1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries

← 1988 February 10 to June 9, 1992 1996 →
4,289 delegates[a] to theDemocratic National Convention 2,145 (majority) votes needed to win
Candidate Bill Clinton Jerry Brown Paul Tsongas Home state Arkansas California Massachusetts Delegate count 1,997 588 533 Contests won 37 6 9 Popular vote 10,482,411 4,071,232 3,656,010 Percentage 52.0% 20.2% 18.1%   Candidate Tom Harkin Bob Kerrey Home state Iowa Nebraska Delegate count 38 7 Contests won 3 1 Popular vote 280,304 318,457 Percentage 1.4% 1.6%
First place by pledged delegate allocation First place by popular vote      Bill Clinton     Jerry Brown      Paul Tsongas     Tom Harkin     Bob Kerrey
Previous Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis Democratic nominee Bill Clinton

From February 10 to June 9, 1992, voters of theDemocratic Party chose its nominee forpresident in the1992 United States presidential election. Despite scandals and questions about his character,Arkansas GovernorBill Clinton won the nomination through a series ofprimary elections andcaucuses culminating in the1992 Democratic National Convention held from July 13 to July 16, 1992, inNew York City. Clinton and Tennessee SenatorAl 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 theReagan coalition and win the presidential election, defeating incumbent PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush and becoming the first Democratic nominee sinceJimmy Carter to win a presidential election.

Although theMcGovern–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 ofNew Jersey, state legislative district) would receive a proportional share of the apportioned delegates for that district or state.^[1] For 1992 two-thirds of the delegates were selected in 35 primaries.^[2]

During the aftermath of theGulf War,President George H. W. Bush's approval ratings were high. At one point after the successful performance by U.S. forces inKuwait, President Bush had an 89% approval rating.^[3]

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 bySaturday 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.^[4][5][6]

Mario Cuomo andJesse Jackson declined to seek the Democratic nomination for president, as did U.S. Senator and eventual Vice PresidentAl Gore, whose son had been struck by a car and was undergoing extensive surgery and physical therapy.^[7] However, GovernorsBill Clinton andJerry Brown and U.S. SenatorPaul Tsongas opted to run for president.

Candidate			Most recent office	Home state	Campaign Withdrawal date	Popular vote	Contests won	Running mate
Bill Clinton			Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981) (1983–1992)	Arkansas	(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

Candidate			Most recent office	Home state	Campaign Withdrawal date	Popular vote	Contests won
Jerry Brown			Governor of California (1975–1983)	California	(Campaign) Eliminated at Convention: July 15, 1992	4,071,232 (20.20%)	6 AK, CO, CT, ME, NV, VT

Candidate			Most recent office	Home state	Campaign Withdrawal date	Popular vote	Contests won
Paul Tsongas			U.S. Senator fromMassachusetts (1979–1985)	Massachusetts	Suspended Campaign: March 19, 1992 Endorsed Bill Clinton: June 3, 1992	3,656,010 (18.14%)	9 AZ, DA, DE, MD, MA, NH, RI, UT, WA
Tom Harkin			U.S. Senator fromIowa (1985–2015)	Iowa	(Campaign)Withdrew: March 9, 1992 Endorsed Bill Clinton: March 26, 1992	280,304 (1.39%)	3 ID caucus, IA, MN caucus
Bob Kerrey			U.S. Senator fromNebraska (1989–2001)	Nebraska	Withdrew: March 5, 1992 Endorsed Bill Clinton: May 14, 1992	318,457 (1.58%)	1 SD
Douglas Wilder			Governor ofVirginia (1990–1994)	Virginia	Withdrew: January 8, 1992 Endorsed Bill Clinton: July 14, 1992	240 (0.00%)	0

Other notable individuals campaigning for the nomination but not featuring in major polls were:

Larry Agran	Lyndon LaRouche	Tom Laughlin	Eugene McCarthy
Mayor ofIrvine, California (1982–1984), (1986–1990)	No Elected Office (Head of theNational Caucus of Labor Committees)	No Elected Office (Actor)	U.S. Senator fromMinnesota (1959–1971)

Note on Declination Dates:^[b]

Dale Bumpers	Michael Dukakis	John Silber	Sam Nunn	Pat Schroeder	George J. Mitchell	George McGovern	Stephen Solarz
U.S. Senator fromArkansas (1975–1999)	Governor ofMassachusetts (1975–1979) (1983–1991)	President ofBoston University (1971–1996)	U.S. Senator fromGeorgia (1972–1997)	U.S. Representative fromColorado (1973–1997)	U.S. Senator fromMaine (1980–1995)	U.S. Senator fromSouth Dakota (1963–1981)	U.S. Representative fromNew York (1975–1993)
April 20, 1990[8]	November 25, 1990[9]	March 8, 1991[10]	March 10, 1991[11]	March 13, 1991[12]	March 31, 1991[13]	May 23, 1991[14]	July 5, 1991[15][16]
Dick Gephardt	Jay Rockefeller	Al Gore	Lloyd Bentsen	Bill Bradley	Dave McCurdy	Jesse Jackson	Mario Cuomo
U.S. Representative fromMissouri (1977–2005)	U.S. Senator fromWest Virginia (1985–2015)	U.S. Senator fromTennessee (1985–1993)	U.S. Senator fromTexas (1971–1993)	U.S. Senator fromNew Jersey (1979–1997)	U.S. Representative fromOklahoma (1981–1995)	Shadow Senator from theDistrict of Columbia (1991–1997)	Governor of New York (1983–1994)
July 17, 1991[17]	August 7, 1991[18]	August 21, 1991[19]	August 28, 1991[20]	August 28, 1991[21]	October 18, 1991[22]	November 2, 1991[23]	December 20, 1991[24]

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.

• SenatorJoe BidenofDelaware^[25]
• SenatorBob GrahamofFlorida^[25]
• SenatorJohn KerryofMassachusetts^[25]
• SenatorChuck RobbofVirginia^[25]
• GovernorAnn Richards ofTexas^[26]
• GeneralNorman Schwarzkopf Jr.ofFlorida^[27]
• SenatorPaul SimonofIllinois^[26]
• SenatorTim WirthofColorado^[25]

Bush's high approval rating after theGulf War made many Democrats feel that they could not defeat him in the election.Dick Gephardt,Al Gore,Jesse Jackson,Sam Nunn, andJay Rockefeller did not enter the race despite speculation around them as candidates.^[28]

Clinton, a Southerner with experience governing a more conservative state, positioned himself as a centristNew Democrat. He prepared for a run in 1992 amidst a crowded field seeking to beat the incumbent PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush. In the aftermath of thePersian Gulf War, Bush seemed unbeatable, but an economicrecession—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 namedGennifer Flowers appeared in the press to reveal allegations of an affair.^[29] Clinton sought damage control by appearing on60 Minutes with his wife,Hillary Clinton, for an interview withSteve Kroft. Paul Tsongas of Massachusettswon 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 SouthernSuper 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 forterm limits, aflat tax, and the abolition of theDepartment of Education."^[30] Brown scored surprising wins in Connecticut and Colorado.

On March 17, Tsongas left the race when he decisively lost both theIllinois andMichigan primaries to Clinton, with Brown as a distant third. Exactly one week later, Brown eked out a narrow win in the bitterly foughtConnecticut primary. As the press focused on the primaries inNew York andWisconsin, which were both to be held on the same day, Brown, who had taken the lead in polls in both states, made a seriousgaffe: he announced to an audience of various leaders ofNew York City'sJewish community that, if nominated, he would consider the ReverendJesse Jackson as a vice presidential candidate. Jackson was still acontroversial 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."^[30]

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 afterGeorge McGovern in1972 to win the nomination without winning Iowa or New Hampshire. The same feat would be repeated nearly 30 years later byJoe Biden in2020.

Clinton won 28 of the 35 states that held primaries while only winning 4 of the 16 states that used caucuses.^[31] 70% of black voters supported Clinton, 15% supported Brown, and 8% supported Tsongas.^[32]

Tablemaker's Note:^[c]

The convention met inNew 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 choseU.S. SenatorAlbert A. Gore Jr. (D-Tennessee) to be his running mate on July 9, 1992. Choosing Gore, who is from Clinton's neighboring state ofTennessee, 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.^[101] Also, Gore's similarities to Clinton allowed him to push some of his key campaign themes, such as centrism and generational change.^[102]

Before Gore's selection, other politicians were mentioned as a possible running-mate,e.g.Bob Kerrey,Dick Gephardt,Mario Cuomo,Indiana RepresentativeLee H. Hamilton,Pennsylvania SenatorHarris Wofford,Florida SenatorBob Graham, andMassachusetts SenatorJohn Kerry.

TheDemocratic 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 additionalcontroversy concerned Pennsylvania GovernorBob Casey, who sought a speaking slot at the convention but was not granted one. Casey complained that it was because of his outspokenanti-abortion views: he had warned the platform committee that Democrats were committing political suicide because of their support for abortion rights.^[103] Clinton supporters have said that Casey was not allowed to speak because he had not endorsed the ticket.^[104]

Total popular vote number in primaries:^[105]

• 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%)

• 
  Results by county

For President:^[106]

• 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%)

Clinton selectedTennessee Senator and 1988 candidateAl Gore to be hisrunning-mate. Among other confirmed possible V.P. nominees, who were finalists of Clinton's selection were:

• Jay Rockefeller, U.S. senator fromWest Virginia
• Bob Graham, U.S. senator fromFlorida
• Lee H. Hamilton, U.S. representative fromIndiana.^[107]
• Tom Harkin, U.S. senator fromIowa
• Bob Kerrey, U.S. senator fromNebraska
• George Mitchell, U.S. Senate Majority Leader fromMaine
• Paul Tsongas, former U.S. senator fromMassachusetts
• Doug Wilder,Governor of Virginia
• Harris Wofford, U.S. senator fromPennsylvania

Clinton's list of finalists did not include SenatorBill Bradley ofNew Jersey andGovernor of New YorkMario Cuomo, who publicly disavowed interest in the vice presidency.^[107]

• Al Gore - was nominated byacclamation on a voice vote.

The story of the race was covered in the 1993 documentary filmThe War Room and fictionalized into the 1996novel and 1998filmPrimary Colors.

• 1992 Republican Party presidential primaries

• My Life byBill Clinton, 2004, Vintage.ISBN 1-4000-3003-X

• Abramson, Paul; Aldrich, John; Rohde, David (1995).Change and Continuity in the 1992 Elections.CQ Press.ISBN 0871878399.

• 1992 United States Democratic presidential primaries
• Jerry Brown
• Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign
• Mario Cuomo

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