List of Democratic Party presidential primaries

Last updated

This is a list of Democratic Party presidential primaries.

Contents

1912

This was the first time that candidates were chosen through primaries. New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson ran to become the nominee, and faced the opposition of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Champ Clark. Wilson defeated Clark and was nominated during the convention. He then won the general election with a landslide victory.

1916

Democratic incumbent President Woodrow Wilson ran for re-election, and faced no major opposition in the primaries.

1920

Former United States Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo and Ohio Governor James Cox were the main candidates. Though William Gibbs McAdoo won a vast majority of states, Cox won the nomination on the 22nd ballot at the convention. Cox went on to lose the election to Republican candidate Warren Harding.

1924

Former United States Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo, 1920 candidate James Cox and Henry Ford were the main candidates. Though McAdoo won a vast majority of states, and well more than half of the popular vote, in those twelve states that held primary elections, it meant little to his performance nationwide. Once at the convention, the party was deadlocked for 102 straight ballots, before dark horse candidate John W. Davis, (who wasn't even a formal candidate when he arrived at the convention) was chosen on the 103rd ballot. Davis went on to lose the election to the Republican candidate, President Calvin Coolidge.

1928

New York Governor Al Smith faced no major opposition in the primaries but lost in the general election against Herbert Hoover.

1932

New York Governor and 1920 vice president candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt ran to become the nominee, and faced the opposition of 1928 candidate Al Smith. Roosevelt easily defeated Smith and was nominated on the fourth ballot, during the convention. He then defeated President Hoover in the general election with a landslide victory.

1936

Democratic incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for re-election, and faced no major opposition in the primaries.

1940

Democratic incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt ran again for re-election, and faced the opposition of Vice President John Nance Garner in the primaries. Garner lost the primaries and during the convention the vice presidential nomination went to Henry Wallace.

1944

Democratic incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt ran again for re-election, and faced no major opposition in the primaries. Senator Harry S Truman of Missouri won the vice presidential nomination on the second ballot, defeating Vice President Wallace.

1948

Democratic incumbent President Harry Truman ran for election to a full term, and faced no major opposition in the primaries.

1952

Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee defeated President Truman in the New Hampshire primary, becoming the first person to ever drive an incumbent from the race during the 20th century. Kefauver swept the primaries, but there weren't enough primary delegates to be able to win the nomination. Adlai Stevenson won the nomination but lost against Dwight Eisenhower in the general election.

1956

Adlai Stevenson, who had won the 1952 nomination on third ballot, defeated Estes Kefauver in the early primaries, thus becoming the last losing Democratic presidential nominee to win a second nomination. He would lose the election to President Eisenhower.

1960

Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts defeated Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota in the two contested primaries.

See also:

1964

Governor George Wallace of Alabama made a feeble challenge to President Lyndon B. Johnson and his surrogates, who were running because he pretended not to be running.

See also:

1968

In the last successful challenge to an incumbent president, Senator Eugene J. McCarthy of Minnesota came extremely close to defeating President Johnson in New Hampshire, and with polls showing him winning Wisconsin and the entry of Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York, the President withdrew from the race.

Thus followed an exciting race between Kennedy and McCarthy, but Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey swept the caucuses and two favorite sons who already endorsed him had won primaries in Ohio and Florida, giving him a substantial lead by the time Senator Kennedy was murdered by Sirhan Sirhan on the day of the California primary.

See also:

1972

The 1972 primaries set the record for the highest number of candidates in a major party's presidential primaries in American history, with 16. After the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969, Ted Kennedy fell from front runner to non-candidate. Ed Muskie was the establishment favourite until he was reported to have cried emotionally during a speech defending himself against the Canuck letter. George McGovern was able to gain ground and make a strong showing in New Hampshire. George Wallace ran as an outsider and did well in the South. His campaign was ended when an assassin shot him and left him paralyzed. McGovern went on to win a majority of the delegates and the nomination at the convention. However, his prior efforts to reform the nomination process had reduced the power of Democratic Party leaders. McGovern had difficulty getting a vice presidential running mate to run with him. It then took hours to get him approved. A couple of weeks later it was revealed that Thomas F. Eagleton had undergone electroshock therapy for depression. After claiming to back Eagleton "1000%", McGovern asked him to resign three days later. After a week of being publicly rebuffed by prominent Democrats, McGovern finally managed to get Sargent Shriver to be his new running mate. This trouble compounded the already weak support he had among party leaders.

See also:

1976

The 1976 primaries matched the record previously set in 1972 for the highest number of candidates in any presidential primaries in American history, with 16. During the primaries, Jimmy Carter capitalized on his status as an outsider. The 1976 campaign was the first in which primaries and caucuses carried more weight than the old boss-dominated system. Carter exploited this, competing in every contest and won so many delegates that he held an overwhelming majority of the delegates at the convention.

See also:

1980

The incumbent President Jimmy Carter faced high unemployment, high inflation and gas shortages in California. Against this backdrop, Ted Kennedy decided to run after sitting out 1972 and 1976. Kennedy stumbled badly in an interview, then the Iran hostage crisis in November 1979 seriously undermined Carter as his calm approach caused his poll numbers to rise. Carter won decisively everywhere except Massachusetts until the public began to grow weary of the hostage situation. Kennedy then began to win and even swept the last states. It was too little, too late. Carter had a slight advantage and enough delegates to win the nomination.

See also:

1984

Former Vice President Walter Mondale entered the race as the favorite. He had raised the most money, had the backing of the most party leaders and had a very good organization in the Midwest and Northeast. Even so, both Jesse Jackson and Gary Hart managed to mount effective national campaigns against him. Jackson won several states in the South but was unable to recover after calling Jews "Hymies" and New York City "Hymietown" in an interview with a black reporter. [1] Hart waged a strong campaign in New Hampshire, Ohio, California and the West, looking as if he could win. Hart's downfall came when, in a televised debate, Mondale said he was reminded of the Wendy's slogan "Where's the beef?" whenever he heard Hart talk about his "New Ideas" program. The audience laughed and applauded. Hart was never able to shake the impression created that his policy lacked weight. Mondale gradually pulled ahead, winning a near majority & therefore required (and gained) the super delegates support for the nomination.

See also:

1988

Democrats entered the race with hopes to build on mid-term wins that gave them control of the Senate, and that the ongoing Iran Contra scandal would plague the eventual Republican nominee. Three candidates won multiple primaries: Michael Dukakis (30), Jesse Jackson (13), and Al Gore (7), and for a while the hope of a multi-ballot convention remained alive.

Gary Hart's strong showing in 1984 gave him much early press attention but an extramarital affair with Donna Rice thwarted his campaign. Joe Biden was caught up in a plagiarism scandal. [2] [3] Neither were able to put up victories. Paul Simon only won his home state of Illinois.

Dukakis ended up with two-thirds of the delegates, winning the nomination.

See also:

1992

Following the 1991 Persian Gulf War, President George H. W. Bush was riding a wave of popularity. The party leaders who otherwise might have run declined to, leaving the race open to lesser known candidates. By the beginning of the first primary, an economic recession had hurt Bush and energized the Democrats. Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton rose from the pack, but allegations of an extra-marital affair soon followed. However, his campaigns attempts at damage control, including an appearance by Clinton on 60 Minutes alongside his wife, Hillary Clinton, worked. Clinton placed second in the primary in New Hampshire and then almost swept every Super Tuesday contest. Jerry Brown won several primaries and more delegates than any other candidate except Clinton but Clinton had five times the vote and was easily the winner.

See also:

1996

With popular Democratic incumbent President Bill Clinton running for re-election, the nomination process was uneventful. The only opposition was from fringe candidates, one of whom, Lyndon LaRouche, won delegates but they were forbidden entrance to the convention.

See also:

2000

Vice President Al Gore had the support of the party establishment and a strong base within the party after eight years under President Bill Clinton. His only significant challenger was Bill Bradley who never managed to win a primary. With Bradley's delegates forbidden to vote for him, Gore was chosen unanimously at the convention.

See also:

2004

After his loss in the last election, former Vice President Al Gore decided not to run in 2004, leaving the field wide open. Former Governor Howard Dean of Vermont broke out early with an internet campaign and led in fundraising. [4] Wesley Clark began his campaign too late and never gained footing. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and Senator John Edwards of North Carolina made an unexpectedly strong showing in the first caucus. Dean finished second in the next contest but dropped out thereafter. Kerry dominated the race with only Edwards offering real competition. However, Edwards managed to finish first only in South Carolina and withdrew after Kerry won decisive victories on Super Tuesday. Kerry easily won the nomination, with Edwards as his running mate. Kerry subsequently lost the presidential election to George W. Bush.

See also:

2008

In the closest primary contest for the Democrats since 1980, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois ended up upsetting early favorite Senator Hillary Clinton of New York. Clinton won many big-state primaries, and competed strongly in the Midwest, but Obama was able to rack up a large number of delegates through big wins in caucus states and the Southern primaries, where black voters cast a majority of the ballots. Neither candidate received enough delegates from the state primaries and caucuses to achieve a majority without superdelegate votes.

See also:

2012

Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama ran for re-election, and faced no major opposition in the primaries. Minor opposition candidates won 40+% of the vote in four state primaries, however; the delegates won by the opposition were forbidden from attending the Democratic convention in Charlotte.

See also:

2016

In her second bid for the presidency, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of New York ran against Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont and several other minor candidates. Though Sanders won in New Hampshire, several important Midwestern states, and all but two caucus contests, Clinton won Iowa, larger, more diverse states like New York, Florida, and California, and the majority of the primaries. Clinton won 13 of the open primaries, 17 of the closed primaries, and 4 of the mixed contests. Sanders won 10 of the open primaries, 9 of the closed primaries, and 3 of the mixed contests. [5] In the end, Clinton won a total of 34 contests to Sanders' 23 and won the popular vote by 3.7 million votes. [6]

See also:

2020

A record-breaking 29 major candidates vied for the democratic nomination. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who was seeking the nomination for the third time, was the favorite for most of the race. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont was also seeking the nomination again after he unsuccessfully previously ran in the 2016 primaries. Other notable candidates include Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Sanders took an unexpected early lead after wins in New Hampshire and Nevada, but the moderate wing of the party coalesced around Biden in the days prior to the South Carolina primary (following some moderate candidates dropping out of the race) and Super Tuesday giving him major victories. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing losses, Sanders conceded the race to Biden leaving him to be the presumptive nominee.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many primaries being postponed until later in the year or conducted by mail-in balloting.

See also:

2024

Incumbent President Joe Biden was running for re-election with Vice President Kamala Harris as his running mate until he dropped out via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on July 21. [7] Author Marianne Williamson and Representative for Minnesota's Third Congressional District in Congress Dean Phillips also launched primary campaigns. Lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. initially entered the race as a Democrat, but dropped out to run as an independent. Entrepreneur Jason Palmer won the American Samoa Democratic presidential caucuses, making Joe Biden the first incumbent president to lose a primary contest since Jimmy Carter in 1980. After securing enough delegates for re-nomination President Biden was declared the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party until he withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Harris. [8]

See also:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 United States presidential election</span> 46th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 1968 United States presidential election was the 46th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1968. The Republican nominee, former vice president Richard Nixon, defeated both the Democratic nominee, incumbent vice president Hubert Humphrey, and the American Independent Party nominee, former Alabama governor George Wallace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 United States presidential election</span> 48th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 1976 United States presidential election was the 48th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 2, 1976. The Democratic nominee, former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter, narrowly defeated incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford. This was the first presidential election since 1932 in which the incumbent was defeated, as well as the only Democratic victory of the six presidential elections between 1968 and 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States presidential primary</span> Nominating process of candidates for United States presidential elections

Each of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and territories of the United States holds either primary elections or caucuses to help nominate individual candidates for president of the United States. This process is designed to choose the candidates that will represent their political parties in the general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Hampshire presidential primary</span> One of the first and most significant contests in the U.S. presidential nomination process

The New Hampshire presidential primary is the first in a series of nationwide party primary elections and the second party contest, the first being the Iowa caucuses, held in the United States every four years as part of the process of choosing the delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions which choose the party nominees for the presidential elections to be held in November. Although only a few delegates are chosen in the New Hampshire primary, its real importance comes from the massive media coverage it receives, along with the first caucus in Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Democratic National Convention</span> U.S. political event held in Madison Square Garden in New York City

The 1980 Democratic National Convention nominated President Jimmy Carter and Vice President Walter Mondale for reelection. The convention was held in Madison Square Garden in New York City from August 11 to August 14, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 Democratic National Convention</span> U.S. political event held in Chicago, Illinois

The 1956 Democratic National Convention nominated former Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois for president and Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee for vice president. It was held in the International Amphitheatre on the South Side of Chicago from August 13 to August 17, 1956. Unsuccessful candidates for the presidential nomination included Governor W. Averell Harriman of New York, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, and Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From January 3 to June 3, 2008, voters of the Democratic Party chose their nominee for president in the 2008 United States presidential election. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois was selected as the nominee, becoming the first African American to secure the presidential nomination of any major political party in the United States. However, due to a close race between Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, the contest remained competitive for longer than expected; neither candidate received enough pledged delegates from state primaries and caucuses to achieve a majority, without endorsements from unpledged delegates (superdelegates).

A brokered convention, in US politics, can occur during a presidential election when a political party fails to choose a nominee on the first round of delegate voting at the party's nominating convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From January 29 to June 4, 1996, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1996 United States presidential election. Incumbent President Bill Clinton was again selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1996 Democratic National Convention held from August 26 to August 29, 1996, in Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral history of Joe Biden</span>

Joe Biden, the 46th and current president of the United States, has run for public office several times, beginning in 1970. Biden served as the 47th vice president (2009–2017), and as a United States senator from Delaware (1973–2009). Biden is the oldest elected and serving president, the second Catholic president, after John F. Kennedy, and the first president from Delaware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

Presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select the 4,051 delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention held July 25–28 and determine the nominee for President in the 2016 United States presidential election. The elections took place within all fifty U.S. states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and Democrats Abroad and occurred between February 1 and June 14, 2016. Between 2008 and 2020, this was the only Democratic Party primary in which the nominee had never been nor had ever become President of the United States. This was the first Democratic primary to nominate a woman for President.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States presidential election in Illinois</span>

The 1980 United States presidential election in Illinois took place on November 4, 1980. All 50 states and The District of Columbia, were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. State voters chose 26 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. Illinois voters chose between the Democratic ticket of incumbent president Jimmy Carter and vice president Walter Mondale, and the Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and running mate George H. W. Bush, as well as the independent candidacy of John B. Anderson and running mate Patrick Lucey.

Since 1983, the Democratic Party of the United States holds a few debates between candidates for the Democratic nomination in presidential elections during the primary election season. Unlike debates between party-nominated candidates, which have been organized by the bi-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates since 1988, debates between candidates for party nomination are organized by mass media outlets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in the District of Columbia</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in the District of Columbia was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all fifty states and the District of Columbia participated. District of Columbia voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. The District of Columbia has three electoral votes in the Electoral College. Prior to the election, Clinton was considered to be virtually certain to win Washington DC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Arkansas</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in Arkansas took place on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Arkansas voters chose six electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Mike Pence, against Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, United States Senator Kamala Harris of California. Also on the ballot were the nominees for the Libertarian, Green, Constitution, American Solidarity, Life and Liberty, and Socialism and Liberation parties and Independent candidates. Write-in candidates are not allowed to participate in presidential elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Tennessee</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in Tennessee was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Tennessee voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Tennessee has 11 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span>

From January 23 to June 8, 2024, presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select the delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2024 United States presidential election. The elections took place in all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and Democrats Abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States presidential election in Mississippi</span>

The 2024 United States presidential election in Mississippi is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, as part of the 2024 United States elections in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia will participate. Mississippi voters will choose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote. Mississippi's six votes in the Electoral College were unaffected by reapportionment after the 2020 United States census.

References

  1. ↑ Sabato, Larry J. (July 21, 1998). "Jesse Jackson's 'Hymietown' Remark – 1984". Feeding Frenzy (column). The Washington Post . Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  2. ↑ Dowd, Maureen (September 12, 1987). "Biden's Debate Finale: An Echo From Abroad". The New York Times . p. 34. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Professional Board Clears Biden in two Allegations of Plagiarism". The New York Times . Associated Press. May 29, 1989. p. 29. Archived from the original on May 25, 2017.
  4. ↑ Justice, Glen (2003-11-02). "The Nation; Howard Dean's Internet Push: Where Will it Lead?". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2015-06-01. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  5. ↑ "Open primary - Ballotpedia". ballotpedia.org. Archived from the original on 2017-02-18.
  6. ↑ Andrews, Wilson (14 April 2015). "2016 Delegate Count and Primary Results" – via NYTimes.com.
  7. ↑ @joebiden (July 21, 2024). "My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it's been the best decision I've made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it's time to come together and beat Trump. Let's do this" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ Schneider, Elena (March 12, 2024). "Biden officially clinches Democratic nomination for president". Politico.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.