1992 Electoral Map

1992 Election Results

Bill Clinton defeated President George H.W. Bush, winning 370 electoral votes to 168 and ending 12 years of Republican control of the White House. Clinton received 43% of the popular vote, Bush 37% and independent Ross Perot nearly 19%.

The map shifted dramatically from Bush’s 1988 victory. Clinton flipped California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, breaking the Republican hold on states that had helped sustain the Reagan era. He swept New England and the Pacific Coast while winning back Southern states including Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia and Louisiana.

Clinton’s coalition was broad enough that no single close state decided the election. California’s 54 electoral votes were an especially important gain: the state had voted Republican in six consecutive presidential elections. Its move into the Democratic column helped change the balance of the national map.

Bush’s foreign-policy successes could not overcome dissatisfaction with the economy and his broken pledge against raising taxes. Clinton offered generational change and kept the campaign focused on voters’ financial concerns. Perot’s strong showing underscored frustration with both parties, but earned him no electoral votes. Democrats had found a route back to the presidency through a combination of Northern gains and selective Southern victories.