Distribution of votes in the 1996 US presidential election
1992 election, Ross Perot founded the Reform Party and was subsequently nominated as their first presidential candidate.
The 1996 US presidential election saw incumbent President Bill Clinton of the Democratic Party take on Bob Dole of the Republican Party, and Ross Perot of the Reform Party. Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were re-nominated with no significant opposition, however the Republican primaries were much more crowded. Bob Dole was the early favorite for the Party's nomination, however the early primaries saw a strong performance by political commentator Pat Buchanan, throwing Dole's lead into doubt. The Republican leadership then rallied around Dole and campaigned heavily on his behalf, eventually securing the nomination for their preferred candidate, also defeating Steve Forbes, Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazine, along the way. Following his strong performance as an independent candidate in the