2000 Presidential Election (The Big Bear of the West)

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The 2000 United States presidential election was the 54th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 2000. incumbent Vice President Al Gore, won the election, defeating both Republican candidate George W. Bush, the governor of Texas and eldest son of the 41st president, George H. W. Bush and Reform candidate, New York bussinessman Donald Trump.

Incumbent Bill Clinton was ineligible for a third term, and Gore secured the Democratic nomination with relative ease, defeating a challenge by former Senator Bill Bradley. Bush was seen as the early favorite for the Republican nomination and despite a contentious primary battle with Senator John McCain and others, secured the nomination by Super Tuesday. Trump won the Reform nomination with relative ease. Gore chose Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate, while Bush chose former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney and Trump chose activist Ralph Nader.

All 3 major-party candidates focused primarily on domestic issues, such as the budget, tax relief, and reforms for federal social insurance programs, although foreign policy was not ignored. Due to President Bill Clinton's sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky and subsequent impeachment, Gore avoided campaigning with Clinton. Republicans and Reformists denounced Clinton's indiscretions, while Gore criticized Bush's and Trump's lack of experience.

Gore was the first Democrat to win without Arkansas and Missouri since those states joined the Union in 1836 and 1821 and the first Democrat to win the presidency without winning West Virginia since 1916. Because one West Virginia elector voted for the Democrat in 1916, Gore was the first Democrat to win without any electors from the state since its founding in 1863. This was the first time since 1960 that Democrats won without Kentucky and Tennessee, and the first since 1968 that anyone has done so, as well as the first time since 1968 that Democrats won without Louisiana. Gore was the 1st Democrat to win Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Indiana and Wyoming since 1964.

As of 2023, this is the earliest election in which all six major-party presidential and vice-presidential candidates are still living.

## Results

### Close states

States where the margin of victory was less than 1% (38 electoral votes):

1. **Indiana, 0.15% (? votes)**
2. **Wyoming, 0.19% (? votes)**
3. **Alaska, 0.40% (? votes)**
4. **North Dakota, 0.48% (? votes)**
5. **Tennessee, 0.64% (? votes)**
6. **Arizona, 0.79% (? votes)**

States where the margin of victory was more than 1% but less than 5% (103 electoral votes):

1. **Missouri, 1.56% (? votes)**
2. **Colorado, 1.86% (? votes)**
3. **New Mexico, 2.68% (? votes)**
4. **Georgia, 2.83% (? votes)**
5. **North Carolina, 3.17% (? votes)**
6. **Florida, 3.55% (? votes)**
7. **Nevada, 4.05% (? votes)**
8. **Ohio, 4.49% (? votes)**

States where the margin of victory was more than 5% but less than 10% (81 electoral votes):

1. **Pennsylvania, 5.08% (? votes)**
2. **Montana, 5.70% (? votes)**
3. **South Dakota, 6.03% (? votes)**
4. **Wisconsin, 6.19% (? votes)**
5. **Virginia, 6.42% (? votes)**
6. **Louisiana, 6.56% (? votes)**
7. **Minnesota, 7.11% (? votes)**
8. **Iowa, 7.54% (? votes)**
9. **Kentucky, 8.02% (? votes)**
10. **Arkansas, 9.17% (? votes)**

## Footnotes

1. ↑ 364 electors pledged to the Gore/Lieberman ticket were elected; however, an elector from the District of Columbia cast a vote for the Trump/Nader ticket, bringing the ticket's total number of electoral votes to 363.