1992 United States presidential election in Maine

1992 United States presidential election in Maine

← 1988 November 3, 1992 1996 →
 
Nominee Bill Clinton Ross Perot George H. W. Bush
Party Democratic Independent Republican
Home state Arkansas Texas Texas
Running mate Al Gore James Stockdale Dan Quayle
Electoral vote 4 0 0
Popular vote 263,420 206,820 206,504
Percentage 38.77% 30.44% 30.39%


President before election

George H. W. Bush
Republican

Elected President

Bill Clinton
Democratic

The 1992 United States presidential election in Maine took place on November 3, 1992, as part of the 1992 United States presidential election. Voters chose four representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Maine was won by Governor Bill Clinton (D-Arkansas) with 38.77% of the popular vote over businessman Ross Perot (I-Texas) with 30.44%. Incumbent President George H. W. Bush (R-Texas) finished in third, close behind Perot, with 30.39% of the popular vote.[1] Despite the Bush family having ties to Maine, with Bush owning a house in Kennebunkport, Maine, Perot beat Bush for second place in the state by a slim margin of 316 votes, making Maine one of two states where Perot finished better than third place, the other being Utah,[2] though Maine was the only state of the two where Perot won any counties. Clinton ultimately won the national vote, defeating both incumbent President Bush and Perot.[3] Perot's 30.44% would prove Maine as his strongest state in the 1992 election.[4] Ross Perot came within 4.55% of winning an electoral vote in Maine’s second congressional district, the closest he came to winning an electoral vote. In Maine's first congressional district, Bush finished in second place, with the 8.11% margin being the closest Bush would come in 1992 to winning an electoral vote in New England after New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Clinton was the first Democrat to carry the state of Maine since 1968 when Hubert Humphrey, running with Maine Senator Edmund Muskie as vice-presidential candidate, did so.[5] Maine has not voted Republican in any subsequent presidential elections, though Donald Trump would win a single electoral vote from Maine's 2nd district in 2016 and 2020.

As of 2020, this is the last time that a sitting president finished third in a state or (along with Utah) that a non-major party candidate would come in second or better.

Results[edit]

1992 United States presidential election in Maine[1]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Bill Clinton 263,420 38.77% 4
Independent Ross Perot 206,820 30.44% 0
Republican George H. W. Bush (incumbent) 206,504 30.39% 0
Libertarian Andre Marrou 1,681 0.25% 0
New Alliance Lenora Fulani 519 0.08% 0
U.S. Taxpayers' Howard Phillips 464 0.07% 0
Write-ins 91 0.01% 0
Totals 679,499 100.0% 4
Voter Turnout (Voting age/Registered) 72%/70%

Results by county[edit]

County Bill Clinton[6]
Democratic
Ross Perot[6]
Independent
George H.W. Bush[6]
Republican
Andre Marrou[6]
Libertarian
Various candidates[6]
Other parties
Margin[a] Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Androscoggin 22,247 40.34% 18,518 33.58% 14,174 25.70% 114 0.21% 91 0.17% 3,729 6.76% 55,144
Aroostook 15,682 40.64% 10,376 26.89% 12,409 32.16% 46 0.12% 72 0.19% 3,273[b] 8.48% 38,585
Cumberland 60,781 42.95% 34,443 24.34% 45,752 32.33% 373 0.26% 173 0.12% 15,029[b] 10.62% 141,522
Franklin 6,739 40.79% 5,115 30.96% 4,608 27.89% 37 0.22% 24 0.15% 1,624 9.83% 16,523
Hancock 10,126 35.15% 9,865 34.25% 8,657 30.05% 75 0.26% 82 0.28% 261 0.90% 28,805
Kennebec 25,125 39.31% 21,436 33.54% 17,135 26.81% 126 0.20% 99 0.15% 3,689 5.77% 63,921
Knox 7,631 37.52% 6,303 30.99% 6,310 31.03% 62 0.30% 32 0.16% 1,321[b] 6.49% 20,338
Lincoln 6,714 35.27% 5,808 30.51% 6,405 33.65% 78 0.49% 31 0.19% 309[b] 1.62% 19,036
Oxford 11,202 38.16% 9,815 33.43% 8,194 27.91% 89 0.30% 56 0.19% 1,387 4.73% 29,356
Penobscot 29,485 36.65% 26,437 32.86% 24,218 30.11% 175 0.22% 129 0.16% 3,048 3.79% 80,444
Piscataquis 3,323 33.13% 3,688 36.77% 2,970 29.61% 38 0.38% 12 0.12% -365 -3.64% 10,031
Sagadahoc 6,828 36.88% 5,705 30.82% 5,917 31.96% 41 0.22% 22 0.12% 911[b] 4.92% 18,513
Somerset 9,274 35.10% 10,293 38.95% 6,780 25.66% 45 0.17% 32 0.12% -1,019 -3.85% 26,424
Waldo 6,472 34.93% 6,702 36.17% 5,241 28.29% 77 0.42% 37 0.20% -230 -1.24% 18,529
Washington 6,284 35.37% 5,894 33.18% 5,493 30.92% 60 0.34% 34 0.19% 390 2.19% 17,765
York 35,507 37.55% 26,422 27.94% 32,241 34.09% 245 0.26% 148 0.16% 3,266[b] 3.46% 94,563
Totals 263,420 38.77% 206,820 30.44% 206,504 30.39% 1,681 0.25% 1,074 0.16% 56,600 8.33% 679,499

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic[edit]

Counties that flipped from Republican to Independent[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Because Perot finished ahead of Bush in Maine as a whole, all margins given are Clinton minus Perot unless stated in the total for the county in question.
  2. ^ a b c d e f In this county where Bush did run second ahead of Perot, the margin given is that between Clinton and Bush.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "1992 Presidential General Election Results – Maine". U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  2. ^ "Final Vote Returns Put Perot 2d in Maine, Ahead of Bush". The New York Times. November 24, 1992. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  3. ^ "1992 Presidential General Election Results". U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  4. ^ "1992 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  5. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 217-218 ISBN 0786422173
  6. ^ a b c d e Our Campaigns; ME US Presidential Race, November 03, 1992