2000 Republican Party presidential primaries
The 2000 Republican presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Texas Governor George W. Bush was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 2000 Republican National Convention held from July 31 to August 3, 2000, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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 Republican primary results. Red denotes a Bush win. Yellow denotes a McCain win. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Primary race overview
The primary contest began with a fairly wide field, as the Republicans lacked an incumbent President or Vice President. Texas Governor George W. Bush, son of George H. W. Bush, the most recent Republican president, took an early lead, with the support of much of the party establishment as well as a strong fund-raising effort. Former cabinet member George Shultz played an important early role in securing Republican support for Bush. In April 1998, he invited Bush to discuss policy issues with experts including Michael Boskin, John Taylor, and Condoleezza Rice. The group, which was "looking for a candidate for 2000 with good political instincts, someone they could work with," was impressed, and Shultz encouraged Bush to enter the race.[1] Due in part to establishment backing, Bush dominated in early polling and fundraising figures. After stumbling in early primary debates, he easily won the Iowa caucuses.
Considered a dark horse, U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona won 48% of the vote to Bush's 30% in the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary, giving his campaign a boost of energy and donations.
Then, the main primary season came down to a race between Bush and McCain. McCain's campaign, centered on campaign finance reform, drew positive press coverage and a fair amount of public excitement, with polls giving the senator superior crossover support from independents and Democrats.[2][3][4] Bush's campaign dealt with "compassionate conservatism," including a greater role for the federal government in education, subsidies for private charitable programs, and large reductions in income and capital gains taxes.
The next primary contest in South Carolina was notorious for its negative tone. Although the Bush campaign said it was not behind any attacks on McCain, locals supporting Bush reportedly handed out fliers and made telephone calls to prospective voters suggesting among other things, that McCain was a "Manchurian candidate" and that he had fathered a child out of wedlock with a black New York-based prostitute (an incorrect reference to a child he and his wife had adopted from Bangladesh). Bush also drew fire for a speech made at Bob Jones University, a school that still banned interracial dating among its students.[5] But the governor was seen to have the upper hand in a debate hosted by Larry King Live, and he won in South Carolina by nine points. McCain won primaries in Michigan, his home state of Arizona, and a handful of New England states, but faced difficulty in appealing to conservative Republican primary voters. This was particularly true in Michigan, where despite winning the primary, McCain lost the GOP vote to Bush by a wide margin.[6] McCain also competed in the Virginia primary, counting on continued crossover support by giving a speech blasting the religious right. It backfired, and Bush won the state easily. Bush's subsequent Super Tuesday victories in California, New York and the South made it nearly impossible, mathematically, for McCain to catch up, and he suspended his campaign the next day.
Other candidates included social conservative activist Gary Bauer, businessman Steve Forbes, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, former Ambassador Alan Keyes, former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, former Red Cross director and cabinet member Elizabeth Dole, Ohio Congressman John Kasich, and former Vice President Dan Quayle. Bauer and Hatch campaigned on a traditional Republican platform of opposition to legalized abortion and reductions in taxes. Keyes had a far more conservative platform, calling for the elimination of all federal taxes except tariffs. Keyes also called for returning to ban homosexuals in the military, while most GOP candidates supported the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Keyes continued participating in the campaign for nearly all the primaries and continued to appear in the debates with frontrunners McCain and Bush. As in 1996, Forbes campaigned on making the federal income tax non-graduated, an idea he called the flat tax, although he increased his focus on social conservatives in 2000. Although Forbes came a close second to Bush in the Iowa caucuses and tied with him in the Alaska caucuses, none of these other candidates won a primary.
Candidates
Nominee
| Candidate | Most recent position | Home state | Campaign Withdrawal date |
Popular
vote |
Contests won | Running mate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George W. Bush |  |
Governor of Texas (1995–2000) |
 Texas |
 (Campaign • Positions) Secured nomination: March 7, 2000 |
12,034,676 (62.00%) |
44 | Dick Cheney | |
Withdrew at convention
| Candidate | Most recent position | Home state | Campaign Withdrawal date |
Popular vote | Contests won | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Keyes | .jpg.webp) |
Former Asst. Secretary of State (1985–87) |
 Maryland |
(Campaign) |
985,819 (5.1%) |
0 | |
Withdrew during primaries
| Candidate | Most recent position | Home state | Campaign Withdrawal date |
Popular vote | Contests won | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John McCain |  |
U.S. Senator from Arizona (1987–2018) |
 Arizona |
 Withdrew: March 9 |
6,061,332 (31.23%) |
7 AZ, CT, MA, MI, NH, RI, VT | |
Other candidates campaigning for the nomination but receiving less than 1% of the national vote included:
- Businessman Steve Forbes of New York
- Former Undersecretary of Education Gary Bauer
- United States Senator Orrin Hatch
Withdrew before primary elections
- Fmr. Governor Lamar Alexander of Tennessee
- Commentator and presidential candidate Pat Buchanan of Virginia (to run for the Reform Party nomination)
- Businessman Herman Cain of Nebraska
- Fmr. United States Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina
- Representative John Kasich of Ohio
- Fmr. Vice President Dan Quayle of Indiana
- Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire
Declined to run
- John Ashcroft, Senator from Missouri (ran for reelection)
- Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- Jack Kemp, former U.S. Representative from New York and nominee for vice-president in 1996
- George Pataki, Governor of New York
- Harold E. Stassen, former Governor of Minnesota
- Donald Trump, businessman (ran for Reform Party nomination); later became the 45th President of the United States
- Fred Thompson, Senator from Tennessee
- Tommy Thompson, Governor of Wisconsin
- Christine Todd Whitman, Governor of New Jersey
National polling
| Source | Date | George W. Bush | John McCain | Alan Keyes | Steve Forbes | Gary Bauer | Orrin Hatch | Elizabeth Dole | Lamar Alexander | Dan Quayle | Pat Buchanan | Bob Smith | John Kasich | John Ashcroft | Newt Gingrich | Jack Kemp | Fred Thompson | Christine Whitman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallup | Sep. 6–7, 1997 | 22% | – | – | 9% | – | – | – | 3% | 10% | 5% | 2% | – | 3% | 5% | 15% | 5% | 9% |
| Gallup | May 8–10, 1998 | 30% | 4% | – | 7% | 1% | – | 14% | 2% | 9% | 3% | – | 1% | – | 6% | 9% | – | – |
| Gallup | Oct. 23–25, 1998 | 39% | – | – | 7% | – | – | 17% | 4% | 12% | – | – | 4% | 4% | 4% | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Jan. 8–10, 1999 | 42% | 8% | – | 5% | 2% | – | 22% | 4% | 6% | – | 1% | 2% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Mar. 12–14, 1999 | 52% | 3% | – | 1% | 1% | – | 20% | 2% | 9% | 4% | 1% | 3% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Apr. 13–14, 1999 | 53% | 5% | – | 6% | 2% | – | 16% | – | 7% | 4% | – | 2% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Apr. 30 – May 2, 1999 | 42% | 4% | – | 6% | 3% | – | 24% | 3% | 6% | 5% | – | 1% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | May 23–24, 1999 | 46% | 6% | – | 5% | 2% | – | 18% | 1% | 7% | 6% | 2% | 2% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Jun. 4–5, 1999 | 46% | 5% | – | 5% | 1% | – | 14% | 3% | 9% | 6% | 1% | 1% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Jun. 25–27, 1999 | 59% | 5% | – | 6% | 2% | 2% | 8% | 2% | 6% | 3% | 1% | 3% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Aug. 16–18, 1999 | 61% | 5% | 1% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 13% | – | 6% | 3% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Sep. 10–14, 1999 | 62% | 5% | 1% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 10% | – | 5% | 3% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Oct. 8–10, 1999 | 60% | 8% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 11% | – | – | 3% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Oct. 21–24, 1999 | 68% | 11% | 2% | 8% | 1% | 3% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Nov. 4–7, 1999 | 68% | 12% | 2% | 6% | 2% | 2% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Nov. 18–21, 1999 | 63% | 16% | 2% | 6% | 3% | 4% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Dec. 9–12, 1999 | 64% | 18% | 4% | 7% | 2% | 2% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Dec. 20–21, 1999 | 60% | 17% | 4% | 9% | 2% | 1% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Jan. 7–10, 2000 | 63% | 18% | 2% | 5% | 1% | 2% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Jan. 13–16, 2000 | 61% | 22% | 3% | 5% | 2% | 1% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Jan. 17–19, 2000 | 63% | 19% | 1% | 6% | 2% | 1% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Jan. 25–26, 2000 | 65% | 15% | 4% | 7% | 2% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Feb. 4–6, 2000 | 56% | 34% | 3% | 2% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Feb. 14–15, 2000 | 58% | 31% | 3% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Feb. 20–21, 2000 | 58% | 31% | 3% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gallup | Feb. 25–27, 2000 | 57% | 33% | 4% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Results
Statewide
| Date | State | George W. Bush | John McCain | Alan Keyes | Steve Forbes | Gary Bauer | Orrin Hatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 24 (0) |
Alaska (caucus) | 36.28% | 9.52% | 9.49% | 36.17% | 4.78% | 3.76% |
| January 24 (25) |
Iowa (caucus) | 41.01% (10) |
4.67% (1) |
14.25% (4) |
30.51% (8) |
8.54% (2) |
1.02% |
| February 1 (17) |
New Hampshire (primary) | 30.36% (5) |
48.53% (10) |
6.37% | 12.66% (2) |
0.69% | 0.07% |
| February 8 (12) |
Delaware (primary) | 50.73% (12) |
25.41% | 3.82% | 19.57% | 0.40% | 0.07% |
| February 19 (37) |
South Carolina (primary) | 53.39% (34) |
41.87% (3) |
4.54% | 0.08% | 0.11% | 0.01% |
| February 22 (30) |
Arizona (primary) | 35.68% | 60.03% (30) |
3.56% | 0.38% | 0.05% | 0.20% |
| February 22 (58) |
Michigan (primary) | 43.05% (6) |
50.97% (52) |
4.62% | 0.38% | 0.21% | 0.07% |
| February 27 (14) |
Puerto Rico (primary) | 94.21% (14) |
5.29% | 0.05% | 0.23% | 0.04% | – |
| February 29 (56) |
Virginia (primary) | 52.79% (56) |
43.89% | 3.07% | 0.12% | 0.13% | – |
| February 29 (12) |
Washington (primary) | 48.26% (7) |
47.98% (5) |
2.53% | 0.62% | 0.34% | 0.27% |
| February 29 (19) |
North Dakota (caucus) | 75.72% (14) |
18.94% (4) |
5.31% (1) |
– | – | – |
| March 7 (162) |
California (primary) | 52.21% (162) |
42.87% | 4.10% | 0.35% | 0.25% | 0.22% |
| March 7 (25) |
Connecticut (primary) | 46.28% | 48.74% (25) |
3.30% | 0.69% | 0.21% | 0.10% |
| March 7 (54) |
Georgia (primary) | 66.93% (54) |
27.84% | 4.61% | 0.26% | 0.31% | 0.06% |
| March 7 (14) |
Maine (primary) | 51.03% (14) |
44.00% | 3.09% | 0.47% | 0.34% | – |
| March 7 (31) |
Maryland (primary) | 56.23% (31) |
36.16% | 6.65% | 0.45% | 0.35% | 0.16% |
| March 7 (37) |
Massachusetts (primary) | 31.78% | 64.81% (37) |
2.52% | 0.28% | 0.22% | 0.05% |
| March 7 (34) |
Minnesota (caucus) | 63% (34) |
17% | 20% | – | – | – |
| March 7 (35) |
Missouri (primary) | 57.93% (35) |
35.31% | 5.74% | 0.43% | 0.22% | 0.08% |
| March 7 (93) |
New York (primary) | 50.30% (67) |
43.50% (26) |
3.60% | 2.60% | – | – |
| March 7 (69) |
Ohio (primary) | 57.99% (63) |
36.98% (6) |
3.95% | 0.64% | 0.44 | – |
| March 7 (14) |
Rhode Island (primary) | 36.43% | 60.18% (14) |
2.55% | 0.25% | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| March 7 (12) |
Vermont (primary) | 35.33% | 60.29% (12) |
2.66% | 0.76% | 0.36% | – |
| March 7 (25) |
Washington (caucus) | 82.15% (25) |
12.88% | 4.97% | – | – | – |
| March 10 (22) |
Wyoming (caucus) | 77.62% (22) |
10.29% | 11.66% | – | – | – |
| March 10 (40) |
Colorado (primary) | 64.71% (28) |
27.12% (12) |
6.57% | 0.66% | 0.66% | 0.28% |
| March 10 (29) |
Utah (primary) | 63.28% (29) |
14.04% | 21.27% | 0.94% | 0.47% | – |
| March 14 (80) |
Florida (primary) | 73.80% (80) |
19.94% | 4.63% | 0.94% | 0.50% | 0.20% |
| March 14 (29) |
Louisiana (primary) | 83.60% (29) |
8.91% | 5.73% | 1.01% | 0.75% | – |
| March 14 (33) |
Mississippi (primary) | 88% (33) |
5.45% | 5.63% | 0.51% | 0.41% | 0.12% |
| March 14 (38) |
Oklahoma (primary) | 79.15% (38) |
10.39% | 9.29% | 0.85% | 0.32% | – |
| March 14 (37) |
Tennessee (primary) | 77.02% (37) |
14.53% | 6.75% | 0.41 | 0.52% | 0.10% |
| March 14 (124) |
Texas (primary) | 87.54% (124) |
7.11% | 3.86% | 0.25% | 0.19% | 0.12% |
| March 21 (64) |
Illinois (primary) | 67.40% (64) |
21.54% | 8.97% | 1.40% | 0.69% | – |
| April 4 (78) |
Pennsylvania (primary) | 72.47% (78) |
22.36% | 1.09% | 2.48% | 1.35% | – |
| April 4 (37) |
Wisconsin (primary) | 69.24% (37) |
18.09% | 9.87% | 1.11% | 0.37% | 0.35% |
| May 2 (30) |
Indiana (primary) | 81.17% (30) |
18.83% | – | – | – | – |
| May 2 (62) |
North Carolina (primary) | 78.60% (49) |
10.86% (7) |
7.85% (5) |
– | 1.03% (1) |
– |
| May 2 (15) |
Washington, D.C. (primary) | 72.79% (15) |
24.37% | – | – | – | – |
| May 9 (30) |
Nebraska (primary) | 78.15% (30) |
15.11% | 6.50% | – | – | – |
| May 9 (18) |
West Virginia (primary) | 79.57% (18) |
12.91% | 4.76% | 1.58% | 1.18% | – |
| May 16 (24) |
Oregon (primary) | 83.62% (21) |
– | 13.37% (3) |
– | – | – |
| May 23 (24) |
Arkansas (primary) | 80.23% (19) |
– | 19.77% (5) |
– | – | – |
| May 23 (22) |
Idaho (primary) | 73.45% (16) |
– | 19.10% (4) |
– | – | – |
| May 23 (31) |
Kentucky (primary) | 82.98% (31) |
6.33% | 4.75% | 1.30% | 2.64% | – |
| May 23 (35) |
Kansas (caucus) | ?% (35) |
?% | ?% | ?% | ?% | – |
| June 6 (44) |
Alabama (primary) | 84.24% (44) |
– | 11.52% | – | – | – |
| June 6 (23) |
Montana (primary) | 77.59% (23) |
– | 18.32% | – | – | – |
| June 6 (54) |
New Jersey (primary) | 83.56% (54) |
16.44% | – | – | – | – |
| June 6 (21) |
New Mexico (primary) | 82.63% (21) |
10.13% | 6.45% | – | – | – |
| June 6 (22) |
South Dakota (primary) | 78.22% (22) |
13.75% | 7.68% | – | – | – |
- Win for George W. Bush
- Win for John S. McCain
Nationwide
Popular vote result:[8]
- George W. Bush – 12,034,676 (62.00%)
- John McCain – 6,061,332 (31.23%)
- Alan Keyes – 985,819 (5.08%)
- Steve Forbes – 171,860 (0.89%)
- Unpledged delegates – 61,246 (0.32%)
- Gary Bauer – 60,709 (0.31%)
- Orrin Hatch – 15,958 (0.08%)
Notable endorsements
Note: Some of the endorsers switched positions.
- George W. Bush
- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott from Mississippi[9]
- Former HUD Secretary and 1996 Vice Presidential nominee Jack Kemp from New York[10]
- Senator Bob Smith from New Hampshire[11]
- Former Governor and White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu of New Hampshire[11]
- Governor Jane Dee Hull of Arizona[12][13]
- Governor John Engler of Michigan
- Senator John Warner from Virginia[14]
- Governor Jim Gilmore of Virginia[14]
- Senator John Ashcroft from Missouri[15]
- Governor Paul Cellucci of Massachusetts[16]
- Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin[17]
- Representative John Thune from South Dakota[18]
- John McCain
- Senator Jon Kyl from Arizona[13]
- Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee[19]
- Senator Mike DeWine from Ohio[20]
- Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska[21]
- Representative Lindsey Graham from South Carolina[22]
- Representative Mark Sanford from South Carolina[22]
- Representative Peter T. King from New York[23]
- Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari[24]
- Steve Forbes
- Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico[25]
- Representative Bob Barr from Georgia[26]
- Representative Roscoe Bartlett from Maryland[27]
- Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell[28]
- Sarah Palin, mayor of Wasilla, Alaska[29]
- Alan Keyes
- Representative Tom Coburn from Oklahoma[30]
- Filmmaker Michael Moore from Michigan[31]
- Orrin Hatch
- Senator Robert Foster Bennett from Utah[10]
- Lamar Alexander
- Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas[10]
- Former Governor Terry Branstad of Iowa[10]
- Dan Quayle
- Former Governor Carroll A. Campbell of South Carolina[10]
- John Kasich
- Mike DeWine (initially)[10]
- Senator George Voinovich from Ohio[10]
- Representative John Boehner from Ohio[10]
References
- "The Choice 2004". Frontline. Boston. October 12, 2004. PBS. WGBH-TV. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
- THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: CROSSOVER VOTERS; Democrats Drawn to McCain Are Unsettling Republicans
- Democrats helped McCain over finish line in 2000 Michigan GOP primary
- Stuart Rothenberg: Can Democrats and independents nominate John McCain?
- Cornell University Law School, "Bob Jones Uni v. v. United States", "Legal Information Institute". Retrieved February 9, 2017
- THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: MICHIGAN; Loss by Bush Forces Debate on Open Primaries. The New York Times. 27 February 2000. Retrieved 2017-06-03.
- 2000 Republican Primary Election Events Timeline
- "US President – R Primaries Race", Our Campaigns, February 1, 2000. Retrieved February 28, 2011
- "Mississippi US President Republican Primary Race". March 14, 2000.
- "US President—Republican Primaries Race". Our Campaigns. February 1, 2000. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
- "New Hampshire US President—Republican Primary Race". Our Campaigns. February 1, 2000. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
- Berke, Richard L. (October 25, 1999). "McCain Having to Prove Himself Even in Arizona". The New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
- "Arizona US President—Republican Primary Race—Feb 22, 2000".
- "Virginia US President—Republican Primary Race". Our Campaigns. February 29, 2000. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
- "Missouri US President Republican Primary Race—Mar 7, 2000".
- "Massachusetts US President Republican Primary Race—Mar 7, 2000".
- "Wisconsin US President—Republican Primary Race—Apr 4, 2000".
- "South Dakota US President—Republican Primary Race—Jun 6, 2000".
- "Tennessee US President—Republican Primary Race—Mar 14, 2000".
- "Ohio US President—Republican Primary Race—Mar 7, 2000".
- "Nebraska US President Republican Primary Race—May 9, 2000".
- "South Carolina US President—Republican Primary Race". Our Campaigns. February 19, 2000. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
- "Candidate—Peter T. King".
- "Candidate—Guy V. Molinari".
- "Candidate—Gary Johnson".
- "Candidate—Bob Barr".
- "Candidate—Roscoe G. Bartlett".
- "Candidate—J. Kenneth Blackwell".
- Sliming Palin Archived February 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, FactCheck.org (September 8, 2008)
- "OK US President—Republican Primary Race—Mar 14, 2000".
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qwDBgNMD7c
