Mini-Tuesday
Mini-Tuesday is the name given to the first day on which multiple
states hold
U.S. presidential primary elections.
Mini-Tuesday is new to the
2004 Presidential election and came about when several states which formerly held their primaries on
Super Tuesday pushed the dates up to
February 3.
Mini-Tuesday is also called
Super Tuesday I (with the March Super Tuesday called
Super Tuesday II, in reference to their respective chronological order).
In
2004,
U.S. presidential primary elections occurred in
Missouri,
South Carolina,
Arizona,
Oklahoma and
Delaware. Presidential
caucuses were held in
New Mexico and
North Dakota. The Republican primaries and caucuses were virtually uncontested as incumbent President
George W. Bush faced no substantial opposition. The Democratic primaries and caucuses were contested between retired General
Wesley Clark of
Arkansas, former
Governor Howard Dean of
Vermont,
Senator John Edwards of
North Carolina, Senator
John Kerry of
Massachusetts,
Congressman Dennis Kucinich of
Ohio, Senator
Joseph Lieberman of
Connecticut, and the Reverend
Al Sharpton of
New York.
In 2008, unlike the Democratic contest for President where it is expected to be decided in
New Hampshire, the Republican contest will probably be decided on Mini-Tuesday where the states are more conservative than average. The region where these states are situated gives Tennessee Senator
Bill Frist an edge.
Missouri
Kerry handily won the biggest prize of the day by securing 51% of the vote in Missouri. Edwards placed second with 25%. All other candidates were in the single digits.
Democratic Results:Republican Results:Libertarian Results:Source:
Missouri Department of StateSouth Carolina
In a major victory, Edwards took his birth state of South Carolina, garnering 45% of the vote to Kerry's 30%.
Democratic Results:Republican Results:On
January 19,
2003, the
Republican National Convention announced that the South Carolina Republican Party had passed a resolution granting
George W. Bush South Carolina's 46 delegates.
Source:
The Green PapersArizona
Kerry made a strong showing in Arizona by winning the support of 43% of voters. Clark placed second with 27%. Arizona was the only state primary in which Dean acquired any delegates. His 14% share of the vote netted him just one delegate.
Democratic Results:Republican Results:On
March 12,
2003 - A state Senate committee in Arizona backed a Republican measure to save $3 million by forgoing that state's primary. District and county conventions will be held in April.
Sources:
Arizona Department of State,
The Green PapersOklahoma
Oklahoma was the most hotly contested state of
Mini-Tuesday 2004. Clark needed it to stay in the race, while Edwards wanted it so that he could walk away with two victories. In the end, both candidates got 30% of the vote, with Clark slightly ahead of Edwards. Kerry also placed strongly with 27%.
Democratic Results:Republican Results:Source:
Oklahoma Department of StateDelaware
Lieberman took second place in Delaware with 11% of the vote. However, as this was insufficient to gain him any delegates, he dropped out of the race after a bad showing in the other primaries. Kerry carried the state with 50% of the vote and all thirteen delegates.
Democratic Results:Republican Results:Regional meetings in April will choose delegates for a State Convention in mid-May.
Source:
The Green PapersCaucuses
In both New Mexico and North Dakota, Kerry placed first by a wide margin and Clark came in second to score a small number of delegates. Additionally, Dean achieved moderate success in New Mexico by netting 18% of the vote and three delegates.
Democratic Results:New MexicoNorth DakotaRepublican Results:George W. Bush won all 26 of
North Dakota's Delegates to the
Republican National Convention in the Republican Presidential Preference Caucus.
