1996 Republican Party presidential primaries

The 1996 Republican presidential primaries were how voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1996 U.S. presidential election.

1996 Republican Party presidential primaries

January 29 to June 4, 1996

Candidate Bob Dole Pat Buchanan Steve Forbes Home state Kansas Virginia New Jersey Contests won 46 4 2 Popular vote 9,024,742 3,184,943 1,751,187 Percentage 58.8% 20.8% 11.4%

Gold denotes a state won by Pat Buchanan. Green denotes a state won by Steve Forbes. Purple denotes a state won by Bob Dole. Grey denotes a territory that did not hold a primary.

Previous Republican nominee George H. W. Bush Republican nominee Bob Dole

Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, the former Senate Majority Leader won the nomination after winning the delagets needed through a series of primary elections and caucuses. He was formally nominated at the 1996 Republican National Convention held from August 12 to August 15, 1996, in San Diego, California.

The primary also saw the unexpected success of non-politically experienced officeholders Pat Buchanan and Steve Forbes winning a few states and some second place finishes.[1]