Primaries: Did you ever vote for a non-incumbent for prez who went all the way?

Politics & Elections
1

I’m a Democrat, but actually the very first vote I ever cast for president was for John McCain in the 2000 Republican primary. I figured he was the only one of the two, between himself and Dubya, who wasn’t crazy. I was right. (McCain got crazier in 2008, though). Dubya went on to win the Republican nomination, and the presidency.

I voted for Howard Dean in the 2004 Democratic primary, but he lost to John Kerry, who lost to Dubya in the general.

I finally went the distance with Barack Obama in '08, voting for him over the favored Hillary Clinton in the primary and again in the general.

I voted for Obama in both the primary and general in '12, but he was the incumbent, so it’s not relevant to the topic.

I voted for Bernie Sanders in the '16 primary; he lost to Hillary Clinton. Voted for Hillary in the general, who lost to President UGGGH.

And I voted for Elizabeth Warren in '20, who lost to Biden. I voted for Biden in the general, via early-voting.

Basically, in the primaries, I vote for the person I want as president, and then I vote Blue in the general unless they do something to really piss me off.

2

No. In fact, the only one (except for incumbents) who actually got the nomination was Walter Mondale back in ‘84.

3

I can’t remember voting in primaries in the 80s. I voted in the GE for President Carter in 1980, Mondale in 1984 and Dukakis in 1988. I think my first primary vote was for Jerry Brown in 1992 and that was probably out of name recognition mostly. I think he would have been a pretty good president looking back now.

Clinton was incumbent in 96, Gore was incumbent VP in 2000, I voted for John Edwards in 2004 primary, Obama in 2008, Hillary in 2016 and Biden in 2020 (although he was the last man standing by the time I cast a vote).

4

Yup, this one is my only one. I voted McCain in 2000 in the primaries and Edwards in 2004 (oops). I did vote for Biden in 2020, so I have a chance this year.

5

Snip mine.

By the time the 2020 primaries got to Virginia, Biden had all but clinched, but I voted for Warren anyway, because she’s the person I wanted.