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1988 United States presidential election in North Carolina

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FieldValue
election_name1988 United States presidential election in North Carolina
countryNorth Carolina
typepresidential
ongoingno
previous_election1984 United States presidential election in North Carolina
previous_year1984
next_election1992 United States presidential election in North Carolina
next_year1992
turnout62.19%
election_dateNovember 8, 1988
flag_year1885
image_sizex200px
image1File:VP George Bush crop.jpg
nominee1George H. W. Bush
party1Republican Party (United States)
home_state1Texas
running_mate1Dan Quayle
electoral_vote113
popular_vote11,237,258
percentage157.97%
image2File:Dukakis campaign portrait 3x4.jpg
nominee2Michael Dukakis
party2Democratic Party (United States)
home_state2Massachusetts
running_mate2Lloyd Bentsen
electoral_vote20
popular_vote2890,167
percentage241.71%
map_image{{Switcher
map_caption
titlePresident
before_electionRonald Reagan
before_partyRepublican Party (United States)
after_electionGeorge H. W. Bush
after_partyRepublican Party (United States)

Main article: 1988 United States presidential election

| [[File:North Carolina Presidential Election Results 1988.svg|400px]] | County Results | [[File:1988 United States presidential election in North Carolina results map by congressional district.svg|400px]] | Congressional District Results Bush Dukakis

The 1988 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 8, 1988, and was part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

North Carolina voted for the Vice President George H. W. Bush, running with U.S Senator Dan Quayle, against Governor Michael Dukakis, running with U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

Background

With the exception of Jimmy Carter's victory in North Carolina in 1976, the state had voted for the Republican presidential nominee in every election since 1968. Republican membership in the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina peaked in elections held concurrently with the presidential elections and shrank in the following midterms. Jesse Helms's victory in the 1972 senatorial election made him the state's first Republican senator in the 20th century and John Porter East was elected to the state's other seat in 1980, but lost in the 1986 election. Republican identification among voters in the state rose from 27% to 37% between 1968 and 1986 while identification among Democrats fell from 68% to 58%.

Campaign

Primaries

Al Gore won 51% of the white vote while Dukakis won 30%. The racial composition of the Democratic primary was 71% white and 29% black, and 36% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.

General

North Carolina was one of the southern states that Michael Dukakis's campaign viewed as winnable. The North Carolina Democratic Party used $500,000 from the national party to hire over 100 workers and organize phone banks in every county, which contacted over 200,000 households. The North Carolina Republican Party received $700,000 from the national party, but only hired ten workers and instead used the money to conduct polling and hire mailing organizations.

George H. W. Bush campaign in the state three times, and Dan Quayle, Dukakis, and Lloyd Bentsen each came twice. Among white voters, 68% supported Bush while 32% supported Dukakis.

Results

1988 United States presidential election in North CarolinaPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
RepublicanGeorge H. W. Bush1,237,25857.97%13
DemocraticMichael Dukakis890,16741.71%0
New AllianceLenora Fulani5,6820.27%0
Write-inRon Paul1,2630.06%0
Invalid or blank votes
Totals2,134,370100.00%13
Voter turnout

Results by county

CountyGeorge H.W. Bush
RepublicanMichael Dukakis
DemocraticLenora Fulani
New AllianceRon Paul
Write-inMarginTotal#%#%#%#%#%Totals1,237,25857.97%890,16741.71%5,6820.27%1,2630.06%347,09116.26%2,134,370
Alamance24,13165.48%12,64234.31%690.19%90.02%11,48931.17%36,851
Alexander7,96865.56%4,14834.13%330.27%50.04%3,82031.43%12,154
Alleghany2,17450.98%2,08748.94%30.07%00.00%872.04%4,264
Anson2,78236.45%4,83163.29%200.26%00.00%-2,049-26.84%7,633
Ashe6,01959.69%4,03440.01%170.17%130.13%1,98519.68%10,083
Avery4,27775.33%1,36724.08%220.39%120.21%2,91051.25%5,678
Beaufort8,19060.35%5,35239.44%280.21%00.00%2,83820.91%13,570
Bertie2,14536.24%3,76263.56%120.20%00.00%-1,617-27.32%5,919
Bladen3,77042.77%5,03157.08%130.15%00.00%-1,261-14.31%8,814
Brunswick10,00755.78%7,88143.93%320.18%190.11%2,12611.85%17,938
Buncombe36,82857.55%26,96442.14%1850.29%150.02%9,86415.41%63,992
Burke15,93359.41%10,84840.45%260.10%120.04%5,08518.96%26,819
Cabarrus22,52467.75%10,68632.14%260.08%120.04%11,83835.61%33,248
Caldwell15,17665.78%7,86234.08%330.14%00.00%7,31431.70%23,071
Camden1,14450.87%1,08148.07%241.07%00.00%632.80%2,249
Carteret11,07661.55%6,85938.12%510.28%80.04%4,21723.43%17,994
Caswell3,29943.93%4,18955.79%200.27%10.01%-890-11.86%7,509
Catawba28,87269.01%12,92230.89%440.11%00.00%15,95038.12%41,838
Chatham6,99947.81%7,60051.92%270.18%130.09%-601-4.11%14,639
Cherokee4,55763.78%2,56735.93%210.29%00.00%1,99027.85%7,145
Chowan1,88451.56%1,75648.06%140.38%00.00%1283.50%3,654
Clay2,17462.47%1,28937.04%130.37%40.11%88525.43%3,480
Cleveland14,03957.54%10,32142.30%280.11%90.04%3,71815.24%24,397
Columbus6,65941.93%9,17257.75%510.32%00.00%-2,513-15.82%15,882
Craven12,05762.10%7,31337.66%460.24%10.01%4,74424.44%19,417
Cumberland27,05753.07%23,78946.66%1210.24%120.02%3,2686.41%50,979
Currituck2,44360.98%1,55538.82%50.12%30.07%88822.16%4,006
Dare5,23464.85%2,80634.77%290.36%20.02%2,42830.08%8,071
Davidson28,37468.11%13,21531.72%700.17%30.01%15,15936.39%41,662
Davie7,98871.37%3,16628.29%380.34%00.00%4,82243.08%11,192
Duplin5,77449.24%5,94550.70%70.06%00.00%-171-1.46%11,726
Durham29,92845.43%35,44153.79%4780.73%360.05%-5,513-8.36%65,883
Edgecombe6,83142.92%9,04456.82%310.19%100.06%-2,213-13.90%15,916
Forsyth57,68859.02%39,72640.65%3020.31%190.02%17,96218.37%97,735
Franklin5,49950.17%5,43849.62%220.20%10.01%610.55%10,960
Gaston34,77570.32%14,58229.49%870.18%70.01%20,19340.83%49,451
Gates1,45141.64%2,02458.08%100.29%00.00%-573-16.44%3,485
Graham2,09161.16%1,31338.40%150.44%00.00%77822.76%3,419
Granville4,88046.75%5,28050.58%2742.62%50.05%-400-3.83%10,439
Greene2,49847.69%2,72952.10%110.21%00.00%-231-4.41%5,238
Guilford66,06056.35%50,35142.95%2760.24%5450.46%15,70913.40%117,232
Halifax7,46246.03%8,72653.83%230.14%00.00%-1,264-7.80%16,211
Harnett9,74957.25%7,25942.63%210.12%00.00%2,49014.62%17,029
Haywood8,95749.68%9,01049.98%480.27%130.07%-53-0.30%18,028
Henderson19,71167.68%9,33832.06%580.20%180.06%10,37335.62%29,125
Hertford2,97737.54%4,94362.33%90.11%10.01%-1,966-24.79%7,930
Hoke2,02037.88%3,28161.52%320.60%00.00%-1,261-23.64%5,333
Hyde94041.52%1,31658.13%80.35%00.00%-376-16.61%2,264
Iredell21,53667.02%10,53032.77%620.19%70.02%11,00634.25%32,135
Jackson5,16651.03%4,93348.73%240.24%00.00%2332.30%10,123
Johnston15,56363.97%8,71735.83%350.14%140.06%6,84628.14%24,329
Jones1,64945.78%1,94654.03%70.19%00.00%-297-8.25%3,602
Lee7,10462.47%4,23137.21%340.30%20.02%2,87325.26%11,371
Lenoir10,66958.13%7,64941.68%340.19%10.01%3,02016.45%18,353
Lincoln11,65164.26%6,44435.54%320.18%30.02%5,20728.72%18,130
Macon6,02661.39%3,77338.44%130.13%40.04%2,25322.95%9,816
Madison3,45353.07%3,03346.62%200.31%00.00%4206.45%6,506
Martin3,14946.61%3,59853.26%70.10%20.03%-449-6.65%6,756
McDowell6,52659.34%4,44940.46%220.20%00.00%2,07718.88%10,997
Mecklenburg106,23659.42%71,90740.22%6190.35%340.02%34,32919.20%178,796
Mitchell4,62076.82%1,37722.90%170.28%00.00%3,24353.92%6,014
Montgomery4,50452.80%3,99546.83%310.36%00.00%5095.97%8,530
Moore14,54365.37%7,64234.35%270.12%360.16%6,90131.02%22,248
Nash15,90664.34%8,74035.35%320.13%440.18%7,16628.99%24,722
New Hanover23,80760.56%15,40139.18%820.21%230.06%8,40621.38%39,313
Northampton2,41534.34%4,59965.39%190.27%00.00%-2,184-31.05%7,033
Onslow12,25362.87%7,16236.75%710.36%20.01%5,09126.12%19,488
Orange14,50339.13%22,32660.23%1310.35%1070.29%-7,823-21.10%37,067
Pamlico2,29750.98%2,18848.56%210.47%00.00%1092.42%4,506
Pasquotank4,00650.76%3,86048.91%250.32%10.01%1461.85%7,892
Pender4,92652.84%4,37746.95%130.14%70.08%5495.89%9,323
Perquimans1,78153.32%1,54346.20%140.42%20.06%2387.12%3,340
Person4,83256.00%3,77743.78%170.20%20.02%1,05512.22%8,628
Pitt18,24555.08%14,77744.61%720.22%330.10%3,46810.47%33,127
Polk3,87460.31%2,53439.45%130.20%20.03%1,34020.86%6,423
Randolph23,88173.32%8,64126.53%490.15%00.00%15,24046.79%32,571
Richmond5,07341.39%7,15158.34%260.21%70.06%-2,078-16.95%12,257
Robeson9,90836.70%16,98862.92%1040.39%00.00%-7,080-26.22%27,000
Rockingham14,59155.77%11,55144.15%210.08%10.00%3,04011.62%26,164
Rowan23,19265.48%12,12734.24%960.27%10.00%11,06531.24%35,416
Rutherford10,33759.73%6,92640.02%430.25%00.00%3,41119.71%17,306
Sampson8,52451.49%8,00948.38%220.13%00.00%5153.11%16,555
Scotland3,19945.16%3,86554.56%200.28%00.00%-666-9.40%7,084
Stanly11,88564.13%6,62735.76%170.09%30.02%5,25828.37%18,532
Stokes8,66161.81%5,31937.96%270.19%50.04%3,34223.85%14,012
Surry11,39361.06%7,24538.83%220.12%00.00%4,14822.23%18,660
Swain1,79549.52%1,82150.23%90.25%00.00%-26-0.71%3,625
Transylvania7,00961.86%4,28037.78%190.17%220.19%2,72924.08%11,330
Tyrrell63744.70%78555.09%30.21%00.00%-148-10.39%1,425
Union17,01565.71%8,82034.06%460.18%150.06%8,19531.65%25,896
Vance5,62549.88%5,63149.94%180.16%20.02%-6-0.06%11,276
Wake81,61356.87%61,35242.75%4820.34%570.04%20,26114.12%143,504
Warren2,16333.64%4,24966.09%170.26%00.00%-2,086-32.45%6,429
Washington2,18643.69%2,80656.08%110.22%10.02%-620-12.39%5,004
Watauga8,66258.59%6,04840.91%570.39%180.12%2,61417.68%14,785
Wayne15,29262.48%9,13537.33%470.19%00.00%6,15725.15%24,474
Wilkes15,23167.65%7,23032.11%530.24%00.00%8,00135.54%22,514
Wilson10,99757.11%8,21442.65%400.21%60.03%2,78314.46%19,257
Yadkin7,91871.10%3,19528.69%240.22%00.00%4,72342.41%11,137
Yancey4,16052.00%3,80347.54%370.46%00.00%3574.46%8,000

Results by congressional district

Bush carried 10 of the 11 congressional districts, including seven held by Democrats.

DistrictBushDukakis
1st53.9%46.1%
2nd49.7%50.3%
3rd57.7%42.3%
4th55.7%44.3%
5th60.3%39.7%
6th60.9%39.1%
7th51.4%48.3%
8th61.9%38.1%
9th61.2%38.8%
10th65.5%35.5%
11th59.4%40.6%

Analysis

Voter demographics

The 1988 presidential vote by demographic subgroupDemographic subgroupDukakisBush% of
total votePartyIdeologyGenderRaceOccupationEducationAgeFamily incomeReligion
Total vote4258100
Republican94
Independent70
Democratic18
Liberals27
Moderates49
Conservatives83
Men63
Women53
White68
Black8
Blue collar60
White collar63
Professional61
Less than high school graduate51
High school graduate64
College60
Graduate/professional work52
18–24 years old65
25–49 years old59
50–64 years old56
65 and older52
Under $20,00042
$20,000–50,00061
Over $50,00068
Protestant65
Catholic48

Source: NBC exit poll (2,516 surveyed) and CBS News exit poll (1,503 surveyed)

References

Works cited

References

  1. "Voter Turnout".
  2. Sullivan, Robert David; [http://www.americamagazine.org/content/unconventional-wisdom/how-red-and-blue-map-evolved-over-past-century ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’]; ''America Magazine'' in ''The National Catholic Review''; June 29, 2016
  3. "1988 Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
  4. "NC US President Race, November 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
  5. "1988 United States Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District".
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