1996 Republican Party presidential primaries

none June 2025 June 2021 1996 Republican Party presidential primaries United States primary no 1992 Republican Party presidential primaries 1992 2000 Republican Party presidential primaries 2000 January 29 to June 4, 1996 File:Ks 1996 dole (cropped).jpg 150x150px 73638c Bob Dole Kansas 46 9,024,742 58.8% File:Pat Buchanan 1985b (cropped).jpg a59400 Pat Buchanan Virginia 4 3,184,943 20.8% File:Steve Forbes, 2007.jpg Steve Forbes 668c63 New Jersey 2 1,751,187 11.4% 450px Gold denotes a state won by Pat Buchanan. Green denotes a state won by Steve Forbes. Purple denotes a state won by Bob Dole. Gray denotes a territory that did not hold a primary. Republican nominee George H. W. Bush Bob Dole 1,437 101 51 1,975 delegates (1,653 pledged and 322 unpledged) to the Republican National Convention 988 (majority) From January 29 to June 4, 1996, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1996 United States presidential election. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, the former Senate majority leader and previous vice presidential nominee, was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1996 Republican National Convention held from August 12 to 15, 1996, in San Diego, California. Dole resigned from the Senate in June 1996 once he became the presumptive nominee to concentrate on his presidential campaign. He chose Jack Kemp as his running mate. Dole and Kemp went on to lose to President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore by a severe margin, thereby making this the only Republican presidential primary within the span from 1968 to 2004 in which the Republican nominee had never been nor ever became president. Background Following the 1994 midterm elections, many prominent candidates entered what would be a crowded field. This was expected as Democratic President Bill Clinton was unpopular in his first two years in office, eventually leading to the Republican Revolution. However, as Clinton became increasingly popular in his third year in office, several withdrew from the race or decided not to run. Former president George H. W. Bush, who Clinton had defeated in 1992, opted not to seek the nomination, choosing instead to focus on his family life. In February 1995, newly inaugurated Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich declined to run, despite urging from some members of the party's conservative wing.Merida Kevin 1995-02-14 Gingrich Says He Won't Run For President https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/02/14/gingrich-says-he-wont-run-for-president/41516765-1a68-4e65-a204-7e5b71ffdde1/ 2023-12-07 Washington Post Former U.S. Army Gen. Colin L. Powell was widely courted as a potential Republican nominee. However, on November 8, 1995, Powell announced that he would not seek the nomination. Former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney was touted by many as a possible candidate for the presidency, but he declared his intentions not to run in early 1995. Then-Texas Governor George W. Bush was also urged by some party leaders to seek the Republican Party nomination, but opted against doing so. Primary race overview Going into the 1996 primary contest, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole was widely seen as the front runner. Dole had significant name recognition, as he was a two-time presidential candidate – in 1980 and 1988, and Republican vice-presidential nominee in 1976. He was expected to win the nomination against underdog candidates such as the more conservative U.S. Senator Phil Gramm of Texas and more centrist U.S. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. The fragmented field of candidates, which also included journalist and 1992 presidential candidate Pat Buchanan and magazine publisher Steve Forbes, debated issues such as a flat tax and other tax cut proposals, and a return to supply-side economic policies popularized by Ronald Reagan. Former Governor of Tennessee Lamar Alexander had promising showings in the early Iowa and New Hampshire primaries—finishing third in both contests behind only Dole and Buchanan—but his support dropped off in later primaries and he ultimately failed to win any state's delegates. (see "1996 Republican primary and caucus results" table below). Alan Keyes, who served as Reagan's Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, was notable for being the only African American candidate in the race, but he ultimately failed to garner much support. More attention was drawn to the race by the budget stalemate in 1995 between the Congress and the President, which caused temporary shutdowns and slowdowns in many areas of federal government service. On January 29, Buchanan won a non-binding straw poll in Alaska. Most pundits dismissed Buchanan's showing as insignificant.Anchorage Daily News. January 31, 1996. p. 1b On February 6, Buchanan won the Louisiana caucus. Buchanan and Gramm had made several trips to the state to campaign. Gramm was expected to win, due to being from neighboring Texas and having the support of many of the Louisiana party regulars.The Advocate [Baton Rouge]. Feb.7, 1996. p. A1 The candidates met in Des Moines for a Presidential Candidates Forum. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/republican-presidential-candidates-forum-des-moines-iowa Republican Presidential Candidates Forum in Des Moines, Iowa The American Presidency Project April 7, 2021 Dole won the Iowa Caucus with 26% of the vote, a considerably smaller margin of victory than was expected. Gramm's poor showing in Louisiana plus placing 5th in Iowa's caucuses resulted in his withdrawal from the contest on the Sunday before the New Hampshire primary. In the New Hampshire Primary, Buchanan recorded a surprising victory over Dole, who finished in second place. After some disappointing showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, Steve Forbes bounced back in the primaries in Delaware and Arizona. Forbes, along with Alan Keyes, were the only two candidates for the Republican nomination who campaigned in Delaware (According to R.W. Apple writing for The New York Times) "People in Delaware began calling their primary the Rodney Dangerfield election – it couldn't get any respect. That angered many local residents, like a woman at a Wilmington polling place this evening, who said that the New Hampshire officials who twisted the candidates' arms [into not coming to Delaware to campaign while the New Hampshire primary was ongoing] had ‘acted like little kids.’"Apple R.W. FORBES BEATS DOLE IN DELAWARE VOTE The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/25/us/forbes-beats-dole-in-delaware-vote.html April 8, 2021 The New York Times February 25, 1996) giving Forbes an easy victory in the small state. "This state is the tax-cutting capital of the country and Steve Forbes got his tax-cutting message across" former Delaware Governor Pete du Pont said following the announcement of Forbes's victory. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/26/us/politics-steve-forbes-delaware-backs-him-because-he-was-there.html?auth=login-google POLITICS: STEVE FORBES;Delaware Backs Him Because He Was There The New York Times Apple, R.W. February 26, 1996 April 7, 2021 The bigger triumph for the Forbes campaign was in Arizona. Buchanan campaigned vigorously in Arizona in hopes of securing a crucial victory over Dole, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-02-28-mn-40895-story.html Forbes Bounces Back With a Convincing Victory in Arizona The Los Angeles Times Sahagun, Louis February 28, 1996 April 7, 2021 with Buchanan even donning a cowboy costume while on the campaign trail. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/23/us/politics-moving-west-buchanan-steps-into-an-arizona-crossfire.html POLITICS: MOVING WEST; Buchanan Steps Into an Arizona Crossfire The New York Times Nagourney, Adam February 23, 1996 April 7, 2021 Faulty polling by the Dole campaign lured Dole into a false sense of security, making Dole think that the state would be an easy victory for him and he would not have to spend much time campaigning in Arizona. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/28/us/politics-the-overview-forbes-claims-victory-in-arizona-race.html POLITICS: THE OVERVIEW;Forbes Claims Victory in Arizona Race The New York Times Berke, Richard February 28, 1996 April 7, 2021 After the votes were counted, Buchanan finished a devastating third place, Dole was the runner-up, and Forbes pulled off a shocking, come-from-behind victory. Exit polls showed that Forbes's support came from those who voted for third-party candidate Ross Perot back in 1992, as well as from the large number of voters who cited "taxes" as the most important issue of the race and those who viewed Buchanan as too "extreme" and Dole as too moderate and "mainstream". Forbes would quickly lose the momentum he built up in Delaware and Arizona, but these back-to-back victories convinced many that Forbes was a serious contender. Buchanan's and Forbes's early victories put Dole's expected front runner status in doubt during the formative months of the primary season. Although he lost Arizona, Dole had wins in North Dakota and South Dakota on the same day before looking to win in Wyoming and South Carolina, the latter being the first of the Southern states with a primary that was also three days before the multi-state primary Super Tuesday. Dole prevailed over Buchanan by 15 points, where exit polls showed Dole siphoning those identifying as part of the Christian right (that Buchanan anticipated having a large majority over) to go with voters who regarded Buchanan as either too extreme or not extreme.POLITICS: CHANGING DIRECTION;DOLE EASILY BEATS BUCHANAN TO WIN IN SOUTH CAROLINA The New York Times March 3, 1996 https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/03/news/politics-changing-direction-dole-easily-beats-buchanan-to-win-in-south-carolina.html 2024-01-31 Berke Richard L. He proceeded to win the rest of the states, eventually giving him enough delegate commitments to claim status as the GOP presidential presumptive nominee. Having collected only 21 percent of the total votes in Republican primaries and won four states, Buchanan suspended his campaign in March. He declared however that, if Dole were to choose a pro-choice running mate, he would run as the US Taxpayers Party (now Constitution Party) candidate. Porteous Skipp http://www.publiceye.org/ifas/fw/9604/phillips.html April 1996 Howard Phillips on Pat Buchanan Freedom Writer Public Eye. Forbes also withdrew in March having won only two states.AllPolitics – Steve Forbes Dole resigned his Senate seat on June 11 to focus more intently on his presidential campaign. After becoming the nominee, Dole selected the former secretary of housing and urban development of the Bush administration, Jack Kemp, as his running mate. Candidates Nominee CandidateMost recent office Home stateCampaign Withdrawal date Popular vote Contests won Running mateBob Doleframeless|127x127pxU.S. Senator from Kansas(1968–1996)91x91px|Kansas Kansasframeless|127x127px(Campaign)Secured nomination: March 19, 19969,024,742(58.8%)46Jack Kempframeless|123x123px Withdrew during convention or primaries CandidateExperience Home stateCampaignannouncedCampaign suspendedCampaign Popular vote Contests wonframeless|148x148px Pat BuchananWhite House Communications Director(1985–1987)alt=|84x84px|New York (state) VirginiaMarch 19, 1995frameless|98x98px(Campaign)3,184,943(20.8%)4frameless|149x149px Steve ForbesPublisher and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine(1990–)alt=|102x102px|New York (state) New JerseySeptember 21, 1995March 14, 1996frameless|120x120px Campaign1,751,187(11.4%)2frameless|161x161px Lamar AlexanderUnited States Secretary of Education(1991–1993)Governor of Tennessee(1979–1987)alt=|84x84px|New York (state) TennesseeMarch 30, 1995February 2024March 9, 1996(endorsed Dole)frameless|125x125px Campaign495,590(3.2%)0Morry TaylorPresident of Titan International(1993-)alt=|98x98px|New York (state) MichiganSeptember 2, 1995February 2024March 9, 1996frameless|120x120px Campaign21,180 (0.1%)0frameless|141x141px Richard LugarUnited States Senator from Indiana(1977–2013)Mayor of Indianapolis(1968–1976)81x81px|California IndianaApril 19, 1995March 6, 1996(endorsed Dole)frameless|120x120pxCampaign127,111(0.8%)0frameless|148x148px Phil GrammUnited States Senator from Texas(1985–2002)United States Representative from Texas(1979–1985)78x78px|California TexasFebruary 23, 1995February 14, 1996(endorsed Dole)frameless|120x120px CampaignFebruary 20240frameless|143x143px Bob DornanUnited States Representative from California(1977–1983, 1985–1997)Candidate for United States Senate in 1982105x105px|California CaliforniaApril 13, 1995February 2024frameless|120x120px CampaignFebruary 20240frameless|148x148px Alan KeyesAssistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs(1985–1987)Candidate for United States Senate in 1988 and 1992alt=|frameless|100x100px MarylandMarch 26, 1995February 2024CampaignFebruary 20240 Withdrew before primary elections CandidateExperience Home stateCampaignannouncedCampaign suspendedCampaignframeless|159x159px Arlen SpecterUnited States Senator from Pennsylvania(1981–2011)District Attorney of Philadelphia(1966–1974)alt=|96x96px PennsylvaniaMarch 31, 1995November 23, 1995(endorsed Dole)Campaignframeless|148x148px Pete WilsonGovernor of California(1991–1999)United States Senator from California(1983–1991)Mayor of San Diego(1971–1983)California State Representative(1967–1971)105x105px|California CaliforniaAugust 28, 1995September 29, 1995September 29, 1995 Wilson drops out of presidential race https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/09/29/Wilson-drops-out-of-presidential-race/7281812347200/ UPIAyres B. Drummond Jr. September 30, 1995 WILSON, TRAILING IN VOTERS' POLLS, DROPS 1996 QUEST https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/30/us/wilson-trailing-in-voters-polls-drops-1996-quest.html New York Timesframeless|130x130px Campaignframeless|147x147px Arthur FletcherChair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights (1990–1993)75x75px|California Washington D.C.July 9, 19959 July 1995 Civil Rights Official Joins G.O.P. Field for 1996 The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/09/us/civil-rights-official-joins-gop-field-for-1996.html 21 Sep 2023February 2024February 2024 Minor candidates Retired engineer Jack Fellure from West Virginia Powerlifter and entrepreneur Shear'Ree from California Formed exploratory committee but did not run Former Vice President Dan Quayle of Indiana Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld of IllinoisAmericaLive dead http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-521030 Donald Rumsfeld Biography iReport CNN November 2, 2010 April 17, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20150528031323/http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-521030 May 28, 2015 Declined to run Former United States Senator Howard Baker from Tennessee Former United States Secretary of State James Baker from Texas Former United States Secretary of Education Bill Bennett Former President of the United States George H. W. Bush from Texas Governor George W. Bush from Texas Governor Marc Racicot from Montana Former Governor Carroll Campbell from South Carolina Former United States Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney from Wyoming Former Governor Pete du Pont from Delaware Governor John Engler from Michigan Former President of the United States Gerald Ford from California Speaker of the United States House Newt Gingrich from Georgia Former Governor Tom Kean from New Jersey Former United States Secretary of Labor Lynn Morley Martin from Illinois United States Senator John McCain from Arizona Retired United States Marine Corps Colonel Oliver North from Virginia Retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell Televangelist Pat Robertson from Virginia Former United States Senator Warren Rudman from New Hampshire Governor Tommy Thompson from Wisconsin Businessman Donald Trump from New York Governor Bill Weld from Massachusetts Governor Christine Todd Whitman from New Jersey Results section delegate selection results September 2022 Date(daily totals)Total pledgeddelegatesContestDelegates won and popular voteTotalBob DolePat BuchananSteve ForbesLamar AlexanderOthersJanuary 2920Alaska caucus31,569 (17%)72,991 (32%)62,822 (31%)53 (1%)41,806 (19%)9,241February 621Louisiana caucus–13(44%)––8Eight delegates were awarded to Phil Gramm.(46%)February 1225Iowa caucus725,461 (26%)622,578 (23%)29,861 (10%)417,052 (18%)621,810 (21%)96,762February 2016New Hampshire primary454,738 (26%)456,874 (27%)225,505 (12%)447,148 (22%)224,478 (9%)208,743February 2413Delaware primary48,909 (27%)36,118 (19%)510,709 (33%)24,375 (13%)2,662 (12%)32,773February 27(78)38Arizona primary12102,980 (30%)1295,742 (27%)14115,962 (33%)24,765 (7%)8,033 (2%)347,48220North Dakota primary926,832 (42%)411,653 (18%)412,455 (20%)4,008 (6%)38,786 (13%)63,73420South Dakota primary1030,918 (45%)719,780 (29%)38,831 (13%)6,037 (9%)3,604 (4%)69,170March 2(58)38South Carolina primary18124,904 (45%)1180,824 (29%)535,039 (13%)428,647 (10%)7,327 (2%)276,74120Wyoming caucus10370 (40%)5181 (18%)5161 (17%)66 (7%)61 (7%)839March 320Puerto Rico primary20233,743 (98%)844 (0%)1,078 (0%)1,273 (0%)1,604 (0%)238,541March 5(Super Tuesday)(252)28Colorado primary14108,123 (43%)753,376 (21%)751,592 (21%)24,184 (10%)10,655 (5%)247,93028Connecticut primary1770,998 (54%)519,664 (15%)626,253 (20%)6,985 (5%)6,518 (3%)130,41843Georgia primary18226,732 (41%)13162,627 (29%)671,276 (13%)675,855 (14%)21,916 (3%)558,40616Maine primary931,147 (46%)516,478 (24%)39,991 (15%)4,450 (7%)5,214 (5%)67,28034Maryland primary21135,522 (53%)853,585 (21%)532,207 (13%)14,061 (6%)18,871 (6%)254,24640Massachusetts primary22135,946 (48%)1271,688 (25%)639,605 (14%)21,456 (8%)16,138 (4%)284,83334Minnesota caucus1711,641 (41%)139,353 (33%)42,910 (10%)1,300 (5%)2,684 (10%)27,88816Rhode Island primary119,706 (64%)387 (3%)128 (1%)2,866 (19%)21,971 (4%)15,05813Vermont primary523,419 (40%)29,730 (17%)29,066 (16%)16,145 (11%)29,757 (15%)58,117March 7New York primary(55%)(15%)(30%)––March 9Missouri caucus(28%)(36%)(1%)–(9%)March 12Florida primary(57%)(18%)(20%)(1%)(5%)Louisiana primary(48%)(33%)(12%)(2%)(1%)Mississippi primary(60%)(26%)(8%)(2%)(4%)Oklahoma primary(59%)(22%)(14%)(1%)(2%)Oregon primary(51%)(21%)(13%)(7%)(5%)37Tennessee primary37148,063 (51%)72,928 (25%)22,171 (8%)32,742 (11%)13,482 (4%)289,386Texas primary(56%)(21%)(13%)(2%)(6%)March 19Illinois primary(65%)(23%)(5%)(1%)(6%)Michigan primary(51%)(34%)(5%)(1%)(3%)Ohio primary(66%)(22%)(6%)(3%)(3%)Wisconsin primary(53%)(34%)(6%)(2%)(3%)March 26California primary(66%)(18%)(7%)(2%)(7%)Nevada primary(52%)(15%)(19%)(2%)(1%)Washington primary(63%)(21%)(9%)(1%)(5%)April 23Pennsylvania primary(64%)(18%)(8%)–(11%)May 7Washington D.C. primary(75%)(9%)–––Indiana primary(71%)(19%)(10%)––North Carolina primary(71%)(13%)(4%)(2%)(5%)May 14Nebraska primary(76%)(10%)(6%)(3%)(3%)West Virginia primary(69%)(16%)(5%)(3%)(7%)May 21Arkansas primary(76%)(23%)–––May 28Idaho primary(66%)(22%)––(5%)Kentucky primary26 76,669 (74%)0 8,526 (8%)0 3,400 (3%)0 3,272 (3%)0 11,972 (12%)Uncommitted 4,793 (5%)Alan Keyes 3,822 (4%)Richard Lugar 2,235 (2%)Phil Gramm 1,122 (1%)103,839June 1Virginia caucusUnknown––––June 4Alabama primary(76%)(16%)––(3%)Montana primary(61%)(24%)(7%)––New Jersey primary(82%)(11%)––(7%)New Mexico primary(76%)(8%)(6%)(4%)(4%)TotalUS President – R Primaries Race – July 07, 1996 http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13494 March 10, 2008 Our Campaigns.com9,024,742 (58.8%)3,184,943 (20.8%)1,751,187 (11.4%)495,590 (3.2%)856,881 (5.6%) Nationwide Convention tally: Bob Dole 1,928 Pat Buchanan 43 Steve Forbes 2 Alan Keyes 1 Robert Bork 1 Notable endorsements Bob Dole Former Senator and 1964 Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater of Arizonahttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=36285 AZ US President – R Primary Race – Feb 27, 1996 Our Campaigns June 17, 2010 Governor George W. Bush of Texas Senator Bill Roth of Delaware Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming Senator Al D'Amato of New York Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregonhttps://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-senator-hatfield-backs-dole The American Presidency Project Senator Hatfield Backs Dole: Column https://web.archive.org/web/20220815214331/https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-senator-hatfield-backs-dole August 15, 2022 Former Governor Pete du Pont of Delawarehttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=36304 DE US President – R Primary Race – Feb 24, 1996 Our Campaigns June 17, 2010 Former Governor George Wallace of Alabamahttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=4038 Candidate – George Corley Wallace Our Campaigns June 17, 2010 (Democrat) Pat Buchanan William P. Clark, Jr.,https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=William+P+Clark+Jr Donor Lookup Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court (1973–1981), 6th United States Deputy Secretary of State (1981–1982), 11th United States National Security Advisor (1982–1983), 44th United States Secretary of the Interior (1983–1985) Governor Mike Foster of Louisianahttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=36320 LA US President – R Primary Race – Mar 12, 1996 Our Campaigns June 17, 2010 State Senator Dick Mountjoy of California Former U.S. National Security Advisor Richard Allen Former Governor Evan Mecham of Arizona"Dole wins both Dakotas, but is lagging in Arizona." Toledo Blade. February 28, 1996. Accessed December 2, 2009. Final paragraph: Mr. Mecham is supporting Buchanan "all the way," and he still has an effective organization in the state. Future Arizona state senator Karen Johnson (1997-2008Karen Johnson for AZ Senate http://karenforus.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20040713093002/http://karenforus.com/ 2004-07-13 2025-02-21 Roger Milliken, CEO of Milliken & CompanyWhy I Support Patrick J. Buchanan for President http://www.buchanan.org/psupport.html Buchanan for President https://web.archive.org/web/19970214224910/http://www.buchanan.org/psupport.html February 14, 1997 dead Mark DeMoss, president of The DeMoss Group Judie Brown - president of the American Life League Larry Pratt - executive director of Gun Owners of America, and a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates (1980–1982). Charley Reese - conservative columnist for the Orlando Sentinel (1971–2001) Lewis Tambs - United States Ambassador to Colombia (1983–1985), United States Ambassador to Costa Rica (1985–1987) Paul Gottfried - paleoconservative political philosopher, historian, and writer Donald Wildmon - chairman of the American Family Association Tom Monaghan - CEO of Domino's Pizza Nackey Loeb - publisher for the conservative Manchester Union Leader newspaper Barbara Coe - chairwoman of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform Michael Farris - founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and Patrick Henry College David Duke - 1988 and 1992 presidential candidate.https://apnews.com/article/7ed5af1940778b7eae22c08d17ddd0fa Duke 1992 Chairman Removed From Buchanan Campaign February 23, 1996 Associated Press https://archive.today/20210522225027/https://apnews.com/article/7ed5af1940778b7eae22c08d17ddd0fa May 22, 2021 livehttp://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9602/23/buchanan.duke/index.shtml Buchanan S.C. Leader Out; Ties With Duke CNN https://archive.today/20210522225227/http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9602/23/buchanan.duke/index.shtml May 22, 2021 live Steve Forbes Former Representative and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp of New York Former Senator Gordon Humphrey of New Hampshire U.S. Rep. Frank Cremeans of Ohio. U.S. Rep. Bob Franks of New Jersey. Lamar Alexander Former Governor Tom Kean of New Jersey Former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett Phil Gramm Senator John McCain of Arizona Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas Pete Wilson Governor Bill Weld of Massachusetts Perot's 1992 running-mate and retired admiral James Stockdale of Illinois Convention and vice presidential selection The delegates at the Republican National Convention formally nominated Dole on August 15, 1996, as the GOP presidential candidate for the general election. Dole was the oldest first-time presidential nominee at the age of 73 years, 1 month (Ronald Reagan was 73 years, 6 months in 1984, for his second presidential nomination). Former Representative and Cabinet secretary Jack Kemp was nominated by acclamation as Dole's running mate the following day. Republican Party of Texas convention delegates informally nominated Alan Keyes as their preference for vice president. Other politicians mentioned as possible GOP V.P. nominees before Kemp was selected included: See also 1996 Democratic Party presidential primaries Notes References External links WIS-TV coverage, Bob Dole wins South Carolina Republican Primary - C-Span. March 2, 1996 Category:Bob Dole Category:Pat Buchanan Category:Dan Quayle Category:Robert Bork