New Hampshire Democratic primary, 1992
Encyclopedia
The 1992 New Hampshire Democratic primary was won by Paul Tsongas
, but is known for the insurgent campaign of Bill Clinton
, who managed a surprising second place finish.
The Iowa caucus
, the first contest of the 1992 Democratic primaries
, was not contested. Due to the presence of Iowa Senator Tom Harkin
in the race, the other candidates did not campaign in Iowa
, instead conceding the contest to Harkin, and making the New Hampshire primary
even more important.
On January 19, The Boston Globe
published a poll showing Clinton ahead of the field with 29 percent, Paul Tsongas with 17 percent, and Bob Kerrey
16. Following this poll, reports of an extramarital affair between Clinton and Gennifer Flowers
surfaced. As Clinton fell far behind former Massachusetts
Senator Paul Tsongas
in the New Hampshire polls, Clinton and his wife Hillary
went on 60 Minutes
following the Super Bowl
to deny the charges. The Clinton campaign also weathered attacks concerning alleged draft dodging during the Vietnam War
and the case of Ricky Ray Rector
.
Tsongas won the New Hampshire primary
with Clinton finishing within single digits of Tsongas, despite trailing badly in the polls. Since many expected Tsongas to win anyway, as New Hampshire
borders his home state of Massachusetts
, the media viewed the results as a victory for Clinton. On election night, Clinton labeled himself "The Comeback Kid" and left New Hampshire with an increase in momentum in the remaining primaries, which would help him win the nomination. Clinton became the first president elected despite not winning the New Hampshire primary
, a feat since duplicated by George W. Bush
in 2000
and Barack Obama
in 2008
.
Paul Tsongas
Paul Efthemios Tsongas was a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1979 to 1985. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 1992 presidential election. He previously served as a U.S...
, but is known for the insurgent campaign of Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, who managed a surprising second place finish.
The Iowa caucus
Iowa Democratic caucuses, 1992
In the 1992 Iowa Democratic caucuses, most candidates for the Democratic nomination did not campaign in Iowa because of the presence of Tom Harkin, a longtime Senator representing Iowa....
, the first contest of the 1992 Democratic primaries
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1992
The 1992 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1992 U.S. presidential election...
, was not contested. Due to the presence of Iowa Senator Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
in the race, the other candidates did not campaign in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, instead conceding the contest to Harkin, and making the New Hampshire primary
New Hampshire primary
The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a...
even more important.
On January 19, The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
published a poll showing Clinton ahead of the field with 29 percent, Paul Tsongas with 17 percent, and Bob Kerrey
Bob Kerrey
Joseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey was the 35th Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and a U.S. Senator from Nebraska . Having served in the Vietnam War, earning the Medal of Honor for his actions, he moved into politics. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992...
16. Following this poll, reports of an extramarital affair between Clinton and Gennifer Flowers
Gennifer Flowers
Gennifer Flowers is a model and actress who allegedly had a sexual relationship with former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Prior to Bill Clinton's presidency, she also posed nude for Penthouse magazine and was an actress in two films and one TV show...
surfaced. As Clinton fell far behind former Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Senator Paul Tsongas
Paul Tsongas
Paul Efthemios Tsongas was a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1979 to 1985. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 1992 presidential election. He previously served as a U.S...
in the New Hampshire polls, Clinton and his wife Hillary
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
went on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
following the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
to deny the charges. The Clinton campaign also weathered attacks concerning alleged draft dodging during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and the case of Ricky Ray Rector
Ricky Ray Rector
Ricky Ray Rector was executed for the 1981 murder of police officer Robert Martin in Conway, Arkansas....
.
Tsongas won the New Hampshire primary
New Hampshire primary
The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a...
with Clinton finishing within single digits of Tsongas, despite trailing badly in the polls. Since many expected Tsongas to win anyway, as New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
borders his home state of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, the media viewed the results as a victory for Clinton. On election night, Clinton labeled himself "The Comeback Kid" and left New Hampshire with an increase in momentum in the remaining primaries, which would help him win the nomination. Clinton became the first president elected despite not winning the New Hampshire primary
New Hampshire primary
The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a...
, a feat since duplicated by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.
Results
- Paul TsongasPaul TsongasPaul Efthemios Tsongas was a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1979 to 1985. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 1992 presidential election. He previously served as a U.S...
: 55,666 (33.21%) - Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
: 41,542 (24.78%) - Bob KerreyBob KerreyJoseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey was the 35th Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and a U.S. Senator from Nebraska . Having served in the Vietnam War, earning the Medal of Honor for his actions, he moved into politics. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992...
: 18,584 (11.09%) - Tom HarkinTom HarkinThomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
: 17,063 (10.18%) - Jerry BrownJerry BrownEdmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
: 13,660 (8.15%) - Mario CuomoMario CuomoMario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
: 6,577 (3.92%) - Tom LaughlinTom Laughlin (actor)Tom Laughlin is an American actor, director, screenwriter, author, educator and political activist. Laughlin is best known for his series of Billy Jack films. He has been married to Delores Taylor since 1954. Taylor has also co-produced and acted in all four of the Billy Jack films...
: 3,251 (1.94%) - Ralph NaderRalph NaderRalph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
: 3,054 (1.82%) - Charles WoodsCharles WoodsCharles Woods was an Alabama businessman and broadcaster, and aspiring politician. Woods was raised in an orphanage. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II...
: 2,862 (1.71%) - George Herbert Walker Bush: 1,433 (0.86%)
- Pat BuchananPat BuchananPatrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
: 1,248 (0.74%) - Lenora FulaniLenora FulaniLenora Branch Fulani is an American psychologist, psychotherapist, and political activist. She may be best known for her presidential campaigns and development of youth programs serving minority communities in the New York City area...
: 402 (0.24%) - Larry AgranLarry AgranLawrence Alan "Larry" Agran is a former mayor of Irvine, California, Orange County's noted planned city. Agran currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem on the City Council.- Early life :...
: 331 (0.20%) - Patrick J. Mahoney, Jr.: 303 (0.18%)
- Eugene McCarthyEugene McCarthyEugene Joseph "Gene" McCarthy was an American politician, poet, and a long-time member of the United States Congress from Minnesota. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the U.S. Senate from 1959 to 1971.In the 1968 presidential election, McCarthy was the first...
: 211 (0.13%) - John Donald Rigazio: 186 (0.11%)
- Curly Thornton: 125 (0.08%)
- Lyndon LaRoucheLyndon LaRoucheLyndon Hermyle LaRouche, Jr. is an American political activist and founder of a network of political committees, parties, and publications known collectively as the LaRouche movement...
: 115 (0.07%) - Douglas WilderDouglas WilderLawrence Douglas "Doug" Wilder is an American politician, the first African American to be elected as governor of Virginia, and the second to serve as governor of a U.S. state. Wilder served as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. When earlier elected as Lieutenant Governor, he was...
: 103 (0.06%) - Caroline KilleenCaroline KilleenCaroline Pettinato Killeen is an American activist, perennial political candidate, self-proclaimed nature lobbyist, and former nun. She ran as a United States presidential candidate and officially qualified for the ballot in the New Hampshire primary in 2008 as a Democrat; she previously ran in...
: 94 (0.06%) - John Patrick Cahill: 83 (0.05%)
- Paul C. FisherPaul C. FisherPaul C. Fisher was an American inventor and politician. He invented the Fisher Space Pen. He held the patent for this invention, which is the most lucrative in the history of pens.-The Fisher Space Pen:...
: 82 (0.05%) - Andre MarrouAndre MarrouAndre Verne Marrou is an American political figure, affiliated with the Libertarian Party.Born in Nixon, Texas, he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1962...
: 67 (0.04%) - Frank Bona: 65 (0.04%)
- Karl J. Hegger: 61 (0.04%)
- William Horrigan, Jr.: 53 (0.03%)
- Dean Adams Curtis: 43 (0.03%)
- Stephen Burke: 39 (0.02%)
- Gilbert H. Holmes: 39 (0.02%)
- Ron Kovic: 36 (0.02%)
- Rufus T. Higginbotham: 31 (0.02%)
- Chris Norton: 31 (0.02%)
- Rose Monyek: 29 (0.02%)
- James Bryant Gay, Jr.: 28 (0.02%)
- Barry J. Deutsch: 26 (0.02%)
- Cyril E. Sagan: 26 (0.02%)
- Edward T. O'Donnell, Jr.: 24 (0.01%)
- Tom Shiekman: 23 (0.01%)
- Stephen H. Schwartz: 17 (0.01%)
- George W. Benns: 12 (0.01%)
- Nathan J. Averick: 7 (0.00%)
- Source: Our Campaigns