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1992 Republican Party presidential primaries

{{Short description|Selection of Republican US presidential candidate}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1992 Republican Party presidential primaries

| country = United States

| type = primary

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1988 Republican Party presidential primaries

| previous_year = 1988

| next_election = 1996 Republican Party presidential primaries

| next_year = 1996

| election_date = February 18 to June 9, 1992

| votes_for_election = 2,209 delegates to the Republican National Convention

| needed_votes = 1,105 (majority){{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31773163/chicago_tribune/ |title=Race for the nomination |date= 11 March 1992 |work=Chicago Tribune |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521032229/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31773163/chicago_tribune/ |archive-date= 21 May 2019 |url-status=live |via=Newspapers.com}}

| party_name = no

| image1 = File:George H. W. Bush presidential portrait (cropped 2).jpg

| image_size = 150x150px

| candidate1 = George H. W. Bush

| colour1 = a59400

| home_state1 = Texas

| states_carried1 = 51

| popular_vote1 = 9,199,463

| percentage1 = 72.8%

| delegate_count1 = 1,544

| image2 = File:Pat Buchanan 1985b (cropped).jpg

| candidate2 = Pat Buchanan

| colour2 = 668c63

| home_state2 = Virginia

| states_carried2 = 0

| popular_vote2 = 2,899,488

| percentage2 = 23.0%

| delegate_count2 = 367

| delegate_count3 =

| map_image = 350px

| map_size =

| map_caption = Gold denotes a state won by George H. W. Bush. Grey denotes a state or territory that did not hold a primary/caucus.

| title = Republican nominee

| before_election = George H. W. Bush

| after_election = George H. W. Bush

}}

The 1992 Republican Party presidential primaries were the presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party, which took place in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., between February 18 to June 9, 1992, in which voters selected 2,277 delegates sent to the Republican National Convention, held in Houston, Texas, between August 17 and August 20, 1992. At the convention, Republican delegates nominated George H. W. Bush, the incumbent U.S. president, as the Republican Party's presidential nominee, and Dan Quayle, the incumbent vice president, as his vice presidential running mate.

In the presidential election held November 3, 1992, Bush and Quayle were defeated by Democrat presidential nominee Bill Clinton and Al Gore, his vice presidential running mate.

Primary race overview

President George H. W. Bush was challenged for the Republican nomination by Pat Buchanan, a conservative author and commentator. During early counting in the New Hampshire primary, it appeared that the president might actually lose. However, Buchanan faded by the end of the evening, and Bush won the rest of the primaries. Bush's margins in many of the primaries were not as large as expected, and led to the rise of Ross Perot as an independent candidate.

Republican Louisiana State Representative and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke also ran in a number of primaries, but he did not receive any delegates. Former Governor Harold Stassen of Minnesota also made a quixotic bid for support in the Minnesota primary, winning enough votes to entitle him to one delegate, but was later denied his single vote by machinations at the Minnesota Republican Party's 1992 state convention.

=New Hampshire primary=

{{See also|1992 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary}}

As Buchanan's candidacy relied heavily on a strong showing in the New Hampshire primary, President Bush made New Hampshire a focal point in his reelection bid. However, New Hampshire still remained a pivotal base for Buchanan's primary campaign.

Because Bush was widely perceived to have broken his "read my lips" pledge, Buchanan found support in the economically battered and conservative state of New Hampshire. Making Bush's tax-hikes a central theme of his campaign, Buchanan enjoyed healthy grass-roots support despite lagging behind the president in pre-primary polling.

Bush countered the threat posed by Buchanan by touring New Hampshire himself. He memorably told an audience at an Exeter town hall: "Message: I care".{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/16/us/1992-campaign-republicans-immersing-himself-nitty-gritty-bush-barnstorms-new.html | work=The New York Times | first=Maureen | last=Dowd | title=THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: REPUBLICANS; Immersing Himself in Nitty-Gritty, Bush Barnstorms New Hampshire | date=16 January 1992}} Some sources claim that this was the result of Bush mistakenly reading a cue card aloud.[http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/romney-s-new-message-i-care-20120927?mrefid=mostViewed NG] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928084010/http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/romney-s-new-message-i-care-20120927?mrefid=mostViewed |date=2012-09-28 }}

On primary night, President Bush carried New Hampshire with 53% of the vote. Buchanan finished second with 38% of the vote.{{cite web| url = http://www.primarynewhampshire.com/new-hampshire-primary-past-results.php| title = Past New Hampshire Primary Election Results| access-date = 2010-02-22| archive-date = 2011-07-15| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110715112805/http://www.primarynewhampshire.com/new-hampshire-primary-past-results.php| url-status = dead}}

=The rest of the race=

Despite many in the Bush campaign attempting to push Buchanan out of the race, the strong showing made the Buchanan campaign hope for an outpouring of campaign contributions which galvanized the campaign into making efforts to pull out strong showings such as in the Georgia primary.

Despite an impressive showing, Buchanan's campaign never attracted serious opposition to President Bush in most contests. Most of Buchanan's "victories" were larger-than-expected showings that were still considered landslide Bush wins by most of the media. Still, the fact that Buchanan received more than two million votes nationwide prognosticated trouble for Bush in the general election.

Candidates

= Nominee =

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
colspan="3" |Candidate

! class="unsortable" |Most recent office

! Home State

! data-sort-type="date" |Campaign

Withdrawal date

! Popular vote

! Contests won

! colspan="2" | Running mate

style="background:linen;"

! style="background:linen;" scope="row" data-sort-="" |George H. W. Bush

| style="min-width:80px;" |File:George H. W. Bush presidential portrait (cropped 2).jpg

| style="background:#a59400;" |

|President of the United States
(1989–1993)

|File:Flag-map_of_Texas.svg

Texas

| data-sort-value="0" |File:Bush Quayle '92 logo.svg
(Campaign)
Secured nomination:
May 5, 1992

| data-sort-value="14,015,993" |9,199,463
(72.84%)

| data-sort-value="44" |51

|Dan Quayle

|File:Dan_Quayle_(cropped).jpg

= Other Candidates =

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
colspan="3" |Candidate

! class="unsortable" |Most recent office

! Home State

! data-sort-type="date" |Campaign

Withdrawal date

! Popular vote

! Contests won

scope="row" data-sort-="" |Pat Buchanan

| style="min-width:80px;" |File:Pat Buchanan 1985b (cropped).jpg

| style="background:#668c63;" |

|White House Communications Director
(1985–1987)

|File:Flag-map_of_Virginia.svg]]

Virginia

| data-sort-value="0" |File:Patbuchanan.gif
(Campaign)

| data-sort-value="14,015,993" |2,899,488
(22.96%)

| data-sort-value="44" |N/A

scope="row" data-sort-="" |David Duke

| style="min-width:80px;" |File:David Duke.jpg

|

|Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
(1989–1992)

|File:Flag-map of Louisiana.svg

Louisiana

| File:David Duke 1992 presidential campaign logo.svg
(Campaign)

| data-sort-value="14,015,993" |119,115
(0.94%)

| data-sort-value="44" |N/A

scope="row" data-sort-="" |Pat Paulsen

| style="min-width:80px;" |File:Pat Paulsen 1970.JPG

|

|Comedian

|File:Flag-map_of_California.svg

California

|

| data-sort-value="14,015,993" |10,984
(0.09%)

| data-sort-value="44" |N/A

scope="row" data-sort-="" |Harold Stassen

| style="min-width:80px;" |File:Harold Stassen 1980.jpg

|

|Director of the United States Foreign Operations Administration
(1953–1955)

|94x94px

Minnesota

|

| data-sort-value="14,015,993" |8,099
(0.06%)

| data-sort-value="44" |N/A

scope="row" data-sort-="" |Jack Fellure

| style="min-width:80px;" |File:Jack Fellure (cropped).jpg

|

|Former Engineer and Perennial Candidate

|File:Flag-map of West Virginia.svg]]

West Virginia

|

| data-sort-value="14,015,993" |6,296
(0.05%)

| data-sort-value="44" |N/A

= Campaign finance =

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%;text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2"| Candidate

! colspan="8"| Campaign committee

Raised

! {{abbr|Total contrib.|Total contributions}}

! {{abbr|Ind. contrib.|Total from individual contributions}}

! {{abbr|Pres. pub. funds|Presidential public funds}}

! Spent

{{sortname|George H. W.|Bush}}{{efn|Including general election}}{{cite web|title=STASSEN, HAROLD E.| date=January 1987 |url=https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/P00000455/?cycle=1992&election_full=true}}

| $104,974,415.00

| $31,802,276.00

| $31,711,102.00

| $65,898,513.00

| $107,637,852.00

{{sortname|Pat|Buchanan}}{{cite web|title=BUCHANAN, PATRICK J.| date=January 1987 |url=https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/P80000805/?cycle=1992&election_full=true}}

| $14,933,082.00

| $7,232,943.00

| $7,206,793.00

| $5,351,770.00

| $14,591,679.00

{{sortname|David|Duke}}{{cite web|title=DUKE, DAVID E.|date=January 1987 |url=https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/P80001050/}}

| $372,146.00

| $221,854.00

| $221,945.00

| $0.00

| $457,449.00

{{sortname|Jack|Fellure}}{{cite web|title=FELLURE, LOWELL JACKSON| date=January 1987 |url=https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/P20000089/?cycle=1992&election_full=true}}

| $46,748.00

| $1,260.00

| $1,425.00

| $0.00

| $47,559.00

= Declined =

  • Former Governor Pete du Pont of Delaware{{cite book |last1=Quayle |first1=Dan |title=Standing Firm |year=1994 |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |isbn=0-06-017758-6 |pages=299–300 |edition=1st}}

Results

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;line-height:20px"

! rowspan="3" |Date{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31773163/chicago_tribune/|title=Clipped from Chicago Tribune|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=11 March 1992|page=14}}{{Cite news |title=1992 Presidential Primary Calendar |url=http://frontloading.blogspot.com/2009/02/1992-presidential-primary-calendar.html}}
{{small|(daily totals)}}

! rowspan="3" |Total pledged
delegates{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31773082/the_times_leader/ |title=Election calendar at a glance |date= 14 February 1992 |work=The Times Leader |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521034802/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31773082/the_times_leader/ |archive-date= 21 May 2019 |url-status=live |via=Newspapers.com}}

! rowspan="3" |Contest

! colspan="3" |Delegates won and popular vote

! rowspan="2" |Total

style="width:100px;" |George H. W. Bush

! style="width:100px;" |Pat Buchanan

! style="width:100px;" |Others

|

|

| style="background:#a59400;" |

| style="background:#668c63;" |

|

February 10

!0

!Iowa caucus{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/11/us/the-1992-campaign-iowa-harkin-dominates-state-s-caucuses.html |title=THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Iowa; HARKIN DOMINATES STATE'S CAUCUSES |date= 11 February 1992 |work=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116032746/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/11/us/the-1992-campaign-iowa-harkin-dominates-state-s-caucuses.html |archive-date= 16 January 2018 |url-status=live |via=Newspapers.com}}

| colspan="3" |Cancelled.

February 18

!23

!New Hampshire primary{{Cite news |url=http://sos.nh.gov/1992RepPresPrim.aspx |title=1992 New Hampshire Republican primary results |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213005812/http://sos.nh.gov/1992RepPresPrim.aspx|archive-date=2017-12-13 }}

| style="background:#DBD499;" |14
92,271 (53.2%)

| 9
65,106 (37.5%)

|
3,779 (2.3%)

February 19

!22

!South Dakota primary{{Cite news |url=https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/election-resources/election-history/1992/1992_SD_presidential_primary.aspx |title=1992 South Dakota Republican primary results |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514184743/http://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/election-resources/election-history/1992/1992_SD_presidential_primary.aspx|archive-date=2019-05-14 }}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31775193/argusleader/ |title=Primary notes Delegate numbers set for parties |date= 26 February 1992 |work=Argus-Leader |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521044733/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31775193/argusleader/ |archive-date= 21 May 2019 |url-status=live |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}

| style="background:#DBD499;" |14
30,964 (69.3%)

| —

| 5
13,707 (30.68%){{efn|name=uncomm|All votes for uncommitted delegates}}

rowspan="3" |March 3
(131)

! 37

! Colorado primary{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31775969/hartford_courant/ |title=Republican primaries March 3 |date= 5 March 1992 |work=Hartford Courant |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521053835/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31775969/hartford_courant/ |archive-date= 21 May 2019 |url-status=live |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}}

| style="background:#DBD499;" |26
132,049 (68.2%)

| 11
58,730 (30.3%)

|
2,957 (1.53%)

42

! Maryland primary

| style="background:#DBD499;" |42
168,898 (69.9%)

|
72,701 (30.1%)

| —

52

!Georgia primary{{Cite news |url=https://i.imgur.com/9LcQzjx.png |title=1992 Georgia Republican primary full results}}

|style="background:#DBD499;" |52
291,905 (64.3%)

|
162,085 (35.7%)

| —

March 7

! 36

! South Carolina primary{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31776388/arizona_republic/ |title=South Carolina Republican delegate count |date= 8 March 1992 |work=Arizona Republic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521061557/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31776388/arizona_republic/ |archive-date= 21 May 2019 |url-status=live |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |url=https://i.imgur.com/OUl9Jwf.png |title=1992 South Carolina Republican primary full results}}

|style="background:#DBD499;" | 36
99,558 (66.9%)

|
38,247 (25.7%)

|
11,035 (7.41%)

rowspan="8"|March 10
(Super Tuesday)
(441)

! 99

! Florida primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" | 67
607,522 (68.1%)

| 32
285,074 (31.9%)

| –

41

! Louisiana primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |25
83,747 (62.0%)

|11
36,526 (27.0%)

|5
14,841

40

! Massachusetts primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |28
176,868 (65.6%)

|12
74,797 (27.7%)

|
24,182

34

!Mississippi primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |25
111,794 (72.3%)

|6
25,891 (16.7%)

|4
17,023 (10.6%){{efn|All votes for David Duke}}

38

!Oklahoma primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |27
151,612 (69.6%)

|11
57,933 (26.6%)

|
8,176 (2.6%)

16

!Rhode Island primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |11
9,853 (63.0%)

|5
4,967 (31.8%)

|
816 (4.9%)

49

!Tennessee primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |38
178,216 (72.5%)

|11
54,585 (22.2%)

|
12,849 (5.2%)

124

!Texas primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |92
556,280 (69.8%)

|32
190,572 (23.9%)

|
50,294 (6.0%)

rowspan="2"|March 17
(162)

!88

!Illinois primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |68
556,280 (76.4%)

|20
186,915 (22.5%)

|
9,637 (1.2%)

74

!Michigan primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |54
301,948 (67.2%)

|20
112,122 (25.0%)

|
35,063 (7.7%)

March 24

!38

!Connecticut primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |29
66,356 (66.7%)

|9
21,815 (22.0%)

|
11,475 (11.4%)

April 5

!20

!Puerto Rico primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |20
260,200

|
1,031

|
2,104

rowspan="4"|April 7
(205)

!31

!Kansas primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |21
132,131 (62.0%)

|5
32,494 (14.8%)

|
49,571 (20.8%)

34

!Minnesota primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |25
84,841 (63.9%)

|9
32,094 (24.2%)

|
15,821 (8.8%)

103

!New York [?]

| style="background:#DBD499;" |103

|–

|–

37

!Wisconsin primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |30
364,507 (75.6%)

|7
78,516 (16.3%)

|
39,225 (5.3%)

April 28

!92

!Pennsylvania primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |71
774,865 (76.7%)

|21
233,912 (23.2%)

|—

rowspan="4"|May 5
(144)

!13

!District of Columbia primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |11
4,265 (81.5%)

|2
970 (18.5%)

|–

20

!Delaware caucus

|style="background:#DBD499;" |20

|—

|—

52

!Indiana primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |42
374,666 (80.1%)

|10
92,949 (19.9%)

|—

59

!North Carolina primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |46
200,387 (70.7%)

|13
55,420 (19.5%)

|
27,764 (9.8%)

May 10

!20

!Montana primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |14
65,176 (71.6%)

|2
10,701 (11.8%)

|3
15,098 (16.6%)

rowspan="2"|May 12
(46)

!27

!Nebraska primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |23
156,346 (81.4%)

|4
25,847 (13.5%)

|
9,905 (1.5%)

19

!West Virginia primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |16
99,994 (80.5%)

|3
18,067 (14.6%)

|
6,096 (4.9%)

rowspan="2"|May 19
(62)

!25

!Oregon primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |17
203,957

|5
57,730

|3
42,472

37

!Washington primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |25
86,839 (67.0%)

|4
13,273 (10.2%)

|8
29,543 (20.8%){{efn|Nearly all of this vote was for Ross Perot as a write-in candidate.}}

rowspan="3"|May 26
(92)

!31

!Arkansas primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |27
45,590 (83.1%)

|4
6,551 (11.9%)

|
2,742 (5.0%)

23

!Idaho primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |15
73,297 (63.5%)

|3
15,167 (13.1%)

|5
27,038 (23.4%){{efn|name=uncomm}}

38

!Kentucky primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |28
75,371 (74.5%)

|—

|10
25,748 (25.5%){{efn|name=uncomm}}

rowspan="6"|June 2
(439)

!41

!Alabama primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |33
122,703 (74.3%)

|
12,588 (7.6%)

|8
29,830 (18.1%){{efn|name=uncomm}}

203

!California primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |149
1,587,369 (73.6%)

|54
568,892 (26.4%)

|—

63

!New Jersey primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |53
240,535 (77.5%)

|10
46,432 (15.0%)

|
(7.5%){{efn|name=Perot|All votes for Ross Perot}}

27

!New Mexico primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |19
55,522 (63.8%)

|
7,871 (9.1%)

|8
23,574 (27.1%){{efn|name=uncomm}}

20

!North Dakota primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |17
39,863 (83.4%)

|—

|3
7,945 (16.6%)

85

!Ohio primary

|style="background:#DBD499;" |71
716,766

|14
143,687

|—

Total[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=55213 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Feb 01, 1992]

!1,973

!

!1,544
9,199,463 (72.8%)

!367
2,899,488 (23.0%)

!62
497,650 (4.2%)

!12,596,601

=Nationwide=

Popular vote result:[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=55213 Our Campaigns - US President - R Primaries Race - Feb 01, 1992]

== Endorsements ==

=Pat Buchanan=

  • Brendan Eich, computer programmer and co-founder/CEO of Mozilla{{cite web |title=Filter By Donors: Brendan Eich |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/search?q=brendan+eich&type=donors |website=OpenSecrets |access-date=4 October 2024}}[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/02/controversial-mozilla-ceo-made-donations-right-wing-candidates-brendan-eich Mozilla CEO donated to rightwing candidates, records show]

See also

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{U.S. presidential primaries}}

{{1992 United States presidential election}}

{{George H. W. Bush}}

{{Republican Party (United States)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1992}}

Category:George H. W. Bush

Category:Pat Buchanan

Category:David Duke

Category:Ross Perot