1996 United States presidential election in New York

Main article: 1996 United States presidential election
1996 United States presidential election in New York
← 1992 November 5, 1996 2000 →
 
Nominee Bill Clinton Bob Dole Ross Perot
Party Democratic Republican Independence
Alliance Liberal
Parties
Home state Arkansas Kansas Texas
Running mate Al Gore Jack Kemp Pat Choate
Electoral vote 33 0 0
Popular vote 3,756,177 1,933,492 503,458
Percentage 59.47% 30.61% 7.97%
President before election

Bill Clinton
Democratic

Elected President

Bill Clinton
Democratic

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The 1996 United States presidential election in New York took place on November 5, 1996, as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 33 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

New York, a reliable blue state that no Republican presidential candidate has won since 1984, was won by incumbent Democratic President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee, over the Republican ticket of Senator Bob Dole of Kansas and Representative Jack Kemp of New York. Clinton carried New York by a landslide 28.86% margin of victory, taking 59.47% of the vote to Dole’s 30.61%, even though Republican vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp was from New York. Reform Party candidate Ross Perot finished in third, with 7.97% of the popular vote.

Clinton improved dramatically on his 1992 showing in New York, when he had won the state with a 49.7% plurality. 1996 firmly entrenched New York’s status in the modern era as a Democratic stronghold, rather than the swing state it had been in the 20th century. Many historically powerfully Republican upstate counties were won by the Democratic ticket: As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time for a Democrat to carry Cattaraugus, Chenango, Delaware, Fulton, Jefferson, Ontario, Schuyler, Yates, Chemung, Herkimer, Lewis, Oneida and Schoharie counties.[1]

This is the first election since 1964 that Democrats swept all five boroughs of New York City, which also occurred in 2000 and 2012. In this process of sweeping traditionally Republican suburbs around New York City, Clinton increased his lead in Westchester County – where he later moved in 2000 – from an 8.5% win in 1992 to a 21-point sweep in 1996. Many of these gains would be preserved in future elections: since 1996, no Democratic presidential candidate has received less than 58% of the vote in New York State, and except for George W. Bush in 2004, no Republican has broken 40%. Clinton's 28.86% victory margin is the second widest ever for a Democrat, only behind Lyndon Johnson's 37.25% in 1964, although several subsequent Democrats have received a higher vote share.

Results[edit]

1996 United States presidential election in New York[2]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Bill Clinton 3,649,630 57.78%
Liberal Bill Clinton 106,547 1.69%
Total Bill Clinton (incumbent) 3,756,177 59.47% 33
Republican Bob Dole 1,738,707 27.53%
Conservative Bob Dole 183,392 2.90%
Freedom Bob Dole 11,393 0.18%
Total Bob Dole 1,933,492 30.61% 0
Independence Ross Perot 503,458 7.97% 0
Green Ralph Nader 75,956 1.20% 0
Right to Life Howard Phillips[a] 23,580 0.37% 0
Libertarian Harry Browne 12,220 0.19% 0
Natural Law John Hagelin 5,011 0.08% 0
Worker's World Monica Moorehead 3,473 0.05% 0
Socialist Workers James Harris 2,762 0.04% 0
Totals 6,316,129 100.0% 33
Voter turnout 43% —

New York City results[edit]

1996 Presidential Election in New York City Manhattan The Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten Island Total
Democratic-
Liberal 		Bill Clinton 394,131 248,276 432,232 372,925 64,684 1,512,248 77.10%
79.96% 85.80% 80.07% 72.94% 50.53%
Republican-
Conservative-
Freedom 		Bob Dole 67,839 30,435 81,406 107,650 52,207 339,537 17.31%
13.76% 10.52% 15.08% 21.05% 40.78%
Independence Ross Perot 11,144 7,186 15,031 22,288 8,968 64,617 3.29%
2.26% 2.48% 2.78% 4.36% 7.01%
Green Ralph Nader 15,969 1,727 7,802 4,599 1,040 31,137 1.59%
3.24% 0.60% 1.45% 0.90% 0.81%
Right to Life Howard Phillips 723 784 1,175 1,535 554 4,771 0.24%
0.15% 0.27% 0.22% 0.30% 0.43%
Libertarian Harry Browne 1,536 242 653 727 207 3,365 0.17%
0.31% 0.08% 0.12% 0.14% 0.16%
Natural Law John Hagelin 593 232 537 602 148 2,112 0.11%
0.12% 0.08% 0.10% 0.12% 0.12%
Worker's World Monica Moorehead 615 290 520 547 107 2,079 0.11%
0.12% 0.10% 0.10% 0.11% 0.08%
Socialist Workers James Harris 349 178 477 423 92 1,519 0.08%
0.07% 0.06% 0.09% 0.08% 0.07%
TOTAL 492,899 289,350 539,833 511,296 128,007 1,961,385 100.00%

Results by county[edit]

County Bill Clinton
Democratic 		Bob Dole
Republican 		Ross Perot
Independence 		Ralph Nader[3]
Green 		Various candidates[3]
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Albany 85,993 60.99% 39,785 28.22% 11,957 8.48% 2,071 1.47% 1,185 0.84% 46,208 32.77% 140,991
Allegany 6,621 37.40% 8,107 45.79% 2,730 15.42% 116 0.66% 129 0.73% -1,486 -8.39% 17,703
Bronx 248,276 85.80% 30,435 10.52% 7,186 2.48% 1,727 0.60% 1,726 0.60% 217,841 75.28% 289,350
Broome 44,407 51.15% 31,327 36.09% 9,114 10.50% 1,308 1.51% 658 0.76% 13,080 15.06% 86,814
Cattaraugus 13,029 41.17% 12,971 40.99% 5,151 16.28% 184 0.58% 308 0.97% 58 0.18% 31,643
Cayuga 15,879 49.79% 11,093 34.78% 4,420 13.86% 234 0.73% 268 0.84% 4,786 15.01% 31,894
Chautauqua 26,831 47.67% 21,261 37.77% 7,484 13.30% 281 0.50% 433 0.77% 5,570 9.90% 56,290
Chemung 16,977 47.40% 14,287 39.89% 3,967 11.08% 192 0.54% 390 1.09% 2,690 7.51% 35,813
Chenango 8,797 45.63% 7,319 37.96% 2,822 14.64% 172 0.89% 169 0.88% 1,478 7.67% 19,279
Clinton 15,386 52.95% 9,759 33.58% 3,488 12.00% 153 0.53% 274 0.94% 5,627 19.37% 29,060
Columbia 12,910 47.11% 10,324 37.67% 3,466 12.65% 488 1.78% 215 0.78% 2,586 9.44% 27,403
Cortland 9,130 46.94% 7,606 39.11% 2,398 12.33% 194 1.00% 121 0.62% 1,524 7.83% 19,449
Delaware 8,724 44.98% 7,684 39.62% 2,601 13.41% 219 1.13% 166 0.86% 1,040 5.36% 19,394
Dutchess 47,339 45.60% 41,929 40.39% 12,294 11.84% 1,374 1.32% 885 0.85% 5,410 5.21% 103,821
Erie 224,554 54.74% 132,343 32.26% 45,679 11.13% 4,684 1.14% 2,974 0.72% 92,211 22.48% 410,234
Essex 7,893 46.47% 6,379 37.55% 2,363 13.91% 165 0.97% 186 1.10% 1,514 8.92% 16,986
Franklin 8,494 51.81% 5,072 30.94% 2,499 15.24% 109 0.66% 220 1.34% 3,422 20.87% 16,394
Fulton 9,779 46.28% 7,881 37.30% 3,214 15.21% 120 0.57% 136 0.64% 1,898 8.98% 21,130
Genesee 10,074 41.56% 10,821 44.64% 2,996 12.36% 131 0.54% 216 0.89% -747 -3.08% 24,238
Greene 8,251 41.00% 8,712 43.29% 2,790 13.86% 208 1.03% 163 0.81% -461 -2.29% 20,124
Hamilton 1,228 34.00% 1,841 50.97% 492 13.62% 24 0.66% 27 0.75% -613 -16.97% 3,612
Herkimer 11,910 44.73% 10,085 37.88% 4,235 15.91% 174 0.65% 222 0.83% 1,825 6.85% 26,626
Jefferson 16,783 49.18% 12,362 36.22% 4,561 13.36% 159 0.46% 262 0.77% 4,421 12.96% 34,127
Kings 432,232 80.07% 81,406 15.08% 15,031 2.78% 7,802 1.45% 3,362 0.62% 350,826 64.99% 539,833
Lewis 4,402 43.22% 3,965 38.93% 1,669 16.39% 38 0.37% 111 1.09% 437 4.29% 10,185
Livingston 10,868 43.23% 10,981 43.68% 2,889 11.49% 205 0.82% 195 0.78% -113 -0.45% 25,138
Madison 11,832 43.84% 11,324 41.96% 3,379 12.52% 220 0.82% 233 0.86% 508 1.88% 26,988
Monroe 164,858 53.18% 115,694 37.32% 23,936 7.72% 3,277 1.06% 2,229 0.72% 49,164 15.86% 309,994
Montgomery 10,485 49.54% 7,172 33.88% 3,253 15.37% 94 0.44% 162 0.77% 3,313 15.66% 21,166
Nassau 303,587 55.74% 196,820 36.14% 36,122 6.63% 4,345 0.80% 3,790 0.70% 106,767 19.60% 544,664
New York 394,131 79.96% 67,839 13.76% 11,144 2.26% 15,969 3.24% 3,816 0.77% 326,292 66.20% 492,899
Niagara 44,203 49.42% 31,438 35.15% 12,564 14.05% 611 0.68% 628 0.70% 12,765 14.27% 89,444
Oneida 44,399 46.77% 37,996 40.03% 11,296 11.90% 453 0.48% 785 0.83% 6,403 6.74% 94,929
Onondaga 100,190 51.40% 73,771 37.84% 17,602 9.03% 1,954 1.00% 1,422 0.73% 26,419 13.56% 194,939
Ontario 19,156 46.23% 17,237 41.60% 4,391 10.60% 349 0.84% 306 0.74% 1,919 4.63% 41,439
Orange 54,995 48.01% 45,956 40.12% 11,778 10.28% 921 0.80% 888 0.78% 9,039 7.89% 114,538
Orleans 6,233 40.82% 6,865 44.96% 1,986 13.01% 95 0.62% 89 0.58% -632 -4.14% 15,268
Oswego 20,440 44.75% 17,159 37.57% 7,499 16.42% 280 0.61% 295 0.65% 3,281 7.18% 45,673
Otsego 11,470 47.54% 8,774 36.37% 3,217 13.33% 442 1.83% 223 0.92% 2,696 11.17% 24,126
Putnam 16,173 42.08% 17,452 45.41% 4,032 10.49% 447 1.16% 328 0.85% -1,279 -3.33% 38,432
Queens 372,925 72.94% 107,650 21.05% 22,288 4.36% 4,599 0.90% 3,834 0.75% 265,275 51.89% 511,296
Rensselaer 34,273 50.68% 23,482 34.72% 8,405 12.43% 869 1.29% 596 0.88% 10,791 15.96% 67,625
Richmond 64,684 50.53% 52,207 40.78% 8,968 7.01% 1,040 0.81% 1,108 0.87% 12,477 9.75% 128,007
Rockland 63,127 56.24% 40,395 35.99% 6,798 6.06% 1,189 1.06% 732 0.65% 22,732 20.25% 112,241
St. Lawrence 21,798 56.65% 10,827 28.14% 5,309 13.80% 222 0.58% 321 0.83% 10,971 28.51% 38,477
Saratoga 39,832 46.50% 34,337 40.08% 10,141 11.84% 711 0.83% 644 0.75% 5,495 6.42% 85,665
Schenectady 35,404 53.07% 22,106 33.14% 7,865 11.79% 759 1.14% 575 0.86% 13,298 19.93% 66,709
Schoharie 5,902 44.51% 5,353 40.37% 1,796 13.54% 121 0.91% 89 0.67% 549 4.14% 13,261
Schuyler 3,303 43.26% 3,134 41.05% 1,037 13.58% 92 1.20% 69 0.90% 169 2.21% 7,635
Seneca 6,825 48.91% 5,004 35.86% 1,889 13.54% 126 0.90% 111 0.80% 1,821 13.05% 13,955
Steuben 14,481 37.94% 17,710 46.40% 5,496 14.40% 175 0.46% 309 0.81% -3,229 -8.46% 38,171
Suffolk 261,828 51.83% 182,510 36.13% 52,209 10.33% 4,786 0.95% 3,880 0.77% 79,318 15.70% 505,213
Sullivan 15,052 53.29% 9,321 33.00% 3,453 12.23% 244 0.86% 174 0.62% 5,731 20.29% 28,244
Tioga 8,769 41.20% 9,416 44.24% 2,721 12.79% 219 1.03% 157 0.74% -647 -3.04% 21,282
Tompkins 20,772 55.95% 11,532 31.06% 2,623 7.07% 1,854 4.99% 343 0.92% 9,240 24.89% 37,124
Ulster 35,852 48.55% 26,212 35.49% 9,246 12.52% 1,913 2.59% 628 0.85% 9,640 13.06% 73,851
Warren 11,603 43.31% 11,152 41.63% 3,623 13.52% 212 0.79% 201 0.75% 451 1.68% 26,791
Washington 9,572 42.46% 8,954 39.72% 3,648 16.18% 172 0.76% 198 0.88% 618 2.74% 22,544
Wayne 15,145 42.07% 15,837 44.00% 4,619 12.83% 153 0.43% 243 0.68% -692 -1.93% 35,997
Westchester 196,310 56.92% 123,719 35.87% 18,028 5.23% 4,364 1.27% 2,442 0.71% 72,591 21.05% 344,863
Wyoming 5,735 36.25% 7,477 47.26% 2,411 15.24% 72 0.46% 126 0.80% -1,742 -11.01% 15,821
Yates 4,066 43.59% 3,925 42.08% 1,190 12.76% 75 0.80% 71 0.76% 141 1.51% 9,327
Totals 3,756,177 59.47% 1,933,492 30.61% 503,458 7.97% 75,956 1.20% 47,046 0.74% 1,822,685 28.86% 6,316,129

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Howard Phillips was the nominee of the Constitution Party nationally.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  2. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections 1996 – New York". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Our Campaigns; NY US President Race, November 05, 1996
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