 9 0.41% 2 0.09% 676 30.70% 2,202
Nance 892 51.74% 585 33.93% 238 13.81% 2 0.12% 6 0.35% 1 0.06% 307 17.81% 1,724
Nemaha 1,888 51.94% 1,232 33.89% 485 13.34% 15 0.41% 9 0.25% 6 0.17% 656 18.05% 3,635
Nuckolls 1,383 56.01% 757 30.66% 306 12.39% 14 0.57% 8 0.32% 1 0.04% 626 25.35% 2,469
Otoe 3,290 50.58% 2,279 35.03% 877 13.48% 28 0.43% 27 0.42% 4 0.06% 1,011 15.54% 6,505
Pawnee 766 48.82% 580 36.97% 207 13.19% 8 0.51% 6 0.38% 2 0.13% 186 11.85% 1,569
Perkins 1,018 66.06% 352 22.84% 163 10.58% 6 0.39% 1 0.06% 1 0.06% 666 43.22% 1,541
Phelps 3,015 65.86% 1,071 23.39% 465 10.16% 14 0.31% 9 0.20% 4 0.09% 1,944 42.46% 4,578
Pierce 1,923 62.39% 697 22.62% 446 14.47% 8 0.26% 5 0.16% 3 0.10% 1,226 39.78% 3,082
Platte 7,948 64.11% 3,010 24.28% 1,353 10.91% 39 0.31% 39 0.31% 9 0.07% 4,938 39.83% 12,398
Polk 1,504 58.84% 750 29.34% 268 10.49% 20 0.78% 4 0.16% 10 0.39% 754 29.50% 2,556
Red Willow 3,112 62.10% 1,365 27.24% 499 9.96% 25 0.50% 3 0.06% 7 0.14% 1,747 34.86% 5,011
Richardson 2,089 48.85% 1,517 35.48% 633 14.80% 26 0.61% 7 0.16% 4 0.09% 572 13.38% 4,276
Rock 564 63.73% 180 20.34% 135 15.25% 4 0.45% 2 0.23% 0 0.00% 384 43.39% 885
Saline 1,945 37.58% 2,523 48.75% 689 13.31% 12 0.23% 3 0.06% 3 0.06% -578 -11.17% 5,175
Sarpy 23,023 57.74% 12,806 32.11% 3,722 9.33% 157 0.39% 109 0.27% 60 0.15% 10,217 25.62% 39,877
Saunders 4,514 52.51% 2,777 32.30% 1,223 14.23% 36 0.42% 30 0.35% 17 0.20% 1,737 20.20% 8,597
Scotts Bluff 7,641 56.43% 4,547 33.58% 1,251 9.24% 55 0.41% 35 0.26% 12 0.09% 3,094 22.85% 13,541
Seward 3,479 51.86% 2,432 36.25% 745 11.10% 24 0.36% 23 0.34% 6 0.09% 1,047 15.61% 6,709
Sheridan 1,834 67.50% 573 21.09% 289 10.64% 14 0.52% 3 0.11% 4 0.15% 1261 46.41% 2,717
Sherman 822 49.16% 567 33.91% 266 15.91% 6 0.36% 6 0.36% 5 0.30% 255 15.25% 1,672
Sioux 551 71.74% 138 17.97% 75 9.77% 1 0.13% 3 0.39% 0 0.00% 413 53.78% 768
Stanton 1,457 59.64% 577 23.62% 386 15.80% 9 0.37% 10 0.41% 4 0.16% 880 36.02% 2,443
Thayer 1,698 56.81% 933 31.21% 334 11.17% 12 0.40% 7 0.23% 5 0.17% 765 25.59% 2989
Thomas 303 70.63% 64 14.92% 62 14.45% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 239 55.71% 429
Thurston 835 39.50% 962 45.51% 293 13.86% 11 0.52% 10 0.47% 3 0.14% -127 -6.01% 2,114
Valley 1,346 56.27% 758 31.69% 274 11.45% 4 0.17% 6 0.25% 4 0.17% 588 24.58% 2,392
Washington 4,391 57.03% 2,248 29.19% 971 12.61% 34 0.44% 44 0.57% 12 0.16% 2,143 27.83% 7,700
Wayne 2,150 58.49% 1,048 28.51% 440 11.97% 11 0.30% 22 0.60% 5 0.14% 1,102 29.98% 3,676
Webster 1,094 55.96% 621 31.76% 236 12.07% 1 0.05% 1 0.05% 2 0.10% 473 24.19% 1,955
Wheeler 241 57.66% 106 25.36% 69 16.51% 1 0.24% 1 0.24% 0 0.00% 135 32.30% 418
York 4,266 65.56% 1,653 25.40% 559 8.59% 18 0.28% 8 0.12% 3 0.05% 2,613 40.16% 6,507
Totals 363,467 53.65% 236,761 34.95% 71,278 10.52% 2,792 0.41% 1,928 0.28% 1,189 0.18% 126,706 18.70% 677,415

Counties that flip from Republican to Democratic

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In this county where Perot ran second ahead of Clinton, margin given is Dole vote minus Perot vote and percentage margin Dole percentage minus Perot percentage.

References

  1. ^ "1996 Presidential General Election Results – Nebraska". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  2. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  3. ^ "1996 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  4. ^ "Presidential Results by Congressional District, 2000-2008 – Swing State Project".
  5. ^ "NE US President Race, November 05, 1996". Our Campaigns.
Categories