Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole attended the Delaware Republican Convention May 10, 1996, at the BayCenter in Dewey Beach. He was greeted by hundreds who hoped to see him lead the Republican Party to victory in November. He is shown with the Rev. G. Ruth Batten, left, and Delaware gubernatorial hopeful Janet Rzewnicki. CAPE GAZETTE ARCHIVES/DENNIS FORNEY
Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole chats with Dawn Theriault, banquet manager, and Karen Zakarian, director of sales, at the Rusty Rudder during his appearance at the Delaware Republican Convention.
Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole attended the Delaware Republican Convention May 10, 1996, at the BayCenter in Dewey Beach. He was greeted by hundreds who hoped to see him lead the Republican Party to victory in November. He is shown with the Rev. G. Ruth Batten, left, and Delaware gubernatorial hopeful Janet Rzewnicki. CAPE GAZETTE ARCHIVES/DENNIS FORNEY
Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole chats with Dawn Theriault, banquet manager, and Karen Zakarian, director of sales, at the Rusty Rudder during his appearance at the Delaware Republican Convention.
Bob Dole visited Dewey Beach in May 1996 during his presidential campaign against President Bill Clinton.
The Republican candidate flew into Delaware Coastal Airport in Georgetown. He then received a police escort to the BayCenter for the Delaware Republican Convention. Standing in front of a banner declaring “Dole for Delaware - The Road to Victory Begins Here,” Sen. Bill Roth introduced Dole, who laid out his campaign for the local Republicans in attendance. His appearance lasted a little more than an hour-and-a-half before he left for Virginia for another appearance.
Ultimately, Dole lost to Clinton. In Delaware, he received just 36.54% of the vote. Of note, the 1996 election was the last time Sussex County voted for the Democratic presidential nominee. Although, in Sussex County, Clinton edged Dole by just 1,004 votes.
Prior to running for president, Dole served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969. He was then one of Kansas’ two senators from 1969 to 1996, when he resigned to focus on his presidential campaign.
Dole served in the Army during World War II. He sustained a serious injury during combat in Italy that left him with limited mobility in his right arm. But that didn’t stop Dole from serving the people of Kansas in other capacities for decades. Dole died in 2021 at the age of 98. He is interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole attended the Delaware Republican Convention May 10, 1996, at the BayCenter in Dewey Beach. He was greeted by hundreds who hoped to see him lead the Republican Party to victory in November. He is shown with the Rev. G. Ruth Batten, left, and Delaware gubernatorial hopeful Janet Rzewnicki. CAPE GAZETTE ARCHIVES/DENNIS FORNEY
Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole chats with Dawn Theriault, banquet manager, and Karen Zakarian, director of sales, at the Rusty Rudder during his appearance at the Delaware Republican Convention. 
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