1996 Tennessee Republican presidential primary
March 12, 1996
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County results Dole: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Buchanan: 30–40% Alexander: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1996 Tennessee Republican presidential primary was held on March 12, 1996, as part of the 1996 Republican Party presidential primaries. Tennessee was one of several states voting on Super Tuesday during the Republican nomination contest. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas won the primary with a majority of the vote, defeating conservative commentator Pat Buchanan and several other candidates.[1]
Because Bob Dole won more than 50% of the vote statewide, he received all 37 pledged delegates from Tennessee.[2]
Dole's victory in Tennessee contributed to a series of wins across several Super Tuesday states that consolidated his position as the front-runner for the Republican nomination.[1]
Procedure
The Tennessee Republican primary allocated 37 pledged delegates to the 1996 Republican National Convention. Delegates were awarded based on the results of the statewide vote and the results within the state's congressional districts. If a candidate received a majority of the statewide vote, that candidate would receive all of the state's delegates.[3]
Background
The Tennessee primary took place on March 12, 1996, as part of the multi-state Super Tuesday contests in the Republican presidential nomination race.[4]
Several major candidates competed in the Tennessee primary, including Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, political commentator Pat Buchanan, and publisher Steve Forbes. Former Tennessee governor Lamar Alexander had been a candidate earlier in the race but withdrew shortly before the primary and endorsed Dole, though his name remained on the ballot and still received a notable share of the vote.[5]
Other candidates whose names appeared on the ballot included diplomat Alan Keyes, conservative activist Bob Dornan, Senator Phil Gramm, Senator Richard Lugar, and businessman Morry Taylor, although several had suspended their campaigns prior to the primary.[6]
Campaign
During the 1996 Republican presidential campaign, Tennessee was considered an important Southern primary where candidates competed for support among conservative voters. Buchanan campaigned heavily among social conservatives and populist voters, while Dole relied on his national frontrunner status and support from party leaders.[1]
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | Delegates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Dole | 148,063 | 51.16% | 37 |
| Pat Buchanan | 72,928 | 25.20% | 0 |
| Lamar Alexander (withdrawn) |
32,742 | 11.31% | 0 |
| Steve Forbes | 22,171 | 7.66% | 0 |
| Alan Keyes | 7,661 | 2.65% | 0 |
| Uncommitted | 3,078 | 1.06% | 0 |
| Bob Dornan | 898 | 0.31% | 0 |
| Phil Gramm (withdrawn) |
688 | 0.24% | 0 |
| Richard Lugar (withdrawn) |
531 | 0.18% | 0 |
| Write-ins | 416 | 0.14% | 0 |
| Morry Taylor (withdrawn) |
210 | 0.07% | 0 |
| Total | 289,386 | 100.00% | 37 |
See also
- 1996 Tennessee Democratic presidential primary
- 1996 Republican Party presidential primaries
- 1996 United States presidential election in Tennessee
- 1996 Tennessee elections
References
- ^ a b c Apple Jr., R. W. (March 13, 1996). "The 1996 Campaign: The Overview; Dole Sweeps 7 States, Taking Command of Race". The New York Times.
- ^ "Tennessee Republican Delegation 1996". The Green Papers. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ^ "Tennessee Republican Delegation 1996". The Green Papers. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ^ "Campaign '96: Super Tuesday Sweepstakes". Los Angeles Times. March 12, 1996.
- ^ "Alexander, Lugar Quit GOP Race". CNN. March 6, 1996.
- ^ "1996 Presidential Republican Primary Election Results - Tennessee". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ "1996 Presidential Republican Primary Election Results - Tennessee". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Federal Elections 96: Election Results for the U.S. President (PDF) (Report). Federal Election Commission. 1997.