Does Iowa matter? Caucus winners 1980-2008
The Iowa caucuses are tonight, but just how well have winners there fared in their bids for the White House?
The Iowa caucuses are tonight, but history shows they aren't always an indicator of who will run for president that year.
The Iowa caucuses are tonight, but history shows they aren't always an indicator of who will run for president that year.
Voting figures show Iowans have picked their party's eventual nominee in 11 out of 16 contests (1 per party) dating back to 1980. Here are the results.
2008 (Democrats) -- Barack Obama (38%), John Edwards (30%), Hillary Clinton (29%), Bill Richardson (2%), Joe Biden (1%)
2008 (Republicans) -- Mike Huckabee (34%), Mitt Romney (25%), Fred Thompson (13%), John McCain (13%), Ron Paul (10%), Rudy Giuliani (4%) and Duncan Hunter (1%)
2008 Democratic Nominee: Barack Obama, who went on to become the nation's first black president
2008 Republican Nominee: John McCain
2004 (Democrats) -- John Kerry (38%), John Edwards (32%), Howard Dean (18%), Dick Gephardt (11%) and Dennis Kucinich (1%)
2004 (Republicans) -- George W. Bush (unopposed)
2004 Democratic Nominee: John Kerry
2004 Republican Nominee: George W. Bush, who went on to win re-election
2000 (Democrats) -- Al Gore (63%) and Bill Bradley (37%)
2000 (Republicans) -- George W. Bush (41%), Steve Forbes (31%), Alan Keyes (14%), Gary Bauer (9%), John McCain (5%) and Orrin Hatch (1%)
2000 Democratic Nominee: Al Gore
2000 Republican Nominee: George W. Bush, who went on to beat Gore in a close, controversial contest
1996 (Democrats) -- Bill Clinton (unopposed)
1996 (Republicans) -- Bob Dole (26%), Pat Buchanan (23%), Lamar Alexander (18%), Steve Forbes (10%), Phil Gramm (9%), Alan Keyes (7%), Richard Lugar (4%) and Morry Taylor (1%)
1996 Democratic Nominee: Bill Clinton, who went on to win re-election
1996 Republican Nominee: Bob Dole
1992 (Democrats) -- Tom Harkin (76%), "Uncommitted" (12%), Paul Tsongas (4%), Bill Clinton (3%), Bob Kerrey (2%) and Jerry Brown (2%)
1992 (Republicans) -- George H. W. Bush (unopposed)
1992 Democratic Nominee -- Bill Clinton, who beat incumbent George H.W. Bush for the presidency
1992 Republican Nominee -- George H.W. Bush
1988 (Democrats) -- Dick Gephardt (31%), Paul Simon (27%), Michael Dukakis (22%) and Bruce Babbitt (6%)
1988 (Republicans) -- Bob Dole (37%), Pat Robertson (25%), George H. W. Bush (19%), Jack Kemp (11%) and Pierre DuPont (7%)
1988 Democratic Nominee -- Michael Dukakis
1988 Republican Nominee: George H.W. Bush, who beat Dukakis for the White House
1984 (Democrats) -- Walter Mondale (49%), Gary Hart (17%), George McGovern (10%), Alan Cranston (7%), John Glenn (4%), Reubin Askew (3%) and Jesse Jackson (2%)
1984 (Republicans) -- Ronald Reagan (unopposed)
1984 Democratic Nominee -- Walter Mondale
1984 Republican Nominee: Ronald Reagan, who won his second term
1980 (Democrats) -- Jimmy Carter (59%) and Ted Kennedy (31%)
1980 (Republicans) -- George H. W. Bush (32%), Ronald Reagan (30%), Howard Baker (15%), John Connally (9%), Phil Crane (7%), John B. Anderson (4%) and Bob Dole (2%)
1980 Democratic Nominee: Jimmy Carter
1980 Republican Nominee -- Ronald Reagan, who went on to beat Carter for his first term as president
