Bill Clinton served as the 42ndpresident of the United States (1993–2001) and as the 40th and 42ndgovernor of Arkansas (1979–1981; 1983–1992). A member of theDemocratic Party, Clinton first ran for a public office in 1974, competing in the congressional election forArkansas's 3rd congressional district. After narrowly losing to incumbent representativeJohn Paul Hammerschmidt, he ran for the office ofArkansas Attorney General in 1976. He won the Democratic primary comfortably, receiving over 55% of the popular vote. Witnessing his strong support during the primaries,Republicans did not nominate a candidate to run against him. Clinton won the general electionunopposed. His experience as the attorney general was considered a natural "stepping-stone" to the governorship.

After serving as attorney general, Clinton ran for governor of Arkansas in 1978. He defeated the Republican nominee to win the election. At age 32, became the nation's youngest governor in January 1979. He lost re-election to the Republican nomineeFrank D. White in 1980. After leaving office in January 1981, Clinton self-deprecatingly referred to himself as "the youngest former governor in the history of the country".^[1] In 1982, he ran again in thegubernatorial election, defeating Governor White. He contested and won the 1984, 1986, and 1990 gubernatorial elections.

In1992, Clinton contested the Democratic primaries for the presidential nomination. Initially trailingJerry Brown in the polls, his lead eventually increased, and he became the front runner. After being the runner-up in the New Hampshire primary, he delivered a speech labeling himself as the "Comeback Kid", which re-energized his campaign. After becoming thepresumptive nominee, he selectedAl Gore, a senator fromTennessee as his running mate; the Clinton–Gore ticket defeated the incumbent, PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush, and Vice PresidentDan Quayle. In December 1992, he resigned as governor and became the 42nd president of the United States on January 20, 1993. As president, he signed theNorth American Free Trade Agreement into law. His handling of the federal budget and theBosnian War likely helped him keep his approval ratings high, and most of the polls showed him leading throughout 1996. Facing no major challenge within the Democratic Party, Clinton and Gore were re-nominated as the presidential and vice-presidential candidates. In the1996 presidential election, the Clinton–Gore ticket was re-elected, defeating Republican presidential nomineeBob Dole and vice-presidential nomineeJack Kemp.

Bill Clinton was born inHope, Arkansas, in 1946.^[2] After graduating from theGeorgetown University, he won aRhodes Scholarship to theUniversity of Oxford.^[2] After receiving hisJuris Doctor degree from theYale Law School in 1973, he decided to compete in the 1974 congressional election inArkansas's 3rd congressional district.^[3] He announced his candidacy on February 25, 1974.^[4][5] At age 27, he was one of the youngest candidates for a congressional election in the nation. While campaigning, he addressed gatherings in small rural areas of the state. When addressing these gatherings, he often attackedRichard Nixon, the incumbent Republican president, forhis policies on Vietnam, and his alleged involvement in theWatergate scandal.^[6] Two weeks before the Democratic primaries, he was able to raise $36,000 (equivalent to $229,530 in 2024) from donations.^[7] He led the primaries with almost 44% of the popular vote, against relatively better-known opponents, including Arkansas state senator Gene Rainwater. Since no candidate got a majority of the vote in the primary, a runoff election was conducted between Clinton and Rainwater.^[8] Clinton easily won the runoff, receiving 69% of the popular vote.^[6]

In the general election, he challenged the incumbent Republican representativeJohn Paul Hammerschmidt. Clinton supportedbalancing the national budget, controllinginflation, reducing the size of the federal bureaucracy, and broadening federal aid for schools.^[9][10] He continued attacking Hammerschmidt for his support of Nixon, which successfully helped him to garner the support of somemoderate Republican voters.^[11] Clinton said, "If we had the kind of congress we needed years ago, then we would not be facing this sad prospect."^[12] But soon afterPresident Nixon's resignation on August 8, 1974, Clinton's lead faded as the country's attention turned to other matters.^[13] In September, he was lagging in the polls with 23% support to Hammerschmidt's 59%.^[4] During the last weeks of campaigning, various newspapers, including theArkansas Gazette, endorsed him.^[4] On election day, he lost the race to Hammerschmidt, receiving a little more than 48.2% of the popular vote against Hammerschmidt's almost 52%.^[13] Clinton calls his 1974 congressional campaign the "best campaign" he ever ran.^[4]

After marryingHillary Rodham in October 1975, Clinton decided to run in the Democratic primaries for the office ofattorney general of Arkansas.^[17] The incumbent attorney generalJim Guy Tucker was not running for re-election; he ran instead forArkansas's 2nd congressional district.^[18] Clinton announced his campaign in the rotunda of theArkansas State Capitol on March 6.^[19] He supported mandatory prison terms for some crimes and the creation of anombudsman position in the attorney general's office.^[19] He made bringing back "Law and Order" a central theme of his campaign.^[20] George Jernigan, the secretary of state for Arkansas, and Clarence Cash, the deputy attorney general of Arkansas, challenged him.^[21] Clinton easily won the primary contest, getting over 55% of the popular vote.^[22] Apart from organizing his campaign, he coordinatedJimmy Carter's 1976 presidential campaign in Arkansas.^[23][24] Witnessing his strong support during the primaries, Republicans did not nominate a candidate to run against him.^[21] Clinton won the general electionunopposed. Just two months after assuming the office, the Arkansas Junior Chamber of Commerce named him the "Outstanding Young Man of the Year".^[25] His experience as the attorney general was considered a natural "stepping-stone" to the governorship.^[17]

In 1978,David Pryor, the incumbent governor of Arkansas, announced that he would not seek a third term, and instead run for theUnited States Senate.^[27] In March 1978, just fourteen months after becoming attorney general, Clinton announced his candidacy for thegubernatorial election.^[28] He was unsure whether to run for governor or the Senate seat being vacated byJohn L. McClellan. His initial intention was to run for the Senate, because of the difference in the length of tenure of each office,^[b][30] but ultimately decided to run in the gubernatorial primaries. As the state manager of Carter's successful 1976 presidential run, Clinton gained popularity among national Democratic leaders.^[27] In his announcement speech, he cited his experience as attorney general and said, "In the office I now have, I have gained precious experience in the workings of every aspect of state, county, and local government."^[31] In the Democratic primaries, four minor candidates challenged him. He raised $600,000 (equivalent to $2,892,551 in 2024) from fundraising,^[32] and garnered support from the majority of labor organizations and the business community.^[29]

The Arkansas Gazette endorsed Clinton and wrote that "He has extraordinary credentials, an unusual intellect and a dazzling personality to bring to bear upon the problems and opportunities that will confront the next governor."^[33] National columnistsJack Germond andJules Witcover endorsed him and wrote articles supporting his campaign. Clinton easily won the primaries, receiving almost 60% of the popular vote.^[34] In the general election,Lynn Lowe, a Republican official and farmer fromTexarkana, challenged him.^[35] During the final weeks of the campaign, Billy G. Geren, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, accused Clinton ofdodging the draft during the Vietnam War.^[36] Clinton dismissed Geren's claim and asserted he never received a draft determent. With no official documents to substantiate either side, the issue was soon forgotten.^[35] On election day, Clinton easily won the governorship, receiving over 63% of the popular vote.^[37] At 32 years old, he was Arkansas's, and the nation's youngest governor.^[38] As the governor-elect, he proposed a pay rise of $2,400 for teachers for the following two fiscal years.^[39]The New York Times called Clinton's victory "beyond traditional ideological terms".^[40] Clinton later described his 1978 gubernatorial campaign as "running for class president".^[40]

During his governorship, Clinton worked on educational reform and directed the maintenance of Arkansas's roads. His wife Hillary Rodham led a successful committee on urban health care reform.^[44] Clinton became popular as a national leader, however, his term included an unpopular motor vehicle tax. Many citizens were angry over the escape of Cuban refugees (from theMariel boatlift) detained atFort Chaffee (AR) in 1980.^[44] On March 31, 1980, Clinton officially filed documents to seek a second term.^[45] In the Democratic primaries, Monroe Schwarzlose, a 78-year-old retired farmer,^[46] who challenged him in the 1978 Democratic gubernatorial primaries ran against Clinton again.^[47] Clinton won the Democratic nomination, receiving almost 70% of the popular vote.^[48] In the general election, the Republican nominee Frank D. White challenged Clinton.^[49] White accused him of being out of touch with ordinary voters and claimed his policies had raised the tax burden on themiddle class.^[49] He accused the first lady of being too independent and chastised her for not taking her husband's last name.^[49]

In late August, Clinton gave a speech at the1980 Democratic National Convention.^[50] WhenDavid S. Broder, a journalist forThe Washington Post was asked to name two young people who would most likely be the president in the future, he said "I would choose Bill Clinton, the 34-year-old Governor of Arkansas for Democrats, andJack Kemp, 45, Republican Congressman fromErie County, New York."^[51] In mid-October, Clinton told the press that "I have never felt more comfortable and at ease before an election",^[52] confidently anticipating a victory; however White narrowly defeated him by a margin of just 3.9%.^[53][54]

After losing the governorship in 1980, Clinton self-deprecatingly referred to himself as "the youngest former governor in the history of the country".^[c][1] He joined his friendBruce Lindsey's Little Rock law firm of Wright, Lindsey, and Jennings.^[57] In early February 1982, Clinton announced his candidacy for the 1982 gubernatorial election.^[58] In a 30-second televised advertisement, he admitted making mistakes in his first term, but asked voters for their trust and support.^[59] While campaigning in late February, Hillary Rodham began referring to herself as "Mrs. Bill Clinton".^[60][61]Joe Purcell, a former lieutenant governor and attorney general of Arkansas, and Jim Guy Tucker, the representative forArkansas's 2nd congressional district and a former attorney general, launched strong challenges against him in the Democratic primaries. Determined to undercut Tucker, Clinton claimed that Tucker was mostly absent from the House of Representatives during his tenure as a representative.^[62]

Clinton said he lost the 1980 election badly because he had been out of touch with the people.^[63] He said, "They [voters] elected him [Governor White] in a protest vote."^[64] While campaigning for the 1982 election, Clinton began appearing at town hall meetings, a relatively new format that helped him to maintain his popularity and get in touch with voters.^[65] He won almost 42% of the popular vote in the primary. Since no candidate won a majority, a runoff election was conducted between Clinton and Purcell.^[66] Clinton won, defeating Purcell by almost 7.4% of the popular vote. Even after Clinton's victory, Purcell refused to endorse him for the general election.^[67][68] The rift was such that Purcell's campaign manager, Joe McCarty, headed a group called "Democrats for White" in the general election.

The general election was a re-match between Clinton and Governor White.^[69] Clinton removed many of his 1980 campaign staff members from his 1982 campaign team after being criticized for having too young a staff.^[70] He appointedJames Herbert Jones, better known as "Jimmie Red Jones," a former eight-termstate auditor, as his campaign chairman.^[70] He proposed his plan for utility reform in Arkansas and supported the direct election of members of the Public Service Commission by a popular vote.^[71] Governor White criticized Clinton's televised campaign advertisements, referring to their claims as "totally erroneous".^[72] Clinton dismissed White's assertion, and condemned his decision to abolish the state Energy Department instead.^[72] Clinton defeated Governor White in the general election and became the first and only governor of Arkansas to be elected to non-consecutive terms.^[73][1]

During his second term as governor, Clinton called a special session of the state legislature to vote on his education agenda. After six weeks of debate, the legislature passed his agenda by a margin of one vote.^[77] In late 1983, the Arkansas state police arrested his half-brotherRoger Clinton on drug charges.^[77] Clinton ordered the police to continue with their investigation against Roger. After Roger was arrested, Clinton held a press conference and said: "drugs are a curse which has reached epidemic proportion and has plagued the lives of millions of families in our nation, including many in our state".^[78] Roger pleaded not guilty,^[79] but was sentenced to three years in the central prison. Many of Clinton's opponents used his brother's drug conviction against him, hoping to prevent him from seeking another term; however, by late May, Clinton announced his candidacy for a third term.^[80] Lonnie Turner, a former prosecutor, challenged Clinton in the Democratic primaries. He criticized Clinton for the Truck tax adopted by the state legislature. He said there is "anti-Clinton sentiment in the state due to the Truck tax, largely because the incumbent governor has not kept his word".^[80] However, Clinton easily won the primary, receiving almost 64.5% of the vote.

In the general election, Woody Freeman, a utility contractor and former Higher Education Commission chair, who won the Republican nomination, challenged Clinton.^[81] Clinton was invited to address the1984 Democratic National Convention, where he invoked the memory ofHarry S. Truman, and said "Harry Truman would tell us to forget about 1948, and stand for what Americans think in 1984."^[82]Walter Mondale, the Democratic nominee for the presidency, appreciated and endorsed Clinton for the election.^[83] Clinton raised almost $100,000 (equivalent to $302,659 in 2024) to push a constitutional amendment on the 1984 ballot, increasing the length of the governor's tenure from to two to four years after the 1986 election. Holding the governorship would help him run for president in 1988 or 1992.^[84] He called the 1984 election a "public referendum on his educational reform".^[85] Despite a Republicanlandslide in the general election with Ronald Reagan winning 49 of the 50 states, Clinton won reelection, defeating Freeman by almost 25% of the popular vote.^[86][87] Thepublic referendum for the four-year term was widely accepted, with almost 64.3% of the voters voting for it.^[88]

In his third term as governor, Clinton served as the chairman of theEducation Commission of the States,^[91] and the chairman of theNational Governors Association from 1986 to 1987, bringing him to the attention of audiences beyond Arkansas.^[92][93] His education reform agenda proved successful when the percentage of graduating seniors who moved onto college increased from 30% to 50%,^[94] though many teacher unions were protesting his "teachers' test" policy.^[95]

Former Arkansas governorOrval Faubus challenged him in the Democratic primary.^[96] Long retired from politics, Faubus opposed Clinton's overly liberal policies.^[94] Meanwhile, Frank White, the former governor who defeated Clinton in 1980, was planning to challenge him again. By early June, Clinton secured his party's nomination, defeating Faubus with over 60% of the popular vote.^[97] Frank White won the Republican nomination and said: "I did it [won election] before, I can do it again."^[98] Clinton featured in a series of statewide television and newspaper ads, and a pamphlet campaign called "Make a Difference Arkansas", promoting state products. The White campaign criticized it and tried to stop their broadcast, calling the advertisements an "attempt by the Clinton campaign to circumvent campaign finance and reporting laws".^[99][100] On election day, Clinton won the gubernatorial election for the fourth time. This time, he was elected to a four-year term.^{[92][101][102]}

In his fourth term as governor, there was speculation that Clinton was a potential presidential candidate for the1988 presidential election. Secretly, he sent his campaign workers toIowa andNew Hampshire, the states with the earliest presidential caucuses/primaries, to lay the groundwork for his campaign.^[104] By July 1987, he was prepared to announce his candidacy for the presidential nomination. However, in a press conference on July 15, 1987, he said he had decided not to compete in the primaries, because his family needed him more than his country.^[105][92] He was invited to deliver an address at the1988 Democratic National Convention, where he endorsed Massachusetts GovernorMichael Dukakis for the presidency.^[106] Dukakis lost the election to Republican nomineeGeorge H. W. Bush.^[107]

Clinton decided to seek a fifth term as Arkansas' governor. He filed the official papers for re-election on March 29, 1990, and said, "Now we have to focus on the next step, because every election is not about yesterday, it's about tomorrow."^[108] He promised to generate high-paying jobs by recruiting better-paying employers, and opposed efforts to repeal tax programs that draw business to Arkansas.^[108] Tom McRae, former president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation challenged him.^[109] Clinton easily secured the nomination by winning almost 55% of the popular vote in the primaries.^[110] He began the 1990 campaign by saying that "the fire of an election no longer burns in me".^[92] While campaigning, he promised to serve a full term as the governor; however, in the aftermath of Dukakis's defeat, Clinton was one of the front-runners for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination.^[111]

In the general election,Sheffield Nelson, the chairman of theArkansas Republican Party, challenged Clinton. During the campaign, Nelson ran a series of advertisements, criticizing Clinton's tax and spending policies. This likely helped him boost his polling numbers, however, Clinton remained comfortably ahead in the final months of the campaign.^{[112][113][114]} On election day, Clinton defeated Nelson, winning over 57% of the popular vote.^[115]

Soon after the 1990 Arkansas gubernatorial election, there was again speculation that Clinton was a potential presidential candidate for the1992 presidential election.^[118] Although he initially declined to run for the presidency, he declared his candidacy in early October 1991.^[119] With President Bush's approval rating skyrocketing afterOperation Desert Storm, high-profile Democratic Party candidates, such asMario Cuomo andJesse Jackson, refused to seek the Democratic nomination.^[120] In the lead-in to the 1992 New Hampshire Democratic primary, scandal rocked the Clinton campaign whenGennifer Flowers told reporters of her 12-year sexual affair with Clinton.^[121] At the same time, Clinton was accused of misleading theU.S. Army Reserve to avoid service in theVietnam War.^[122] Bill and Hillary Clinton denied thesexual misconduct allegations in an interview withSteve Kroft on an episode of60 Minutes airing afterSuper Bowl XXVI.^[123]

Though Jerry Brown was leading in the polls in September 1991, Clinton's lead eventually increased, and he became the front runner. He lost the Iowa caucus toTom Harkin, getting only 2.8% of the votes; he lost the New Hampshire primary to Paul Tsongas.^[124] After coming in second place in New Hampshire, he delivered a speech labeling himself "The Comeback Kid", which re-energized his campaign.^[125] After Harkin dropped out of the race, Clinton won eight of the 11 contests onSuper Tuesday and won most of the primaries after that. After the North Dakota primary, Paul Tsongas dropped out, leaving only Clinton and Brown in the race.^[126] Although Brown continued to campaign in several states, he won no more primaries. Despite this, he still had a sizable number of delegates, and a big win in his home state ofCalifornia would have deprived Clinton of sufficient support to win the nomination.^[127]

After getting enough delegates to win the convention, Clinton shortlisted six potential vice presidential candidates, which included:

• Al Gore – Senator fromTennessee (1985–1993)
• Bob Graham – Senator fromFlorida (1987–2005)
• Jay Rockefeller – Senator fromWest Virginia (1985–2015)
• Harris Wofford – Senator fromPennsylvania (1991–1995)
• Bob Kerrey – Senator fromNebraska (1989–2001)
• Lee H. Hamilton – Representative fromIndiana's 9th congressional district (1965–1999)

Former Deputy Secretary of StateWarren Christopher led Clinton's vice-presidential selection team.^[128] Ultimately, Clinton chose Gore, a senator from Tennessee, whosought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988.^[129] In making the selection, Clinton emphasized Gore's experience with foreign policy and environmental issues. He appeared onThe Arsenio Hall Show on Wednesday, June 3, 1992, the day after he secured the Democratic Party nomination and played "Heartbreak Hotel" on thesaxophone. This was considered an important moment in the campaign, as it helped him build popularity among young voters.^[130] Clinton received a significantpoll bounce from the convention, because of the perceived success of the convention and independent presidential candidateRoss Perot announcing his withdrawal from the campaign hours before Clinton's acceptance speech.^[131] He was officially nominated as the candidate, receiving 3,372 delegates.^[132]

Soon after the convention, Clinton and Gore traveled around the country by bus campaigning.^[133] In the general election, Clinton challenged the incumbent, President Bush, and businessman Ross Perot, who by early October had re-entered the race.^[134] TheBush campaign used variousattack ads against Clinton, criticizing him over tax increases during his governorship, and his inconsistency on major issues like term limits and defense.^[135] Clinton's political advisor,James Carville, coined the phrase "It's the economy, stupid", which was often used to attack the Bush campaign.^[136] Clinton was praised widely for his performance in thepresidential debates, which likely helped him keep his polling numbers high.^[137] On election day, Clinton defeated Bush winning 370 electoral votes,^[138] and 43% of the popular vote,^[139] to become the 42nd president.^[140]

First instance vote by state and territory of the 1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries
     Bill Clinton     Jerry Brown     Paul Tsongas     Tom Harkin     Bob Kerrey

Electoral college map of the 1992 United States presidential election

In his first term as the president, Clinton signed theNorth American Free Trade Agreement into law.^[143] His handling of the federal budget and theBosnian War likely helped him keep his approval ratings high, and most of the polls showed him leading.^[144] His approval ratings were in the 40% to 50% range.^[145] Facing no major threat within the Democratic party, he won the primary election, receiving over 88% of the popular vote.^[146] To accept the nomination, Clinton campaigned on a train named "21st Century Express", traveling throughWest Virginia,Ohio, andMichigan on the way to Illinois, three crucial states for his re-election.^[147] He was re-nominated by the Democratic party in the1996 Democratic National Convention, receiving 4277 of the 4289 delegates' votes.

In the general election, Republicans nominated 73-year-old Senate majority leader,Bob Dole, as their presidential nominee.^[148] Texas businessman Ross Perot, who had previously run in the 1992 presidential election as an Independent candidate, announced his candidacy for the 1996 presidential election as theReform Party's candidate.^[149] The Clinton campaign avoided mentioning Dole's age directly, instead choosing to confront it in more subtle ways such as the campaign slogan "Building Bridges to the Future" in contrast to Dole's frequent remarks he was building a "bridge to the past".^[150]

On election day, Clinton won a decisive victory over Dole, becoming the first Democrat to win two consecutive presidential elections sinceFranklin D. Roosevelt.^[151][152] He received 379 electoral votes to Dole's 159.^[152][153] Clinton's victory helped to cement Democratic presidential control in California,Vermont,Maine,Illinois,New Jersey, andConnecticut; all voted Democrat in every subsequent presidential election.^[154]

• Electoral history of Hillary Clinton
• Electoral history of Al Gore

• Clinton–Gore 1996 website

• Bill Clinton
• Electoral history of politicians from Arkansas
• Electoral history of presidents of the United States

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