Bill Clinton

What's on your ballot?

Find out with Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup tool

Click here to follow 2021 election results!

# Bill Clinton

From Ballotpedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Bill Clinton

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Attorney General of Arkansas

* * *

Governor of Arkansas

* * *

President of the United States

* * *

Education

High school

Hot Springs High School

Bachelor's

Georgetown University

Law

Yale Law School

Personal

Profession

Politician, Lawyer

Contact

Personal website

## Contents

* 1 Biography
* 2 Career
* 3 State of the Union addresses
* 4 Elections
* 4.1 1996 presidential election
* 4.2 1992 presidential election
* 5 Issues
* 5.1 Impeachment
* 6 Analysis
* 7 2016 Democratic National Convention
* 7.1 What is a superdelegate?
* 7.2 New York primary results
* 7.3 Delegate allocation
* 8 Personal
* 9 Recent news
* 10 External links
* 11 Footnotes

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (b. William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, in Hope, AR) was the 42nd president of the United States. He served from 1993 to 2001.

Clinton was the second president to be impeached, on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in a scandal involving a White House intern. However, he was acquitted by the Senate and served his complete term of office.[1]

Prior to serving as president, Clinton was the governor of Arkansas.[2]

## Biography

Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas. His father, William Jefferson Blythe, died in a car accident before his son's birth. His mother, Virginia Blythe, earned a nursing degree in 1950 in order to support him. She married Roger Clinton later that year. Clinton attended a Baptist church and gained an interest in the saxophone while growing up.[2] He changed his name from Blythe to Clinton, the last name of his step-father.[3] Roger Clinton developed a drinking problem and was abusive toward Blythe, leading her to divorce him in 1962. Clinton attended a segregated, all-white school, Hot Springs High School. As a representative of the American Legion's Boys Nation, Clinton met President John F. Kennedy in 1963.[2]

During his first two years at Georgetown University, he served as class president. He won a Rhodes Scholarship after graduating from Georgetown, but initially his studies were cut short when he received his draft notice. He joined the ROTC program at the University of Arkansas but instead resumed his Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University. He also resubmitted his name to the draft board but was not selected to serve during the Vietnam War. After finishing his time at Oxford, he attended Yale Law School, where he met Hillary Rodham. The couple moved to Arkansas upon graduation and married in 1975.[2]

## Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Clinton's academic, professional, and political career:[2][3]

* 1968: Graduated from Georgetown University
* 1968-70: Awarded Rhodes Scholarship and studied at Oxford University
* 1972: Directed Texas campaign for George McGovern's presidential candidacy
* 1973: Earned J.D. from Yale Law School
* 1973-1976: Professor at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
* 1974: Ran unsuccessfully for U.S. House seat
* 1976-78: Arkansas State Attorney General
* 1978-1980: Governor of Arkansas
* 1982-1993: Governor of Arkansas
* 1993-2001: President of the United States
* 2004: Released memoir titled My Life
* 2005: Paired with President George H.W. Bush to raise money for tsunami and Hurricane Katrina reconstruction projects
* 2007: Released the book Giving
* 2009: Appointed U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti
* 2011: Released the book Back to Work
* 2013: Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama

## State of the Union addresses

Every year in office, the president of the United States addresses Congress on the present state of affairs as well as the administration's goals for the coming year.[4] Addresses made by presidents in their inauguration years are not technically "State of the Union" addresses and are typically held in February.[5] Following are transcripts from Clinton's State of the Union addresses.

* January 27, 2000
* January 19, 1999
* January 27, 1998
* February 4, 1997
* January 23, 1996
* January 24, 1995
* January 25, 1994
* February 17, 1992

## Elections

### 1996 presidential election

In 1996, Clinton defeated Republican challenger Bob Dole for the United States presidency.

U.S. presidential election, 1996

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes
| Democratic  | Bill Clinton/Al Gore Incumbent | 49.3% | 47,402,357 | 379
| Republican  |  Bob Dole/Jack Kemp  | 40.8% | 39,198,755 | 159
| Independent  |  Ross Perot/Pat Choate  | 8.4% | 8,085,402 | 0
| Green  |  Ralph Nader/Winona LaDuke  | 0.7% | 685,128 | 0
| Libertarian  |  Harry Browne/Jo Jorgensen  | 0.5% | 485,798 | 0
| U.S. Taxpayers  |  Howard Phillips/Herbert Titus  | 0.2% | 184,820 | 0
| Natural Law  |  John Hagelin/Mike Tompkins  | 0.1% | 113,670 | 0
Total Votes | 96,155,930 | 538
Election results via: 1996 official election results

Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Monica Moorehead, Marsha Feinland, Charles Collins, James Harris, Dennis Peron, Mary Cal Hollis, Jerome White, Diane Beall Templin, Earl F. Dodge, A. Peter Crane, Justice Ralph Forbes, John Birrenbach, Isabell Masters and Steve Michael.[6]

### 1992 presidential election

In 1992, Clinton defeated incumbent President George H.W. Bush for the United States presidency.

U.S. presidential election, 1992

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes
| Democratic  | Bill Clinton/Al Gore | 43.1% | 44,909,889 | 370
| Republican  |  George H.W. Bush/Dan Quayle Incumbent | 37.5% | 39,104,545 | 168
| Independent  |  Ross Perot/James Stockdale  | 19% | 19,742,267 | 0
| Libertarian  |  Andre Marrou/Nancy Lord  | 0.3% | 291,628 | 0
| Populist  |  James "Bo" Gritz  | 0.1% | 107,002 | 0
Total Votes | 104,155,331 | 538
Election results via: 1992 official election results

Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Lenora Fulani, Howard Phillips, John Hagelin, Ron Daniels, Lyndon LaRouche, James Mac Warren, Drew Bradford, Jack Herer, John Quinn Brisben, Helen Halyard, John Yiamouyiannis, Delbert Ehlers, Earl Dodge, Jim Boren, Eugene Hem, Isabelle Masters, Robert J. Smith and Gloria Estella La Riva.[7]

## Issues

### Impeachment

Clinton was the second president in U.S. history to be impeached. He faced four charges from the House, two of which passed on December 20, 1998. The two charges that passed were perjury before a federal grand jury and obstruction of justice, both stemming from Clinton lying about an affair he had with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Two other charges—regarding a sexual harassment lawsuit by Paula Jones and abuse of power—failed in the House.[8] On February 12, 1999, Clinton was acquitted by the Senate on both charges.[9]

## Analysis

The Congressional Budget Office reported a budget surplus between the years 1998 and 2000, the last three years of Clinton's presidency.[10] Clinton left office with the highest end-of-office approval rating of any U.S. president since World War II.[11][12]

## 2016 Democratic National Convention

* Delegate to the 2016 DNC (click to expand)

See also: Democratic National Convention, 2016

Clinton was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from New York.[13] Clinton was one of 44 superdelegates from New York. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus to support a specific presidential candidate. Clinton supported Hillary Clinton—his spouse—for the Democratic nomination. Clinton formally won the Democratic nomination for president on July 26, 2016.[14]

### What is a superdelegate?

See also: Superdelegates and the 2016 Democratic National Convention

Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[15]

### New York primary results

See also: Presidential election in New York, 2016
Hillary Clinton won the New York Democratic primary election, beating Bernie Sanders by 16 points. She carried all five New York City boroughs and the city's surrounding counties as well as the counties of Erie, Monroe, and Onondaga. According to exit poll data, Clinton outperformed Sanders with women, older voters, and non-white voters. African Americans, who made up 22 percent of the New York electorate, supported her over Sanders 75 to 25 percent. Sanders, on the other hand, performed well with younger voters, particularly voters between the ages of 18 and 24, who supported him over Clinton 81 to 19 percent.[16] New York Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates
Hillary Clinton | 57.5% | 1,133,980 | 139
Bernie Sanders  | 41.6% | 820,256 | 108
Blank or void  | 0.8% | 16,664 | 0
Totals | 1,970,900 | 247
Source: The New York Times and New York State Board of Elections

### Delegate allocation

See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

100px

New York had 291 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 247 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.[17][18]

Forty-four party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[17][19]

## Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Clinton is married to Hillary Rodham Clinton, with whom he has a daughter, Chelsea.[2]

## Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Bill + Clinton.

Bill Clinton News Feed

## External links

* Clinton Foundation
* Official Twitter page
* Official Facebook page
* Official White House biography

## Footnotes

1. ↑ The Clinton Impeachment, a Basic Chronology--with links to some video on the affair
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Biography.com, "Bill Clinton biography," accessed November 25, 2013
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 CNN, "Bill Clinton Fast Facts," November 25, 2013
4. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The President’s State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications," January 24, 2014
5. ↑ The American Presidency Project, "State of the Union Addresses and Messages," accessed October 14, 2014
6. ↑ FEC, "1996 Presidential Election Results," accessed November 26, 2013
7. ↑ FEC, "1992 Presidential Election Results," accessed November 26, 2013
8. ↑ New York Times, "IMPEACHMENT: THE OVERVIEW -- CLINTON IMPEACHED; HE FACES A SENATE TRIAL, 2D IN HISTORY; VOWS TO DO JOB TILL TERM'S 'LAST HOUR'," December 20, 1998
9. ↑ Washington Post, "The Senate Acquits President Clinton," February 13, 1999
10. ↑ Citing a Record Budget Surplus, Clinton Offers Congress a Deal
11. ↑ Presidential Approval Ratings -- Bill Clinton
12. ↑ Historical Presidential Approval Ratings
13. ↑ Ballotpedia's list of superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention is based on our own research and lists provided by the Democratic National Committee to Vox.com in February 2016 and May 2016. If you think we made an error in identifying superdelegates, please send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
14. ↑ To find out which candidate a superdelegate supported, Ballotpedia sought out public statements from the superdelegate in other media outlets and on social media. If we were unable to find a public statement that clearly articulated which candidate the superdelegate supported at the national convention, we listed that superdelegate as "unknown." If you believe we made an error in identifying which candidate a superdelegate supported, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
15. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
16. ↑ CNN, "New York Exit Poll," accessed April 19, 2016
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
18. ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
19. ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016

v • e

U.S. Executive Branch

Elected offices|

President Joe Biden • Vice President Kamala Harris

* * *

Executive departments|

Department of Defense • Department of State • Department of Homeland Security • Department of Justice • Department of Commerce • Department of Education • Department of the Treasury • Department of Agriculture • Department of Energy • Department of Labor • Department of Transportation • Department of the Interior • Department of Health and Human Services • Department of Veterans Affairs • Department of Housing and Urban Development

* * *

Cabinet-level offices|

Environmental Protection Agency • Office of Management and Budget • U.S. Mission to the United Nations • Council of Economic Advisors • Small Business Administration • White House Chief of Staff

* * *

Federally appointed offices|

Federal Reserve System • National Security Advisor • White House Press Secretary • U.S. Postmaster General • Central Intelligence Agency • Federal Bureau of Investigation • Internal Revenue Service • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives • National Security Agency • Congressional Budget Office • Federal Election Commission • Transportation Security Administration • Drug Enforcement Administration • Federal Communications Commission

* * *

Glossary|

Appointment confirmation process • United States Constitution • Electoral College • Deferred action • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) • Deferred Action for Parents of U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) • Impeachment of federal officials • Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) • North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) • P5+1 and E3+3 • Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) • Trade promotion authority (TPA)

* * *

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.orghttps://ballotpedia.org/index.php?title=Bill_Clinton&oldid=8447434"

Categories:

* Pages with broken file links
* 1992 presidential candidate
* 1996 presidential candidate
* U.S. presidents
* Democratic Party
* DNC delegates New York, 2016
* DNC superdelegates, 2016
* DNC Clinton delegates, 2016
* Historical U.S. presidents