1996 United States presidential election in Minnesota explained

Election Name:	1996 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Country:	Minnesota
Flag Image:	File:Flag of Minnesota (1983-2024).svg
Flag Year:	1983
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1992 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Previous Year:	1992
Next Election:	2000 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Next Year:	2000
Turnout:	66.61%^[1]
Election Date:	November 5, 1996
Image1:	Bill Clinton.jpg
Nominee1:	Bill Clinton
Party1:	Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Home State1:	Arkansas
Running Mate1:	Al Gore
Electoral Vote1:	10
Popular Vote1:	1,120,438
Percentage1:	51.10%
Nominee2:	Bob Dole
Party2:	Republican Party of Minnesota
Home State2:	Kansas
Running Mate2:	Jack Kemp
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	766,476
Percentage2:	34.96%
Image3:	RossPerotColor.jpg
Nominee3:	Ross Perot
Party3:	Reform Party (United States)
Home State3:	Texas
Running Mate3:	Pat Choate
Electoral Vote3:	0
Popular Vote3:	257,704
Percentage3:	11.75%
Map Size:	350px
President
Before Election:	Bill Clinton
Before Party:	Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
After Election:	Bill Clinton
After Party:	Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

The 1996 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 5, 1996, as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose ten representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

A Democratic-leaning state, Minnesota was comfortably won by incumbent Democratic President Bill Clinton. Clinton took 51.10% of the popular vote over Republican challenger Bob Dole, who took 34.96%, a victory margin of 16.14%. Reform Party candidate Ross Perot finished in third, with 11.75% of the popular vote.^[2]

, and despite the state's long Democratic streak – having not voted Republican since 1972 – this is the most recent election that the Republican candidate received less than forty percent of the vote in a presidential election, the most recent in which a Democrat would win the state by more than 15% of the vote, the most recent in which the Democratic candidate won more counties than the Republican, and the most recent when Anoka, Becker, Benton, Cass, Chisago, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dodge, Faribault, Goodhue, Hubbard, Isanti, Jackson, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Nobles, Renville, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Todd, Wabasha, Waseca, and Wright Counties voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.^[3]

Results

1996 United States presidential election in Minnesota^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic (DFL)	Bill Clinton (incumbent)	1,120,438	51.10%	10
	Republican		766,476	34.96%	0
	Reform	Ross Perot	257,704	11.75%	0
	Green	Ralph Nader	24,908	1.14%	0
	Libertarian	Harry Browne	8,271	0.38%	0
	Grassroots	Dennis Peron	4,898	0.22%	0
	U.S. Taxpayer	Howard Phillips	3,416	0.16%	0
	Write-ins	Write-ins	2,903	0.13%	0
	Natural Law	John Hagelin	1,808	0.08%	0
	Ind. Grassroots	John Birrenback	787	0.04%	0
		James Harris	684	0.03%	0
	Socialist Equality	Jerome White	347	0.02%	0
Totals			2,192,640	100.0%	10

Results by county

County	Bill Clinton DFL		Bob Dole Republican		Ross Perot Reform		Ralph Nader Green		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Aitkin		3,810		51.46%		2,327		31.43%		1,155		15.60%		48		0.65%		64		0.86%		1,483		20.03%		7,404
	Anoka		63,756		51.41%		41,745		33.66%		16,448		13.26%		724		0.58%		1,349		1.09%		22,011		17.75%		124,022
	Becker		5,911		44.20%		5,461		40.83%		1,813		13.56%		107		0.80%		82		0.61%		450		3.37%		13,374
	Beltrami		8,006		50.52%		5,806		36.64%		1,635		10.32%		246		1.55%		155		0.98%		2,200		13.88%		15,848
	Benton		6,006		45.39%		4,835		36.54%		2,133		16.12%		81		0.61%		178		1.35%		1,171		8.85%		13,233
	Big Stone		1,619		53.95%		990		32.99%		368		12.26%		7		0.23%		17		0.57%		629		20.96%		3,001
	Blue Earth		12,420		49.17%		9,082		35.95%		3,324		13.16%		190		0.75%		245		0.97%		3,338		13.22%		25,261
	Brown		4,864		39.36%		5,580		45.15%		1,786		14.45%		40		0.32%		89		0.72%		-716		-5.79%		12,359
	Carlton		8,052		57.87%		4,034		28.99%		1,591		11.43%		115		0.83%		123		0.88%		4,018		28.88%		13,915
	Carver		11,554		41.02%		12,380		43.95%		3,781		13.42%		163		0.58%		290		1.03%		-826		-2.93%		28,168
	Cass		5,437		45.20%		4,791		39.83%		1,620		13.47%		109		0.91%		72		0.60%		646		5.37%		12,029
	Chippewa		3,178		51.89%		2,119		34.60%		782		12.77%		20		0.33%		25		0.41%		1,059		17.29%		6,124
	Chisago		8,611		48.56%		5,984		33.74%		2,812		15.86%		128		0.72%		198		1.12%		2,627		14.82%		17,733
	Clay		10,476		49.14%		8,764		41.11%		1,733		8.13%		160		0.75%		186		0.87%		1,712		8.03%		21,319
	Clearwater		1,578		44.91%		1,423		40.50%		471		13.40%		24		0.68%		18		0.51%		155		4.41%		3,514
	Cook		1,169		46.22%		1,010		39.94%		246		9.73%		60		2.37%		44		1.74%		159		6.28%		2,529
	Cottonwood		2,737		44.35%		2,633		42.66%		741		12.01%		19		0.31%		42		0.68%		104		1.69%		6,172
	Crow Wing		11,156		44.69%		10,095		40.44%		3,423		13.71%		124		0.50%		165		0.66%		1,061		4.25%		24,963
	Dakota		77,297		50.11%		57,244		37.11%		17,095		11.08%		965		0.63%		1,665		1.08%		20,053		13.00%		154,266
	Dodge		3,233		43.48%		2,888		38.84%		1,223		16.45%		32		0.43%		59		0.79%		345		4.64%		7,435
	Douglas		6,450		41.71%		6,747		43.63%		2,093		13.53%		66		0.43%		108		0.70%		-297		-1.92%		15,464
	Faribault		3,817		46.20%		3,272		39.60%		1,103		13.35%		20		0.24%		50		0.61%		545		6.60%		8,262
	Fillmore		4,732		47.99%		3,466		35.15%		1,575		15.97%		40		0.41%		48		0.49%		1,266		12.84%		9,861
	Freeborn		8,458		52.90%		5,166		32.31%		2,226		13.92%		44		0.28%		94		0.59%		3,292		20.59%		15,988
	Goodhue		9,931		48.88%		7,293		35.89%		2,806		13.81%		134		0.66%		154		0.76%		2,638		12.99%		20,318
	Grant		1,806		50.70%		1,284		36.05%		434		12.18%		11		0.31%		27		0.76%		522		14.65%		3,562
	Hennepin		285,126		54.38%		173,887		33.17%		47,663		9.09%		10,601		2.02%		7,029		1.34%		111,239		21.21%		524,306
	Houston		4,153		43.95%		3,674		38.88%		1,439		15.23%		77		0.81%		107		1.13%		479		5.07%		9,450
	Hubbard		3,802		43.65%		3,593		41.25%		1,141		13.10%		98		1.13%		77		0.88%		209		2.40%		8,711
	Isanti		6,041		46.63%		4,450		34.35%		2,242		17.31%		72		0.56%		150		1.16%		1,591		12.28%		12,955
	Itasca		10,706		52.29%		6,506		31.78%		2,889		14.11%		192		0.94%		180		0.88%		4,200		20.51%		20,473
	Jackson		2,727		46.70%		2,153		36.87%		908		15.55%		15		0.26%		36		0.62%		574		9.83%		5,839
	Kanabec		2,927		49.21%		1,924		32.35%		996		16.75%		31		0.52%		70		1.18%		1,003		16.86%		5,948
	Kandiyohi		9,009		48.61%		7,119		38.41%		2,229		12.03%		82		0.44%		93		0.50%		1,890		10.20%		18,532
	Kittson		1,394		50.71%		1,055		38.38%		270		9.82%		8		0.29%		22		0.80%		339		12.33%		2,749
	Koochiching		3,472		51.59%		2,080		30.91%		1,098		16.32%		41		0.61%		39		0.58%		1,392		20.68%		6,730
	Lac qui Parle		2,420		54.20%		1,447		32.41%		561		12.56%		14		0.31%		23		0.52%		973		21.79%		4,465
	Lake		3,388		56.20%		1,684		27.93%		752		12.47%		115		1.91%		90		1.49%		1,704		28.27%		6,029
	Lake of the Woods		888		44.16%		814		40.48%		287		14.27%		11		0.55%		11		0.55%		74		3.68%		2,011
	Le Sueur		5,457		48.68%		3,902		34.81%		1,699		15.16%		55		0.49%		96		0.86%		1,555		13.87%		11,209
	Lincoln		1,641		48.58%		1,199		35.49%		504		14.92%		12		0.36%		22		0.65%		442		13.09%		3,378
	Lyon		5,062		44.11%		4,932		42.97%		1,351		11.77%		62		0.54%		70		0.61%		130		1.14%		11,477
	Mahnomen		1,026		46.45%		877		39.70%		270		12.22%		24		1.09%		12		0.54%		149		6.75%		2,209
	Marshall		2,333		45.27%		2,068		40.12%		710		13.78%		14		0.27%		29		0.56%		265		5.15%		5,154
	Martin		4,718		44.86%		4,303		40.91%		1,405		13.36%		28		0.27%		63		0.60%		415		3.95%		10,517
	McLeod		6,027		42.86%		5,474		38.92%		2,402		17.08%		48		0.34%		112		0.80%		553		3.94%		14,063
	Meeker		4,531		47.01%		3,428		35.56%		1,571		16.30%		32		0.33%		77		0.80%		1,103		11.45%		9,639
	Mille Lacs		4,336		48.86%		2,948		33.22%		1,467		16.53%		54		0.61%		70		0.79%		1,388		15.64%		8,875
	Morrison		5,728		43.11%		5,054		38.03%		2,310		17.38%		75		0.56%		121		0.91%		674		5.08%		13,288
	Mower		10,413		57.65%		4,994		27.65%		2,464		13.64%		72		0.40%		120		0.66%		5,419		30.00%		18,063
	Murray		2,173		44.63%		1,907		39.17%		753		15.47%		14		0.29%		22		0.45%		266		5.46%		4,869
	Nicollet		6,772		48.92%		5,057		36.53%		1,737		12.55%		151		1.09%		125		0.90%		1,715		12.39%		13,842
	Nobles		4,106		45.32%		3,769		41.60%		1,132		12.49%		18		0.20%		36		0.40%		337		3.72%		9,061
	Norman		1,875		50.30%		1,392		37.34%		425		11.40%		14		0.38%		22		0.59%		483		12.96%		3,728
	Olmsted		22,857		43.92%		22,860		43.92%		5,640		10.84%		299		0.57%		388		0.75%		-3		-0.00%		52,044
	Otter Tail		10,519		40.69%		11,808		45.68%		3,191		12.34%		128		0.50%		204		0.79%		-1,289		-4.99%		25,850
	Pennington		2,814		47.57%		2,129		35.99%		910		15.38%		27		0.46%		35		0.59%		685		11.58%		5,915
	Pine		5,432		52.70%		3,080		29.88%		1,597		15.49%		89		0.86%		110		1.07%		2,352		22.82%		10,308
	Pipestone		1,999		42.33%		2,096		44.39%		599		12.69%		8		0.17%		20		0.42%		-97		-2.06%		4,722
	Polk		6,369		46.88%		5,563		40.94%		1,502		11.05%		59		0.43%		94		0.69%		806		5.94%		13,587
	Pope		2,803		50.70%		1,992		36.03%		665		12.03%		26		0.47%		43		0.78%		811		14.67%		5,529
	Ramsey		133,878		58.66%		66,954		29.34%		20,351		8.92%		4,203		1.84%		2,827		1.24%		66,924		29.32%		228,213
	Red Lake		1,053		50.00%		695		33.00%		334		15.86%		9		0.43%		15		0.71%		358		17.00%		2,106
	Redwood		2,997		38.17%		3,700		47.13%		1,053		13.41%		28		0.36%		73		0.93%		-703		-8.96%		7,851
	Renville		3,956		48.02%		2,887		35.04%		1,311		15.91%		31		0.38%		53		0.64%		1,069		12.98%		8,238
	Rice		12,821		54.98%		7,016		30.09%		2,872		12.32%		364		1.56%		247		1.06%		5,805		24.89%		23,320
	Rock		2,142		43.68%		2,169		44.23%		554		11.30%		15		0.31%		24		0.49%		-27		-0.55%		4,904
	Roseau		2,759		39.93%		2,988		43.25%		1,081		15.65%		16		0.23%		65		0.94%		-229		-3.32%		6,909
	St. Louis		60,736		60.62%		25,553		25.50%		11,308		11.29%		1,592		1.59%		1,007		1.01%		35,183		35.12%		100,196
	Scott		14,657		44.62%		12,734		38.77%		4,886		14.88%		164		0.50%		406		1.24%		1,923		5.85%		32,847
	Sherburne		10,551		45.33%		8,699		37.37%		3,665		15.75%		133		0.57%		227		0.98%		1,852		7.96%		23,275
	Sibley		2,769		41.66%		2,590		38.96%		1,226		18.44%		15		0.23%		47		0.71%		179		2.70%		6,647
	Stearns		24,238		44.03%		21,474		39.01%		8,150		14.81%		496		0.90%		687		1.25%		2,764		5.02%		55,045
	Steele		6,974		46.61%		5,617		37.54%		2,197		14.68%		65		0.43%		111		0.74%		1,357		9.07%		14,964
	Stevens		2,741		50.25%		2,141		39.25%		467		8.56%		53		0.97%		53		0.97%		600		11.00%		5,455
	Swift		3,054		57.30%		1,541		28.91%		690		12.95%		10		0.19%		35		0.66%		1,513		28.39%		5,330
	Todd		4,520		42.24%		4,078		38.11%		1,958		18.30%		48		0.45%		97		0.91%		442		4.13%		10,701
	Traverse		1,135		50.92%		775		34.77%		295		13.23%		2		0.09%		22		0.99%		360		16.15%		2,229
	Wabasha		4,523		47.25%		3,452		36.06%		1,474		15.40%		48		0.50%		76		0.79%		1,071		11.19%		9,573
	Wadena		2,480		41.06%		2,696		44.64%		801		13.26%		26		0.43%		37		0.61%		-216		-3.58%		6,040
	Waseca		3,819		45.08%		3,171		37.43%		1,385		16.35%		29		0.34%		68		0.80%		648		7.65%		8,472
	Washington		45,119		51.24%		31,219		35.45%		10,106		11.48%		737		0.84%		876		0.99%		13,900		15.79%		88,057
	Watonwan		2,534		47.89%		1,997		37.74%		711		13.44%		17		0.32%		32		0.60%		537		10.15%		5,291
	Wilkin		1,319		40.96%		1,508		46.83%		358		11.12%		16		0.50%		19		0.59%		-189		-5.87%		3,220
	Winona		10,272		47.52%		7,955		36.80%		2,907		13.45%		249		1.15%		233		1.08%		2,317		10.72%		21,616
	Wright		15,542		44.57%		13,224		37.92%		5,550		15.91%		179		0.51%		379		1.09%		2,318		6.65%		34,874
	Yellow Medicine		2,741		48.74%		2,006		35.67%		818		14.54%		20		0.36%		39		0.69%		735		13.07%		5,624
Totals	1,120,438	51.10%	766,476	34.96%	257,704	11.75%	24,908	1.14%	23,114	1.05%	353,962	16.14%	2,192,640

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Becker
• Cottonwood
• Crow Wing
• Dodge
• Faribault
• Houston
• Lyon
• Martin
• McLeod
• Stearns
• Steele

See also

• United States presidential elections in Minnesota

Notes and References

1. Web site: Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State. www.sos.state.mn.us. en. 2017-07-22.
2. Web site: 1996 Presidential General Election Results - Minnesota. U.S. Election Atlas. 30 January 2013.
3. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
4. Web site: 1996 Presidential General Election Results - Minnesota.