The United States presidential election of 1996 was the 53rd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1996. It pitted Democratic candidate Al Gore, then a sitting US Senator from Tennessee, against Republican Lamar Alexander, also of Tennessee, and former governor of the state. Incumbent President George H.W. Bush was barred from seeking a third term by the 22nd Amendment. With Americans suffering from incumbency fatigue after sixteen years of Republican control of the White House, Gore won by a comfortable margin, picking up 33 states, the District of Columbia, and 422 electoral votes to 26 states and 320 electoral votes for Alexander (with a minimum of 370 needed to win). Gore won by a substantial margin in the popular vote as well, with 51.3% to Alexander's 48.7%.