1988 United States presidential election

Election of George H. W. Bush related races 1988 United States elections October 2020 October 2024 1988 United States presidential election United States 1960 presidential no 1984 United States presidential election 1984 November 8, 1988 1992 United States presidential election 1992 538 members of the Electoral College 270 electoral 52.8%http://www.electproject.org/national-1789-present National General Election VEP Turnout Rates, 1789-Present United States Election Project CQ Press February 21, 2023 November 14, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161114143528/http://www.electproject.org/national-1789-present live 2.4 pp x200px George H. W. Bush vice presidential portrait (cropped 3x4).jpg George H. W. Bush Republican Party (United States) Texas Dan Quayle 426 40 48,886,597 53.4% Michael Dukakis 1988 DNC (3).jpg Michael Dukakis Democratic Party (United States) Massachusetts Lloyd Bentsen 111A faithless Democratic elector from West Virginia voted for Bentsen for president and Dukakis for vice president. As a result, Dukakis had 111 electoral votes instead of the pledged 112. 10 + DC 41,809,476 45.6% 350px Presidential election results map. Red denotes states won by Bush/Quayle and blue denotes those won by Dukakis/Bentsen. Light blue represents the sole electoral vote for Bentsen/Dukakis by a West Virginia faithless elector. Numbers indicate electoral votes cast by each state and the District of Columbia. President Ronald Reagan Republican Party (United States) George H. W. Bush Republican Party (United States) thumb|197x197px|Ronald Reagan, the incumbent president in 1988, whose second term expired at noon on January 20, 1989 Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 8, 1988. The Republican ticket of incumbent vice president George H. W. Bush and Indiana junior senator Dan Quayle defeated the Democratic ticket of Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis and Texas senior senator Lloyd Bentsen. The election was the third consecutive landslide victory for the Republican Party. Incumbent President Ronald Reagan was ineligible to run for a third term due to the term limits established by the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution. As a result, it was the first election since 1968 to lack an incumbent president on the ballot. Bush entered the Republican primaries as the front-runner, defeating Kansas senator Bob Dole and televangelist Pat Robertson. He selected Indiana senator Dan Quayle as his running mate. Dukakis, campaigning on his state's record of strong economic growth, won the Democratic primaries after Gary Hart (a prominent "Atari Democrat" representing the party's moderate wing) withdrew and Ted Kennedy (representing the party's traditional liberal wing) declined to run. Dukakis selected Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen as his running mate. Bush ran an aggressive campaign that concentrated mainly on the strong economy, reduction in crime, and continuance with Reagan's policies. He attacked Dukakis as an elitist "Massachusetts liberal" and soft-on-crime, to which Dukakis ineffectively responded. Despite Dukakis initially leading in the polls, Bush pulled ahead after the Republican National Convention and extended his lead after two strong debate performances. Bush won a decisive victory over Dukakis, winning the Electoral College and the popular vote by sizable margins. Bush is the only sitting vice president to be elected president since Martin Van Buren in 1836.The first two were John Adams in 1796 and Thomas Jefferson in 1800. Despite his loss, Dukakis flipped nine states that had voted Republican in 1984: Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Voters 44 years of age or younger (born in 1944 or later) were estimated by the exit poll to comprise 55% of the electorate.https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-1988 How Groups Voted in 1988 ropercenter.cornell.edu September 12, 2025 As such, Baby boomers and Generation X constituted the majority of the voting public. As of 2026, this remains the most recent election in which a candidate won over 400 electoral votes, as well as 40 or more states. It is also the most recent open seat election in which the outgoing president's party retained the White House, and the most recent time in which a party won the presidency for a third consecutive term.December 20, 1988 Electoral College's Stately Landslide Sends Bush and Quayle Into History https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/20/us/electoral-college-s-stately-landslide-sends-bush-and-quayle-into-history.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20230801104416/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/20/us/electoral-college-s-stately-landslide-sends-bush-and-quayle-into-history.html August 1, 2023 January 18, 2025 The New York Times As of 2026, this is the earliest election in which at least one of the major party nominees for president (Dukakis) or vice president (Quayle) is still alive. Republican Party nomination 1988 Republican Party presidential primaries Republican candidates George H. W. Bush, incumbent vice president from Texashttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3_McAAAAIBAJ&pg=6869,4085135&dq=george+bush+announces&hl=en Bush Announces Quest for Presidency October 13, 1987 Sarasota Herald-Tribune July 12, 2011 December 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201203030517/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3_McAAAAIBAJ&pg=6869%2C4085135&dq=george+bush+announces&hl=en live Bob Dole, U.S. senator from Kansashttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K5s0AAAAIBAJ&pg=5835,4017707&dq=bob+dole+announces&hl=en Dole announces presidential hopes in hometown talk November 10, 1987 Star-News July 12, 2011 April 10, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220410222647/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K5s0AAAAIBAJ&pg=5835,4017707&dq=bob+dole+announces&hl=en live Pete du Pont, former governor of Delawarehttps://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/17/us/du-pont-enters-the-gop-race-for-president.html DU PONT ENTERS THE G.O.P. RACE FOR PRESIDENT Dionne E. J. Jr. September 17, 1986 The New York Times 1 July 12, 2011 May 9, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130509203514/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/17/us/du-pont-enters-the-gop-race-for-president.html live Ben Fernandez, former special ambassador to Paraguay, from Californiahttps://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/88010221.html?dids=88010221:88010221&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+06%2C+1987&author=DAVID+WALLACE%2C+Staff+Writer&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=GOP+PRESIDENTIAL+CANDIDATE+MAKES+STOP+IN+SOUTH+FLORIDA&pqatl=google GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MAKES STOP IN SOUTH FLORIDA Wallace David August 6, 1987 Sun Sentinel July 12, 2011 May 14, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120514001624/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/88010221.html?dids=88010221:88010221&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+06%2C+1987&author=DAVID+WALLACE%2C+Staff+Writer&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=GOP+PRESIDENTIAL+CANDIDATE+MAKES+STOP+IN+SOUTH+FLORIDA&pqatl=google dead Alexander Haig, former secretary of state, from Pennsylvaniahttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BtU0AAAAIBAJ&pg=2317,6652737&dq=haig+announces&hl=en Haig announces his bid for presidency March 24, 1987 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette July 12, 2011 December 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201203030507/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BtU0AAAAIBAJ&pg=2317%2C6652737&dq=haig+announces&hl=en live Jack Kemp, U.S. representative from New Yorkhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GbFPAAAAIBAJ&pg=3541,486109&dq=jack+kemp+announces&hl=en Kemp announces bid for nomination April 6, 1987 The Bryan Times July 12, 2011 April 10, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220410222646/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GbFPAAAAIBAJ&pg=3541,486109&dq=jack+kemp+announces&hl=en live Paul Laxalt, former U.S. senator from Nevadahttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7MUlAAAAIBAJ&pg=1271,170287&dq=laxalt+announces&hl=en Laxalt announces bid for presidency, says 'there is unfinished work to do' Witt Evans April 29, 1987 Gettysburg Times July 12, 2011 December 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201203030524/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7MUlAAAAIBAJ&pg=1271%2C170287&dq=laxalt+announces&hl=en live Pat Robertson, televangelist from Virginiahttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-otUAAAAIBAJ&pg=4675,159477&dq=pat+robertson+announces&hl=en Robertson announces October 2, 1987 Ellensburg Daily Record July 12, 2011 April 10, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220410222439/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-otUAAAAIBAJ&pg=4675,159477&dq=pat+robertson+announces&hl=en live Donald Rumsfeld, former secretary of defense from Illinoishttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VpddAAAAIBAJ&pg=6853,3241160&dq=rumsfeld+president&hl=en Rumsfeld enters race January 20, 1987 The Telegraph-Herald July 12, 2011 November 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211121153619/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VpddAAAAIBAJ&pg=6853%2C3241160&dq=rumsfeld+president&hl=en live Harold Stassen, former governor of Minnesota1967-11-15 Stassen Enters G.O.P. Race as 'Peace Candidate' https://www.nytimes.com/1967/11/15/archives/stassen-enters-gop-race-as-peace-candidate.html 2024-07-13 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 July 13, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240713022540/https://www.nytimes.com/1967/11/15/archives/stassen-enters-gop-race-as-peace-candidate.html live 65px|center|link=Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party (United States)1988 Republican Party ticket white George H. W. Bush white Dan Quaylefor Presidentfor Vice President center|200x200px center|200x200px43rdVice President of the United States(1981–1989)U.S. Senator from Indiana(1981–1989)Campaigncenter|200x200px Withdrawn candidates Candidates in this section are sorted by popular vote from the primariesBob DolePat RobertsonJack Kempcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxU.S. Senator from Kansas(1969–1996)Chair of CBNU.S. Representative(1971–1989)center|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxW: March 292,333,375 votesW: April 61,097,446 votesW: March 9331,333 votes thumb|During his presidency, Bush's endorsement of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 violated his 1988 "no new taxes" pledge and badly damaged his popularity. While Bush had long been seen as Reagan's natural successor, there was still a degree of opposition within the party to his candidacy. Historical precedent was not seen to favor Bush's chances, as no incumbent vice president had been elected as president since Martin Van Buren in 1836. Dole attracted support among those who were concerned that Bush, whose electoral experience outside of his campaigns with Reagan was limited to running unsuccessfully for the Senate and twice successfully for the House of Representatives in the 1960s, had not done enough to establish himself as a candidate in his own right. Others who wished to further continue the shift towards social conservatism that had begun during Reagan's presidency supported Robertson.December 2023 Bush unexpectedly came in third in the Iowa caucus, which he had won in 1980, behind Dole and Robertson. Dole was also leading in the polls of the New Hampshire primary, and the Bush camp responded by running television commercials portraying Dole as a tax raiser, while Governor John H. Sununu campaigned for Bush. Dole did nothing to counter these ads and Bush won, thereby gaining crucial momentum, which he called "Big Mo".Even with win, Bush seen to be vulnerable Christian Science Monitor February 18, 1988 John Dillin 1 Once the multiple-state primaries such as Super Tuesday began, Bush's organizational strength and fundraising lead were impossible for the other candidates to match, and the nomination was his. The Republican Party convention was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. Bush was nominated unanimously and selected U.S. senator Dan Quayle from Indiana as his running mate. In his acceptance speech, Bush made the pledge "Read my lips: No new taxes", which contributed to his loss in 1992. Democratic Party nomination 1988 Democratic Party presidential primaries 65px|center|link=Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party (United States)1988 Democratic Party ticket white Michael Dukakis white Lloyd Bentsenfor Presidentfor Vice President frameless|200x200px center|200x200px 65th and 67thgovernor of Massachusetts(1975–1979, 1983–1991) U.S. senatorfrom Texas(1971–1993)Campaigncenter|200x200px Candidates in this section are sorted by date of withdrawal from the primariesJesse JacksonAl GorePaul SimonDick GephardtGary Hartcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxPresident of the Rainbow Coalition from South Carolina (1983–2023)U.S. senatorfrom Tennessee(1985–1993)U.S. senatorfrom Illinois(1985–1997)U.S. representativefrom Missouri(1977–2005)U.S. senatorfrom Colorado(1975–1987)alt=|center|120x120pxalt=|center|70x70pxalt=|center|100x100pxalt=|center|135x135pxalt=|center|130x130pxCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaignLN Lost Nomination: July 20, 1988E Endorsed Michael Dukakis: July 30, 19886,788,991 votes1,023 PD Pledged DelegatesS Suspended Campaign: April 21, 1988E Endorsed Michael Dukakis: June 16, 19883,185,806 votes374 PD Pledged DelegatesS Suspended Campaign: April 7, 1988E Endorsed Michael Dukakis: June 8, 19881,082,960 votes161 PD Pledged DelegatesW Withdrew: March 28, 1988E Endorsed Michael Dukakis: June 8, 19881,399,041 votes137 PD Pledged DelegatesW Withdrew: March 11, 1988415,716 voteshttps://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/31/us/jackson-delivers-a-speech-and-he-mentions-dukakis.html Jackson Delivers a Speech, And He Mentions Dukakis (Published 1988) Michael Oreskes The New York Times July 31, 1988 January 29, 2021 July 13, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240713023039/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/31/us/jackson-delivers-a-speech-and-he-mentions-dukakis.html livehttps://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/17/us/dukakis-backed-by-gore-vows-to-contest-the-south.html Dukakis, Backed by Gore, Vows to Contest the South (Published 1988) Robin Toner The New York Times June 17, 1988 January 29, 2021 February 3, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210203074445/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/17/us/dukakis-backed-by-gore-vows-to-contest-the-south.html livehttps://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/08/us/california-and-jersey-push-dukakis-over-top-as-democrats-nominee.html CALIFORNIA AND JERSEY PUSH DUKAKIS OVER TOP AS DEMOCRATS' NOMINEE (Published 1988) E. J. Jr. Dionne The New York Times June 8, 1988 January 29, 2021 February 2, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210202163426/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/08/us/california-and-jersey-push-dukakis-over-top-as-democrats-nominee.html livehttps://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/09/us/president-asserts-dukakis-distorts-economic-picture.html PRESIDENT ASSERTS DUKAKIS DISTORTS ECONOMIC PICTURE (Published 1988) E. J. Jr. Dionne The New York Times June 9, 1988 January 29, 2021 February 3, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210203202937/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/09/us/president-asserts-dukakis-distorts-economic-picture.html liveBruce BabbittJames TraficantPatricia SchroederJoe Bidencenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxFmr. governorof Arizona(1978–1987)U.S. representativefrom Ohio(1985–2002)U.S. representativefrom Colorado(1973–1997)U.S. senatorfrom Delaware(1973–2009)alt=|center|130x130pxalt=|center|130x130pxCampaignCampaignCampaignW Withdrew: February 18, 1988E Endorsed Michael Dukakis: June 8, 198877,780 votes? It isn't exactly known when Traficant ended his campaign for the Presidency.: After January 26, 1988W Withdrew: September 28, 1987W Withdrew: September 23, 1987E Endorsed Michael Dukakis: June 22, 1988https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/26/us/washington-talk-briefing-getting-tough.html Washington Talk: Briefing; Getting Tough (Published 1988) The New York Times January 26, 1988 January 29, 2021 February 4, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204010331/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/26/us/washington-talk-briefing-getting-tough.html livehttps://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/27/us/prince-charming-candidate-so-far-a-democratic-fable.html Prince Charming Candidate: So Far, a Democratic Fable Maureen Dowd The New York Times August 27, 1987 January 29, 2021 February 8, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210208175132/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/27/us/prince-charming-candidate-so-far-a-democratic-fable.html livehttps://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/01/us/traficant-of-ohio-planning-regional-presidential-effort.html Traficant of Ohio Planning Regional Presidential Effort The New York Times November 1, 1987 January 29, 2021 February 2, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210202151629/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/01/us/traficant-of-ohio-planning-regional-presidential-effort.html livehttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B84_AAAAIBAJ&pg=3639,1284676&dq=traficant+announces&hl=en Traficant hat tossed into ring Wilkinson D. A. December 4, 1987 The Vindicator July 11, 2011 April 10, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220410222437/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B84_AAAAIBAJ&pg=3639,1284676&dq=traficant+announces&hl=en livehttps://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/23/us/dukakis-avoids-taking-a-stand-on-no-2-post.html Dukakis Avoids Taking a Stand On No. 2 Post Robin Toner The New York Times June 23, 1988 January 29, 2021 February 1, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210201093038/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/23/us/dukakis-avoids-taking-a-stand-on-no-2-post.html live In 1984, the Democrats had nominated Walter Mondale, a traditional New Deal-type liberal, who advocated for those constituencies that Franklin D. Roosevelt forged into a majority coalition,Walter Mondale: Learning to Live With Fritz https://web.archive.org/web/20201021172104/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/walter-mondale-learning-to-live-with-fritz-63316/ October 21, 2020 Rolling Stone. March 1, 1984. as their candidate. When Mondale was defeated in a landslide, party leaders became eager to find a new approach to get away from the 1980 and 1984 debacles. After Bush's image was affected by his involvement on the Iran-Contra scandal much more than Reagan's, and after the Democrats won back control of the U.S. Senate in the 1986 congressional elections following an economic downturn, the party's leaders felt optimistic about having a closer race with the GOP in 1988, although probabilities of winning the presidency were still marginal given the climate of prosperity. One goal of the party was to find a new, fresh candidate who could move beyond the traditional New Deal-Great Society ideas of the past and offer a new image of the Democrats to the public. To this end party leaders tried to recruit New York governor Mario Cuomo to be a candidate. Cuomo had impressed many Democrats with his keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic Convention, and they believed he would be a strong candidate.Steve Neal for the Chicago Tribune. April 26, 1985. Democrats Think They See A Better Horse For '88 Race https://web.archive.org/web/20141129035707/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-04-26/news/8501250545_1_state-party-chairmen-sen-gary-hart-democratic-presidential-nomination November 29, 2014 After Cuomo chose not to run, the Democratic frontrunner for most of 1987 was former Colorado senator Gary Hart.John Dillin for The Christian Science Monitor. February 23, 1987 Cuomo's 'no' opens door for dark horses https://web.archive.org/web/20141129040640/http://www.csmonitor.com/1987/0223/acuomo.html November 29, 2014 He had made a strong showing in the 1984 presidential primaries; after Mondale's defeat, he had positioned himself as the moderate and centrist many Democrats felt their party would need to win. https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/14/us/hart-stressing-ideals-formally-enters-the-1988-race.html Gary Hart The Elusive Front-Runner E. J. Dionne Jr. May 3, 1987 The New York Times, pg. SM28 February 20, 2017 October 16, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141016172823/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/14/us/hart-stressing-ideals-formally-enters-the-1988-race.html live Questions and rumors about extramarital affairs and past debts dogged Hart's campaign. Hart had told New York Times reporters who questioned him about these rumors that, if they followed him around, they would "be bored". In a separate investigation, the Miami Herald had received an anonymous tip from a friend of Donna Rice that Rice was involved with Hart. After his affair emerged, the Herald reporters found Hart's quote in a pre-print of The New York Times Magazine.May 10, 1987 The Gary Hart Story: How It Happened. http://www.unc.edu/~pmeyer/Hart/hartarticle.html The Miami Herald November 20, 2014 August 24, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140824160635/http://www.unc.edu/~pmeyer/Hart/hartarticle.html dead After the Heralds findings were publicized, many other media outlets picked up the story and Hart's ratings in the polls plummeted. On May 8, 1987, a week after the Rice story broke, Hart dropped out of the race.https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/09/us/courting-danger-the-fall-of-gary-hart.html Courting Danger: The Fall Of Gary Hart The New York Times May 9, 1987 David Johnston Wayne King Jon Nordheimer February 20, 2017 June 18, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130618004254/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/09/us/courting-danger-the-fall-of-gary-hart.html live His campaign chair, Representative Patricia Schroeder, tested the waters for about four months after Hart's withdrawal, but decided in September 1987 that she would not run.Warren Weaver Jr. for The New York Times. September 29, 1987 Schroeder, Assailing 'the System,' Decides Not to Run for President https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090348/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/29/us/schroeder-assailing-the-system-decides-not-to-run-for-president.html September 1, 2020 In December 1987, Hart surprised many pundits by resuming his campaign,Bob Drogin for the Los Angeles Times. December 16, 1987 Hart Back in Race for President : Political World Stunned, Gives Him Little Chance but the allegations of adultery had delivered a fatal blow to his candidacy, and he did poorly in the primaries before dropping out again.Associated Press, in the Los Angeles Times. March 13, 1988 Quits Campaign : 'The People 'Have Decided,' Hart Declares https://web.archive.org/web/20230228031809/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-13-mn-1553-story.html February 28, 2023 Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts had been considered a potential candidate, but he ruled himself out of the race in the fall of 1985. Two other politicians mentioned as possible candidates, both from Arkansas, did not join the race: Senator Dale Bumpers and Governor and future president Bill Clinton. Joe Biden's campaign also ended in controversy after he was accused of plagiarizing a speech by Neil Kinnock, then-leader of the British Labour Party.https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1DD1531F931A2575AC0A961948260 Biden's Debate Finale: An Echo From Abroad Dowd, Maureen The New York Times September 12, 1987 Maureen Dowd September 17, 2017 February 24, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090224123659/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1DD1531F931A2575AC0A961948260 live The Dukakis campaign secretly released a video in which Biden was filmed repeating a Kinnock stump speech with only minor modifications.Washington Post: Joseph Biden's Plagiarism; Michael Dukakis's 'Attack Video' – 1988. https://web.archive.org/web/20110131133257/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/frenzy/biden.htm January 31, 2011 1988. Biden later called his failure to attribute the quotes an oversight, and in related proceedings the Delaware Supreme Court's Board on Professional Responsibility cleared him of a separate plagiarism charge, leveled for plagiarizing an article during his time in law school.Professional Board Clears Biden In Two Allegations of Plagiarism 29 The New York Times May 29, 1989 https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/29/us/professional-board-clears-biden-in-two-allegations-of-plagiarism.html February 20, 2017 July 7, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090707020556/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/29/us/professional-board-clears-biden-in-two-allegations-of-plagiarism.html live This ultimately led him to drop out of the race. Dukakis later revealed that his campaign had leaked the tape, and two members of his staff resigned. Biden later ran three more times for the Democratic nomination, unsuccessfully in 2008, successfully in 2020, and initially ran for re-election as the party's presumptive nominee in 2024, but ultimately withdrew from the race before he was officially re-nominated. He was inaugurated as the 47th vice president in 2009, serving two terms under President Barack Obama. He became the 46th president in 2021, over 33 years after his first campaign for the office ended, and served one term. Al Gore, a senator from Tennessee, chose to run for the nomination. Turning 40 in 1988, he would have been the youngest man to contest the presidency on a major party ticket since William Jennings Bryan in 1896, and the youngest president ever if elected, younger than John F. Kennedy at election age and Theodore Roosevelt at age of assumption of office. He eventually became the 45th vice president in 1993, serving two terms under President Bill Clinton, then the Democratic presidential nominee in 2000, losing to George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush's son. Primaries After Hart withdrew from the race, no clear frontrunner emerged before the primaries and caucuses began. The Iowa caucus was won by Dick Gephardt, who had been sagging heavily in the polls until, three weeks before the vote, he began campaigning as a populist and his numbers surged. Illinois senator Paul M. Simon finished a surprising second, and Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis finished third. In the New Hampshire primary, Dukakis came in first, Gephardt fell to second, and Simon came in third. In an effort to weaken Gephardt's candidacy, both Dukakis and Gore ran negative television ads against Gephardt. The ads convinced the United Auto Workers, which had endorsed Gephardt, to withdraw their endorsement; this crippled Gephardt, as he relied heavily on the support of labor unions. In the Super Tuesday races, Dukakis won six primaries, to Gore's five, Jesse Jackson five and Gephardt one, with Gore and Jackson splitting the Southern states. The next week, Simon won Illinois with Jackson finishing second. Jackson captured 6.9 million votes and won 11 contests: seven primaries (Alabama, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, and Virginia) and four caucuses (Delaware, Michigan, South Carolina and Vermont). He also scored March victories in Alaska's caucuses and Texas's local conventions, despite losing the Texas primary. Briefly, after he won 55% of the vote in the Michigan Democratic caucus, he had more pledged delegates than all the other candidates. Jackson's campaign suffered a significant setback less than two weeks later when he was defeated in the Wisconsin primary by Dukakis. Dukakis's win in New York and then in Pennsylvania effectively ended Jackson's hopes for the nomination. Democratic Convention The Democratic Party Convention was held in Atlanta, Georgia from July 18–21. Arkansas governor Bill Clinton placed Dukakis's name in nomination, and delivered his speech, scheduled to be 15 minutes long but lasting so long that some delegates began booing to get him to finish; he received great cheering when he said, "In closing..."It Was the Speech That Ate Atlanta Marylouise Oates Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-22-vw-7609-story.html July 22, 1988 July 28, 2013 March 5, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305205415/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-07-22/news/vw-7609_1_speech-time liveGolshan Tara 2016-07-26 Bill Clinton's first major appearance at a convention almost destroyed his career https://www.vox.com/2016/7/26/12285312/bill-clinton-dnc-1988-speaker-late-night 2021-11-05 Vox en November 5, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211105020738/https://www.vox.com/2016/7/26/12285312/bill-clinton-dnc-1988-speaker-late-night live Texas state treasurer Ann Richards, who was elected the state governor two years later, gave a speech attacking Bush, including the line "Poor George, he can't help it, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth". With only Jackson remaining as an active candidate to oppose Dukakis, the tally for president was as follows: +BallotingPresidential ballot Vice presidential ballotMichael S. Dukakis 2,876.25 Lloyd M. Bentsen 4,162Jesse L. Jackson1,218.5 Richard H. Stallings 3 Joe Biden 2 Richard A. Gephardt 2 Gary W. Hart 1 Lloyd M. Bentsen 1 Jackson's supporters said that since their candidate had finished in second place, he was entitled to the vice presidential nomination. Dukakis disagreed, and instead selected Senator Lloyd Bentsen from Texas. Bentsen's selection led many in the media to dub the ticket the "Boston-Austin" axis, and to compare it to the pairing of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960 presidential campaign. Like Dukakis and Bentsen, Kennedy and Johnson were from Massachusetts and Texas, respectively. Other nominations Libertarian Party right|thumb|alt=Ron Paul|130px|Former Representative Ron Paul ran on the Libertarian ticket. He returned to the House of Representatives in 1997 as a Republican. Ron Paul 1988 presidential campaign Ron Paul and Andre Marrou formed the ticket for the Libertarian Party.Election Resultsfor the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/federalelections88.pdf Their campaign called for the adoption of a global policy on military nonintervention, advocated an end to the federal government's involvement with education, and criticized Reagan's "bailout" of the Soviet Union. Paul was a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, first elected as a Republican from Texas in an April 1976 special election. He was known as an opponent of the war on drugs.April 2024 New Alliance Party Lenora Fulani ran for the New Alliance Party, and focused on issues concerning unemployment, healthcare, and homelessness. The party had full ballot access, meaning Fulani and her running mate, Joyce Dattner, were the first pair of women to receive ballot access in all 50 states.Lenora Fulani bio https://web.archive.org/web/20060207083017/http://www.speaking.com/speakers/lenorafulani.html February 7, 2006 , Speakers Platform. Retrieved February 20, 2006 Fulani was the first African American to do so.April 2024 Socialist Party Willa Kenoyer and Ron Ehrenreich ran for the Socialist Party, advocating a decentralist government approach with policies determined by the needs of the workers.April 2024 Populist Party David Duke 1988 presidential campaign David Duke stood for the Populist Party. A former leader of the Louisiana Ku Klux Klan, he advocated a mixture of White nationalist and separatist policies with more traditionally conservative positions, such as opposition to most immigration from Latin America and to affirmative action.Zeskind Leonard https://books.google.com/books?id=6Yx1-sBC1VcC Blood and Politics: The History of the White Nationalist Movement from the Margins to the Mainstream 2009 Farrar, Straus and Giroux 978-1-4299-5933-9 562 en January 18, 2025 General election Campaign During the election, the Bush campaign sought to portray Dukakis as an unreasonable "Massachusetts liberal". Dukakis was attacked for such positions as opposing mandatory recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools, and being a "card-carrying member of the ACLU" (a statement Dukakis made early in the primary campaign to appeal to liberal voters). Dukakis responded by saying that he was a "proud liberal" and that the phrase should not be a bad word in America.October 2024 Bush pledged to continue Reagan's policies but also vowed a "kinder and gentler nation" in an attempt to win over more moderate voters. The duties delegated to him during Reagan's second term (mostly because of the president's advanced age, Reagan turning 78 just after he left office) gave him an unusually high level of experience for a vice president. A graduate of Yale University, Bush derided Dukakis for having "foreign-policy views born in Harvard Yard's boutique".Bush Attacks Dukakis As Tax-Raising Liberal; Candidate Uses Spirited Speech To Draw His Battle Lines Hoffman, David Washington Post June 10, 1988 New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd asked, "Wasn't this a case of the pot calling the kettle elite?" Bush said that, unlike Harvard, Yale's reputation was "so diffuse, there isn't a symbol, I don't think, in the Yale situation, any symbolism in it ... Harvard boutique to me has the connotation of liberalism and elitism", and said he intended Harvard to represent "a philosophical enclave", not a statement about class.Dowd Maureen June 11, 1988 Bush Traces How Yale Differs From Harvard The New York Times 10 https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/11/us/bush-traces-how-yale-differs-from-harvard.html February 20, 2017 May 25, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170525194312/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/11/us/bush-traces-how-yale-differs-from-harvard.html live Columnist Russell Baker wrote, "Voters inclined to loathe and fear elite Ivy League schools rarely make fine distinctions between Yale and Harvard. All they know is that both are full of rich, fancy, stuck-up and possibly dangerous intellectuals who never sit down to supper in their undershirt no matter how hot the weather gets."Baker Russell June 15, 1988 The Ivy Hayseed The New York Times A31 https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/15/opinion/observer-the-ivy-hayseed.html February 20, 2017 May 25, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170525194314/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/15/opinion/observer-the-ivy-hayseed.html live Dukakis was badly damaged by the Republicans' campaign commercials, including "Boston Harbor",Commercials - 1988 – Harbor http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1988/harbor April 5, 2015 Livingroomcandidate.org March 22, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150322053834/http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1988/harbor live which attacked his failure to clean up environmental pollution in the harbor, and especially by two commercials that were accused of being racially charged, "Revolving Door" and "Weekend Passes",Commercials - 1988 – Willie Horton http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1988/willie-horton April 5, 2015 Livingroomcandidate.org July 13, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240713023040/http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1988/willie-horton live that portrayed him as soft on crime. Dukakis was a strong supporter of Massachusetts's prison furlough program, which had begun before he was governor. As governor, Dukakis vetoed a 1976 plan to bar inmates convicted of first-degree murder from the furlough program. In 1986, the program had resulted in the release of convicted murderer Willie Horton, an African American man who committed a rape and assault in Maryland while out on furlough. A number of false rumors about Dukakis were reported in the media, including Idaho Republican Senator Steve Symms's claim that Dukakis's wife Kitty had burned an American flag to protest the Vietnam War,August 26, 1988 Kitty Dukakis denies flag burning protest The Bulletin Bend, OR https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19880826&id=mo5TAAAAIBAJ&pg=4819,6853908 May 28, 2012 December 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201203030436/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19880826&id=mo5TAAAAIBAJ&pg=4819%2C6853908 live as well as the claim that Dukakis himself had been treated for mental illness.Lauter, David August 4, 1988 Reagan Remark Spurs Dukakis Health Report Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-04-mn-10203-story.html July 28, 2013 November 6, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131106072244/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-04/news/mn-10203_1_mental-health live "Dukakis in the tank" thumb|Dukakis on the tank Dukakis attempted to quell criticism that he was ignorant on military matters by staging a photo op in which he rode in an M1 Abrams tank outside a General Dynamics plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.Dukakis spells out Soviet policy The Boston Globe Ben Jr. Bradlee Fred Kaplan Fred Kaplan (journalist) September 14, 1988 The move ended up being regarded as a major public relations blunder, with many mocking Dukakis's appearance as he waved to the crowd from the tank. The Bush campaign used the footage in an attack ad, accompanied by a rolling text listing Dukakis's vetoes of military-related bills. The incident remains a commonly cited example of backfired public relations.Rat-Tat-Tatting William Safire The New York Times A35 September 15, 1988 https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/15/opinion/essay-rat-tat-tatting.html February 20, 2017 May 25, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170525194316/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/15/opinion/essay-rat-tat-tatting.html live Bush Talks of Lasers and Bombers Maureen Dowd The New York Times 8 September 17, 1988 https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/17/us/bush-talks-of-lasers-and-bombers.html February 20, 2017 May 25, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170525194318/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/17/us/bush-talks-of-lasers-and-bombers.html live Dan Quayle thumb|Dukakis at a campaign rally at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on the eve of the 1988 election One reason for Bush's choice of Senator Dan Quayle as his running mate was to appeal to younger Americans identified with the "Reagan Revolution". Quayle's looks were praised by Senator John McCain: "I can't believe a guy that handsome wouldn't have some impact."Bush taps Quayle for VP Jeff Mapes The Oregonian A01 August 17, 1988 But Quayle was not a seasoned politician, and made a number of embarrassing statements.August 2020 The Dukakis team attacked Quayle's credentials, saying he was "dangerously inexperienced to be first-in-line to the presidency."Quayle Reflects Badly on Bush, Dukakis Asserts The New York Times Robin Toner October 7, 1988 B6 https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/07/us/quayle-reflects-badly-on-bush-dukakis-asserts.html February 20, 2017 May 25, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170525194320/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/07/us/quayle-reflects-badly-on-bush-dukakis-asserts.html live During the vice presidential debate, Quayle attempted to dispel such allegations by comparing his experience with that of pre-1960 John F. Kennedy, who had also been a young politician when running for the presidency (Kennedy had served 13 years in Congress to Quayle's 12). Quayle said, "I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency." Dukakis's running mate Lloyd Bentsen responded, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." Quayle responded, "That was really uncalled for, Senator", to which Bentsen said, "You are the one that was making the comparison, Senator, and I'm one who knew him well. And frankly I think you are so far apart in the objectives you choose for your country that I did not think the comparison was well-taken."May 23, 2006 'Senator, You're No Jack Kennedy' https://www.npr.org/2006/05/23/5425248/senator-youre-no-jack-kennedy January 18, 2025 NPRMay 30, 2012 You're No Jack Kennedy Video http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-bush/videos/youre-no-jack-kennedy live https://web.archive.org/web/20140221224047/http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-bush/videos/youre-no-jack-kennedy February 21, 2014 February 13, 2014 The History Channel A&E Television Networks Democrats replayed Quayle's reaction to Bentsen's comment in subsequent ads as an announcer intoned, "Quayle: just a heartbeat away." Despite much press about the Kennedy comments, this did not reduce Bush's lead in the polls. Quayle had sought to use the debate to criticize Dukakis as too liberal rather than go point for point with the more seasoned Bentsen. Bentsen's attempts to defend Dukakis received little recognition, with greater attention on the Kennedy comparison. Greek issue Dukakis constantly used his Greek roots in his speeches, and Greek Americans fundraised more than 3 million dollars for his campaign.https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1988/05/29/greek-americans-home-state-boost-dukakis-coffers/52e91319-0fee-4ccb-b758-fcf2d8a71d98// GREEK AMERICANS, HOME STATE BOOST DUKAKIS' COFFERS June 29, 2025 The Washington Post named Dukakis' ethnicity "the great unspoken issue in this election" with his ethnicity not playing well with WASP communities.https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1988/09/25/why-dukakis-ethnic-pitch-may-not-play-at-the-polls/3139d0d2-5fb3-482f-b7f1-2efd1c5a9845/ WHY DUKAKIS' ETHNIC PITCH MAY NOT PLAY AT THE POLLS June 29, 2025 Jennifer Fitzgerald and Donna Brazile firing During the course of the campaign, Dukakis fired his deputy field director Donna Brazile after she spread unsubstantiated rumors that Bush had had an affair with his assistant Jennifer Fitzgerald.https://www.sfgate.com/living/article/DONNA-BRAZILE-Stirring-it-up-Brazile-keeps-2709776.php The San Francisco Chronicle Joshunda Sanders State's Dems still hope for a bit of suspense / A contested primary is viewed as a plus for party July 4, 2004 October 4, 2010 July 12, 2012 https://archive.today/20120712075526/http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-07-04/living/17434097_1_pots-in-american-politics-campaign-manager-john-kerry live Bush and Fitzgerald's relationship was briefly rehashed in the 1992 campaign.Conason, Joe (July/August 1992). "Reason No. 1 Not To Vote For George Bush: He Cheats on His Wife." Spy magazine.Kurtz Howard August 12, 1992 Bush Angrily Denounces Report of Extramarital Affair as 'a Lie' Washington Post Bush assassination threat On September 27, 1988, 21-year-old David A. Russell of Owensboro, Kentucky, attended a nearby campaign rally armed with a .45 caliber pistol. As Bush shook hands with supporters, Russell took photographs of him roughly 50 yards away. Two days later, he wrote a letter to the White House, demanding that Bush drop out of the race, and attached a photo he had taken at the rally. He threatened to assassinate Bush if he refused. The letter was traced back to Russell, and he was arrested and charged. In 1989, he was convicted and sentenced to 22 months in prison, three years of probation, and to pay a $5,000 fine.https://www.crimemagazine.com/assassination-attempts-against-us-vice-presidents-0 Assassination Attempts Against US Vice Presidents Crime Magazine May 6, 2026https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/05/16/Man-sentenced-for-threating-Bush/3828611294400/ Man sentenced for threatening Bush UPI May 6, 2026 Presidential debates 1988 United States presidential debates There were two presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate.https://www.debates.org/index.php?page=1988-debates CPD: 1988 Debates www.debates.org January 8, 2019 January 8, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190108145452/https://www.debates.org/index.php?page=1988-debates live Voters were split as to who won the first presidential debate.After The Debate; Round One Undecisive https://web.archive.org/web/20210308163026/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/27/us/after-the-debate-round-one-undecisive.html March 8, 2021 [sic] Dionne, E.J. New York Times. September 27, 1988. Bush improved in the second debate. Before the second debate, Dukakis had been suffering from the flu and spent much of the day in bed. His performance was generally seen as poor and played to his reputation of being intellectually cold. Reporter Bernard Shaw opened the debate by asking Dukakis whether he would support the death penalty if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered; Dukakis said "no" and discussed the statistical ineffectiveness of capital punishment. Some commentators thought the question itself was unfair, in that it injected an overly emotional element into the discussion of a policy issue, but many observers felt Dukakis's answer lacked the normal emotions one would expect of a person talking about a loved one's rape and murder.Hirshson Paul October 19, 1988 Editors on Dukakis: Down, but not out 29 The Boston Globe https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8084315.html usurped HighBeam Research subscription https://web.archive.org/web/20161008201936/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8084315.html Boston, MA October 8, 2016 Tom Brokaw of NBC reported on his October 14 newscast, "The consensus tonight is that Vice President George Bush won last night's debate and made it all the harder for Governor Michael Dukakis to catch and pass him in the 25 days remaining. In all of the Friday morning quarterbacking, there was common agreement that Dukakis failed to seize the debate and make it his night."Death Penalty, Dan Quayle Are Subjects of Bush-Dukakis Debate https://web.archive.org/web/20191210010821/https://highered.nbclearn.com/portal/site/HigherEd/flatview?cuecard=4510 December 10, 2019 NBC Nightly News. October 14, 1988. Retrieved August 25, 2016. + Debates among candidates for the 1988 U.S. presidential electionNo.DateHostLocationPanelistsModeratorParticipantsViewership(millions)P1Sunday, September 25, 1988Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, North CarolinaJohn MashekPeter JenningsAnne GroerJim LehrerVice President George H. W. BushGovernor Michael Dukakis65.1VPWednesday, October 5, 1988Omaha Civic AuditoriumOmaha, NebraskaTom BrokawJon MargolisBrit HumeJudy WoodruffSenator Dan QuayleSenator Lloyd Bentsen46.9P2Thursday, October 13, 1988University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesAndrea MitchellAnn ComptonMargaret WarnerBernard ShawVice President George H. W. BushGovernor Michael Dukakis67.3 Dukakis' new strategy By October, the Dukakis campaign was in dire straits. A poor performance in the second debate caused his numbers to flatline, and an NBC News poll showed Bush leading Dukakis by seventeen percentage points. In response, Dukakis shifted his campaign rhetoric. He embraced the label "liberal", referring to himself as "a liberal in the tradition of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy". He also promoted unabashedly populist economic themes reminiscent of primary challenger Dick Gephardt and adopted the slogan "We're on your side", suggesting that Bush's economic policies were regressive and elitist. In one Texas ad, Bentsen pointed out that wages were higher in Japan than Texas, claiming he and Dukakis would "put America first" when elected. Speaking in Lexington, Kentucky, Dukakis declared, "We’re going to take back our government from the influence peddlers and the sleaze merchants", as well as "dishonest contractors and polluters". Bush responded by calling Dukakis a liberal and accusing him of dividing the country with his populist, anti-establishment rhetoric. As a new national poll showed Dukakis cutting Bush's lead down to eight percentage points amidst gains with union voters, Newsweek's Conventional Wisdom showed a down arrow next to Bush and an up arrow next to Dukakis, adding "Old CW: It’s over. New CW: Did someone say it’s over? Not us".Fleegler Robert L. Brutal Campaign: How the 1988 Election Set the Stage for Twenty-First-Century American Politics 2023 University of North Carolina Press Chapter 8: One Final Charge 9781469673370 https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5149/9781469673394_fleegler.13 16 November 2025 Sensing the changing winds, the Dukakis campaign revised their strategy, abandoning their national campaign and instead waging a targeted effort in eighteen Dukakis-leaning and competitive states in the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast that, if carried together, would amount to a 272-electoral-vote victory even if Dukakis lost the national popular vote.The eighteen states Dukakis hoped to carry were New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maryland, West Virginia, Iowa, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia. They also identified states in the Plains and West that were still competitive despite leaning Bush overall, such as the Dakotas, Montana, New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, and Kentucky. Bush did not change his campaign strategy and continued to air negative attacks against Dukakis.Taylor Paul DUKAKIS ELECTORAL STRATEGY SET https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1988/10/16/dukakis-electoral-strategy-set/3c60609e-0bdb-48e1-9397-f6725dd3348c/ 16 November 2025 The Washington Post 15 October 1988 Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror GeorgeBush (R) MichaelDukakis (D) Other UndecidedNew York Times/CBS News May 9–12, 1988 1,056 RV ± % 39%49% — —Gallup June 24–26, 1988 1,056 RV ± 3% 41%46% — —New York Times/CBS News July 8–10, 1988 1,002 RV ± % 41%47% — — July 18–21: Democratic National ConventionGallup July 21–22, 1988 948 RV ± 4% 38%55% — — August 15–18: Republican National ConventionWall Street Journal/NBC News August 20–22, 1988 1,762 RV ± 3%44% 39% — —Gallup September 9–14, 1988 2,001 RV ± %50% 44% — —ABC News/Washington Post September 14–19, 1988 1,271 LV ± 3%50% 46% — —NBC News/Wall Street Journal September 16–19, 1988 2,630 RV ± 2%45% 41% — — Sep. 25: Presidential debateGallup September 27–28, 1988 1,020 RV ± 3%47% 42% — — Oct. 13: Presidential debateNBC News/Wall Street Journal October 14–16, 1988 1,378 LV ± 3%55% 38% — — NBC News/Wall Street Journal October 23–26, 1988 1,285 LV ± 4% 51% 42% — —CBS News/New York Times1998-11-05 Bush resumes attack; Dukakis claims a surge https://newspaperarchive.com/twin-falls-times-news-nov-05-1988-p-1/ subscription 2025-10-31 Associated Press 1 Newspaperarchive.comNovember 1–3, 1988LV± 3%51%44%–– Results thumb|Chief Justice William Rehnquist administering the oath of office to President George H. W. Bush on January 20, 1989, at the United States Capitol In the November 8 election, Bush won a majority of the popular vote and the Electoral College.http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1988 1988 Presidential General Election Results Leip David 2012 Us Elections Atlas October 12, 2016 February 6, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170206105542/http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1988 live Neither his popular vote percentage (53.4%), his total electoral votes (426), nor his number of states won (40) have been surpassed in any subsequent presidential election. Conversely, it began an ongoing streak of presidential elections that were decided by a single-digit popular vote margin.https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/26/politics/midterm-election-2022-historically-close/index.html The most underdiscussed fact of the 2022 election: how historically close it was CNN Enten Harry December 26, 2022 December 26, 2022 This is the most recent election whereby both major party candidates shared the same birth state, which in this case, was Massachusetts. Like Reagan in 1980 and 1984, Bush performed very strongly among suburban voters, in areas such as the collar counties of Chicago (winning over 60% in DuPage and Lake counties), Philadelphia (sweeping the Main Line counties), Baltimore, Los Angeles (winning over 60% in the Republican bastions of Orange and San Diego counties) and New York. As of 2024, Bush is the last Republican to win the heavily suburban states of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey. He is also the last Republican candidate to win rural Vermont, which was historically Republican but by this time shifting away from the party, as well as the last Republican candidate to win Maine in its entirety, although Donald Trump won one electoral vote from the state in 2016, 2020, and 2024.Maine is one of two states that allows split electoral college votes. Maine's 2nd congressional district has voted Republican in every election since 2016; however, Bush remains the last Republican to carry the entire state. Bush lost New York state by just over 4%. In contrast to the suburbs, a solidly Republican constituency, Bush received a significantly lower level of support than Reagan in rural regions. Farm states had fared poorly during the Reagan administration, and Dukakis was the beneficiary.Piliawsky Monte 1989 Racial Politics in the 1988 Presidential Election The Black Scholar 20 1 30–37 10.1080/00064246.1989.11412915 0006-4246 41068311Cohn Peter April 9, 2019 This Iowa farmer has his finger on the 2020 pulse en https://www.rollcall.com/news/campaigns/grassley-iowa-2020-pulse January 7, 2020 October 17, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191017164531/https://www.rollcall.com/news/campaigns/grassley-iowa-2020-pulse dead Bush was the first Republican to win the presidency without Iowa, a feat reprised by his son George W. Bush in 2000. This is the last election where Michigan and Pennsylvania voted Republican until 2016, New Mexico until 2004, and Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Tennessee until 2000. This is the last election where no state was decided by a margin under 1%.Woodall Candy November 8, 2016 Trump in huge upset becomes first Republican to win Pa. since 1988 en https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2016/11/trump_wins_pa_cnn_says.html September 11, 2024 September 11, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240911173034/https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2016/11/trump_wins_pa_cnn_says.html live In Illinois, Bush lost a number of downstate counties that previously went for Reagan, and he lost Iowa by a wide margin, even losing in traditionally Republican areas. Bush also performed weaker in Missouri's northern counties, narrowly winning that state. In three typically solid Republican states, Kansas, South Dakota, and Montana, the vote was much closer than usual. The rural state of West Virginia, though not an agricultural economy, narrowly flipped back into the Democratic column. This was the last election that West Virginia voted for a losing Democratic nominee, and that West Virginia and neighboring Kentucky did not vote for the same candidate. Bush performed strongest in the South and West. Despite Bentsen's presence on the Democratic ticket, Bush won Texas by 12 points. He lost the states of the Pacific Northwest but narrowly held California in the Republican column for the sixth straight time. 2024, this was the last election in which the Republican candidate won the support of a majority or plurality of women voters.http://www.gallup.com/poll/139880/election-polls-presidential-vote-groups.aspx Election Polls -- Presidential Vote by Groups Gallup.com May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160503084928/http://www.gallup.com/poll/139880/election-polls-presidential-vote-groups.aspx May 3, 2016 dead This is the last presidential election in which the Rust Belt states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin did not vote for the same candidate.https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/17/politics/blue-wall-states-harris-trump-analysis/index.html Why these three states are the most consistent tipping point in American politics CNN Brownstein Ronald September 16, 2024 September 16, 2024 In addition, it is the most recent presidential election in which the Democratic candidate gave a concession speech on election night. Electoral results George H. W. Bush Republican Texas 48,886,597 53.37% 426 Dan Quayle Indiana Michael Dukakis Democratic Massachusetts 41,809,476 45.65% 111 Lloyd Bentsen Texas Lloyd Bentsen Democratic Texas —(a) —(a) 1 Michael Dukakis Massachusetts Ron Paul Libertarian Texas 431,750 0.47% 0 Andre Marrou Alaska Lenora Fulani New Alliance Pennsylvania 217,221 0.24% 0 —(b) — 249,642 0.27% 91,594,686 538 270Source (popular vote): 1988 August 7, 2005, 1988 August 7, 2005Source (electoral vote): 1988 August 7, 2005 (a) West Virginia faithless elector Margarette Leach voted for Bentsen as president and Dukakis as vice president in order to make a statement against the U.S. Electoral College. (b) Fulani's running mate varied from state to state.Athitakis Mark August 11, 1999 Booty Call http://www.sfweekly.com/1999-08-11/music/booty-call/2 https://web.archive.org/web/20080213195052/http://www.sfweekly.com/1999-08-11/music/booty-call/2 2008-02-13 March 21, 2006 SF Weekly 2 Among the six vice presidential candidates were Joyce Dattner, Harold Moore,Fulani Lenora The Making of a Fringe Candidate 1992 0-9628621-3-4 127 Castillo International and Wynonia Burke.2003 Political Party History in Alaska http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/partysta.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20040701172615/http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/partysta.htm July 1, 2004 March 24, 2006 Internet Archive copy of official website of Alaska Division of Elections Popular vote 600px 410px Bush Republican Party (United States) 53.37 Dukakis Democratic Party (United States) 45.65 Paul Libertarian Party (United States) 0.47 Others #777777 0.51 Electoral vote 600px 410px Bush Republican Party (United States) 79.18 Dukakis Democratic Party (United States) 20.63 Bentsen Democratic Party (United States) 0.19 Results by state + Legend States/districts won by Dukakis/Bentsen States/districts won by Bush/Quayle † At-large results (Maine used the Congressional District Method) Source:1988 Presidential General Election Data – National http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/data.php?year=1988&datatype=national&def=1&f=0&off=0&elect=0 February 7, 2013 October 31, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121031043941/http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/data.php?year=1988&datatype=national&def=1&f=0&off=0&elect=0 live George H.W. BushRepublican Michael DukakisDemocratic Ron PaulLibertarian Lenora FulaniNew Alliance Margin Margin Swing State Total State electoralvotes # % electoralvotes # % electoralvotes # % electoralvotes # % electoralvotes # % % #Alabama 9 815,576 59.17 9 549,506 39.86 – 8,460 0.61 – 3,311 0.24 – 266,070 19.30 −2.93 1,378,476 ALAlaska 3 119,251 59.59 3 72,584 36.27 – 5,484 2.74 – 1,024 0.51 – 46,667 23.32 −13.47 200,116 AKArizona 7 702,541 59.95 7 454,029 38.74 – 13,351 1.14 – 1,662 0.14 – 248,512 21.21 −12.67 1,171,873 AZArkansas 6 466,578 56.37 6 349,237 42.19 – 3,297 0.40 – 2,161 0.26 – 117,341 14.18 −8.00 827,738 ARCalifornia 47 5,054,917 51.13 47 4,702,233 47.56 – 70,105 0.71 – 31,180 0.32 – 352,684 3.57 −12.68 9,887,064 CAColorado 8 728,177 53.06 8 621,453 45.28 – 15,482 1.13 – 2,539 0.19 – 106,724 7.78 −20.54 1,372,394 COConnecticut 8 750,241 51.98 8 676,584 46.87 – 14,071 0.97 – 2,491 0.17 – 73,657 5.10 −16.80 1,443,394 CTDelaware 3 139,639 55.88 3 108,647 43.48 – 1,162 0.47 – 443 0.18 – 30,992 12.40 −7.45 249,891 DED.C. 3 27,590 14.30 – 159,407 82.65 3 554 0.29 – 2,901 1.50 – −131,817 −68.34 3.32 192,877 DCFlorida 21 2,618,885 60.87 21 1,656,701 38.51 – 19,796 0.46 – 6,655 0.15 – 962,184 22.36 −8.30 4,302,313 FLGeorgia 12 1,081,331 59.75 12 714,792 39.50 – 8,435 0.47 – 5,099 0.28 – 366,539 20.25 −0.14 1,809,672 GAHawaii 4 158,625 44.75 – 192,364 54.27 4 1,999 0.56 – 1,003 0.28 – −33,739 −9.52 −20.80 354,461 HIIdaho 4 253,881 62.08 4 147,272 36.01 – 5,313 1.30 – 2,502 0.61 – 106,609 26.07 −19.90 408,968 IDIllinois 24 2,310,939 50.69 24 2,215,940 48.60 – 14,944 0.33 – 10,276 0.23 – 94,999 2.08 −10.80 4,559,120 ILIndiana 12 1,297,763 59.84 12 860,643 39.69 – – – – 10,215 0.47 – 437,120 20.16 −3.83 2,168,621 INIowa 8 545,355 44.50 – 670,557 54.71 8 2,494 0.20 – 540 0.04 – −125,202 −10.22 −17.61 1,225,614 IAKansas 7 554,049 55.79 7 422,636 42.56 – 12,553 1.26 – 3,806 0.38 – 131,413 13.23 −20.44 993,044 KSKentucky 9 734,281 55.52 9 580,368 43.88 – 2,118 0.16 – 1,256 0.09 – 153,913 11.64 −9.02 1,322,517 KYLouisiana 10 883,702 54.27 10 734,281 44.06 – 4,115 0.25 – 2,355 0.14 – 166,242 10.21 −12.39 1,628,202 LAMaine † 2 307,131 55.34 2 243,569 43.88 – 2,700 0.49 – 1,405 0.25 – 63,562 11.45 −10.60 555,035 MEMaine-1https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=489903 ME US President – CD1 Our Campaigns 2025-05-06 1 169,292 56.36 1 131,078 43.64 – 1,555 0.51 – 739 0.24 – 38,214 12.72 −7.09 300,370 ME1Maine-2https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=487876 ME US President – CD2 Our Campaigns 2025-05-06 1 137,839 55.06 1 112,491 44.94 – 1,145 0.45 – 666 0.26 – 25,348 10.12 −14.66 250,330 ME2Maryland 10 876,167 51.11 10 826,304 48.20 – 6,748 0.39 – 5,115 0.30 – 49,863 2.91 −2.58 1,714,358 MDMassachusetts 13 1,194,644 45.38 – 1,401,406 53.23 13 24,251 0.92 – 9,561 0.36 – −206,762 −7.85 −10.64 2,632,805 MAMichigan 20 1,965,486 53.57 20 1,675,783 45.67 – 18,336 0.50 – 2,513 0.07 – 289,703 7.90 −11.09 3,669,163 MIMinnesota 10 962,337 45.90 – 1,109,471 52.91 10 5,109 0.24 – 1,734 0.08 – −147,134 −7.02 −6.84 2,096,790 MNMississippi 7 557,890 59.89 7 363,921 39.07 – 3,329 0.36 – 2,155 0.23 – 193,969 20.82 −3.57 931,527 MSMissouri 11 1,084,953 51.83 11 1,001,619 47.85 – – – – 6,656 0.32 – 83,334 3.98 −16.07 2,093,228 MOMontana 4 190,412 52.07 4 168,936 46.20 – 5,047 1.38 – 1,279 0.35 – 21,476 5.87 −16.43 365,674 MTNebraska 5 398,447 60.15 5 259,646 39.20 – 2,536 0.38 – 1,743 0.26 – 138,801 20.96 −20.78 662,372 NENevada 4 206,040 58.86 4 132,738 37.92 – 3,520 1.01 – 835 0.24 – 73,302 20.94 −12.94 350,067 NVNew Hampshire 4 281,537 62.49 4 163,696 36.33 – 4,502 1.00 – 790 0.18 – 117,841 26.16 −11.54 450,525 NHNew Jersey 16 1,743,192 56.24 16 1,320,352 42.60 – 8,421 0.27 – 5,139 0.17 – 422,840 13.64 −7.25 3,099,553 NJNew Mexico 5 270,341 51.86 5 244,497 46.90 – 3,268 0.63 – 2,237 0.43 – 25,844 4.96 −15.52 521,287 NMNew York 36 3,081,871 47.52 – 3,347,882 51.62 36 12,109 0.19 – 15,845 0.24 – −266,011 −4.10 −12.11 6,485,683 NYNorth Carolina 13 1,237,258 57.97 13 890,167 41.71 – 1,263 0.06 – 5,682 0.27 – 347,091 16.26 −7.74 2,134,370 NCNorth Dakota 3 166,559 56.03 3 127,739 42.97 – 1,315 0.44 – 396 0.13 – 38,820 13.06 −17.98 297,261 NDOhio 23 2,416,549 55.00 23 1,939,629 44.15 – 11,989 0.27 – 12,017 0.27 – 476,920 10.85 −7.91 4,393,699 OHOklahoma 8 678,367 57.93 8 483,423 41.28 – 6,261 0.53 – 2,985 0.25 – 194,944 16.65 −21.29 1,171,036 OKOregon 7 560,126 46.61 – 616,206 51.28 7 14,811 1.23 – 6,487 0.54 – −56,080 −4.67 −16.84 1,201,694 ORPennsylvania 25 2,300,087 50.70 25 2,194,944 48.39 – 12,051 0.27 – 4,379 0.10 – 105,143 2.32 −5.03 4,536,251 PARhode Island 4 177,761 43.93 – 225,123 55.64 4 825 0.20 – 280 0.07 – −47,362 −11.71 −15.36 404,620 RISouth Carolina 8 606,443 61.50 8 370,554 37.58 – 4,935 0.50 – 4,077 0.41 – 235,889 23.92 −4.07 986,009 SCSouth Dakota 3 165,415 52.85 3 145,560 46.51 – 1,060 0.34 – 730 0.23 – 19,855 6.34 −20.13 312,991 SDTennessee 11 947,233 57.89 11 679,794 41.55 – 2,041 0.12 – 1,334 0.08 – 267,439 16.34 0.07 1,636,250 TNTexas 29 3,036,829 55.95 29 2,352,748 43.35 – 30,355 0.56 – 7,208 0.13 – 684,081 12.60 −14.90 5,427,410 TXUtah 5 428,442 66.22 5 207,343 32.05 – 7,473 1.16 – 455 0.07 – 221,099 34.17 −15.66 647,008 UTVermont 3 124,331 51.10 3 115,775 47.58 – 1,003 0.41 – 205 0.08 – 8,556 3.52 −13.59 243,333 VTVirginia 12 1,309,162 59.74 12 859,799 39.23 – 8,336 0.38 – 14,312 0.65 – 449,363 20.50 −4.69 2,191,609 VAWashington 10 903,835 48.46 – 933,516 50.05 10 17,240 0.92 – 3,520 0.19 – −29,681 −1.59 −14.56 1,865,253 WAWest Virginia 6 310,065 47.46 – 341,016 52.20 5 – – – 2,230 0.34 – −30,951 −4.74 −15.25 653,311 WVWisconsin 11 1,047,499 47.80 – 1,126,794 51.41 11 5,157 0.24 – 1,953 0.09 – −79,295 −3.62 −12.80 2,191,608 WIWyoming 3 106,867 60.53 3 67,113 38.01 – 2,026 1.15 – 545 0.31 – 39,754 22.52 −19.75 176,551 WY TOTALS: 538 48,886,597 53.37 426 41,809,476 45.65 111 431,750 0.47 – 217,221 0.24 – 7,077,121 7.73 −10.49 91,594,686 US Maine allowed its electoral votes to be split between candidates. Two electoral votes were awarded to the winner of the statewide race and one electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district. Bush won all four votes. This was the last election in which Nebraska awarded its electors in a winner-take-all format before switching to the congressional district method.Barone Michael The Almanac of American Politics, 1990 June 1989 Macmillan Inc. 978-0-89234-044-6 States that flipped from Republican to Democratic Hawaii Iowa Massachusetts New York Oregon Rhode Island Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Close states States with margin of victory less than 5% (195 electoral votes) Washington, 1.59% (29,681 votes) Illinois, 2.09% (94,999 votes) Pennsylvania, 2.31% (105,143 votes) Maryland, 2.91% (49,863 votes) Vermont, 3.52% (8,556 votes) California, 3.57% (352,684 votes) Wisconsin, 3.61% (79,295 votes) Missouri, 3.98% (83,334 votes) New York, 4.10% (266,011 votes) Oregon, 4.67% (56,080 votes) West Virginia, 4.74% (30,951 votes) New Mexico, 4.96% (25,844 votes) States with margin of victory between 5% and 10% (70 electoral votes): Connecticut, 5.11% (73,657 votes) Montana, 5.87% (21,476 votes) South Dakota, 6.34% (19,855 votes) Minnesota, 7.01% (147,134 votes) Colorado, 7.78% (106,724 votes) Massachusetts, 7.85% (206,762 votes) Michigan, 7.90% (289,703 votes) (tipping point state) Hawaii, 9.52% (33,739 votes) Statistics Counties with highest percent of vote (Republican) Jackson County, Kentucky 85.16% Madison County, Idaho 84.87% Ochiltree County, Texas 83.25% Blaine County, Nebraska 82.24% Thomas County, Nebraska 82.19%Counties with highest percent of vote (Democratic) Starr County, Texas 84.74% Zavala County, Texas 84.02% Washington, D.C. 82.65% Duval County, Texas 81.95% Brooks County, Texas 81.94% Maps 650px|thumb|left Voter demographics The 1988 presidential vote by demographic subgroup Demographic subgroupDukakisBush % oftotal vote Total vote 46 53 100Ideology Liberals 81 18 20 Moderates 51 49 45 Conservatives 19 81 33Party Democrats 83 17 37 Republicans 8 92 35 Independents 42 56 26Gender Men 42 57 48 Women 49 50 52Race White 40 59 85 Black 89 11 10 Hispanic 69 30 3Age 18–29 years old 47 53 20 30–44 years old 46 54 35 45–59 years old 42 58 22 60 and older 49 51 22Family income Under $12,500 63 37 12 $12,500–25,000 43 56 20 $25,000–35,000 43 56 20 $35,000–50,000 42 57 20 $50,000–100,000 38 61 19 Over $100,000 33 66 5Region East 49 50 25 Midwest 47 52 28 South 41 59 28 West 46 53 19Union households Union 57 43 25Source: CBS News and The New York Times exit poll from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research (11,645 surveyed)https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-1988 How Groups Voted in 1988 ropercenter.cornell.edu February 1, 2018 January 22, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180122072620/https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/polls/us-elections/how-groups-voted/how-groups-voted-1988/ live See also 1988 United States House of Representatives elections 1988 United States Senate elections 1988 United States gubernatorial elections Al Gore 1988 presidential campaign History of the United States (1991–2016) Inauguration of George H. W. Bush Notes References Further reading Alexander, Herbert E. Financing the 1988 election (1991) Cain, Bruce E.; Lewis, I. A.; Rivers, Douglas (1989). "Strategy and choice in the 1988 presidential primaries". Electoral Studies. 8 (1): 23–48. Cramer Richard Ben Richard Ben Cramer What It Takes: The Way to the White House 1992 Penguin Random House LLC 0679746498 online de la Garza, Rodolfo O., ed. From Rhetoric to Reality: Latino Politics in the 1988 Elections (1992) Didion Joan Joan Didion Insider Baseball The New York Review of Books October 27, 1988 35 16 https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1988/10/27/insider-baseball/ en 0028-7504 (Later included in Didion's essay collections After Henry and Political Fictions) Drew, Elizabeth. Election Journal: Political Events of 1987–1988 (1989) online Fleegler Robert L. Brutal Campaign 2023-04-11 University of North Carolina Press 978-1-4696-7337-0 Germond, Jack W., and Jules Witcover. Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars? (1989), narrative by two famous reporters; online Gopoian J. David Images and issues in the 1988 presidential election Journal of Politics 1993 55 1 151–66 10.2307/2132233 2132233 154580840 Guth, James L., and John C. Green, eds. The Bible and the Ballot Box: Religion and Politics in the 1988 Election. (1991) Johnstone, Andrew, and Andrew Priest, eds. US Presidential Elections and Foreign Policy: Candidates, Campaigns, and Global Politics from FDR to Bill Clinton (2017) pp 293–316. online Lemert James B. Elliott William R. Bernstein James M. Rosenberg William L. Nestvold Karl J. News Verdicts, the Debates, and Presidential Campaigns 1991 Praeger New York 0-275-93758-5 Moreland Laurence W. Steed Robert P. Baker Tod A. The 1988 Presidential Election in the South: Continuity Amidst Change in Southern Party Politics 1991 Praeger New York 0-275-93145-5 registration https://archive.org/details/1988presidential0000unse Pitney Jr., John J. After Reagan: Bush, Dukakis, and the 1988 Election (UP Kansas, 2019) excerpt Pomper, Gerald M., ed. The Election of 1988 : Reports and Interpretations (1989) online Runkel David R. Campaign for President: The Managers Look at '88 1989 Auburn House Dover 0-86569-194-0 registration https://archive.org/details/campaignforpresi00runk Shafer, Byron E. (1989). "The election of 1988 and the structure of American politics: Thoughts on interpreting an electoral order". Electoral Studies. 8' (1): 5–21. Stempel Guido H. III Guido Stempel Windhauser John W. The Media in the 1984 and 1988 Presidential Campaigns 1991 Greenwood Press New York 0-313-26527-5 registration https://archive.org/details/mediain19841988p0000unse External links 1988 popular vote by counties 1988 popular vote by state 1988 popular vote by states (with bar graphs) Campaign commercials from the 1988 election Booknotes interview with Jack Germond and Jules Witcover on Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars? The Trivial Pursuit of the Presidency 1988, August 27, 1989. Booknotes interview with Arthur Grace on Choose Me: Portraits of a Presidential Race, December 10, 1989. Booknotes interview with Paul Taylor on See How They Run: Electing the President in an Age of Mediaocracy, November 4, 1990. Booknotes interview with Richard Ben Cramer on What It Takes: The Way to the White House, July 26, 1992 Election of 1988 in Counting the Votes https://web.archive.org/web/20200103114657/http://www.countingthevotes.com/1988 January 3, 2020 Category:George H. W. Bush Category:Dan Quayle Category:Michael Dukakis Category:Lloyd Bentsen United States