1984 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary explained

Election Name:1984 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary
Country:New Hampshire
Flag Year:1931
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1980 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary
Previous Year:1980
Next Election:1988 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary
Next Year:1988
Outgoing Members:IA
Elected Members:ME
Votes For Election:22 Democratic National Convention delegates
(20 pledged, 2 unpledged)
Image1:File:Gary Hart 1984 (cropped).jpg
Candidate1:Gary Hart
Colour1:a59400
Home State1:Colorado
Delegate Count1:9
Popular Vote1:37,702
Percentage1:37.31%
Candidate2:Walter Mondale
Colour2:567953
Home State2:Minnesota
Delegate Count2:9
Popular Vote2:28,173
Percentage2:27.88%
Image3:File:John Glenn Low Res.jpg
Candidate3:John Glenn
Colour3:7e4621
Home State3:Ohio
Delegate Count3:0
Popular Vote3:12,088
Percentage3:11.96%
Image4:File:Jesse Jackson portrait.jpg
Candidate4:Jesse Jackson
Colour4:73638c
Home State4:South Carolina
Delegate Count4:0
Popular Vote4:5,311
Percentage4:5.26%
Image5:File:George McGovern (D-SD) (3x4-1).jpg
Candidate5:George McGovern
Colour5:5d73e5ff
Home State5:South Dakota
Delegate Count5:0
Popular Vote5:5,217
Percentage5:5.16%
Image6:File:Ronald Reagan 1985 presidential portrait (cropped).jpg
Candidate6:Ronald Reagan
(write-in)
Colour6:009fa5ff
Home State6:California
Delegate Count6:0
Percentage6:5.01%
Popular Vote6:5,058

See main article: 1984 Democratic Party presidential primaries. The 1984 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary was held on February 28, 1984, in New Hampshire as one of the Democratic Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1984 United States presidential election.

Procedure

Candidates had to receive a minimum of 16.6% to receive delegates. The primary selected 12 delegates, who then selected the remaining 8 delegates on April 15. George Bruno and Holly Abrams, the chair and vice-chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, were superdelegates.[1]

The contest schedule created by the Democratic National Committee placed the New Hampshire primary on March 6, the same day as the non-binding Vermont primary.[2] However, New Hampshire moved its primary to February 28, in violation of these rules, in accordance with a state law that required it to be held at least one week before any other state's primary.[3] Iowa also violated the rules when it moved its caucus to February 20, in order to be eight days before the New Hampshire primary.[4]

Walter Mondale stated that he would boycott any state that held its contest before New Hampshire.[5] Nancy Pelosi, chair of the Delegation Selection Compliance Review Committee, stated that the DNC would strip New Hampshire of its delegation.[6] The DNC chose to not penalize Iowa or New Hampshire.[7]

Campaign

Jeanne Shaheen, who managed Jimmy Carter's primary campaign in New Hampshire in 1976 and 1980, managed Hart's campaign with her husband as co-chair.[8]

51% of voters determined who they were supporting before the Iowa caucus. 31% of these voters supported Mondale, 29% supported Hart, 11% supported Glenn, and 9% supported Jackson. 14% of voters determined who they were supporting the week before the primary, 12% the weekend before, and 8% the day before. Hart won over 57% of these voters. Hart won 44% of the 15% of voters who selected who they supported on the day of the election.

41% of Jackson voters listed Hart as their second candidate in exit polls conducted by CBS News and The New York Times.

Results

Hart won a plurality of the popular vote. Reubin Askew, Alan Cranston, and Fritz Hollings ended their campaigns after their poor results in the primary.[9] [10]

Hart and Mondale both won 6 delegates in the primary, receiving three delegates from both congressional districts. Hart mathematically received 3.449 delegates in the 1st district and 3.414 delegates in the 2nd district while Mondale received 2.55 and 2.58 delegates in each district. Both candidates had 9 delegates when the remaining were selected on April 15, and 4 delegates were uncommitted. Mary Chambers was selected as chair of the delegation.[11]

1984 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary! style="text-align:left;"
CandidateVotes%Delegates
Gary Hart37,70237.31%6
Walter Mondale28,17327.88%6
John Glenn12,08811.96%0
Jesse Jackson5,3115.26%0
George McGovern5,2175.16%0
Ronald Reagan (write-in)5,0585.01%0
Fritz Hollings3,5833.55%2
Alan Cranston2,1362.11%0
Reubin Askew1,0251.01%0
Stephen Koczak1550.15%0
Walter Buchanan1320.13%0
Martin Beckman1270.13%0
Edward O'Donnell Jr.740.07%0
Gerald Willis500.05%0
William King340.03%0
Richard Kay270.03%0
William Kreml250.02%0
Hugh Bagley240.02%0
Claude R. Kirk Jr.240.02%0
Chester Rudnicki210.02%0
Roy Clendenan200.02%0
Cyril Sagan200.02%0
Raymond Caplette190.02%0
Total101,045100%40

Works cited

Notes and References

  1. News: March 8, 1984 . Hart, Mondale Get 6 Delegates . 14 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215043540/https://www.newspapers.com/article/concord-monitor/140981717/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: January 11, 1983 . New Hampshire and Vermont Share First Primary Date . 1 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215100324/https://www.newspapers.com/article/valley-news/140988317/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: February 19, 1983 . Feb. 28 Primary Could Jeopardize Delegates . 2 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215101059/https://www.newspapers.com/article/concord-monitor/140988399/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: May 4, 1984 . Iowa wins dispute; Democrats agree to seat convention delegates . 5A . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240212175638/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register/140787039/ . February 12, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  5. News: March 26, 1983 . Mondale Says He'll Keep New Hampshire First . 2 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215101533/https://www.newspapers.com/article/concord-monitor/140988441/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  6. News: October 14, 1983 . New Hampshire Still Squabbling With The Democratic National Committee Over Primary . 2 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215102011/https://www.newspapers.com/article/valley-news/140988468/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  7. News: May 4, 1984 . Democrats To Seat State Delegates . 3 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215100030/https://www.newspapers.com/article/valley-news/140988291/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  8. News: March 1, 1984 . She's The Hart Line . 3 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215044559/https://www.newspapers.com/article/concord-monitor/140982144/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  9. News: March 1, 1984 . Hollings Withdraws From Democratic Race . 16 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215041101/https://www.newspapers.com/article/concord-monitor/140980580/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  10. News: March 2, 1984 . New Hampshire Reality Punctures 3 Candidates' White House Dreams . 1 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215041925/https://www.newspapers.com/article/concord-monitor/140981002/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  11. News: April 16, 1984 . Chambers To Head Delegates . 2 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215094601/https://www.newspapers.com/article/valley-news/140988116/ . February 15, 2024 . Newspapers.com.