1988 United States presidential election in Mississippi
← 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 7 0
Popular vote 557,890 363,921
Percentage 59.89% 39.07%
County Results
President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

George H. W. Bush
Republican

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The 1988 United States presidential election in Mississippi took place on November 8, 1988. All fifty states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Mississippi voters chose seven electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Mississippi was won by incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush, running with U.S. Senator Dan Quayle, against Governor Michael Dukakis, running with U.S Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

Notably, however, George County, in Mississippi's Pine Belt, gave former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke his largest vote share of any county in the country (about 4%). George County also gave third parties in the aggregate their largest vote share of any county in the country.[1]

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Adams County, Kemper County, Washington County, and Leflore County voted for the Republican presidential nominee; and the last in which Hinds County, the most populous in the state, gave a Republican an outright majority.[2]

Background

Thad Cochran's victory in the 1978 election made him the first Republican elected to the United States Senate since the end of Reconstruction. However, the Democrats maintained control over all state-level offices.[3]

Campaign

The racial composition of the Democratic primary was 55% white and 45% black.[4] Gore won 64% of the white vote.[5] 44% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.[6]

Dukakis was the first presidential candidate to visit the Neshoba County Fair since Ronald Reagan during the 1980 election.[7] 76% of white voters supported Bush while 23% supported Dukakis.[8][9]

Democratic nominee Wayne Dowdy lost in the concurrent U.S. Senate election resulting in Mississippi having two Republican senators for the first time since Reconstruction.[3] However, the Democrats controlled four of the state's five seats in the United States House of Representatives.[10]

Harry Allen, Rhesa Barksdale, Robbie Hughes, Henry Paris, Fred Reeder, Michael Allred, and Ed Weeks were the Republican electors that cast their ballots for Bush and Quayle. Allred was selected to replace John Palmer as Palmer was unable to cast his ballot.[11]

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		George
Bush
Republican 		Michael
Dukakis
Democratic 		Other /
Undecided
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy[12] June 9–12, 1988 50% 39% 11%
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy[12] August 1–3, 1988 50% 43% 7%

Results

1988 United States presidential election in Mississippi
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican George H. W. Bush 557,890 59.89% 7
Democratic Michael Dukakis 363,921 39.07% 0
Independent David Duke 4,232 0.45% 0
Libertarian Ron Paul 3,329 0.36% 0
Independent Lenora Fulani 2,155 0.23% 0
Totals 931,527 100.00% 7

Results by county

1988 United States presidential election in Mississippi by county[13]
County George H.W. Bush
Republican 		Michael S. Dukakis
Democratic 		David Duke
Independent 		Ron Paul
Libertarian 		Leonora Fulani
Independent 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 8,116 50.74% 7,732 48.34% 96 0.60% 25 0.16% 25 0.16% 384 2.40% 15,994
Alcorn 6,641 54.88% 5,335 44.08% 38 0.31% 73 0.60% 15 0.12% 1,306 10.79% 12,102
Amite 3,333 53.88% 2,834 45.81% 14 0.23% 5 0.08% 0 0.00% 499 8.07% 6,186
Attala 4,524 59.87% 2,997 39.66% 21 0.28% 7 0.09% 7 0.09% 1,527 20.21% 7,556
Benton 1,565 47.30% 1,718 51.92% 20 0.60% 3 0.09% 3 0.09% -153 -4.62% 3,309
Bolivar 6,105 43.34% 7,606 54.00% 101 0.72% 204 1.45% 69 0.49% -1,501 -10.66% 14,085
Calhoun 3,375 61.55% 2,086 38.04% 7 0.13% 11 0.20% 4 0.07% 1,289 23.51% 5,483
Carroll 2,628 62.51% 1,560 37.11% 1 0.02% 11 0.26% 4 0.10% 1,068 25.40% 4,204
Chickasaw 3,390 55.35% 2,713 44.29% 15 0.24% 1 0.02% 6 0.10% 677 11.05% 6,125
Choctaw 2,297 62.98% 1,335 36.61% 10 0.27% 2 0.05% 3 0.08% 962 26.38% 3,647
Claiborne 1,233 28.35% 3,083 70.89% 12 0.28% 6 0.14% 15 0.34% -1,850 -42.54% 4,349
Clarke 4,522 63.71% 2,576 36.29% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,946 27.42% 7,098
Clay 3,645 48.26% 3,849 50.96% 39 0.52% 10 0.13% 10 0.13% -204 -2.70% 7,553
Coahoma 4,939 43.79% 6,139 54.43% 86 0.76% 76 0.67% 38 0.34% -1,200 -10.64% 11,278
Copiah 5,100 54.64% 4,175 44.73% 28 0.30% 23 0.25% 8 0.09% 925 9.91% 9,334
Covington 4,005 60.38% 2,591 39.06% 24 0.36% 7 0.11% 6 0.09% 1,414 21.32% 6,633
DeSoto 14,681 72.50% 5,449 26.91% 57 0.28% 43 0.21% 20 0.10% 9,232 45.59% 20,250
Forrest 14,249 66.84% 6,953 32.62% 52 0.24% 38 0.18% 26 0.12% 7,296 34.22% 21,318
Franklin 2,376 59.97% 1,563 39.45% 14 0.35% 6 0.15% 3 0.08% 813 20.52% 3,962
George 4,545 58.40% 2,435 31.29% 328 4.21% 253 3.25% 221 2.84% 2,110 27.11% 7,782
Greene 2,837 57.08% 1,637 32.94% 195 3.90% 187 3.74% 144 2.88% 1,200 24.14% 4,970
Grenada 5,352 59.10% 3,683 40.67% 4 0.04% 9 0.10% 8 0.09% 1,669 18.43% 9,056
Hancock 7,763 66.42% 3,760 32.17% 104 0.90% 31 0.27% 29 0.25% 4,003 34.25% 11,687
Harrison 32,892 68.88% 14,439 30.24% 191 0.40% 162 0.34% 70 0.15% 18,453 38.64% 47,754
Hinds 52,749 55.52% 41,058 43.22% 593 0.62% 315 0.33% 291 0.31% 11,691 12.31% 95,006
Holmes 2,737 33.68% 5,350 65.84% 18 0.22% 8 0.10% 13 0.16% -2,613 -32.16% 8,126
Humphreys 2,018 42.98% 2,644 56.32% 12 0.26% 11 0.23% 10 0.21% -626 -13.33% 4,695
Issaquena 424 43.58% 511 52.52% 17 1.75% 11 1.13% 10 1.03% -87 -8.94% 973
Itawamba 4,535 58.95% 3,143 40.86% 7 0.09% 6 0.08% 2 0.03% 1,392 18.09% 7,693
Jackson 29,830 73.90% 10,328 25.59% 85 0.21% 76 0.19% 45 0.11% 19,502 48.32% 40,364
Jasper 3,368 51.25% 3,184 48.45% 8 0.12% 5 0.08% 7 0.11% 184 2.80% 6,572
Jefferson 702 20.64% 2,693 79.18% 1 0.03% 1 0.03% 4 0.12% -1,991 -58.54% 3,401
Jefferson Davis 2,745 47.92% 2,948 51.47% 20 0.35% 6 0.10% 9 0.16% -203 -3.54% 5,728
Jones 16,764 69.07% 7,383 30.42% 65 0.27% 27 0.11% 33 0.14% 9,381 38.65% 24,272
Kemper 2,128 50.25% 2,069 48.85% 16 0.38% 12 0.28% 10 0.24% 59 1.39% 4,235
Lafayette 5,841 59.29% 3,967 40.27% 18 0.18% 17 0.17% 9 0.09% 1,874 19.02% 9,852
Lamar 9,145 77.86% 2,535 21.58% 42 0.36% 13 0.11% 11 0.09% 6,610 56.27% 11,746
Lauderdale 18,302 68.99% 7,967 30.03% 77 0.29% 138 0.52% 45 0.17% 10,335 38.96% 26,529
Lawrence 3,682 59.17% 2,517 40.45% 12 0.19% 6 0.10% 6 0.10% 1,165 18.72% 6,223
Leake 4,168 59.86% 2,787 40.03% 2 0.03% 3 0.04% 3 0.04% 1,381 19.83% 6,963
Lee 13,767 66.42% 6,604 31.86% 56 0.27% 261 1.26% 40 0.19% 7,163 34.56% 20,728
Leflore 6,409 50.95% 5,830 46.35% 129 1.03% 147 1.17% 64 0.51% 579 4.60% 12,579
Lincoln 8,710 65.50% 4,534 34.10% 42 0.32% 5 0.04% 6 0.05% 4,176 31.41% 13,297
Lowndes 11,258 64.96% 5,993 34.58% 29 0.17% 27 0.16% 24 0.14% 5,265 30.38% 17,331
Madison 11,399 57.50% 8,242 41.57% 99 0.50% 41 0.21% 44 0.22% 3,157 15.92% 19,825
Marion 7,019 61.87% 4,240 37.38% 50 0.44% 17 0.15% 18 0.16% 2,779 24.50% 11,344
Marshall 4,668 39.72% 6,982 59.42% 47 0.40% 32 0.27% 22 0.19% -2,314 -19.69% 11,751
Monroe 6,447 57.70% 4,669 41.79% 33 0.30% 14 0.13% 10 0.09% 1,778 15.91% 11,173
Montgomery 2,504 56.79% 1,893 42.93% 6 0.14% 4 0.09% 2 0.05% 611 13.86% 4,409
Neshoba 6,363 68.08% 2,942 31.48% 19 0.20% 17 0.18% 6 0.06% 3,421 36.60% 9,347
Newton 5,658 70.70% 2,332 29.14% 6 0.07% 5 0.06% 2 0.02% 3,326 41.56% 8,003
Noxubee 1,870 40.38% 2,722 58.78% 17 0.37% 12 0.26% 10 0.22% -852 -18.40% 4,631
Oktibbeha 7,126 57.99% 5,100 41.50% 19 0.15% 22 0.18% 22 0.18% 2,026 16.49% 12,289
Panola 5,382 50.46% 5,222 48.96% 28 0.26% 17 0.16% 16 0.15% 160 1.50% 10,665
Pearl River 10,220 71.30% 3,939 27.48% 124 0.87% 33 0.23% 17 0.12% 6,281 43.82% 14,333
Perry 2,983 68.62% 1,326 30.50% 27 0.62% 6 0.14% 5 0.12% 1,657 38.12% 4,347
Pike 7,637 53.63% 6,531 45.87% 43 0.30% 18 0.13% 10 0.07% 1,106 7.77% 14,239
Pontotoc 4,939 63.81% 2,772 35.81% 17 0.22% 11 0.14% 1 0.01% 2,167 28.00% 7,740
Prentiss 4,348 55.09% 3,429 43.45% 43 0.54% 45 0.57% 27 0.34% 919 11.64% 7,892
Quitman 1,832 42.11% 2,497 57.39% 10 0.23% 4 0.09% 8 0.18% -665 -15.28% 4,351
Rankin 22,937 78.41% 6,201 21.20% 46 0.16% 39 0.13% 31 0.11% 16,736 57.21% 29,254
Scott 5,522 65.06% 2,939 34.63% 15 0.18% 6 0.07% 6 0.07% 2,583 30.43% 8,488
Sharkey 1,277 43.00% 1,609 54.18% 35 1.18% 27 0.91% 22 0.74% -332 -11.18% 2,970
Simpson 6,151 66.69% 3,016 32.70% 25 0.27% 26 0.28% 5 0.05% 3,135 33.99% 9,223
Smith 4,573 72.76% 1,660 26.41% 36 0.57% 13 0.21% 3 0.05% 2,913 46.35% 6,285
Stone 3,007 66.84% 1,452 32.27% 26 0.58% 13 0.29% 1 0.02% 1,555 34.56% 4,499
Sunflower 4,362 46.96% 4,898 52.73% 14 0.15% 12 0.13% 3 0.03% -536 -5.77% 9,289
Tallahatchie 2,633 47.47% 2,881 51.94% 15 0.27% 15 0.27% 3 0.05% -248 -4.47% 5,547
Tate 4,553 61.12% 2,872 38.56% 10 0.13% 9 0.12% 5 0.07% 1,681 22.57% 7,449
Tippah 4,593 60.41% 2,958 38.91% 20 0.26% 15 0.20% 17 0.22% 1,635 21.50% 7,603
Tishomingo 3,646 51.70% 3,378 47.90% 14 0.20% 12 0.17% 2 0.03% 268 3.80% 7,052
Tunica 896 36.87% 1,510 62.14% 18 0.74% 3 0.12% 3 0.12% -614 -25.27% 2,430
Union 5,511 64.15% 3,044 35.43% 15 0.17% 12 0.14% 9 0.10% 2,467 28.72% 8,591
Walthall 3,103 56.40% 2,354 42.78% 29 0.53% 11 0.20% 5 0.09% 749 13.61% 5,502
Warren 12,507 62.01% 7,437 36.87% 79 0.39% 68 0.34% 79 0.39% 5,070 25.14% 20,170
Washington 10,229 49.45% 10,222 49.41% 84 0.41% 87 0.42% 65 0.31% 7 0.03% 20,687
Wayne 4,496 60.64% 2,889 38.97% 12 0.16% 12 0.16% 5 0.07% 1,607 21.68% 7,414
Webster 3,061 66.08% 1,550 33.46% 14 0.30% 5 0.11% 2 0.04% 1,511 32.62% 4,632
Wilkinson 1,528 36.18% 2,678 63.41% 6 0.14% 9 0.21% 2 0.05% -1,150 -27.23% 4,223
Winston 5,317 57.61% 3,851 41.73% 15 0.16% 28 0.30% 18 0.20% 1,466 15.88% 9,229
Yalobusha 2,660 52.23% 2,402 47.16% 19 0.37% 7 0.14% 5 0.10% 258 5.07% 5,093
Yazoo 5,538 48.03% 4,989 43.27% 391 3.39% 314 2.72% 298 2.58% 549 4.76% 11,530
Totals 557,890 59.89% 363,921 39.07% 4,232 0.45% 3,329 0.36% 2,155 0.23% 193,969 20.82% 931,527

See also

References

  1. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; 1988 Presidential Election Statistics
  2. ^ 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 Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 96.
  4. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 263.
  5. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 266.
  6. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 288.
  7. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 98.
  8. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  9. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  10. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 114.
  11. ^ "State's seven electoral votes are cast for Bush and Quayle". Clarksdale Press Register. December 19, 1988. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 97-98.
  13. ^ "MS US President Race, November 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.

Works cited

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