Iowa Democratic caucuses, 2000

Al Gore the vice president and Bill Bradley a former NBA basketball star and Senator of New Jersey were the only candidates running in the caucus. The results had Vice President Al Gore winning fairly easily 63% to 34%.

Campagin

Vice President Al Gore was seen as the frontrunner for the nomination. Bill Bradley was seen as a non-threat. Al Gore campaigned in Des Monies, Iowa in May 1999. Bradley knowing he was the outsider campaigned tirelessly. Gore successfully painted Bradley as aloof and indifferent to the plight of farmers in rural America. Al Gore got the endorsement from the Governor of Iowa Tom Vilsack and Senator Tom Harkin and had a tremendous lead over Senator Bradley. But a devastating loss for the Gore camp was when Bradley got the endorsement of the Des Moines Register. Bradley started to gain momentum and Al Gore got out the attack dogs. A week before the caucus polls had it 40% to 49% in Gore’s favor. On January 23rd 2000 a day before the primary polls had Al Gore winning by 2 or 3 points.

results

Al Gore won 93 of Iowa's 99 counties he crushed Bradley in the Des Monies area and about everywhere else. This Caucus had low voter turnout. Bill Bradley lost the rest of the primaries by large margins and Al Gore would eventually lose the general election to Governor of Texas George W. Bush.