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1988 United States presidential election in Kentucky

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1988 United States presidential election in Kentucky

← 1984 November 8, 1988 1992 →
 
Nominee George H. W. Bush Michael Dukakis
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Texas Massachusetts
Running mate Dan Quayle Lloyd Bentsen
Electoral vote 9 0
Popular vote 734,281 580,368
Percentage 55.52% 43.88%


President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

George H. W. Bush
Republican

The 1988 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Kentucky voters chose nine electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president. Kentucky was won by incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas, who was running against Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Bush ran with Indiana Senator Dan Quayle for vice president, and Dukakis ran with Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

Bush carried Kentucky by 11.6 percentage points on election day, the state weighing in as 4 points more Republican than the national average. The presidential election of 1988 was a very partisan election for Kentucky, with more than 99 percent of the state's electorate voting for either the Democratic or Republican nominees, and only five parties appearing on the ballot.[1] Most of the state's counties turned out for Bush, including highly populated Jefferson County, home to Louisville.[2] Dukakis' strength mainly was isolated to rural counties in the Eastern Coalfield and the Jackson Purchase.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this remains the last time that Jefferson County has voted for a Republican presidential candidate, as well as the last time that Kentucky has voted more Democratic than neighboring Tennessee.[2] Bush carried Kentucky by a solid 11-point margin, winning 84 out of the state's 120 counties. Kentucky, in this era, was a swing state, with Republicans making substantial gains in federal elections in the state throughout the 1980s.

Results

[edit]
1988 United States presidential election in Kentucky
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican George H. W. Bush 734,281 55.52% 9
Democratic Michael Dukakis 580,368 43.88% 0
Populist David Duke 4,494 0.34% 0
Libertarian Ron Paul 2,118 0.16% 0
New Alliance Lenora Fulani 1,256 0.09% 0
Totals 1,322,517 100.0% 9

Results by county

[edit]
County George H.W. Bush[3]
Republican
Michael Dukakis[3]
Democratic
David Duke[3]
Populist
Ron Paul[3]
Libertarian
Leonora Fulani[3]
New Alliance
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adair 4,346 71.09% 1,723 28.19% 24 0.39% 12 0.20% 8 0.13% 2,623 42.90% 6,113
Allen 3,342 67.89% 1,573 31.95% 4 0.08% 3 0.06% 1 0.02% 1,769 35.94% 4,923
Anderson 3,225 59.17% 2,176 39.93% 34 0.62% 8 0.15% 7 0.13% 1,049 19.24% 5,450
Ballard 1,460 40.23% 2,162 59.58% 5 0.14% 2 0.06% 0 0.00% -702 -19.35% 3,629
Barren 6,653 57.82% 4,799 41.71% 24 0.21% 15 0.13% 15 0.13% 1,854 16.11% 11,506
Bath 1,614 43.34% 2,099 56.36% 8 0.21% 2 0.05% 1 0.03% -485 -13.02% 3,724
Bell 5,759 51.45% 5,182 46.30% 223 1.99% 19 0.17% 10 0.09% 577 5.15% 11,193
Boone 12,667 69.76% 5,382 29.64% 24 0.13% 70 0.39% 14 0.08% 7,285 40.12% 18,157
Bourbon 3,308 53.57% 2,793 45.23% 55 0.89% 11 0.18% 8 0.13% 515 8.34% 6,175
Boyd 9,379 49.39% 9,552 50.31% 16 0.08% 22 0.12% 19 0.10% -173 -0.92% 18,988
Boyle 4,746 56.81% 3,575 42.79% 15 0.18% 11 0.13% 7 0.08% 1,171 14.02% 8,354
Bracken 1,630 57.72% 1,176 41.64% 10 0.35% 5 0.18% 3 0.11% 454 16.08% 2,824
Breathitt 2,149 38.51% 3,387 60.70% 31 0.56% 7 0.13% 6 0.11% -1,238 -22.19% 5,580
Breckinridge 3,841 57.99% 2,765 41.75% 8 0.12% 5 0.08% 4 0.06% 1,076 16.24% 6,623
Bullitt 8,859 59.01% 6,005 40.00% 97 0.65% 35 0.23% 17 0.11% 2,854 19.01% 15,013
Butler 3,278 72.22% 1,245 27.43% 9 0.20% 3 0.07% 4 0.09% 2,033 44.79% 4,539
Caldwell 2,952 52.93% 2,564 45.97% 54 0.97% 4 0.07% 3 0.05% 388 6.96% 5,577
Calloway 6,225 53.91% 5,287 45.79% 12 0.10% 14 0.12% 8 0.07% 938 8.12% 11,546
Campbell 19,387 66.61% 9,553 32.82% 52 0.18% 83 0.29% 29 0.10% 9,834 33.79% 29,104
Carlisle 1,104 43.06% 1,428 55.69% 25 0.98% 6 0.23% 1 0.04% -324 -12.63% 2,564
Carroll 1,702 46.81% 1,913 52.61% 13 0.36% 5 0.14% 3 0.08% -211 -5.80% 3,636
Carter 4,325 48.36% 4,570 51.10% 34 0.38% 8 0.09% 7 0.08% -245 -2.74% 8,944
Casey 3,857 75.38% 1,216 23.76% 30 0.59% 9 0.18% 5 0.10% 2,641 51.62% 5,117
Christian 9,250 61.63% 5,704 38.01% 28 0.19% 14 0.09% 12 0.08% 3,546 23.62% 15,008
Clark 5,329 55.38% 4,252 44.19% 20 0.21% 9 0.09% 12 0.12% 1,077 11.19% 9,622
Clay 4,156 70.63% 1,709 29.04% 11 0.19% 7 0.12% 1 0.02% 2,447 41.59% 5,884
Clinton 3,248 77.80% 899 21.53% 9 0.22% 17 0.41% 2 0.05% 2,349 56.27% 4,175
Crittenden 2,211 60.31% 1,443 39.36% 7 0.19% 4 0.11% 1 0.03% 768 20.95% 3,666
Cumberland 2,231 74.49% 753 25.14% 6 0.20% 4 0.13% 1 0.03% 1,478 49.35% 2,995
Daviess 17,356 53.49% 14,815 45.66% 201 0.62% 47 0.14% 26 0.08% 2,541 7.83% 32,445
Edmonson 2,555 66.75% 1,243 32.47% 27 0.71% 2 0.05% 1 0.03% 1,312 34.28% 3,828
Elliott 550 23.33% 1,797 76.24% 5 0.21% 3 0.13% 2 0.08% -1,247 -52.91% 2,357
Estill 3,077 64.18% 1,692 35.29% 11 0.23% 8 0.17% 6 0.13% 1,385 28.89% 4,794
Fayette 48,065 58.96% 32,554 39.93% 593 0.73% 192 0.24% 121 0.15% 15,511 19.03% 81,525
Fleming 2,409 53.27% 2,086 46.13% 11 0.24% 11 0.24% 5 0.11% 323 7.14% 4,522
Floyd 5,296 29.81% 12,327 69.39% 85 0.48% 29 0.16% 27 0.15% -7,031 -39.58% 17,764
Franklin 9,805 50.88% 9,271 48.11% 136 0.71% 39 0.20% 20 0.10% 534 2.77% 19,271
Fulton 1,474 48.87% 1,531 50.76% 6 0.20% 2 0.07% 3 0.10% -57 -1.89% 3,016
Gallatin 881 45.13% 1,060 54.30% 7 0.36% 4 0.20% 0 0.00% -179 -9.17% 1,952
Garrard 2,681 60.18% 1,710 38.38% 53 1.19% 8 0.18% 3 0.07% 971 21.80% 4,455
Grant 2,835 59.05% 1,896 39.49% 51 1.06% 11 0.23% 8 0.17% 939 19.56% 4,801
Graves 6,274 46.32% 7,153 52.81% 84 0.62% 23 0.17% 11 0.08% -879 -6.49% 13,545
Grayson 5,186 66.13% 2,575 32.84% 52 0.66% 16 0.20% 13 0.17% 2,611 33.29% 7,842
Green 3,139 66.07% 1,595 33.57% 9 0.19% 4 0.08% 4 0.08% 1,544 32.50% 4,751
Greenup 6,559 48.38% 6,956 51.31% 16 0.12% 19 0.14% 8 0.06% -397 -2.93% 13,558
Hancock 1,733 53.44% 1,478 45.58% 27 0.83% 5 0.15% 0 0.00% 255 7.86% 3,243
Hardin 13,240 64.27% 7,262 35.25% 38 0.18% 34 0.17% 25 0.12% 5,978 29.02% 20,599
Harlan 5,166 41.08% 7,341 58.37% 43 0.34% 15 0.12% 11 0.09% -2,175 -17.29% 12,576
Harrison 2,983 51.85% 2,748 47.77% 12 0.21% 7 0.12% 3 0.05% 235 4.08% 5,753
Hart 2,927 53.53% 2,519 46.07% 16 0.29% 4 0.07% 2 0.04% 408 7.46% 5,468
Henderson 6,911 47.27% 7,648 52.31% 27 0.18% 20 0.14% 14 0.10% -737 -5.04% 14,620
Henry 2,286 46.98% 2,544 52.28% 16 0.33% 15 0.31% 5 0.10% -258 -5.30% 4,866
Hickman 1,142 49.33% 1,158 50.02% 6 0.26% 8 0.35% 1 0.04% -16 -0.69% 2,315
Hopkins 7,979 51.46% 7,453 48.07% 29 0.19% 25 0.16% 19 0.12% 526 3.39% 15,505
Jackson 3,926 85.16% 678 14.71% 1 0.02% 3 0.07% 2 0.04% 3,248 70.45% 4,610
Jefferson 139,711 52.01% 127,936 47.63% 322 0.12% 438 0.16% 232 0.09% 11,775 4.38% 268,639
Jessamine 7,057 69.76% 2,955 29.21% 82 0.81% 14 0.14% 8 0.08% 4,102 40.55% 10,116
Johnson 4,619 56.25% 3,538 43.09% 36 0.44% 5 0.06% 13 0.16% 1,081 13.16% 8,211
Kenton 30,738 67.12% 14,838 32.40% 65 0.14% 111 0.24% 41 0.09% 15,900 34.72% 45,793
Knott 1,691 24.42% 5,185 74.86% 30 0.43% 12 0.17% 8 0.12% -3,494 -50.44% 6,926
Knox 4,903 62.21% 2,919 37.03% 45 0.57% 9 0.11% 6 0.08% 1,984 25.18% 7,882
LaRue 2,590 58.56% 1,822 41.19% 6 0.14% 5 0.11% 0 0.00% 768 17.37% 4,423
Laurel 9,296 71.54% 3,620 27.86% 53 0.41% 14 0.11% 11 0.08% 5,676 43.68% 12,994
Lawrence 2,294 50.89% 2,198 48.76% 9 0.20% 5 0.11% 2 0.04% 96 2.13% 4,508
Lee 1,588 61.31% 984 37.99% 9 0.35% 2 0.08% 7 0.27% 604 23.32% 2,590
Leslie 3,280 74.39% 1,105 25.06% 14 0.32% 8 0.18% 2 0.05% 2,175 49.33% 4,409
Letcher 3,601 43.16% 4,697 56.29% 22 0.26% 17 0.20% 7 0.08% -1,096 -13.13% 8,344
Lewis 3,108 66.18% 1,568 33.39% 10 0.21% 5 0.11% 5 0.11% 1,540 32.79% 4,696
Lincoln 3,530 56.64% 2,677 42.96% 15 0.24% 5 0.08% 5 0.08% 853 13.68% 6,232
Livingston 1,834 46.92% 2,052 52.49% 15 0.38% 6 0.15% 2 0.05% -218 -5.57% 3,909
Logan 4,295 55.74% 3,379 43.85% 17 0.22% 10 0.13% 4 0.05% 916 11.89% 7,705
Lyon 1,077 44.47% 1,337 55.20% 4 0.17% 3 0.12% 1 0.04% -260 -10.73% 2,422
Madison 9,958 59.39% 6,672 39.79% 82 0.49% 36 0.21% 18 0.11% 3,286 19.60% 16,766
Magoffin 2,158 42.48% 2,895 56.99% 17 0.33% 2 0.04% 8 0.16% -737 -14.51% 5,080
Marion 2,500 44.07% 3,152 55.56% 12 0.21% 3 0.05% 6 0.11% -652 -11.49% 5,673
Marshall 5,256 47.05% 5,888 52.71% 14 0.13% 5 0.04% 8 0.07% -632 -5.66% 11,171
Martin 2,587 61.65% 1,581 37.68% 15 0.36% 5 0.12% 8 0.19% 1,006 23.97% 4,196
Mason 3,158 53.57% 2,721 46.16% 8 0.14% 6 0.10% 2 0.03% 437 7.41% 5,895
McCracken 12,160 49.34% 12,208 49.54% 219 0.89% 39 0.16% 17 0.07% -48 -0.20% 24,643
McCreary 3,477 66.96% 1,644 31.66% 53 1.02% 6 0.12% 13 0.25% 1,833 35.30% 5,193
McLean 1,829 44.49% 2,269 55.19% 3 0.07% 6 0.15% 4 0.10% -440 -10.70% 4,111
Meade 3,441 52.57% 3,079 47.04% 11 0.17% 9 0.14% 5 0.08% 362 5.53% 6,545
Menifee 670 37.47% 1,096 61.30% 16 0.89% 2 0.11% 4 0.22% -426 -23.83% 1,788
Mercer 3,904 57.05% 2,832 41.39% 90 1.32% 11 0.16% 6 0.09% 1,072 15.66% 6,843
Metcalfe 2,179 55.66% 1,705 43.55% 18 0.46% 9 0.23% 4 0.10% 474 12.11% 3,915
Monroe 4,214 80.02% 1,025 19.46% 15 0.28% 7 0.13% 5 0.09% 3,189 60.56% 5,266
Montgomery 3,435 52.55% 3,082 47.15% 11 0.17% 4 0.06% 5 0.08% 353 5.40% 6,537
Morgan 1,452 38.04% 2,329 61.02% 22 0.58% 6 0.16% 8 0.21% -877 -22.98% 3,817
Muhlenberg 5,369 43.57% 6,912 56.09% 26 0.21% 11 0.09% 4 0.03% -1,543 -12.52% 12,322
Nelson 5,283 51.90% 4,788 47.04% 82 0.81% 13 0.13% 13 0.13% 495 4.86% 10,179
Nicholas 1,271 49.67% 1,242 48.53% 37 1.45% 8 0.31% 1 0.04% 29 1.14% 2,559
Ohio 4,910 57.46% 3,612 42.27% 13 0.15% 7 0.08% 3 0.04% 1,298 15.19% 8,545
Oldham 8,716 68.14% 4,025 31.46% 17 0.13% 26 0.20% 8 0.06% 4,691 36.68% 12,792
Owen 1,468 44.34% 1,823 55.06% 9 0.27% 4 0.12% 7 0.21% -355 -10.72% 3,311
Owsley 1,266 78.49% 345 21.39% 1 0.06% 1 0.06% 0 0.00% 921 57.10% 1,613
Pendleton 2,487 60.79% 1,576 38.52% 9 0.22% 14 0.34% 5 0.12% 911 22.27% 4,091
Perry 5,154 47.85% 5,557 51.59% 33 0.31% 14 0.13% 14 0.13% -403 -3.74% 10,772
Pike 9,976 37.76% 16,339 61.85% 54 0.20% 32 0.12% 15 0.06% -6,363 -24.09% 26,416
Powell 2,128 49.98% 2,113 49.62% 6 0.14% 4 0.09% 7 0.16% 15 0.36% 4,258
Pulaski 13,482 73.50% 4,788 26.10% 34 0.19% 23 0.13% 15 0.08% 8,694 47.40% 18,342
Robertson 511 49.37% 515 49.76% 1 0.10% 5 0.48% 3 0.29% -4 -0.39% 1,035
Rockcastle 3,880 78.42% 1,041 21.04% 14 0.28% 10 0.20% 3 0.06% 2,839 57.38% 4,948
Rowan 3,093 50.90% 2,968 48.84% 9 0.15% 5 0.08% 2 0.03% 125 2.06% 6,077
Russell 4,292 74.29% 1,455 25.19% 14 0.24% 8 0.14% 8 0.14% 2,837 49.10% 5,777
Scott 4,482 56.68% 3,380 42.74% 22 0.28% 12 0.15% 12 0.15% 1,102 13.94% 7,908
Shelby 4,998 56.34% 3,834 43.22% 18 0.20% 8 0.09% 13 0.15% 1,164 13.12% 8,871
Simpson 2,699 55.55% 2,138 44.00% 13 0.27% 7 0.14% 2 0.04% 561 11.55% 4,859
Spencer 1,368 54.61% 1,121 44.75% 11 0.44% 4 0.16% 1 0.04% 247 9.86% 2,505
Taylor 5,362 64.76% 2,879 34.77% 18 0.22% 13 0.16% 8 0.10% 2,483 29.99% 8,280
Todd 2,282 57.66% 1,632 41.23% 34 0.86% 6 0.15% 4 0.10% 650 16.43% 3,958
Trigg 2,427 54.74% 1,991 44.90% 6 0.14% 5 0.11% 5 0.11% 436 9.84% 4,434
Trimble 1,083 44.39% 1,342 55.00% 4 0.16% 5 0.20% 6 0.25% -259 -10.61% 2,440
Union 2,292 40.72% 3,316 58.92% 8 0.14% 2 0.04% 10 0.18% -1,024 -18.20% 5,628
Warren 16,703 63.07% 9,684 36.57% 39 0.15% 36 0.14% 22 0.08% 7,019 26.50% 26,484
Washington 2,445 54.89% 1,950 43.78% 50 1.12% 3 0.07% 6 0.13% 495 11.11% 4,454
Wayne 3,672 63.89% 2,057 35.79% 8 0.14% 4 0.07% 6 0.10% 1,615 28.10% 5,747
Webster 2,159 41.50% 3,019 58.04% 13 0.25% 8 0.15% 3 0.06% -860 -16.54% 5,202
Whitley 7,337 65.58% 3,794 33.91% 34 0.30% 15 0.13% 8 0.07% 3,543 31.67% 11,188
Wolfe 916 36.94% 1,516 61.13% 36 1.45% 9 0.36% 3 0.12% -600 -24.19% 2,480
Woodford 4,512 62.63% 2,653 36.83% 11 0.15% 13 0.18% 15 0.21% 1,859 25.80% 7,204
Totals 734,281 55.52% 580,368 43.88% 4,494 0.34% 2,118 0.16% 1,256 0.09% 153,913 11.64% 1,322,517

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

[edit]
George H. W. Bush campaigning in Owensboro, Kentucky

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "1988 Presidential General Election Results – Kentucky". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  3. ^ a b c d e Our Campaigns; KY US Presidential Race, November 08, 1988