Ross Perot 1996 presidential campaign

The 1996 presidential campaign of Ross Perot, former independent for president in 1992 and founder of the Reform party, was launched on July 10, 1996 as Perot, announced his intention to seek the Reform Party nomination for the presidency of the United States in the 1996 presidential election on Larry King Live.

Perot '96
Campaign1996 United States presidential election (Reform primaries)
CandidateRoss Perot
President and CEO of Perot Systems
(1988–2009)
Pat Choate
economist
AffiliationReform Party
StatusAnnounced: July 10, 1996
Official nominee: August 18, 1996
Lost election: November 5, 1996
HeadquartersDallas, Texas
Key peopleRussell Verney
(Campaign manager)
Sharon Holman
(Press secretary)
David Bryant
(Political consultant)
Clay Mulford
(General counsel)[1][2]
ReceiptsUS$46,305,750.00[3] (1996-12-31)
SloganRoss for Boss
Website
web.archive.org/web/19971211153704/http://www.perot.org/
(archived - Dec. 11, 1997)

After initially stating that he would not seek the nomination of the Reform Party, Perot reversed his decision and announced his campaign the day after former Governor Richard Lamm announced his campaign. Perot easily won the nomination against Lamm in the mail-in primary and selected economist Pat Choate as his vice presidential candidate.

Unlike his previous campaign, which was self-financed, Perot's ability to finance his own campaign was limited to $50,000 after accepting $30 million in presidential public funds; he also suffered from single digit polling numbers after announcing his campaign.[4] Despite Perot's earlier success in the 1992 campaign, he was unable to replicate it in 1996 and did not appear in either of the presidential debates due to new rules established by the Commission on Presidential Debates requiring candidates to poll at least 15% in five national polls.

On Election Day (November 5), 1996, Perot took 8.40% of the popular vote and 0 electoral votes, a decrease of 10.51% from the previous election, which made the Reform party the first and only third political party in United States history to secure federal matching funds by taking over 5% of the popular vote.[5] The Reform party received $12.5 million in matching funds in 2000.[6]

Background

In 1992 Perot became the most successful third party candidate since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 with 18.91% of the popular vote as an independent and in six states was placed on the ballot on newly formed political parties. In the early nineties multiple independence parties under the leadership of United We Stand America formed with ballot access due to Perot's success in 1992 and in 1995 joined together to form the Reform Party.

Following the 1992 campaign Perot continued campaigning against NAFTA and accepted an offer by Vice President Al Gore to debate the issue on Larry King Live on November 9, 1993.[7][8] Perot's behavior during the debate was a source of mirth thereafter, including his repeated pleas to "let me finish" in his southern drawl. The debate was seen by many as effectively ending Perot's political career.[9] Support for NAFTA went from 34% to 57%.[10]

Announcement

Perot had initially stated that he would not seek the Reform nomination, but the Federal Election Commission ruled that only Perot would be eligible for $32 million in federal matching funds as his 1992 candidacy was as an independent so anybody else nominated by the Reform Party would not be eligible for any matching funds and the Reform Party would struggle to raise funds without matching funds as Perot would only be allowed to donate at most $1,000.[11][12] Another problem for any other Reform candidate would be the loss of ballot access in Texas due to Perot's name being placed onto the ballot as an independent by the Texas affiliate.[13]

On July 9, 1996 former Governor of Colorado Richard Lamm announced that he would seek the Reform Party's nomination.[14] However, the next day on July 10 Perot announced that he would seek the presidency again on Larry King Live, like he had done in 1992, stating that "If they feel I am the person they want to do this job, then certainly I will give them everything I have to get it done."[15] His decision to enter the race drew ire from both Lamm and Republicans with Lamm stating years later that "He had said to me directly that he was not going to run. Sure I was naive but I was surprised at his dishonesty." and Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan stating that Perot "is a mortal threat to the Republican Party" and that the Reform Party ""threatens the viability of the Republican Party,".[16][17]

Campaign developments

August

From July to August Representative Marcy Kaptur was given the offer of being Perot's vice presidential running mate, but declined with her choosing to stay in Congress.[18]

In mid-August Perot announced that he would be accepting $30 million in presidential public funds which would limit him to spend no more than $50,000 of his own money on his campaign.[19]

Polling

General
Poll source Sample size Date(s) Margin of Error Clinton Dole Ross Perot|Perot Others
CNN[20] 1,004 Adults June 18–19, 1996 ± 3.0% 49%' 33% 17% -
Gannett News Service[21] 1,027 likely voters June 20–25, 1996 ± 3.1% 41%' 30% 20% 10%-

Campaign finance
Candidate Campaign committee
Raised Total contrib. Ind. contrib. Pres. pub. funds Spent COH Owed By Owed To
Ross Perot[3] $46,305,750.00 $14,862,392.00 $1,097,938.00 $29,055,400.00 $46,622,549.00 $0.00 $80,239.00 $0.00
State/Territory Campaign Fundraising and Spending By State/Territory
Ind. contrib. Ind. contrib. <$200 % <$200 Spent
Alabama [22][23] $1,800.00 $0.00 0.00% $0.00[24][25]
Alaska [26][27] $952.00 $200.00 21.01% $300.00[28][29]
Arizona [30][31] $1,100.00 $200.00 18.18% $400.00[32][33]
Arkansas [34][35] $0.00 $0.00 N/A $80.00[36][37]
California [38][39] $29,030.00 $2,000.00 6.89% $8,104.00[40][41]
Colorado [42][43] $1,970.00 $0.00 0.00% $330.00[44][45]

https://web.archive.org/web/20011031201845/http://www3.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9608/16/nreform.advancer/index.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20170706154329/https://www.c-span.org/video/?73975-1/reform-party-convention-acceptance-speeches https://web.archive.org/web/20011217224956/http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9608/17/reform.party/index.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20011006131011/http://www3.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9608/18/reform.party/index.shtml

References
  1. "Ross Perot's Former Campaign Manager's Advice to Presidential Candidate Bloomberg". Archived from the original on 2018-02-28.
  2. "Perot Presidential Campaign". Archived from the original on 2019-05-28.
  3. "PEROT, ROSS".
  4. "The Perot Factor". Archived from the original on 2004-05-16.
  5. "Perot Finishes A Distant Third". Archived from the original on 2006-05-02.
  6. "Buchanan's cry: 'We want our country back'". Archived from the original on 2007-07-11.
  7. "Debate is stealing Gore from Arizona". Arizona Republic. 7 November 1993. p. 28. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Threatened by Perot, White House calls for NAFTA debate". The Herald. 5 November 1993. p. 17. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Reaves, Jessica; Frank Pelligrini (October 3, 2000). "Bush plays off expectations; Gore learns from mistakes". cnn.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2008. Gore's decisive victory was the saving of NAFTA and the beginning of the end of Perot as even a semi-serious public figure.
  10. Tharoor, Ishaan (December 15, 2010). "Al Gore and Ross Perot Debate NAFTA". Time.
  11. "Reform Party Eyes Non-Perot Candidate". Archived from the original on 2019-04-19.
  12. "Reform Party Weighs Its Fall Finances". Archived from the original on 2001-10-06.
  13. "Reform Party Shifts Gears In Texas". Archived from the original on 2001-10-06.
  14. "Richard Lamm Presidential Announcement". Archived from the original on 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2019-04-20.
  15. "Perot Will Run For President, If Nominated". Archived from the original on 2005-10-31.
  16. "Buchanan Says Perot Bid Could Sink Dole". Archived from the original on 2019-04-19.
  17. "Interview with Richard Lamm, former Governor and 1996 Reform Party Primary Candidate".
  18. "A Veep Choice Turns Down Ross Perot". Archived from the original on 2001-11-17.
  19. "PEROT BEGINS HIS CAMPAIGN; VOWS TO END 2-PARTY SYSTEM AS HE RECALLS HIS '92 THEMES". Archived from the original on 2019-04-19.
  20. "Poll: Bush maintains lead over Gore, Bradley and fellow Republicans". CNN. September 15, 1999. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  21. "Clinton ahead in presidential race". Clarion-Ledge. 9 July 1996. p. 12. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Alabama Fundraising 1993-1994".
  23. "Alabama Fundraising 1995-1996".
  24. "Alabama Spending 1993-1994".
  25. "Alabama Spending 1995-1996".
  26. "Alaska Fundraising 1993-1994".
  27. "Alaska Fundraising 1995-1996".
  28. "Alaska Spending 1993-1994".
  29. "Alaska Spending 1995-1996".
  30. "Arizona Fundraising 1993-1994".
  31. "Arizona Fundraising 1995-1996".
  32. "Arizona Spending 1993-1994".
  33. "Arizona Spending 1995-1996".
  34. "Arkansas Fundraising 1993-1994".
  35. "Arkansas Fundraising 1995-1996".
  36. "Arizona Spending 1993-1994".
  37. "Arizona Spending 1995-1996".
  38. "California Fundraising 1993-1994".
  39. "California Fundraising 1995-1996".
  40. "California Spending 1993-1994".
  41. "California Spending 1995-1996".
  42. "Colorado Fundraising 1993-1994".
  43. "Colorado Fundraising 1995-1996".
  44. "Colorado Spending 1993-1994".
  45. "Colorado Spending 1995-1996".
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