Tom Harkin 1992 presidential campaign

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Tom Harkin 1992
Campaign1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries
CandidateTom Harkin
AffiliationDemocratic Party
StatusDropped out on March 9, 1992
AnnouncedSeptember 15, 1991

The 1992 presidential campaign of Tom Harkin, a

left-leaning voters. Harkin was very critical of then-President George H. W. Bush, a conservative Republican, and positioned himself as the most liberal candidate in the Democratic field. His policy positions included support for a national health insurance
system, cuts to military funding, and increased funding for infrastructure.

Going into 1992, Harkin began to decline in opinion polls and lag behind other candidates, such as

New Hampshire primaries and continued to struggle in subsequent primaries. On March 9, the day before Super Tuesday
, he withdrew from the race and subsequently announced his support for Clinton. Clinton went on to win the Democratic nomination and later the presidency, with Harkin campaigning for him in both the remaining primaries and the general election. Harkin returned to the Senate, where he served for over two more decades before retiring in 2015.

Background

Main article: Tom Harkin
Official House photo of Tom Harkin, 1979

Tom Harkin was born in Cumming, Iowa, in 1939.[1] He graduated from Iowa State University in 1962 and later from the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law in 1972,[1] receiving a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor, respectively.[2] From 1962 to 1967, he served in the United States Navy.[1] Upon graduating from Columbus, he began to practice law in Des Moines, Iowa, and in 1974 he was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party, serving from 1975 to 1985.[1] In 1984, he was elected to the United States Senate, taking office the following year.[1] During the 1988 United States presidential election, Harkin was rumored to be a possible candidate, but he declined to run so as not to compete against other Democratic colleagues who were campaigning in Iowa.[3] In 1990, he became the first Democratic senator from Iowa to be reelected.[3]

In government, Harkin was a

people with disabilities and was one of the main sponsors in the Senate of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.[6] He was often critical of some other Democrats who he felt were pulling the party away from the New Deal-style liberal politics that the party had historically espoused and towards conservative positions typically championed by the Republican Party.[3]

Expressed interest

Through early 1991, Harkin began to hold a series of speeches across the country, with journalists

Jewish voters.[14][15]

Campaign developments

Announcement

On September 15, 1991, speaking to a crowd of about 2,000 people on a farm in

Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton and Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska were expected to enter the race in the following weeks.[14]

Early campaign events

On October 5, Clinton, who by this time had entered the race, and Harkin participated in a forum in Iowa moderated by Senator

federal budget deficit.[22]

By December, Harkin stated this his number one priority as president would be the institution of a national health care system, and he also proposed a

New York Governor Mario Cuomo, a progressive who had been expected to seek the Democratic nomination for president in 1992, officially declined to run, which some commentators saw as helping Harkin by enforcing his status as the most progressive candidate in the field.[25][26] A December 26 article in The New York Times stated that Harkin's campaign was the best-financed within the Democratic Party, with his campaign having $1.1 million in money that would qualify for matching funds.[26] This placed him first in the field, with Clinton in second place with $581,000, though still behind Bush, who had $2.6 million.[26]

Caucuses and primaries

Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton
emerged as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.

Going into January 1992, Harkin's fundraising had begun to slow down,

opinion polls held in New Hampshire,[28] while Clinton had continued to grow in popularity and fundraising.[29] Leading up to the New Hampshire presidential primary, Harkin was polling at five percent, behind Clinton, Tsongas, and Kerrey.[29] In one poll, he was tied in fourth place with Brown, who had not been campaigning actively in New Hampshire.[30] Also during this time, there were reports that leaders for influential labor unions such as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the American Federation of Teachers were leaning towards supporting Clinton over Harkin, which would have seriously damaged his base of support.[30] In a poll from The Boston Globe published January 20, he had fallen to fifth place in New Hampshire,[31] polling at eight percent and only ahead of Brown.[11] That same night, he participated with four other candidates for a presidential debate moderated by Cokie Roberts wherein he sharply criticized his fellow campaigners.[31] According to political strategists, Harkin needed to finish in third place at worst in the primary to remain a viable candidate.[31] By February 10, he was polling at about ten percent in the state.[32]

On February 10, Harkin won the Iowa caucuses in a landslide,

Gallup poll sponsored by CNN and USA Today on February 11.[36] This placed him behind Tsongas (33 percent) and Clinton (26 percent), but above Brown (8 percent).[36] On February 18, Harkin finished fourth in the New Hampshire primary, behind Tsongas, Clinton, and Kerrey.[38] However, despite the poor finish, Harkin remained in the race and continued to campaign in states with upcoming primaries, such as South Dakota and Florida.[39][38] The South Dakota primary, the next one after New Hampshire's, was considered very important to both Harkin and Kerrey's campaigns, as they were the only candidates from the Midwestern United States, and a poor showing in that state could seriously damage their chances of securing the nomination.[39][40] Ultimately, on February 25, Harkin finished second to Kerrey.[41] On March 3, Harkin won the Idaho and Minnesota caucuses, but had yet to win a primary and was falling farther behind Clinton and Tsongas, who had had strong showings in other primaries.[42]

Withdrawal

On March 9, the day before

hard of hearing.[45][46] According to some political analysts, Harkin's poor showing in the primaries he competed in was due primarily to internal organization issues and the assumption that either Clinton or Tsongas would be the eventual nominees.[46] However, his campaign manager stated that the decision was due to a lack of funding.[46] Because he had not received at least 10 percent of the vote in two consecutive primaries, Harkin's campaign risked losing federal matching funds.[46]

Aftermath

Following his withdrawal, Harkin eventually supported Clinton for the nomination and campaigned for him throughout the remainder of the Democratic primaries, with The New York Times calling Harkin "the most supportive of Gov. Bill Clinton's original competitors for the Democratic Presidential nomination".[47] Harkin's campaigning was considered influential in helping Clinton to win support from labor leaders in New York and Pennsylvania, and Clinton ultimately defeated all other candidates to secure the Democratic nomination.[47] Despite Harkin's support, he was never seriously considered to be Clinton's running mate, though he was allowed to give a speech at that year's Democratic National Convention.[47] Going into the general election, Harkin continued to campaign for Clinton, which included speaking to members of organized labor.[48] Clinton went on to defeat Bush and become president.[49] Harkin continued to serve in the Senate until his retirement in 2015.[49]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Harkin, Thomas Richard (Tom)". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Tom Harkin". The Hill. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Germond, Jack W.; Witcover, Jules (May 20, 1991). "Ruminations on running: Tom Harkin for president? On Politics Today". The Baltimore Sun. Times Mirror Company. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  4. ^
    ISSN 0882-7729. Archived
    from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  5. ^ Crawford, J. Craig (February 11, 1992). "An Easy, Early Win for Harkin". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  6. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Stall, Bill (July 28, 1991). "Sen. Harkin Offers Revived New Frontier: Politics: The Iowa Democrat says he could overcome recognition problems if he ran for President". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  8. ^ Broder, David (August 8, 1991). "Harkin Wooing Democrats with an Upbeat Message: Stand Firm". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  9. ^
    ISSN 0882-7729. Archived
    from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  10. ^ Germond, Jack W.; Witcover, Jules (September 13, 1991). "Tom Harkin: working with working men and women On Politics Today". The Baltimore Sun. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  11. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  12. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
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  14. ^ a b c d Daley, Steve (September 16, 1991). "Harkin, a 'No-Apologies Liberal,' Joins '92 Race". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  15. Sun-Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived
    from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  16. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  17. ^ "Tom Harkin's Populism". Hartford Courant. Times Mirror Company. September 24, 1991. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  18. ^ Shogan, Robert (October 6, 1991). "Harkin, Clinton Focus on Health Care: Democrats: Both candidates call for federal action on what many feel will be a key issue of '92 presidential campaign". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  19. ^ "Harkin seeks bigger following in Florida". Tampa Bay Times. Times Publishing Company. October 14, 2005 [October 29, 1991]. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  20. ^ Van Giesen, John C. (October 29, 1991). "Harkin Takes His Campaign to Florida, Berates Bush". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Candidate Tom Harkin Paints Bush As Being Soft on Arab Dictators". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. November 8, 1991. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  22. ^ Shogan, Robert; Decker, Cathleen (November 23, 1991). "4 Democratic Rivals Woo National Gathering of State Party Leaders: Politics: Harkin, Brown, Kerrey, Tsongas address Chicago conclave. They talk of health care, nation's economic distress". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  23. Sun-Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived
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  24. ^ McCracken, Harry (November 3, 2016). "1992: The Year Presidential Campaigning Went Online". Fast Company. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  25. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived
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  26. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
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  27. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
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  28. ^ Germond, Jack W.; Witcover, Jules (February 7, 1992). "Tom Harkin preaches old-time liberalism without apologies". The Baltimore Sun. Times Mirror Company. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  29. ^ a b Germond, Jack W.; Witcover, Jules (January 15, 1992). "New Hampshire mystery: Harkin's low standing in polls On Politics Today". The Baltimore Sun. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Daley, Steve (January 17, 1992). "Hard Hat in Hand, Harkin Gets to Work in New Hampshire". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  31. ^
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  32. ^ Matthews, Joe (February 10, 1992). "Harkin in Trouble in New Hampshire". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  33. ^ Lesher, Dave; Brownstein, Ronald (February 11, 1992). "Harkin Scores Record Victory in Iowa Caucus". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  34. ^ Witcover, Jules (February 11, 1992). "As expected, Harkin wins handily in Iowa Other candidates trail 'uncommitted'". The Baltimore Sun. Times Mirror Company. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  35. ^ a b c d Hardy, Thomas (February 11, 1992). "Iowa Gives Harkin a Vital Boost". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  36. ^ a b c "Harkin Returns for Final Burst in N.H. after Winning in Iowa". Deseret News. Deseret News Publishing Company. February 11, 1992. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  37. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
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  38. ^ a b Mitchell, Peter (February 22, 1992). "Harkin Plugs Away Despite N.H. Results". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  39. ^ a b Lesher, Dave (February 23, 1992). "South Dakota's Primary Puts Pressure on Kerrey and Harkin: Politics: A poor showing by either farm-state candidate could doom their campaigns. New Hampshire vote has muddled the contest". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  40. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
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  41. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
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  42. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
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  43. ^ Ellison, Brian D. (March 9, 1992). "Harkin to Quit Presidential Campaign". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  44. ISSN 0882-7729. Archived
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  45. ^ a b c d Johnston, David (March 10, 1992). "Harkin Closes Campaign". The Morning Call. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  46. ^ a b c d Fulwood III, Sam (March 10, 1992). "Harkin Withdraws from Democratic Presidential Race: Campaign: Liberal candidate had won no primaries. He vows to remain a champion of populist causes". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  47. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  48. ^ "Tom Harkin a Hit with Mack Workers". The Morning Call. Tribune Publishing. October 30, 1992. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  49. ^ a b Balz, Dan (September 13, 2014). "Tom Harkin, Bill Clinton and the changing Democratic Party". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2022.

Further reading

External links

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