1996 United States presidential election — 53rd quadrennial U.S. presidential election
Bill Clinton won re-election over Bob Dole, becoming the first Democratic president since FDR to win two consecutive terms since Jimmy Carter lost in 1980.
Key Facts
- Clinton electoral votes
- 379
- Dole electoral votes
- 159
- Clinton popular vote share
- 49.2%
- Dole popular vote share
- 40.7%
- Perot popular vote share
- 8.4% (Reform Party)
- Election date
- November 5, 1996
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After Democrats lost both chambers of Congress in 1994, Clinton's re-election prospects initially appeared weak. However, a recovering economy, a stable international environment, and effective campaigning that tied Dole to the unpopular Newt Gingrich helped Clinton rebuild public support heading into the 1996 race.
On November 5, 1996, incumbent President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore defeated the Republican ticket of Bob Dole and Jack Kemp along with Reform Party candidate Ross Perot. Clinton won 379 electoral votes to Dole's 159, capturing 49.2% of the popular vote versus Dole's 40.7%, a decisive margin.
Clinton became the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win two consecutive terms. Perot, excluded from the debates and receiving less media coverage than in 1992, still garnered enough support that both major-party candidates finished below 50% nationally, and he remains as of 2026 the last third-party candidate to exceed 5% of the popular vote.
Political Outcome
Bill Clinton (Democrat) re-elected president; defeated Bob Dole (Republican) 379–159 in the Electoral College and 49.2%–40.7% in the popular vote.
Bill Clinton, first term (Democrat)
Bill Clinton, second term (Democrat)