United States presidential election in Connecticut, 1996

Main article: United States presidential election, 1996

United States presidential election in Connecticut, 1996

November 5, 1996

Nominee Bill Clinton Bob Dole Ross Perot Party Democratic Republican Reform Home state Arkansas Kansas Texas Running mate Al Gore Jack Kemp Patrick Choate Electoral vote 8 0 0 Popular vote 735,740 483,109 139,523 Percentage 52.83% 34.69% 10.02%

276px County Results   Clinton—50-60%   Clinton—<50%

President before election Bill Clinton Democratic Elected President Bill Clinton Democratic

The 1996 United States presidential election in Connecticut took place on November 5, 1996 as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 8 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.

Connecticut was won by incumbent Democratic President Bill Clinton, who took 52.83% of the vote over Republican Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, who took 34.69%, a victory margin of 18.14%. The Reform Party candidate, Texas Billionaire Ross Perot, finished in third with 10.02% of the popular vote.

Clinton's decisive win was indicative of a major shift toward the Democratic Party throughout the Northeast in the 1990s. Connecticut had previously been a Republican-leaning swing state, with Republicans winning it in the 1980s but Clinton carrying it by a fairly close 42-36 plurality in 1992. However, in 1996 Clinton not only won by double digits, but swept every county in the state, including traditionally Republican Fairfield County and Litchfield County, the first Democrat to do so since 1964. Clinton's gains proved enduring, as every county except Litchfield has voted Democratic in all the elections that have followed. Consequently, the state has become a reliably blue state in presidential elections, with Democratic nominees winning the state by double digits in every election since.

Results

United States presidential election in Connecticut, 1996
Party		Candidate	Running mate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Bill Clinton (incumbent)	Al Gore	735,740	52.83%	8
	Republican	Bob Dole	Jack Kemp	483,109	34.69%	0
	Reform	Ross Perot	Patrick Choate	139,523	10.02%	0
	Green	Ralph Nader	Winona LaDuke	24,321	1.75%	0
	Libertarian	Harry Browne	Jo Jorgensen	5,788	0.42%	0
	Concerned Citizens	Howard Phillips	Joseph Zdonczyk	2,425	0.17%	0
	Natural Law	Dr. John Hagelin	Dr. V. Tompkins	1,703	0.12%	0
	Write-in	James Harris		4	0.00%	0
	No party	Write-in		1	0.00%	0