1996

Bill Clinton and the 1996 map

Clinton won re-election comfortably over veteran Senator Bob Dole, running on the booming economy and declaring that 'the era of big government is over.' Clinton's triangulation strategy co-opted many Republican positions while defending the social safety net. Perot ran again on the Reform Party ticket but won only 8.4% compared to his 1992 total. The economy was in a strong expansion, and Clinton's incumbency advantages were decisive. No Democratic candidate had won consecutive terms since FDR.