1992 United States presidential election in Florida
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Elections in Florida |
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Government |
The 1992 United States presidential election in Florida took place on November 3, 1992, as part of the 1992 United States presidential election. The race was extremely close – so close in fact that some news networks mistakenly reported that Democratic challenger Bill Clinton had won in the state, although incumbent President George H. W. Bush was eventually declared the winner. Bush received 40.89% of the vote to Clinton's 39.00%. The final result in Florida reflected the reluctance of many Southern states to back fellow Southerner Clinton, although Clinton was polling well in other parts of the country.
Background
[edit]Following World War II the Democratic presidential nominee had only won Florida in 1948, 1964, and 1976.[1]
Florida gained four seats in the United States House of Representatives as a result of the 1990 United States census.[1]
Primary
[edit]Democratic
[edit]Florida was the only southern state on Super Tuesday where Bill Clinton received less than 60% of the vote.[2] Paul Tsongas spent $500,000 on television ads.[3]
Republican
[edit]The delegates in the Republican primary were allocated by congressional district.[4]
General
[edit]Jack Gargan formed Throw the Hypocritical Rascals Out in May 1991, and he help formed the movement to draft Ross Perot. Over 230,000 signatures were collected and Perot was qualified to appear on the ballot on May 27, 1992.[5]
Bush won by about 100,000 votes, marking the first time Florida had backed the losing candidate since 1960, when it voted for Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy.[6] This was also the last time until the 2020 election that Florida would back the loser of the presidential election as well only the second time since 1924.[7] Despite Bush's narrow victory, this election marked the start of Florida's transition from a strong GOP state into a closely divided swing state for future presidential elections; just four years earlier Bush had carried Florida by 22 points, making it his second-best state in the South. This is also the only election since 1944 that Florida did not vote the same way as Ohio, a state with a similar voting history. Florida was one of 5 states that gave Perot more than 1 million votes, including California, Texas, New York, and Ohio.
Clinton flipped the heavily populated South Florida counties of Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami -Dade, which had all voted for Bush in 1988, into the Democratic column, and they have remained reliable Democratic bastions in the state ever since, buoying Democratic base support in the state.[8] Clinton's victory in Palm Beach County was noteworthy in as much as that county had not previously backed a Democratic presidential nominee since Florida's "Solid South" days when Franklin D. Roosevelt swept all sixty-seven counties in 1944.[9] This was the last time St. Lucie County voted for a Republican presidential candidate until 2016.[8]
Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Graham won reelection in the concurrent U.S. Senate election. The Republicans gained three seats in the Florida House of Representatives and one seat in the Florida Senate.[1]
Results
[edit]Primary election results
[edit]Democratic
[edit]Candidate | Vote Received | |
---|---|---|
# | % | |
Bill Clinton | 554,861 | 50.8% |
Paul Tsongas | 379,572 | 34.7% |
Jerry Brown | 133,156 | 12.2% |
Tom Harkin | 13,302 | 1.2% |
Bob Kerrey | 11,557 | 1.1% |
Total | 1,092,448 | 100% |
Republican
[edit]Candidate | Vote received | |
---|---|---|
# | % | |
George H.W. Bush (incumbent) | 607,522 | 68.1% |
Pat Buchanan | 285,074 | 31.9% |
Total | 892,596 | 100% |
General election results
[edit]United States presidential election in Florida, 1992[6] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
Republican | George H. W. Bush (incumbent) | 2,173,310 | 40.89% | 25 | |
Democratic | Bill Clinton | 2,072,698 | 39.00% | 0 | |
Independent | Ross Perot | 1,053,067 | 19.82% | 0 | |
Libertarian | Andre Marrou | 15,079 | 0.28% | 0 | |
Write-Ins | 238 | >0.01% | 0 | ||
Totals | 5,314,392 | 100.0% | 25 |
Results by county
[edit]County | George H.W. Bush Republican |
Bill Clinton Democratic |
Ross Perot Independent |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Alachua | 22,813 | 29.87% | 37,888 | 49.61% | 15,296 | 20.03% | 375 | 0.49% | -15,075 | -19.74% | 76,372 |
Baker | 3,418 | 50.59% | 1,976 | 29.25% | 1,315 | 19.46% | 47 | 0.70% | 1,442 | 21.34% | 6,756 |
Bay | 22,842 | 49.99% | 12,846 | 28.12% | 9,712 | 21.26% | 289 | 0.63% | 9,996 | 21.87% | 45,689 |
Bradford | 3,672 | 44.02% | 3,041 | 36.46% | 1,574 | 18.87% | 54 | 0.65% | 631 | 7.56% | 8,341 |
Brevard | 84,585 | 43.19% | 61,091 | 31.19% | 49,509 | 25.28% | 675 | 0.34% | 23,494 | 12.00% | 195,860 |
Broward | 164,832 | 30.92% | 276,361 | 51.85% | 90,937 | 17.06% | 920 | 0.17% | -111,529 | -20.93% | 533,050 |
Calhoun | 1,721 | 37.58% | 1,665 | 36.36% | 1,176 | 25.68% | 17 | 0.37% | 56 | 1.22% | 4,579 |
Charlotte | 24,311 | 39.17% | 22,907 | 36.91% | 14,720 | 23.72% | 126 | 0.20% | 1,404 | 2.26% | 62,064 |
Citrus | 16,412 | 36.68% | 15,937 | 35.62% | 12,314 | 27.52% | 83 | 0.19% | 475 | 1.06% | 44,746 |
Clay | 26,360 | 57.95% | 10,610 | 23.33% | 8,423 | 18.52% | 92 | 0.20% | 15,750 | 34.62% | 45,485 |
Collier | 38,448 | 53.44% | 18,796 | 26.13% | 14,518 | 20.18% | 182 | 0.25% | 19,652 | 27.31% | 71,944 |
Columbia | 6,492 | 43.41% | 5,528 | 36.97% | 2,906 | 19.43% | 28 | 0.19% | 964 | 6.44% | 14,954 |
DeSoto | 3,070 | 41.32% | 2,646 | 35.62% | 1,687 | 22.71% | 26 | 0.35% | 424 | 5.70% | 7,429 |
Dixie | 1,401 | 32.04% | 1,855 | 42.42% | 1,094 | 25.02% | 23 | 0.53% | -454 | -10.38% | 4,373 |
Duval | 123,631 | 49.47% | 92,098 | 36.85% | 33,388 | 13.36% | 809 | 0.32% | 31,533 | 12.62% | 249,926 |
Escambia | 52,868 | 50.24% | 32,045 | 30.45% | 19,923 | 18.93% | 385 | 0.37% | 20,823 | 19.79% | 105,221 |
Flagler | 6,246 | 38.19% | 6,693 | 40.92% | 3,390 | 20.73% | 26 | 0.16% | -447 | -2.73% | 16,355 |
Franklin | 1,664 | 37.99% | 1,535 | 35.05% | 1,144 | 26.12% | 37 | 0.84% | 129 | 2.94% | 4,380 |
Gadsden | 3,975 | 27.62% | 8,486 | 58.96% | 1,871 | 13.00% | 62 | 0.43% | -4,511 | -31.34% | 14,394 |
Gilchrist | 1,395 | 34.73% | 1,511 | 37.62% | 1,090 | 27.13% | 21 | 0.52% | -116 | -2.89% | 4,017 |
Glades | 1,185 | 35.12% | 1,305 | 38.68% | 878 | 26.02% | 6 | 0.18% | -120 | -3.56% | 3,374 |
Gulf | 2,651 | 45.29% | 1,938 | 33.11% | 1,245 | 21.27% | 20 | 0.34% | 713 | 12.18% | 5,854 |
Hamilton | 1,402 | 37.64% | 1,622 | 43.54% | 695 | 18.66% | 6 | 0.16% | -220 | -5.90% | 3,725 |
Hardee | 2,900 | 45.08% | 2,018 | 31.37% | 1,499 | 23.30% | 16 | 0.25% | 882 | 13.71% | 6,433 |
Hendry | 3,279 | 40.91% | 2,691 | 33.57% | 2,032 | 25.35% | 14 | 0.17% | 588 | 7.34% | 8,016 |
Hernando | 17,902 | 36.47% | 19,174 | 39.06% | 11,848 | 24.14% | 162 | 0.33% | -1,272 | -2.59% | 49,086 |
Highlands | 14,499 | 44.76% | 11,237 | 34.69% | 6,593 | 20.35% | 62 | 0.19% | 3,262 | 10.07% | 32,391 |
Hillsborough | 130,643 | 42.07% | 115,282 | 37.13% | 63,054 | 20.31% | 1,523 | 0.49% | 15,361 | 4.94% | 310,502 |
Holmes | 3,196 | 48.96% | 1,877 | 28.75% | 1,427 | 21.86% | 28 | 0.43% | 1,319 | 20.21% | 6,528 |
Indian River | 19,140 | 43.54% | 12,360 | 28.12% | 12,375 | 28.15% | 87 | 0.20% | 6,765[a] | 15.39% | 43,962 |
Jackson | 6,725 | 45.82% | 5,482 | 37.35% | 2,450 | 16.69% | 19 | 0.13% | 1,243 | 8.47% | 14,676 |
Jefferson | 1,506 | 32.19% | 2,271 | 48.55% | 895 | 19.13% | 6 | 0.13% | -765 | -16.36% | 4,678 |
Lafayette | 1,039 | 41.15% | 867 | 34.34% | 612 | 24.24% | 7 | 0.28% | 172 | 6.81% | 2,525 |
Lake | 30,825 | 44.17% | 23,200 | 33.24% | 15,614 | 22.37% | 148 | 0.21% | 7,625 | 10.93% | 69,787 |
Lee | 73,436 | 44.24% | 53,660 | 32.32% | 38,452 | 23.16% | 454 | 0.27% | 19,776 | 11.92% | 166,002 |
Leon | 31,983 | 32.87% | 47,791 | 49.12% | 17,212 | 17.69% | 308 | 0.32% | -15,808 | -16.25% | 97,294 |
Levy | 3,796 | 34.71% | 4,330 | 39.59% | 2,784 | 25.46% | 26 | 0.24% | -534 | -4.88% | 10,936 |
Liberty | 1,126 | 43.71% | 820 | 31.83% | 617 | 23.95% | 13 | 0.50% | 306 | 11.88% | 2,576 |
Madison | 2,007 | 34.38% | 2,648 | 45.36% | 1,174 | 20.11% | 9 | 0.15% | -641 | -10.98% | 5,838 |
Manatee | 42,725 | 42.63% | 33,841 | 33.77% | 23,290 | 23.24% | 364 | 0.36% | 8,884 | 8.86% | 100,220 |
Marion | 35,442 | 40.74% | 30,829 | 35.44% | 20,529 | 23.60% | 189 | 0.22% | 4,613 | 5.30% | 86,989 |
Martin | 24,800 | 46.63% | 14,802 | 27.83% | 13,442 | 25.27% | 140 | 0.26% | 9,998 | 18.80% | 53,184 |
Miami-Dade | 235,313 | 43.19% | 254,609 | 46.73% | 54,003 | 9.91% | 918 | 0.17% | -19,296 | -3.54% | 544,843 |
Monroe | 9,898 | 34.38% | 10,450 | 36.30% | 8,314 | 28.88% | 127 | 0.44% | -552 | -1.92% | 28,789 |
Nassau | 9,367 | 51.54% | 5,503 | 30.28% | 3,255 | 17.91% | 49 | 0.27% | 3,864 | 21.26% | 18,174 |
Okaloosa | 32,818 | 53.13% | 12,038 | 19.49% | 16,671 | 26.99% | 242 | 0.39% | 16,147[a] | 26.14% | 61,769 |
Okeechobee | 3,298 | 35.20% | 3,418 | 36.48% | 2,647 | 28.25% | 7 | 0.07% | -120 | -1.28% | 9,370 |
Orange | 108,788 | 45.90% | 82,683 | 34.89% | 44,844 | 18.92% | 696 | 0.29% | 26,105 | 11.01% | 237,011 |
Osceola | 19,143 | 42.29% | 15,010 | 33.16% | 11,021 | 24.35% | 93 | 0.21% | 4,133 | 9.13% | 45,267 |
Palm Beach | 140,350 | 34.63% | 187,869 | 46.36% | 76,243 | 18.81% | 789 | 0.19% | -47,519 | -11.73% | 405,251 |
Pasco | 47,735 | 35.11% | 53,130 | 39.08% | 34,654 | 25.49% | 443 | 0.33% | -5,395 | -3.97% | 135,962 |
Pinellas | 159,121 | 37.63% | 160,528 | 37.96% | 101,257 | 23.95% | 1,945 | 0.46% | -1,407 | -0.33% | 422,851 |
Polk | 65,963 | 45.21% | 51,450 | 35.26% | 28,204 | 19.33% | 283 | 0.19% | 14,513 | 9.95% | 145,900 |
Putnam | 8,910 | 34.72% | 10,709 | 41.73% | 5,979 | 23.30% | 63 | 0.25% | -1,799 | -7.01% | 25,661 |
St. Johns | 20,188 | 50.49% | 12,291 | 30.74% | 7,400 | 18.51% | 107 | 0.27% | 7,897 | 19.75% | 39,986 |
St. Lucie | 24,400 | 35.76% | 23,876 | 34.99% | 19,817 | 29.04% | 140 | 0.21% | 524 | 0.77% | 68,233 |
Santa Rosa | 17,339 | 52.90% | 6,556 | 20.00% | 8,788 | 26.81% | 94 | 0.29% | 8,551[a] | 26.09% | 32,777 |
Sarasota | 66,855 | 42.76% | 54,552 | 34.89% | 34,289 | 21.93% | 656 | 0.42% | 12,303 | 7.87% | 156,352 |
Seminole | 57,101 | 48.57% | 35,660 | 30.33% | 24,487 | 20.83% | 312 | 0.27% | 21,441 | 18.24% | 117,560 |
Sumter | 4,366 | 35.41% | 5,027 | 40.77% | 2,901 | 23.53% | 35 | 0.28% | -661 | -5.36% | 12,329 |
Suwannee | 4,576 | 40.23% | 3,988 | 35.06% | 2,791 | 24.54% | 19 | 0.17% | 588 | 5.17% | 11,374 |
Taylor | 2,693 | 37.34% | 2,568 | 35.60% | 1,929 | 26.74% | 23 | 0.32% | 125 | 1.74% | 7,213 |
Union | 1,546 | 43.29% | 1,248 | 34.95% | 770 | 21.56% | 7 | 0.20% | 298 | 8.34% | 3,571 |
Volusia | 59,172 | 38.05% | 65,223 | 41.94% | 30,823 | 19.82% | 281 | 0.18% | -6,051 | -3.89% | 155,499 |
Wakulla | 2,586 | 38.52% | 2,320 | 34.55% | 1,790 | 26.66% | 18 | 0.27% | 266 | 3.97% | 6,714 |
Walton | 5,726 | 42.25% | 3,888 | 28.69% | 3,890 | 28.70% | 50 | 0.37% | 1,836[a] | 13.55% | 13,554 |
Washington | 3,695 | 46.94% | 2,544 | 32.32% | 1,596 | 20.28% | 36 | 0.46% | 1,151 | 14.62% | 7,871 |
Totals | 2,173,310 | 40.89% | 2,072,698 | 39.00% | 1,053,067 | 19.82% | 15,317 | 0.29% | 100,612 | 1.89% | 5,314,392 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[edit]- Alachua
- Broward
- Dixie
- Flagler
- Gilchrist
- Glades
- Hamilton
- Hernando
- Jefferson
- Leon
- Levy
- Madison
- Miami-Dade
- Monroe
- Okeechobee
- Palm Beach
- Pasco
- Pinellas
- Putnam
- Sumter
- Volusia
Results by congressional district
[edit]District[12] | Clinton | Bush | Perot |
---|---|---|---|
1st | 25.7% | 51.1% | 23.1% |
2nd | 41.9% | 38.6% | 19.5% |
3rd | 57% | 30% | 13% |
4th | 30.2% | 53.2% | 16.6% |
5th | 41.6% | 34.2% | 24.2% |
6th | 31.3% | 47.3% | 21.4% |
7th | 34.4% | 44.7% | 21% |
8th | 32.3% | 47.6% | 20.1% |
9th | 34.2% | 41.4% | 24.6% |
10th | 40% | 36.2% | 23.8% |
11th | 41.1% | 39.2% | 19.7% |
12th | 34.4% | 45.6% | 20% |
13th | 34.7% | 42.8% | 22.5% |
14th | 31.3% | 46.1% | 22.5% |
15th | 30.9% | 43.4% | 25.7% |
16th | 35.7% | 39.4% | 24.9% |
17th | 73.5% | 19.1% | 7.3% |
18th | 32.8% | 56.9% | 10.3% |
19th | 53.8% | 30.3% | 15.9% |
20th | 46.9% | 33.6% | 19.6% |
21st | 31.2% | 58.2% | 10.6% |
22nd | 45% | 37.6% | 17.4% |
23rd | 62.3% | 23.2% | 14.5% |
Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Note
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Steed, Moreland & Baker 1994, p. 119.
- ^ Steed, Moreland & Baker 1994, pp. 13, 15.
- ^ Steed, Moreland & Baker 1994, pp. 121–122.
- ^ Steed, Moreland & Baker 1994, p. 123.
- ^ Steed, Moreland & Baker 1994, p. 125.
- ^ a b Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; 1992 Presidential General Election Results – Florida
- ^ Paulson, Darryl (November 4, 2016). "A quick history of Florida's presidential politics, from Whigs to wigged out". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 7, 2019.[dead link]
- ^ a b Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 164-165 ISBN 0786422173
- ^ "March 10, 1992 Presidential Preference Primary: Democratic Primary". Florida Department of State - Division of Elections: Elections Results Archive. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ "March 10, 1992 Presidential Preference Primary: Republican Primary". Florida Department of State - Division of Elections: Elections Results Archive. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ "1992 United States Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District". Western Washington University. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
Works cited
[edit]- Steed, Robert; Moreland, Laurence; Baker, Tod, eds. (1994). The 1992 Presidential Election in the South: Current Patterns of Southern Party and Electoral Politics. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0275945340.