List of United States presidential candidates by number of primary votes received

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In United States presidential politics, voters within both the Democratic and Republican parties select their candidates for the presidential election through a series of primary elections. For this list, any candidate that received at least 250,000 total votes in an election year's primary contests will be included. Only elections conducted since nationwide primaries were instituted in 1972 are shown.

Contents

History

The first state to hold a primary was Florida in 1901. In 1905, Wisconsin was the first state to hold a direct open primary. Five years later, in 1910, Oregon was the first state to hold a primary that bound its state's delegates to the convention based on election results. Between 1932 and 1968, twelve states held primaries consistently, while the remaining states chose which candidate received their delegates through state party bosses. In 1972, both parties held a primary or caucus in every state for the first time. However, Republican Richard Nixon was the incumbent president and was seeking re-election. As such, the Republican primary was uneventful that year, with Nixon winning every state easily. On the Democratic side, six candidates battled for the nomination. George McGovern of South Dakota won the first nationwide primary. Today, the first state to hold a caucus during primary season is Iowa, typically in early February. Shortly after that is the first primary, held in New Hampshire.

List

  Became their party's nominee
  Became president
RankCandidatePartyHome stateVotes receivedYearSource
1 Joe Biden Democratic Delaware 19,076,052 2020 [1]
2 Donald Trump Republican Florida 18,159,752 2020 [2]
3 Hillary Clinton Democratic New York 17,857,501 2008 [3]
4 Barack Obama Democratic Illinois 17,584,6922008 [3]
5 Hillary Clinton Democratic New York 16,917,853 2016 [4]
6 Donald Trump Republican New York 14,015,993 2016 [5]
7 Bernie Sanders Democratic Vermont 13,210,5502016 [4]
8 George W. Bush Republican Texas 12,089,564 2000 [6]
9 Al Gore Democratic Tennessee 10,642,105 2000 [7]
10 Bill Clinton Democratic Arkansas 10,482,411 1992 [8]
11 Mitt Romney Republican Massachusetts 10,048,134 2012 [9]
12 John Kerry Democratic Massachusetts 10,045,891 2004 [10]
13 Jimmy Carter Democratic Georgia 10,043,016 1980 [11]
14 Michael Dukakis Democratic Massachusetts 9,898,750 1988 [12]
15 Bill Clinton Democratic Arkansas 9,706,802 1996 [13]
16 Bernie Sanders Democratic Vermont 9,679,2132020 [1]
17 John McCain Republican Arizona 9,615,533 2008 [14]
18 George H. W. Bush Republican Texas 9,199,463 1992 [15]
19 Bob Dole Republican Kansas 9,024,742 1996 [16]
20 George H. W. Bush Republican Texas 8,258,512 1988 [17]
21 Barack Obama Democratic Illinois 8,044,659 2012 [18]
22 George W. Bush Republican Texas 7,853,863 2004 [19]
23 Ted Cruz Republican Texas 7,822,1002016 [5]
24 Ronald Reagan Republican California 7,709,793 1980 [20]
25 Ted Kennedy Democratic Massachusetts 7,381,6931980 [11]
26 Walter Mondale Democratic Minnesota 6,952,912 1984 [21]
27 Jesse Jackson Democratic South Carolina 6,788,9911988 [12]
28 Gary Hart Democratic Colorado 6,504,8421984 [21]
29 Ronald Reagan Republican California 6,484,987 1984 [22]
30 Jimmy Carter Democratic Georgia 6,235,609 1976 [23]
31 John McCain Republican Arizona 6,070,0502000 [6]
32 Gerald Ford Republican Michigan 5,529,899 1976 [24]
33 Richard Nixon Republican California 5,378,704 1972 [25]
34 Ronald Reagan Republican California 4,760,2221976 [24]
35 Mitt Romney Republican Massachusetts 4,567,1272008 [14]
36 John Kasich Republican Ohio 4,290,4482016 [5]
37 Mike Huckabee Republican Arkansas 4,147,9612008 [14]
38 Hubert Humphrey Democratic Minnesota 4,121,372 1972 [26]
39 Jerry Brown Democratic California 4,071,2321992 [8]
40 George McGovern Democratic South Dakota 4,053,4511972 [26]
41 Rick Santorum Republican Pennsylvania 3,938,5272012 [9]
42 George Wallace Democratic Alabama 3,755,4241972 [26]
43 Paul Tsongas Democratic Massachusetts 3,696,0101992 [8]
44 Marco Rubio Republican Florida 3,515,5762016 [5]
45 Jesse Jackson Democratic Illinois 3,282,4311984 [21]
46 John Edwards Democratic North Carolina 3,207,0482004 [10]
47 Al Gore Democratic Tennessee 3,185,8061988 [12]
48 Pat Buchanan Republican Virginia 3,184,9431996 [16]
49 George H. W. Bush Republican Texas 3,070,0331980 [20]
50 Pat Buchanan Republican Virginia 2,899,4881992 [15]
51 Elizabeth Warren Democratic Massachusetts 2,831,4722020 [1]
52 Bill Bradley Democratic New Jersey 2,804,9452000 [7]
53 Newt Gingrich Republican Georgia 2,737,4422012 [9]
54 Michael Bloomberg Democratic New York 2,488,7342020 [1]
55 Jerry Brown Democratic California 2,449,3741976 [23]
56 Bob Dole Republican Kansas 2,333,3751988 [17]
57 Ron Paul Republican Texas 2,099,4412012 [9]
58 George Wallace Democratic Alabama 1,955,3881976 [23]
59 Edmund Muskie Democratic Maine 1,840,2171972 [26]
60 Steve Forbes Republican New York 1,751,1871996 [16]
61 Mo Udall Democratic Arizona 1,611,7541976 [23]
62 John Anderson Republican Illinois 1,572,1741980 [20]
63 Dick Gephardt Democratic Missouri 1,399,0411988 [12]
64 Ron Paul Republican Texas 1,145,1382008 [14]
65 Henry Jackson Democratic Washington 1,134,3751976 [23]
66 Pat Robertson Republican Virginia 1,097,4461988 [17]
67 Paul Simon Democratic Illinois 1,082,9601988 [12]
68 Alan Keyes Republican Maryland 995,5552000 [6]
69 John Edwards Democratic North Carolina 994,0292008 [3]
70 Howard Dean Democratic Vermont 937,0152004 [10]
71 Pete Buttigieg Democratic Indiana 924,2372020 [1]
72 Ben Carson Republican Florida 857,0392016 [5]
73 Frank Church Democratic Idaho 830,8181976 [23]
74 Dennis Kucinich Democratic Ohio 643,0672004 [10]
75 John Glenn Democratic Ohio 617,9091984 [21]
76 Lyndon LaRouche Democratic Virginia 596,4221996 [13]
77 Rudy Giuliani Republican New York 592,3912008 [14]
78 Jerry Brown Democratic California 575,2961980 [11]
79 Wesley Clark Democratic Arkansas 572,2072004 [10]
80 Eugene McCarthy Democratic Minnesota 553,9901972 [26]
81 Amy Klobuchar Democratic Minnesota 529,7132020 [1]
82 Henry Jackson Democratic Washington 505,1981972 [26]
83 Lamar Alexander Republican Tennessee 495,5901996 [16]
84 Alan Keyes Republican Maryland 471,7161996 [16]
85 Bill Weld Republican Massachusetts 453,9592020 [2]
86 Shirley Chisholm Democratic New York 430,7031972 [26]
87 Gary Hart Democratic Colorado 415,7161988 [12]
88 Al Sharpton Democratic New York 383,6832004 [10]
89 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia 340,3091976 [23]
90 George McGovern Democratic South Dakota 334,8011984 [21]
91 Terry Sanford Democratic North Carolina 331,4151972 [26]
92 Jack Kemp Republican New York 331,3331988 [17]
93 Bob Kerrey Democratic Nebraska 318,4571992 [8]
94 John M. Ashbrook Republican Ohio 311,5431972 [25]
95 Lyndon LaRouche Democratic Virginia 306,7722000 [7]
96 Sargent Shriver Democratic Maryland 304,3991976 [23]
97 Fred Thompson Republican Tennessee 287,5812008 [14]
98 Jeb Bush Republican Florida 286,6942016 [5]
99 Tom Harkin Democratic Iowa 280,3401992 [8]
100 Tulsi Gabbard Democratic Hawaii 273,9402020 [1]
101 Tom Steyer Democratic California 259,7922020 [1]

List of presidential candidates by cumulative primary votes

RankCandidatePartyHome stateVotes receivedYear(s)
1 Donald Trump RepublicanNY, FL45,400,8762016, 2020, 2024
2 Hillary Clinton DemocraticNew York34,775,3542008, 2016
3 Barack Obama DemocraticIllinois25,629,3512008, 2012
4 Bernie Sanders DemocraticVermont22,889,7632016, 2020
5 George H. W. Bush RepublicanTexas20,528,0081980, 1988, 1992
6 Bill Clinton DemocraticArkansas20,189,2131992, 1996
7 George W. Bush RepublicanTexas19,943,4272000, 2004
8 Joe Biden DemocraticDelaware19,155,8062008, 2020
9 Ronald Reagan RepublicanCalifornia18,955,0021976, 1980, 1984
10 Jimmy Carter DemocraticGeorgia16,278,6251976, 1980
11 John McCain RepublicanArizona15,685,5832000, 2008
12 Mitt Romney RepublicanMassachusetts14,615,2612008, 2012
13 Al Gore DemocraticTennessee13,827,9111988, 2000
14 Bob Dole RepublicanKansas11,365,3211980, 1988, 1996
15 Jesse Jackson DemocraticSouth Carolina10,071,4221984, 1988
16 John Kerry DemocraticMassachusetts10,045,8912004
17 Michael Dukakis DemocraticMassachusetts9,898,7501988
18 Ted Cruz RepublicanTexas7,822,1002016
19 Ted Kennedy DemocraticMassachusetts7,381,6931980
20 Jerry Brown DemocraticCalifornia7,095,9021976, 1980, 1992
21 Walter Mondale DemocraticMinnesota6,952,9121984
22 Gary Hart DemocraticColorado6,920,5581984, 1988
23 Pat Buchanan RepublicanVirginia6,084,4311992, 1996
24 George Wallace DemocraticAlabama5,710,8121972, 1976
25 Gerald Ford RepublicanMichigan5,529,8991976
26 Richard Nixon RepublicanCalifornia5,378,7041972
27 George McGovern DemocraticSouth Dakota4,388,2521972, 1984
28 John Kasich RepublicanOhio4,290,4482016
29 John Edwards DemocraticNorth Carolina4,201,0772004, 2008
30 Mike Huckabee RepublicanArkansas4,199,4112008, 2016
31 Hubert Humphrey DemocraticMinnesota4,183,3641972, 1976
32 Rick Santorum RepublicanPennsylvania3,955,1542012, 2016
33 Paul Tsongas DemocraticMassachusetts3,696,0101992
34 Marco Rubio RepublicanFlorida3,515,5762016
35 Ron Paul RepublicanTexas3,259,8442008, 2012
36 Elizabeth Warren DemocraticMassachusetts2,831,4722020
37 Bill Bradley DemocraticNew Jersey2,804,9452000
38 Newt Gingrich RepublicanGeorgia2,737,4422012
39 Michael Bloomberg DemocraticNew York2,488,7342020
40 Steve Forbes RepublicanNew York1,923,0471996, 2000
41 Edmund Muskie DemocraticMaine1,840,2171972
42 Henry M. Jackson DemocraticWashington1,639,5731972, 1976
43 Mo Udall DemocraticArizona1,611,7541976
44 John B. Anderson RepublicanIllinois1,572,1741980
45 Alan Keyes RepublicanMaryland1,467,2711996, 2000
46 Dick Gephardt DemocraticMissouri1,462,9431988, 2004
47 Pat Robertson RepublicanVirginia1,097,4461988
48 Paul Simon DemocraticIllinois1,082,9601988
49 Lyndon LaRouche DemocraticVirginia1,080,9781980, 1996, 2000
50 Howard Dean DemocraticVermont937,0152004
51 Pete Buttigieg DemocraticIndiana924,2372020
52 Ben Carson RepublicanFlorida857,0392016
53 Frank Church DemocraticIdaho830,8181976
54 Dennis Kucinich DemocraticOhio743,0302004, 2008
55 John Glenn DemocraticOhio617,9091984
56 Rudy Giuliani RepublicanNew York592,3912008
57 Wesley Clark DemocraticArkansas572,2072004
58 Eugene McCarthy DemocraticMinnesota553,9901972
59 Amy Klobuchar DemocraticMinnesota529,7132020
60 Lamar Alexander RepublicanTennessee495,5901996
61 Bill Weld RepublicanMassachusetts453,9592020
62 Shirley Chisholm DemocraticNew York430,7031972
63 Al Sharpton DemocraticNew York383,6832004
64 Robert Byrd DemocraticWest Virginia340,3091976
65 Terry Sanford DemocraticNorth Carolina331,4151972
66 Jack Kemp RepublicanNew York331,3331988
67 Bob Kerrey DemocraticNebraska318,4571992
68 John M. Ashbrook RepublicanOhio311,5431972
69 Sargent Shriver DemocraticMaryland304,3991976
70 Fred Thompson RepublicanTennessee287,5812008
71 Jeb Bush RepublicanFlorida286,6942016
72 Tom Harkin DemocraticIowa280,3401992
73 Tulsi Gabbard DemocraticHawaii273,9402020
74 Tom Steyer DemocraticCalifornia259,7922020

See also

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References

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