1984 United States Presidential Election (Win One for the Gipper)

The 1984 United States Presidential Election was the 50th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 6, 1984. Democratic Senator from Georgia Sam Nunn defeated Republican governor of Delaware, Pete Du Pont, independent activist Ralph Nader, and a number of minor candidates. The race was especially tumultuous due to divisive primaries from both major parties, the issue of the assassination and legacy of Ronald Reagan and the presence of a third anti-establishment candidate drawing support from disaffected Americans tired after the past four years slumping economy, a gridlocked congress, and a chaotic political situation. This was the latest election in which an incumbent president who had the option to run for re-election did not.

President George H.W Bush announced he would not be running for re-election in the face of unpopularity. After a tumultuous primary season, Pete Du Pont, a moderate Republican, managed to beat out several primary challengers, including Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, U.S. Representative Barry Goldwater Jr, and U.S. Senator Bob Dole. He later nominated Dole in an attempt to bridge divides between the wings of the party at the Republican Convention. In the Democratic primary, Sam Nunn emerged the winner after successfully running as a moderate outsider against candidates such as activist Jesse Jackson, Former Vice President Walter Mondale, and U.S. Senator Russell B. Long. He drew multiple parallels to former President Jimmy Carter throughout, although Carter did not specifically endorse any candidate. Nunn nominated U.S. Senator Bill Bradley from New Jersey for Vice President at the Democratic Convention. Activist Ralph Nader launched an independent campaign early in the season, attempting to run as a populist. He emphasized his ability to protect consumers during the seventies and promised to "clean up Washington". He nominated civil rights activist and Mississippi State House member Aaron Henry for Vice President.

Nunn's campaign emphasized his credentials on issues such as Foreign Policy in the wake of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and his moderation on many issues of the day. This, while an effective strategy, also drove votes to Ralph Nader's third party candidacy. Du Pont also ran a campaign emphasizing his departure from the limited Supply-side economics and Bush's failure to recover from the economic turmoil which gripped the country. He, like Nunn, emphasized moderation on many issues, though was considered overall more conservative on the issues of the day than Nunn. Nader ran a grassroots campaign which highlighted his plan to clean up Washington through a ban on lobbying. His campaign was considered by many to be a leftist one, especially with his nomination of Aaron Henry for Vice President, although he drew support from rightists and leftists disaffected with the current political system. A total of 92,652,842 votes were cast in the election.

Nader received 10.6% of the popular vote, the highest share of the vote won by a candidate outside of the two major parties since 1912. Nader found support in a number of states, notably the mountain west, Maine, Maryland, Connecticut, and Hawaii. In Hawaii, he received more votes than Du Pont to place second.