1996 United States presidential election in California

The 1996 United States presidential election in California took place on November 5, 1996, as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 54 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. California, was won by Incumbent President Bill Clinton (D) over Senator Bob Dole (R), with Clinton winning 51.1% to 38.21% by a margin of 12.89%. Billionaire businessman Ross Perot (Reform Party) finished in third, with 6.96% of the popular vote.[2]

1996 United States presidential election in California

← 1992 November 5, 1996 2000 →
Turnout65.53% (of registered voters) Decrease 9.79 pp
52.56% (of eligible voters) Decrease 1.96 pp[1]
 
Nominee Bill Clinton Bob Dole Ross Perot
Party Democratic Republican Reform
Home state Arkansas Kansas Texas
Running mate Al Gore Jack Kemp Pat Choate
Electoral vote 54 0 0
Popular vote 5,119,835 3,828,380 697,847
Percentage 51.10% 38.21% 6.96%

County Results

President before election

Bill Clinton
Democratic

Elected President

Bill Clinton
Democratic

California had grown increasingly Democratic relative to the rest of the nation in the prior three elections, culminating in Bill Clinton's becoming the first Democrat to carry California in 1992 since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide. In 1996, Clinton carried California once again by double digits, representing the first time California had voted Democratic in back-to-back elections since 1948. This was also the first time since 1964 that a Democrat won a majority of the vote in California. Nevertheless, Clinton's margin of victory shrank from 13.40% to 12.89%, even as his national margin swelled by 3%. Dole reclaimed eleven counties for the GOP: San Diego, Riverside, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Butte, Tehama, Tuolumne, Siskiyou, Del Norte, Plumas, and Mariposa. He also carried Trinity County, the one county in the state in which Ross Perot had won a plurality in 1992. Of these counties, San Diego, Riverside, Fresno, and San Luis Obispo cast over 100,000 votes; and San Diego County was the largest county in the country to switch parties in 1996.

In contrast, Clinton flipped no counties in the state from red to blue, making this the first election since 1980 in which no red counties in the state turned blue. Clinton became the first Democrat to win the White House without carrying Fresno County since the county's founding in 1856, and remains the only one to have done so as of 2020.[3] He also became the first Democrat since Woodrow Wilson in 1912 to win the White House without carrying Plumas County.[3] Nevertheless, Clinton retained seven counties that he had been the first Democrat to carry since 1964 in 1992: San Bernardino, Ventura, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Imperial, and San Benito, of which all save Imperial and San Benito cast over 100,000 votes. He also retained all the counties that had voted Democratic in 1988, including a number of sizeable ones that had voted Republican in 1976, such as Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Sonoma. This was the last election in which California voted to the right of Arkansas, Michigan, Minnesota, or West Virginia. This was also the first election since 1912 in which California voted differently than nearby Montana.

Late in the 1996 campaign, Dole had made an upset victory over Clinton in California central to his strategy.[4] Dole hoped to capitalize on two issues that had been figuring prominently in California politics under Governor Pete Wilson, illegal immigration and affirmative action.[4]

California is 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.[2][5]

The Reform Party successfully conducted a drive to qualify as a party in California over the course of eighteen days in 1995.[6]

Results

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1996 United States presidential election in California[2][7]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic William Jefferson Clinton (Incumbent) Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (Incumbent) 5,119,835 51.10% 54
Republican Robert Joseph Dole Jack French Kemp 3,828,380 38.21% 0
Reform Henry Ross Perot James Campbell 697,847 6.96% 0
Green Ralph Nader Winona LaDuke 237,016 2.37% 0
Libertarian Harry Browne Jo Jorgensen 73,600 0.73% 0
Peace and Freedom Marsha Feinland Kate McClatchy 25,332 0.25% 0
Taxpayers’ Howard Phillips Herbert Titus 21,202 0.21% 0
Natural Law John Hagelin Dr. V. Tompkins 15,403 0.15% 0
Write-in Charles Collins 765 0.01% 0
Write-in James Harris 77 0.00% 0
Write-in Joel Neuberg 13 0.00% 0
Write-in Willie Carter 12 0.00% 0
Write-in Isabell Masters 2 0.00% 0
Invalid or blank votes 242,155 2.36%
Totals 10,261,639 100.0% 54
Voter turnout 65.53%

By county

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County Bill Clinton
Democratic
Bob Dole
Republican
Ross Perot
Reform
Ralph Nader
Green
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Alameda 303,903 65.77% 106,581 23.07% 24,270 5.25% 20,432 4.42% 6,858 1.48% 197,322 42.70% 462,044
Alpine 258 42.02% 264 43.00% 63 10.26% 19 3.09% 10 1.63% -6 -0.98% 614
Amador 5,868 40.60% 6,870 47.54% 1,267 8.77% 264 1.83% 183 1.27% -1,002 -6.94% 14,452
Butte 30,651 38.53% 38,961 48.98% 6,393 8.04% 2,409 3.03% 1,136 1.43% -8,310 -10.45% 79,550
Calaveras 6,646 38.63% 8,279 48.12% 1,612 9.37% 338 1.96% 331 1.92% -1,633 -9.49% 17,206
Colusa 2,054 36.60% 3,047 54.29% 404 7.20% 42 0.75% 65 1.16% -993 -17.69% 5,612
Contra Costa 196,512 55.73% 123,954 35.15% 20,416 5.79% 7,334 2.08% 4,386 1.24% 72,558 20.58% 352,602
Del Norte 3,652 41.08% 3,670 41.29% 1,225 13.78% 199 2.24% 143 1.61% -18 -0.21% 8,889
El Dorado 22,957 36.33% 32,759 51.84% 5,077 8.03% 1,439 2.28% 964 1.53% -9,802 -15.51% 63,196
Fresno 94,448 45.32% 98,813 47.42% 10,962 5.26% 2,523 1.21% 1,647 0.79% -4,365 -2.10% 208,393
Glenn 2,841 32.04% 5,041 56.86% 788 8.89% 85 0.96% 111 1.25% -2,200 -24.82% 8,866
Humboldt 24,628 44.17% 19,803 35.52% 5,811 10.42% 4,651 8.34% 864 1.55% 4,825 8.65% 55,757
Imperial 14,591 55.27% 9,705 36.76% 1,778 6.73% 154 0.58% 172 0.65% 4,886 18.51% 26,400
Inyo 2,601 34.36% 3,924 51.84% 811 10.71% 127 1.68% 106 1.40% -1,323 -17.48% 7,569
Kern 62,658 36.56% 92,151 53.77% 13,452 7.85% 1,289 0.75% 1,841 1.07% -29,493 -17.21% 171,391
Kings 11,254 43.59% 12,368 47.91% 1,745 6.76% 205 0.79% 243 0.94% -1,114 -4.32% 25,815
Lake 10,432 48.90% 7,458 34.96% 2,539 11.90% 583 2.73% 323 1.51% 2,974 13.94% 21,335
Lassen 3,318 33.60% 5,194 52.60% 1,080 10.94% 131 1.33% 152 1.54% -1,876 -19.00% 9,875
Los Angeles 1,430,629 59.34% 746,544 30.96% 157,752 6.54% 45,977 1.91% 30,112 1.25% 684,085 28.38% 2,411,014
Madera 11,254 36.70% 16,510 53.85% 2,192 7.15% 376 1.23% 330 1.08% -5,256 -17.15% 30,662
Marin 67,406 58.04% 32,714 28.17% 6,559 5.65% 7,360 6.34% 2,101 1.81% 34,692 29.87% 116,140
Mariposa 2,920 36.73% 3,976 50.02% 729 9.17% 192 2.42% 132 1.66% -1,056 -13.29% 7,949
Mendocino 14,952 45.74% 9,765 29.87% 3,685 11.27% 3,608 11.04% 682 2.09% 5,187 15.87% 32,692
Merced 21,786 46.41% 20,847 44.41% 3,427 7.30% 462 0.98% 416 0.89% 939 2.00% 46,938
Modoc 1,368 31.79% 2,285 53.10% 528 12.27% 49 1.14% 73 1.70% -917 -21.31% 4,303
Mono 1,580 38.62% 1,882 46.00% 447 10.93% 96 2.35% 86 2.10% -302 -7.38% 4,091
Monterey 57,700 53.15% 39,794 36.66% 7,240 6.67% 2,391 2.20% 1,433 1.32% 17,906 16.49% 108,558
Napa 24,588 50.89% 17,439 36.09% 4,254 8.80% 1,242 2.57% 796 1.65% 7,149 14.80% 48,319
Nevada 15,369 35.56% 21,784 50.40% 3,330 7.70% 2,097 4.85% 639 1.48% -6,415 -14.84% 43,219
Orange 327,485 37.88% 446,717 51.67% 66,195 7.66% 11,842 1.37% 12,337 1.43% -119,232 -13.79% 864,576
Placer 34,981 37.05% 49,808 52.75% 6,542 6.93% 1,875 1.99% 1,221 1.29% -14,827 -15.70% 94,427
Plumas 3,540 36.31% 4,905 50.31% 919 9.43% 214 2.19% 172 1.76% -1,365 -14.00% 9,750
Riverside 168,579 43.05% 178,611 45.61% 35,481 9.06% 4,814 1.23% 4,128 1.05% -10,032 -2.56% 391,613
Sacramento 203,019 49.83% 166,049 40.76% 23,856 5.86% 9,142 2.24% 5,348 1.31% 36,970 9.07% 407,414
San Benito 7,030 50.55% 5,384 38.72% 1,044 7.51% 236 1.70% 212 1.52% 1,646 11.83% 13,906
San Bernardino 183,372 44.36% 180,135 43.58% 39,330 9.51% 5,150 1.25% 5,368 1.30% 3,237 0.78% 413,355
San Diego 389,964 44.11% 402,876 45.57% 63,037 7.13% 15,858 1.79% 12,416 1.40% -12,912 -1.46% 884,151
San Francisco 209,777 72.24% 45,479 15.66% 9,659 3.33% 21,471 7.39% 3,999 1.38% 164,298 56.58% 290,385
San Joaquin 67,253 46.34% 65,131 44.87% 9,692 6.68% 1,501 1.03% 1,563 1.08% 2,122 1.47% 145,140
San Luis Obispo 40,395 40.19% 46,733 46.50% 8,204 8.16% 3,854 3.83% 1,314 1.31% -6,338 -6.31% 100,500
San Mateo 152,304 60.55% 73,508 29.22% 15,047 5.98% 7,336 2.92% 3,337 1.33% 78,796 31.33% 251,532
Santa Barbara 70,650 46.87% 63,915 42.40% 9,457 6.27% 4,774 3.17% 1,949 1.29% 6,735 4.47% 150,745
Santa Clara 297,639 56.88% 168,291 32.16% 34,908 6.67% 12,312 2.35% 10,141 1.94% 129,348 24.72% 523,291
Santa Cruz 58,250 56.52% 27,766 26.94% 6,555 6.36% 7,803 7.57% 2,688 2.61% 30,484 29.58% 103,062
Shasta 20,848 33.11% 34,736 55.17% 5,875 9.33% 675 1.07% 827 1.31% -13,888 -22.06% 62,961
Sierra 573 33.57% 877 51.38% 170 9.96% 40 2.34% 47 2.75% -304 -17.81% 1,707
Siskiyou 7,022 38.39% 8,653 47.30% 1,879 10.27% 372 2.03% 367 2.01% -1,631 -8.91% 18,293
Solano 64,644 55.12% 40,742 34.74% 8,682 7.40% 1,868 1.59% 1,343 1.15% 23,902 20.38% 117,279
Sonoma 100,738 55.57% 53,555 29.54% 13,862 7.65% 9,547 5.27% 3,595 1.98% 47,183 26.03% 181,297
Stanislaus 53,738 45.93% 52,403 44.79% 8,360 7.14% 1,172 1.00% 1,334 1.14% 1,335 1.14% 117,007
Sutter 8,504 34.37% 14,264 57.64% 1,533 6.20% 208 0.84% 236 0.95% -5,760 -23.27% 24,745
Tehama 7,290 35.66% 10,292 50.34% 2,325 11.37% 245 1.20% 291 1.42% -3,002 -14.68% 20,443
Trinity 2,203 37.38% 2,530 42.93% 856 14.53% 159 2.70% 145 2.46% -327 -5.55% 5,893
Tulare 32,669 38.06% 46,272 53.90% 5,106 5.95% 737 0.86% 1,062 1.24% -13,603 -15.84% 85,846
Tuolumne 8,950 40.73% 10,386 47.27% 1,925 8.76% 427 1.94% 284 1.29% -1,436 -6.54% 21,972
Ventura 110,772 44.10% 109,202 43.47% 23,054 9.18% 4,732 1.88% 3,434 1.37% 1,570 0.63% 251,194
Yolo 33,033 56.88% 18,807 32.38% 3,150 5.42% 2,377 4.09% 712 1.23% 14,226 24.50% 58,079
Yuba 5,789 37.42% 7,971 51.53% 1,308 8.46% 201 1.30% 201 1.30% -2,182 -14.11% 15,470
Total 5,119,835 51.10% 3,828,380 38.21% 697,847 6.96% 237,016 2.37% 136,406 1.36% 1,291,455 12.89% 10,019,484

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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Counties that flipped from Independent to Republican

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By congressional district

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Clinton won 38 of 52 congressional districts, including eight held by Republicans. Dole won 14 districts, including one held by a Democrat.

District Dole Clinton Perot Representative
1st 35% 48% 10% Frank Riggs
2nd 51% 36% 9% Wally Herger
3rd 44% 45% 7% Vic Fazio
4th 51% 38% 8% John Doolittle
5th 34% 57% 5% Bob Matsui
6th 29% 57% 7% Lynn Woolsey
7th 25% 65% 6% George Miller
8th 18% 66% 4% Nancy Pelosi
9th 13% 75% 3% Ron Dellums
10th 43% 48% 6% Bill Baker
Ellen Tauscher
11th 45% 46% 7% Richard Pombo
12th 21% 70% 4% Tom Lantos
13th 28% 62% 7% Pete Stark
14th 31% 58% 6% Anna Eshoo
15th 35% 53% 7% Tom Campbell
16th 29% 61% 6% Zoe Lofgren
17th 32% 55% 6% Sam Farr
18th 45% 46% 7% Gary Condit
19th 52% 40% 6% George Radanovich
20th 41% 52% 6% Cal Dooley
21st 56% 34% 8% Bill Thomas
22nd 44% 44% 7% Andrea Seastrand
Walter Capps
23rd 42% 46% 9% Elton Gallegly
24th 37% 52% 7% Anthony Beilenson
Brad Sherman
25th 47% 41% 9% Buck McKeon
26th 25% 65% 7% Howard Berman
27th 41% 49% 7% Carlos Moorhead
Jim Rogan
28th 44% 45% 8% David Dreier
29th 24% 67% 5% Henry Waxman
30th 20% 71% 5% Xavier Becerra
31st 26% 65% 7% Matthew G. Martínez
32nd 12% 81% 4% Julian Dixon
33rd 14% 80% 4% Lucille Roybal-Allard
34th 27% 63% 7% Esteban Torres
35th 11% 84% 4% Maxine Waters
36th 41% 47% 8% Jane Harman
37th 13% 82% 4% Walter R. Tucker III
Juanita Millender-McDonald
38th 36% 53% 8% Steve Horn
39th 48% 41% 8% Ed Royce
40th 49% 38% 11% Jerry Lewis
41st 47% 43% 8% Jay Kim
42nd 36% 54% 9% George Brown Jr.
43rd 46% 43% 9% Ken Calvert
44th 45% 44% 9% Sonny Bono
45th 51% 38% 8% Dana Rohrabacher
46th 41% 49% 8% Bob Dornan
Loretta Sánchez
47th 54% 36% 7% Christopher Cox
48th 56% 34% 8% Ron Packard
49th 40% 49% 7%
Brian Bilbray
50th 32% 60% 6% Bob Filner
51st 52% 39% 7% Duke Cunningham
52nd 48% 41% 8% Duncan Hunter

References

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  1. ^ "Historical Voter Registration and Participation in Statewide General Elections 1910-2018" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Dave Leip's Atlas of United States Presidential Election Results - 1996 California Results
  3. ^ a b "County winners, 1836-2016". Google Docs. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Ayres, B. Drummond Jr. (October 31, 1996). "Behind Dole's California Strategy: A Bid to Save His Campaign (Published 1996)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  5. ^ "Perot Names Stand-in Veep Candidate". Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  6. ^ "Registration Drive". Ballot Access News. November 16, 1995. Archived from the original on June 1, 2006. Retrieved July 23, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ Statement of Vote November 5, 1996, Prepared by Bill Jones California Secretary of State Archived July 31, 2008, at the Wayback Machine(access date 2012-02-05)