8 0 653,288 622,073 46.5% 44.3% Start date November 5, 1996 | 0 0 622,073 112,072 44.3% 8.0% | |
 | ||
The 1996 United States presidential election in Arizona took place on November 5, 1996 as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 8 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.
Arizona was won by President Bill Clinton (D) over Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), with Clinton winning 46.52% to 44.29% by a margin of 2.23%. This marks the only time after the 1948 election when a Democratic nominee carried this usually Republican state. Clinton had come fairly close to winning Arizona in the 1992 election. In his re-election bid, he was able to gain a larger share of the vote in Democratic-leaning Pima County as well as most of northern Arizona. He also increased his support in Maricopa County, although it was again carried by the Republican candidate. His statewide margin of victory was slightly over 31,000 votes out of about 1.4 million cast. Billionaire businessman Ross Perot (Reform-TX) finished in third with 7.98% of the popular vote. Exit polls suggest he did not change the outcome. As of 2016, this is the last time that a Democrat won Arizona in a presidential election and the only time after 1948 that they won.