From January 14 to June 8, 2004, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 2004 United States presidential election. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 2004 Democratic National Convention held from July 26 to July 29, 2004, in Boston, Massachusetts. Kerry went on to lose the general election on November 2, 2004, to incumbent Republican President George W. Bush. Candidates Nominee Withdrew during primaries The following candidates received more than 1% of the national popular vote or were included in multiple major national polls: Withdrew before primaries Declined to run Senator Joe Biden of Delaware Former senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey Senator Hillary Clinton of New York Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota Former vice president and 2000 presidential nominee Al Gore of Tennessee Former senator Gary Hart of Colorado Reverend Jesse Jackson of Washington D.C. Primary race overview Ten candidates vied for the nomination, including retired four-star general Wesley Clark, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, and Senators John Edwards and John Kerry. For most of 2003, Howard Dean had been the apparent front-runner for the nomination, performing strongly in most polls and leading the pack in fund-raising. However, Kerry won the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, which gave him enough momentum to carry the majority of the rest of the states. Election issues According to exit polls taking during the Iowa Caucuses, the top 4 issues were ranked as follows: Economy/Jobs (29% of Respondents) Health Care/Medicine (28% of Respondents) The war in Iraq (14% of Respondents) Education (14% of Respondents) Economy Despite being characterized by many as an election on Iraq, the economy and jobs were repeatedly cited as voters' top or one of top three concerns during the course of the primary season. In Iowa, of those who cited the economy as their most important issue, 34% supported Kerry, while 33% supported Edwards, with Dean trailing at 16% and Gephardt at 12%. Eventual nominee John Kerry, much like other Democrats adopted policy stances of tax-cuts for the middle class, increased spending for Social Security, and assisting small businesses. On the aspect of job creation, Kerry strongly supported the creation and safety of infrastructure-related jobs, like those in the railroad industry. During the course of the primary Kerry continued to advocate positions such as fiscal responsibility and