The presidency of Bill Clinton began at noon EST (17:00 UTC) on January 20, 1993, when Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd president of the United States, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following a decisive victory over Republican incumbent president George H. W. Bush and Independent Party businessman Ross Perot in the 1992 presidential election. Four years later, in the 1996 presidential election, he defeated Republican nominee Bob Dole and Reform Party businessman Ross Perot to win re-election in a landslide. Clinton was succeeded by Republican George W. Bush, who won the 2000 presidential election.