Republican Party Presidential Primaries 1996 (Clinton Assassinated)

Republican Party nomination
A number of Republican candidates entered the field to challenge the incumbent Democratic President, Bill Clinton. The list included:

Governor of Tennessee and Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander of Tennessee

Pat Buchanan of Virginia, a former aide to Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, author, journalist and commentator

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas Representative Robert K. Dornan of California

Steve Forbes of New York, an owner and publisher

Senator Phil Gramm of Texas

Alan Keyes of Maryland, a former diplomat and conservative activist

Senator Dick Lugar of Indiana

Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania

Morry Taylor of Ohio

Governor and former Senator Pete Wilson of California

The fragmented field of candidates debated issues such as a flat tax and other tax cut proposals, and a return to supply-side economics policies popularized by Ronald Reagan. More attention was drawn to the race by the budget stalemate in 1995 between the Congress and the President, which caused temporary shutdowns and slowdowns in many areas of federal government service.