Election of 1988
LINKS
| Abbreviations | Definitions | Sources |
BASICS
| Category | Result |
|---|---|
| Incumbent | Ronald Reagan (R) |
| Prior streak | R (2) |
| Prior five elections | R (4), D (1) |
| Population | 244,498,982 |
| States | 51 |
| Electoral votes | 538 |
| Popular votes | 91,594,809 |
| Voter turnout | 50.3% |
FIELD OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES
| Candidate | Party | PI | Age | State | Position | Nom | Win | CS | ROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George H.W. Bush | R | 6.5 | 64.39 | Texas | Vice president | X | X | 87.86 | 135 |
| Michael Dukakis | D | 6.7 | 54.99 | Massachusetts | Governor | X | — | 65.32 | 97 |
| Jesse Jackson | D | 3.6 | 47.07 | Illinois | Movement leader | — | — | 33.32 | 93 |
| Bob Dole | R | 7.0 | 65.28 | Kansas | Senator | — | — | 21.51 | 31 |
| Al Gore | D | 6.8 | 40.59 | Tennessee | Senator | — | — | 18.19 | 27 |
| Pat Robertson | R | 4.5 | 58.61 | Virginia | Movement leader | — | — | 15.41 | 34 |
| Richard Gephardt | D | 4.0 | 47.75 | Missouri | Representative | — | — | 13.63 | 34 |
| Paul Simon | D | 7.1 | 59.92 | Illinois | Senator | — | — | 12.66 | 18 |
| Jack Kemp | R | 5.2 | 53.30 | New York | Representative | — | — | 11.63 | 22 |
| Gary Hart | D | 6.7 | 51.93 | Colorado | Former senator | — | — | 11.02 | 16 |
| Lloyd Bentsen | D | 7.6 | 67.72 | Texas | Senator | — | — | 10.62 | 14 |
| Pete du Pont | R | 6.6 | 53.78 | Delaware | Former governor | — | — | 10.25 | 16 |
| Bruce Babbitt | D | 6.2 | 50.35 | Arizona | Former governor | — | — | 10.20 | 16 |
GENERAL ELECTION
| Candidate | Party | SC | PV | PV% | EV | EV% | PV*EQ | EV*EQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George H.W. Bush | R | 40 | 48,886,106 | 53.37% | 426 | 79.18% | 53,372,136 | 426 |
| Michael Dukakis | D | 11 | 41,809,065 | 45.65% | 111 | 20.63% | 45,645,671 | 111 |
| Lloyd Bentsen | D | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.19% | 0 | 1 |
REGIONAL SPLITS
| Candidate | Party | PV% | East | South | Midwest | West | EV | East | South | Midwest | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George H.W. Bush | R | 53.37% | 49.93% | 58.16% | 52.37% | 52.28% | 426 | 73 | 155 | 108 | 90 |
| Michael Dukakis | D | 45.65% | 49.09% | 41.05% | 46.85% | 46.22% | 111 | 61 | 0 | 29 | 21 |
| Lloyd Bentsen | D | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
PV BY STATES
| State | Total PV | Bush | Dukakis | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,378,476 | 815,576 | 549,506 | 13,394 |
| Alaska | 200,116 | 119,251 | 72,584 | 8,281 |
| Arizona | 1,171,873 | 702,541 | 454,029 | 15,303 |
| Arkansas | 827,738 | 466,578 | 349,237 | 11,923 |
| California | 9,887,065 | 5,054,917 | 4,702,233 | 129,915 |
| Colorado | 1,372,394 | 728,177 | 621,453 | 22,764 |
| Connecticut | 1,443,394 | 750,241 | 676,584 | 16,569 |
| Delaware | 249,891 | 139,639 | 108,647 | 1,605 |
| District of Columbia | 192,877 | 27,590 | 159,407 | 5,880 |
| Florida | 4,302,313 | 2,618,885 | 1,656,701 | 26,727 |
| Georgia | 1,809,672 | 1,081,331 | 714,792 | 13,549 |
| Hawaii | 354,461 | 158,625 | 192,364 | 3,472 |
| Idaho | 408,968 | 253,881 | 147,272 | 7,815 |
| Illinois | 4,559,120 | 2,310,939 | 2,215,940 | 32,241 |
| Indiana | 2,168,621 | 1,297,763 | 860,643 | 10,215 |
| Iowa | 1,225,614 | 545,355 | 670,557 | 9,702 |
| Kansas | 993,044 | 554,049 | 422,636 | 16,359 |
| Kentucky | 1,322,517 | 734,281 | 580,368 | 7,868 |
| Louisiana | 1,628,202 | 883,702 | 717,460 | 27,040 |
| Maine | 555,035 | 307,131 | 243,569 | 4,335 |
| Maryland | 1,714,358 | 876,167 | 826,304 | 11,887 |
| Massachusetts | 2,632,805 | 1,194,644 | 1,401,406 | 36,755 |
| Michigan | 3,669,163 | 1,965,486 | 1,675,783 | 27,894 |
| Minnesota | 2,096,790 | 962,337 | 1,109,471 | 24,982 |
| Mississippi | 931,527 | 557,890 | 363,921 | 9,716 |
| Missouri | 2,093,713 | 1,084,953 | 1,001,619 | 7,141 |
| Montana | 365,674 | 190,412 | 168,936 | 6,326 |
| Nebraska | 661,465 | 397,956 | 259,235 | 4,274 |
| Nevada | 350,067 | 206,040 | 132,738 | 11,289 |
| New Hampshire | 451,074 | 281,537 | 163,696 | 5,841 |
| New Jersey | 3,099,553 | 1,743,192 | 1,320,352 | 36,009 |
| New Mexico | 521,287 | 270,341 | 244,497 | 6,449 |
| New York | 6,485,683 | 3,081,871 | 3,347,882 | 55,930 |
| North Carolina | 2,134,370 | 1,237,258 | 890,167 | 6,945 |
| North Dakota | 297,261 | 166,559 | 127,739 | 2,963 |
| Ohio | 4,393,699 | 2,416,549 | 1,939,629 | 37,521 |
| Oklahoma | 1,171,036 | 678,367 | 483,423 | 9,246 |
| Oregon | 1,201,694 | 560,126 | 616,206 | 25,362 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,536,251 | 2,300,087 | 2,194,944 | 41,220 |
| Rhode Island | 404,620 | 177,761 | 225,123 | 1,736 |
| South Carolina | 986,009 | 606,443 | 370,554 | 9,012 |
| South Dakota | 312,991 | 165,415 | 145,560 | 2,016 |
| Tennessee | 1,636,250 | 947,233 | 679,794 | 9,223 |
| Texas | 5,427,410 | 3,036,829 | 2,352,748 | 37,833 |
| Utah | 647,008 | 428,442 | 207,343 | 11,223 |
| Vermont | 243,328 | 124,331 | 115,775 | 3,222 |
| Virginia | 2,191,609 | 1,309,162 | 859,799 | 22,648 |
| Washington | 1,865,253 | 903,835 | 933,516 | 27,902 |
| West Virginia | 653,311 | 310,065 | 341,016 | 2,230 |
| Wisconsin | 2,191,608 | 1,047,499 | 1,126,794 | 17,315 |
| Wyoming | 176,551 | 106,867 | 67,113 | 2,571 |
| Total | 91,594,809 | 48,886,106 | 41,809,065 | 899,638 |
PV% BY STATES
| State | PV winner | Bush | Dukakis | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Bush | 59.17% | 39.86% | 0.97% |
| Alaska | Bush | 59.59% | 36.27% | 4.14% |
| Arizona | Bush | 59.95% | 38.74% | 1.31% |
| Arkansas | Bush | 56.37% | 42.19% | 1.44% |
| California | Bush | 51.13% | 47.56% | 1.31% |
| Colorado | Bush | 53.06% | 45.28% | 1.66% |
| Connecticut | Bush | 51.98% | 46.88% | 1.15% |
| Delaware | Bush | 55.88% | 43.48% | 0.64% |
| District of Columbia | Dukakis | 14.30% | 82.65% | 3.05% |
| Florida | Bush | 60.87% | 38.51% | 0.62% |
| Georgia | Bush | 59.75% | 39.50% | 0.75% |
| Hawaii | Dukakis | 44.75% | 54.27% | 0.98% |
| Idaho | Bush | 62.08% | 36.01% | 1.91% |
| Illinois | Bush | 50.69% | 48.61% | 0.71% |
| Indiana | Bush | 59.84% | 39.69% | 0.47% |
| Iowa | Dukakis | 44.50% | 54.71% | 0.79% |
| Kansas | Bush | 55.79% | 42.56% | 1.65% |
| Kentucky | Bush | 55.52% | 43.88% | 0.60% |
| Louisiana | Bush | 54.28% | 44.07% | 1.66% |
| Maine | Bush | 55.34% | 43.88% | 0.78% |
| Maryland | Bush | 51.11% | 48.20% | 0.69% |
| Massachusetts | Dukakis | 45.38% | 53.23% | 1.40% |
| Michigan | Bush | 53.57% | 45.67% | 0.76% |
| Minnesota | Dukakis | 45.90% | 52.91% | 1.19% |
| Mississippi | Bush | 59.89% | 39.07% | 1.04% |
| Missouri | Bush | 51.82% | 47.84% | 0.34% |
| Montana | Bush | 52.07% | 46.20% | 1.73% |
| Nebraska | Bush | 60.16% | 39.19% | 0.65% |
| Nevada | Bush | 58.86% | 37.92% | 3.23% |
| New Hampshire | Bush | 62.42% | 36.29% | 1.30% |
| New Jersey | Bush | 56.24% | 42.60% | 1.16% |
| New Mexico | Bush | 51.86% | 46.90% | 1.24% |
| New York | Dukakis | 47.52% | 51.62% | 0.86% |
| North Carolina | Bush | 57.97% | 41.71% | 0.33% |
| North Dakota | Bush | 56.03% | 42.97% | 1.00% |
| Ohio | Bush | 55.00% | 44.15% | 0.85% |
| Oklahoma | Bush | 57.93% | 41.28% | 0.79% |
| Oregon | Dukakis | 46.61% | 51.28% | 2.11% |
| Pennsylvania | Bush | 50.71% | 48.39% | 0.91% |
| Rhode Island | Dukakis | 43.93% | 55.64% | 0.43% |
| South Carolina | Bush | 61.51% | 37.58% | 0.91% |
| South Dakota | Bush | 52.85% | 46.51% | 0.64% |
| Tennessee | Bush | 57.89% | 41.55% | 0.56% |
| Texas | Bush | 55.95% | 43.35% | 0.70% |
| Utah | Bush | 66.22% | 32.05% | 1.74% |
| Vermont | Bush | 51.10% | 47.58% | 1.32% |
| Virginia | Bush | 59.74% | 39.23% | 1.03% |
| Washington | Dukakis | 48.46% | 50.05% | 1.50% |
| West Virginia | Dukakis | 47.46% | 52.20% | 0.34% |
| Wisconsin | Dukakis | 47.80% | 51.41% | 0.79% |
| Wyoming | Bush | 60.53% | 38.01% | 1.46% |
| Total | Bush | 53.37% | 45.65% | 0.98% |
EV BY STATES
| State | Total EV | Bush | Dukakis | Bentsen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Alaska | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Arkansas | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| California | 47 | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Connecticut | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Delaware | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| District of Columbia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Florida | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Georgia | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Hawaii | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Idaho | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Illinois | 24 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Indiana | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Iowa | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Kansas | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Kentucky | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Louisiana | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Maine | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Maryland | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Massachusetts | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Michigan | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Mississippi | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Missouri | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Montana | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nevada | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| New Hampshire | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| New Jersey | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| New Mexico | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| New York | 36 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| North Carolina | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| North Dakota | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio | 23 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Pennsylvania | 25 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| South Carolina | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| South Dakota | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Texas | 29 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vermont | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Virginia | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| West Virginia | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Wyoming | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 538 | 426 | 111 | 1 |
MARGINS AND FLIPS
| State | PV winner | Runnerup | Gap (votes) | Gap (points) | Flip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Bush | Dukakis | 266,070 | 19.30 | 133,036 |
| Alaska | Bush | Dukakis | 46,667 | 23.32 | 23,334 |
| Arizona | Bush | Dukakis | 248,512 | 21.21 | 124,257 |
| Arkansas | Bush | Dukakis | 117,341 | 14.18 | 58,671 |
| California | Bush | Dukakis | 352,684 | 3.57 | 176,343 |
| Colorado | Bush | Dukakis | 106,724 | 7.78 | 53,363 |
| Connecticut | Bush | Dukakis | 73,657 | 5.10 | 36,829 |
| Delaware | Bush | Dukakis | 30,992 | 12.40 | 15,497 |
| District of Columbia | Dukakis | Bush | 131,817 | 68.34 | 65,909 |
| Florida | Bush | Dukakis | 962,184 | 22.37 | 481,093 |
| Georgia | Bush | Dukakis | 366,539 | 20.26 | 183,270 |
| Hawaii | Dukakis | Bush | 33,739 | 9.52 | 16,870 |
| Idaho | Bush | Dukakis | 106,609 | 26.07 | 53,305 |
| Illinois | Bush | Dukakis | 94,999 | 2.08 | 47,500 |
| Indiana | Bush | Dukakis | 437,120 | 20.16 | 218,561 |
| Iowa | Dukakis | Bush | 125,202 | 10.22 | 62,602 |
| Kansas | Bush | Dukakis | 131,413 | 13.23 | 65,707 |
| Kentucky | Bush | Dukakis | 153,913 | 11.64 | 76,957 |
| Louisiana | Bush | Dukakis | 166,242 | 10.21 | 83,122 |
| Maine | Bush | Dukakis | 63,562 | 11.45 | 31,782 |
| Maryland | Bush | Dukakis | 49,863 | 2.91 | 24,932 |
| Massachusetts | Dukakis | Bush | 206,762 | 7.85 | 103,382 |
| Michigan | Bush | Dukakis | 289,703 | 7.90 | 144,852 |
| Minnesota | Dukakis | Bush | 147,134 | 7.02 | 73,568 |
| Mississippi | Bush | Dukakis | 193,969 | 20.82 | 96,985 |
| Missouri | Bush | Dukakis | 83,334 | 3.98 | 41,668 |
| Montana | Bush | Dukakis | 21,476 | 5.87 | 10,739 |
| Nebraska | Bush | Dukakis | 138,721 | 20.97 | 69,361 |
| Nevada | Bush | Dukakis | 73,302 | 20.94 | 36,652 |
| New Hampshire | Bush | Dukakis | 117,841 | 26.13 | 58,921 |
| New Jersey | Bush | Dukakis | 422,840 | 13.64 | 211,421 |
| New Mexico | Bush | Dukakis | 25,844 | 4.96 | 12,923 |
| New York | Dukakis | Bush | 266,011 | 4.10 | 133,006 |
| North Carolina | Bush | Dukakis | 347,091 | 16.26 | 173,546 |
| North Dakota | Bush | Dukakis | 38,820 | 13.06 | 19,411 |
| Ohio | Bush | Dukakis | 476,920 | 10.85 | 238,461 |
| Oklahoma | Bush | Dukakis | 194,944 | 16.65 | 97,473 |
| Oregon | Dukakis | Bush | 56,080 | 4.67 | 28,041 |
| Pennsylvania | Bush | Dukakis | 105,143 | 2.32 | 52,572 |
| Rhode Island | Dukakis | Bush | 47,362 | 11.71 | 23,682 |
| South Carolina | Bush | Dukakis | 235,889 | 23.92 | 117,945 |
| South Dakota | Bush | Dukakis | 19,855 | 6.34 | 9,928 |
| Tennessee | Bush | Dukakis | 267,439 | 16.34 | 133,720 |
| Texas | Bush | Dukakis | 684,081 | 12.61 | 342,041 |
| Utah | Bush | Dukakis | 221,099 | 34.17 | 110,550 |
| Vermont | Bush | Dukakis | 8,556 | 3.52 | 4,279 |
| Virginia | Bush | Dukakis | 449,363 | 20.50 | 224,682 |
| Washington | Dukakis | Bush | 29,681 | 1.59 | 14,841 |
| West Virginia | Dukakis | Bush | 30,951 | 4.74 | 15,476 |
| Wisconsin | Dukakis | Bush | 79,295 | 3.62 | 39,648 |
| Wyoming | Bush | Dukakis | 39,754 | 22.52 | 19,878 |
| Total | Bush | Dukakis | 7,077,041 | 7.73 | 3,538,521 |