U.S. presidential primaries, 2000

This article discusses the primary elections to nominate candidates for the 2000 U.S. presidential election.

Republican primary

The Republican Party primary began with a fairly wide field, as the Republicans lacked an incumbent President or Vice President. Texas Governor George W. Bush, son of the last Republican president, took an early lead with the support of much of the party establishment and a strong fund-raising effort. However, Arizona Senator John McCain, considered a dark horse, won 48% of the vote to Bush's 30% in the New Hampshire primary, the first primary held, giving his campaign a great boost of energy, volunteers, and donations.

Related Topics:
Republican Party - Primary - Texas - George W. Bush - Arizona - John McCain - Dark horse - New Hampshire

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The main primary season, then, came down to a race between Bush and McCain. McCain's campaign, centered on campaign finance reform, drew the most press coverage and the greatest popular excitement. Many Republicans complained that Democrats and other non-Republicans enrolled in the party for the express purpose of voting for McCain, thus skewing the results. Bush's campaign focused on "compassionate conservatism", including a greater role for the federal government in funding education and large reductions in the income and capital gains tax rates.

Related Topics:
Campaign finance reform - Compassionate conservatism

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In the South Carolina primary, Bush halted McCain's momentum by appealing to conservatives and painting McCain as too liberal. McCain won primaries in Michigan, his home state of Arizona, and a handful of Northeastern states, but faced difficulty in appealing to conservative Republican primary voters in spite of demonstrated support from Democrats and independents. Bush's victories in states like California and New York as well as conservative southern states gained him the nomination long before the Republican Convention.

Related Topics:
South Carolina - Michigan - Republican Convention

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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 Elizabeth Dole, Ohio Congressman John Kasich, former Vice President Dan Quayle. Bauer and Hatch campaigned on a traditional Republican platform of opposition to legalized abortion and reductions in U.S. taxes. Keyes had a far more conservative platform, calling for the elimination of all federal taxes except tariffs. 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, none of these other candidates won a primary.

Related Topics:
Social conservative - Gary Bauer - Steve Forbes - Utah - Orrin Hatch - Ambassador - Alan Keyes - Tennessee - Lamar Alexander - Red Cross - Elizabeth Dole - Ohio - John Kasich - Dan Quayle - Abortion - U.S. taxes - 1996 - Flat tax - Iowa

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