Ah, true.

I am incorrect, the 5% record would be for any party that have not reached that before, while also being an even bigger goal of keeping up the percentage for the next cycle.

Seems Perot reached it but was unimportant due to his debate performance…

Based on his performance in the popular vote in 1992, Perot was entitled to receive federal election funding for 1996. Perot remained in the public eye after the election and championed opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During the campaign, he had urged voters to listen for the “giant sucking sound” of American jobs heading south to Mexico should NAFTA be ratified.

Perot tried to keep his movement alive through the mid-1990s, continuing to speak about the increasing national debt. He was a prominent campaigner against NAFTA, and frequently claimed that American manufacturing jobs would go to Mexico. On November 10, 1993, Perot debated with then-Vice President Al Gore on the issue on Larry King Live with an audience of 16 million viewers. Perot’s behavior during the debate was a source of mirth thereafter, including his repeated pleas to “let me finish” in his southern drawl. The debate was seen by many as effectively ending Perot’s political career. Support for NAFTA went from 34% to 57%.