1996 United States presidential election in California

November 5, 1996
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

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]

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]

Results

1996 United States presidential election in California[2][6]
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

County Clinton Votes Dole Votes Perot Votes Nader Votes Others Votes
San Francisco 72.24% 209,777 15.66% 45,479 3.33% 9,659 7.39% 21,471 1.38% 3,999
Alameda 65.77% 303,903 23.07% 106,581 5.25% 24,270 4.42% 20,432 1.48% 6,858
San Mateo 60.55% 152,304 29.22% 73,508 5.98% 15,047 2.92% 7,336 1.33% 3,337
Los Angeles 59.34% 1,430,629 30.96% 746,544 6.54% 157,752 1.91% 45,977 1.25% 30,112
Marin 58.04% 67,406 28.17% 32,714 5.65% 6,559 6.34% 7,360 1.81% 2,101
Yolo 56.88% 33,033 32.38% 18,807 5.42% 3,150 4.09% 2,377 1.23% 712
Santa Clara 56.88% 297,639 32.16% 168,291 6.67% 34,908 2.35% 12,312 1.94% 10,141
Santa Cruz 56.52% 58,250 26.94% 27,766 6.36% 6,555 7.57% 7,803 2.61% 2,688
Contra Costa 55.73% 196,512 35.15% 123,954 5.79% 20,416 2.08% 7,334 1.24% 4,386
Sonoma 55.57% 100,738 29.54% 53,555 7.65% 13,862 5.27% 9,547 1.98% 3,595
Imperial 55.27% 14,591 36.76% 9,705 6.73% 1,778 0.58% 154 0.65% 172
Solano 55.12% 64,644 34.74% 40,742 7.40% 8,682 1.59% 1,868 1.15% 1,343
Monterey 53.15% 57,700 36.66% 39,794 6.67% 7,240 2.20% 2,391 1.32% 1,433
Napa 50.89% 24,588 36.09% 17,439 8.80% 4,254 2.57% 1,242 1.65% 796
San Benito 50.55% 7,030 38.72% 5,384 7.51% 1,044 1.70% 236 1.52% 212
Sacramento 49.83% 203,019 40.76% 166,049 5.86% 23,856 2.24% 9,142 1.31% 5,348
Lake 48.90% 10,432 34.96% 7,458 11.90% 2,539 2.73% 583 1.51% 323
Santa Barbara 46.87% 70,650 42.40% 63,915 6.27% 9,457 3.17% 4,774 1.29% 1,949
Merced 46.41% 21,786 44.41% 20,847 7.30% 3,427 0.98% 462 0.89% 416
San Joaquin 46.34% 67,253 44.87% 65,131 6.68% 9,692 1.03% 1,501 1.08% 1,563
Stanislaus 45.93% 53,738 44.79% 52,403 7.14% 8,360 1.00% 1,172 1.14% 1,334
Mendocino 45.74% 14,952 29.87% 9,765 11.27% 3,685 11.04% 3,608 2.09% 682
Fresno 45.32% 94,448 47.42% 98,813 5.26% 10,962 1.21% 2,523 0.79% 1,647
San Bernardino 44.36% 183,372 43.58% 180,135 9.51% 39,330 1.25% 5,150 1.30% 5,368
Humboldt 44.17% 24,628 35.52% 19,803 10.42% 5,811 8.34% 4,651 1.55% 864
San Diego 44.11% 389,964 45.57% 402,876 7.13% 63,037 1.79% 15,858 1.40% 12,416
Ventura 44.10% 110,772 43.47% 109,202 9.18% 23,054 1.88% 4,732 1.37% 3,434
Kings 43.59% 11,254 47.91% 12,368 6.76% 1,745 0.79% 205 0.94% 243
Riverside 43.05% 168,579 45.61% 178,611 9.06% 35,481 1.23% 4,814 1.05% 4,128
Alpine 42.02% 258 43.00% 264 10.26% 63 3.09% 19 1.63% 10
Del Norte 41.08% 3,652 41.29% 3,670 13.78% 1,225 2.24% 199 1.61% 143
Tuolumne 40.73% 8,950 47.27% 10,386 8.76% 1,925 1.94% 427 1.29% 284
Amador 40.60% 5,868 47.54% 6,870 8.77% 1,267 1.83% 264 1.27% 183
San Luis Obispo 40.19% 40,395 46.50% 46,733 8.16% 8,204 3.83% 3,854 1.31% 1,314
Calaveras 38.63% 6,646 48.12% 8,279 9.37% 1,612 1.96% 338 1.92% 331
Mono 38.62% 1,580 46.00% 1,882 10.93% 447 2.35% 96 2.10% 86
Butte 38.53% 30,651 48.98% 38,961 8.04% 6,393 3.03% 2,409 1.43% 1,136
Siskiyou 38.39% 7,022 47.30% 8,653 10.27% 1,879 2.03% 372 2.01% 367
Tulare 38.06% 32,669 53.90% 46,272 5.95% 5,106 0.86% 737 1.24% 1,062
Orange 37.88% 327,485 51.67% 446,717 7.66% 66,195 1.37% 11,842 1.43% 12,337
Yuba 37.42% 5,789 51.53% 7,971 8.46% 1,308 1.30% 201 1.30% 201
Trinity 37.38% 2,203 42.93% 2,530 14.53% 856 2.70% 159 2.46% 145
Placer 37.05% 34,981 52.75% 49,808 6.93% 6,542 1.99% 1,875 1.29% 1,221
Mariposa 36.73% 2,920 50.02% 3,976 9.17% 729 2.42% 192 1.66% 132
Madera 36.70% 11,254 53.85% 16,510 7.15% 2,192 1.23% 376 1.08% 330
Colusa 36.60% 2,054 54.29% 3,047 7.20% 404 0.75% 42 1.16% 65
Kern 36.56% 62,658 53.77% 92,151 7.85% 13,452 0.75% 1,289 1.07% 1,841
El Dorado 36.33% 22,957 51.84% 32,759 8.03% 5,077 2.28% 1,439 1.53% 964
Plumas 36.31% 3,540 50.31% 4,905 9.43% 919 2.19% 214 1.76% 172
Tehama 35.66% 7,290 50.34% 10,292 11.37% 2,325 1.20% 245 1.42% 291
Nevada 35.56% 15,369 50.40% 21,784 7.70% 3,330 4.85% 2,097 1.48% 639
Sutter 34.37% 8,504 57.64% 14,264 6.20% 1,533 0.84% 208 0.95% 236
Inyo 34.36% 2,601 51.84% 3,924 10.71% 811 1.68% 127 1.40% 106
Lassen 33.60% 3,318 52.60% 5,194 10.94% 1,080 1.33% 131 1.54% 152
Sierra 33.57% 573 51.38% 877 9.96% 170 2.34% 40 2.75% 47
Shasta 33.11% 20,848 55.17% 34,736 9.33% 5,875 1.07% 675 1.31% 827
Glenn 32.04% 2,841 56.86% 5,041 8.89% 788 0.96% 85 1.25% 111
Modoc 31.79% 1,368 53.10% 2,285 12.27% 528 1.14% 49 1.70% 73

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Independent to Republican

By congressional district

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

  1. "Historical Voter Registration and Participation in Statewide General Elections 1910-2018" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Dave Leip's Atlas of United States Presidential Election Results - 1996 California Results
  3. 1 2 "County winners, 1836-2016". Google Docs. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  4. 1 2 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. 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)
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