---
title: "1992 United States Presidential Election"
year: 1992
country: "United States"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1992/1992-us-election"
slug: "1992-us-election"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1992-11-03"
---

# 1992 United States Presidential Election

> Bill Clinton's victory over incumbent George H.W. Bush marked a decisive shift in American politics, ending 12 years of Republican control and reshaping the 1990s agenda.

On November 3, 1992, American voters elected Bill Clinton, the 46-year-old governor of Arkansas, to the presidency, ending 12 years of Republican control of the White House. Clinton's ticket with Tennessee senator Al Gore defeated incumbent president George H. W. Bush and independent businessman Ross Perot in a three-way race that reshaped American politics and signaled a generational shift in the electorate.

## Summary

Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 1992. The Democratic ticket of Arkansas governor Bill Clinton and Tennessee junior senator Al Gore defeated incumbent Republican president George H. W. Bush and vice president Dan Quayle and the independent ticket of businessman Ross Perot and vice admiral James Stockdale.

## Key facts

- **Election date**: November 3, 1992
- **Clinton popular vote share**: 43.0%
- **Bush popular vote share**: 37.4%
- **Perot popular vote share**: 18.9%
- **Clinton electoral votes**: 370
- **Bush electoral votes**: 168
- **Voter turnout**: 55.2% of eligible voters
- **Clinton age at election**: 46
- **Perot spending**: Approximately $60 million, mostly self-funded

## Timeline

- **1992-02-18** - Super Tuesday primaries
  Clinton emerges as the frontrunner in Democratic primaries after strong performances across multiple Southern and border states, consolidating support despite earlier scandals.
- **1992-07-09** - Clinton-Gore ticket announced
  Clinton selects Tennessee Senator Al Gore as his running mate, pairing two young Southerners to reshape the Democratic coalition away from traditional power brokers.
- **1992-07-13** - Democratic National Convention
  The Democratic Convention in New York formalizes Clinton-Gore nomination and launches their fall campaign with a focus on the economy and generational change.
- **1992-08-17** - Republican National Convention
  George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle are renominated in Houston as the incumbent ticket, but internal party divisions and economic discontent complicate their path forward.
- **1992-10-11** - Three-way presidential debate
  Clinton, Bush, and Perot appear together at the Washington University debate in St. Louis. Perot's strong performance amplifies his campaign momentum and anti-establishment appeal.
- **1992-10-15** - Second presidential debate
  Town hall debate in Richmond, Virginia, features the famous moment where Bush appears to check his watch—a visual that reinforces perceptions of his disconnection from voters.
- **1992-11-03** - Election Day
  Voters choose Clinton in a decisive three-way contest. Clinton wins 370 electoral votes; Bush receives 168; Perot wins no electoral votes but captures 19% of the popular vote.
- **1992-12-20** - Electoral College vote
  The Electoral College formally casts 538 votes, confirming Clinton-Gore's victory with 370 electors voting for the Democratic ticket.
- **1993-01-20** - Inauguration
  Bill Clinton is sworn in as the 42nd President of the United States, with Al Gore as Vice President. Clinton becomes the first president born after World War II.

## Voices

- **Bill Clinton, Democratic Presidential Candidate** (official, celebratory) - Election night speech, Little Rock Convention Center
  > Tonight, we proclaim that the American people have voted to make a new investment in our future. The hits that we've taken, the job losses, the plant closings are real. But America's best days are still ahead.
- **Ross Perot, Independent Presidential Candidate** (industry, predictive) - Post-election statement, November 1992
  > We've sent a message. Fifty million people voted for change, and that giant sucking sound of jobs going to Mexico is something we need to fix.
- **James Carville, Clinton Campaign Strategist** (expert, celebratory) - Post-election interviews, November 1992
  > We won this on three words: 'It's the economy, stupid.' Voters don't care about your resume when they can't pay their mortgage.

## Impact

Clinton's victory marked a decisive break from Reagan-era conservatism and introduced the Democratic Leadership Council's centrist platform to national power. The result demonstrated that third-party candidates could reshape electoral math—Perot captured 19% of the popular vote, the strongest third-party showing since 1912—while the youth-oriented Clinton campaign presaged the media strategies that would define elections for the next two decades.

## Sources

- [1992 United States presidential election]() - Wikipedia

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Canonical: https://recap.at/1992/1992-us-election