Democrat Bill Clinton carried the county in 1992 and it has remained reliably Red states and blue states in every election since. In the nationally close United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2000, Democrat Al Gore won the county decisively with 59.9% of the vote to Republican George W. Bushs 36.1%, a Democratic victory margin of 23.7%, while winning the state overall by a 56-40 margin. In the United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004, many of the suburban counties surrounding New York City, including Middlesex County, swung Republican in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but Democrat John Kerry still carried the county comfortably by a 13.6% margin over George W. Bush, Kerry taking 56.3% of the vote to Bushs 42.8%, while Kerry carried the state overall by 6.7% over Bush.  In United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008, Barack Obama carried Middlesex County by a much larger 21.8% margin over John McCain, Obama taking 60.2% of the vote to McCains 38.4%, while Obama won New Jersey overall by 15.5% over McCain. In United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012, Obama won an even more commanding victory in the county, receiving 63.2% of the vote to Republican Mitt Romneys 35.6%, a Democratic victory margin of 27.6%, while carrying New Jersey overall by 17.8%. Like much of the New York City metro area, Middlesex County was one of the few parts of the country to actually swing even harder in Obamas favor in 2012 compared to 2008, even as he lost ground nationally, indicating a long-term trend toward Democratic dominance in Middlesex County.
Question: Who won less votes in Middlesex County in 2000?
Answer: George W. Bush