Ross Perot was an independent candidate in the 1992 United States presidential election. He was a Texas industrialist and businessman who had never held public office. Perot launched his campaign emphasizing opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and a plan to reduce the national debt. He led in several polls during the middle of the year but temporarily dropped out of the race in July before re-entering later. Perot ultimately captured about 18.9% of the popular vote, which was the highest percentage for a third- party candidate since 1912, though he did not win any electoral votes. Perot's impact included being the only non-major party candidate allowed into the nationally televised debates alongside the two major party candidates. His campaign attracted disaffected voters from across the political spectrum, and he performed strongly in some states, finishing second in Maine and Utah. Perot criticized NAFTA as harmful to American jobs, famously describing a "giant sucking sound" of jobs leaving the country. Although he did not win, his candidacy was notably influential and remains one of the most successful independent runs in presidential election history.