Road to the Nomination

The race for each party’s presidential nomination begins with the Iowa caucuses on Monday. As in the past, a few key states--often small ones--will exert a disproportionate influence on the process, while some large states will have little impact. The Democrats convene their national convention July 13-16 in New York City; the Republicans meet Aug. 17-20 in Houston. Here is a look at some of the important contests in the campaign season.

Facts and Figures Delegates needed to win nomination: R: 1,105 D: 2,144 Total number of delegates: R: 2,209 D: 4,287 Delegates decided through March 10: R: 811 D: 1,406 1. Feb. 18, New Hampshire: The Granite State’s reputation as a kingmaker is no accident: since 1952, every candidate who went on to win the White House first won his party’s primary here. In this year’s Democratic contest, the outcome should either solidify Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton as the party’s front-runner or turn the race into a wide-open marathon. The results in the Republican race likely will determine the seriousness of Patrick J. Buchanan’s challenge to President Bush. 2. Feb. 25, South Dakota: Attracting unusual attention as the only primary between New Hampshire and a series of contests between March 3-10, this race could prove crucial to the two Midwesterners seeking the Democratic nomination: Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin and Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey. 3. March 3, Georgia; March 7, South Carolina: Pundits will be watching these two contest as possible precursors to the Southern-dominated, delegate-rich races on Super Tuesday. 4. March 10, Texas and Florida: Among the 11 states whose primaries and caucuses comprise the Super Tuesday crown, these are the two jewels. Clinton’s regional ties, plus the lack of a black candidate, make him the heavy favorite to dominate the day among the Democrats. But his challengers will be hoping to win at least one of the big two. The GOP contests should test the strength of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke within the party. All told, Democrats will choose 783 delegates, Republicans 500 that day. 5. March 17, Illinois and Michigan: These primaries will provide the first gauge of candidate strength in the nation’s industrial heartland. In the fall campaign, winning these states is usually crucial to victory. 6. April 7, New York: Among Democrats, this primary in recent campaigns essentially has served to remove any doubt about who would be the party’s nominee. If the race still is up in the air, the spotlight will move onto primaries in Pennsylvania on April 28 and Ohio May 5. 7. June 2, California: The state offers by far the largest cache of delegates for either party, but if history is any guide, both races will have been decided by the time the primary is held. The last time California played a critical role in the nominating process was in the 1972 Democratic primary, when George McGovern’s victory assured him the party’s nod. A recent effort was launched to move the primary into March, but state politicians ultimately decided it was in their best interest to retain the late date.

The Campaign Calendar In a presidential primary, a person votes for a presidential candidate and/or a list of delegates pledged to that candidate. The primary takes place on a single day. In a presidential caucus, the voter goes to a caucus site and through a process that can last several hours or several days joins other voters in choosing delegates that are pledged to a candidate.

Delegates Feb. 10 Iowa Caucus D-49 R-23 Feb. 18 New Hampshire Primary D-18 R-23 Feb. 23 Maine Caucus D-23 R-22 Feb. 25 South Dakota Primary D-15 R-19 March 3 Amer. Samoa Caucus D-3 Colorado Primary D-47 R-37 Georgia Primary D-76 R-52 Idaho Caucus D-18 Maryland Primary D-67 R-42 Washington Caucus D-71 Minnesota Caucus D-78 Utah Primary D-23 March 7 Arizona Caucus D-41 R-37 South Carolina Primary D-43 R-36 Wyoming Caucus D-13 R-20 March 8 Nevada Caucus D-17 R-21 March 7-9 Dems Abroad* Caucus D-7 March 5-19 North Dakota Caucus D-14 March 10 Delaware Caucus D-14 R-19 Florida Primary D-148 R-97 Hawaii Caucus D-20 R-14 Louisiana Primary D-60 R-38 Massachusetts Primary D-94 R-38 Mississippi Primary D-39 R-32 Missouri Caucus D-77 R-47 Oklahoma Primary D-45 R-34 Rhode Island Primary D-22 R-15 Tennessee Primary D-68 R-45 Texas Primary D-196 R-121 March 15 Puerto Rico Primary D-51 R-14 March 17 Illinois Primary D-164 R-85 Michigan Primary D-131 R-72 March 24 Connecticut Primary D-53 R-35 March 28 Virgin Islands Caucus D-3 R-4 March 31 Vermont Caucus D-14 R-19 April 2 Alaska Caucus D-13 April 7 New York Primary D-244 R-100 Wisconsin Primary D-82 R-35 Kansas Primary D-36 R-30 Minnesota Primary -- R-32 April 11 Virginia Caucus D-78 R-55 April 18 Alaska Caucus -- R-19 April 27 Utah Caucus -- April 28 Pennsylvania Primary D-169 R-91 May 3 Guam Caucus D-03 R-04 May 5 D.C Primary D-17 R-14 Indiana Primary D-77 R-51 North Carolina Primary D-84 R-57 Ohio Primary D-151 R-83 May 7-9 Nevada Caucus -- R-21 May 12 Nebraska Primary D-25 R-24 West Virginia Primary D-31 R-18 May 19 Oregon Primary D-47 R-23 Washington Primary -- R-35 May 26 Arkansas Primary D-36 R-27 Kentucky Primary D-52 R-35 Idaho Primary -- R-22 June 2 Alabama Primary D-55 R-38 California Primary D-348 R-201 Montana Primary D-16 R-20 New Jersey Primary D-105 R-60 New Mexico Primary D-25 R-25 June 9 North Dakota Primary -- R-17

* Democrats living abroad