1988 United States presidential election in Florida

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1988 United States presidential election in Florida

← 1984 November 8, 1988 1992 →
TurnoutDecrease71%[1]
 
Nominee George H. W. Bush Michael Dukakis
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Texas Massachusetts
Running mate Dan Quayle Lloyd Bentsen
Electoral vote 21 0
Popular vote 2,618,885 1,656,701
Percentage 60.87% 38.51%

County Results

President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

George H. W. Bush
Republican

The 1988 United States presidential election in Florida took place on November 8, 1988.[2] All fifty states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Florida voters chose twenty-one electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Florida 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. This was Bush's fifth strongest state in the 1988 election after Utah, New Hampshire, Idaho and South Carolina.[3]

Bush won every county in the state, with the exception for North Florida’s majority-black Gadsden County, which voted for Dukakis. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, Alachua County, and Leon County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[4]

Background[edit]

The Republican presidential nominee had won Florida in seven of the nine presidential elections since 1952. By the 1980s the Republicans had also won the governorship and enough seats in the state legislature to maintain a veto. From 1979 to 1986, the percentage of voters affiliated with the Democratic Party fell from 45% to 32% while the Republicans rose from 26% to 38%.[5] Florida was one of the states that designated the second Tuesday of March as the date for their presidential primary as a part of Super Tuesday.[6]

Primaries[edit]

Five of the seven Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida endorsed George H. W. Bush in 1987, and Governor Bob Martinez served as his national co-chair. Bush won all but three counties in the primary, with the remainder being won by Pat Robertson.[7] 45% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.[8]

Florida was one of the southern Super Tuesday states that Michael Dukakis focused on as he could receive the support of Hispanics and northerners.[9] His campaign had twenty paid staffers in the state during the primary, but later reduced the number to ten during the general campaign[10] and were transferred to Illinois.[11] Dukakis won 53% of the white vote.[12] The racial composition of the primary was 82% white, 18% black, and 1% Hispanic. 56% of the electorate were white people raised outside of the state, the highest in any southern state.[13]

Campaign[edit]

Florida gave Bush his second highest-percentage amount of support in the south, only behind South Carolina,[14] and the fifth-highest nationally. Exit polls conducted by NBC showed that Bush received 64% of the vote from Hispanics aged 18 to 34 and 55% from Hispanics over 65.[15] 67% of white voters supported Bush while 33% supported Dukakis.[16][17]

The Republicans won the concurrent U.S. Senate election and increased their share of the U.S. House delegate to nine Republicans against ten Democrats. Representative James W. Grant joined the Republicans in 1989, giving them a majority of the U.S. House delegation.[18]

Results[edit]

United States presidential election in Florida, 1988
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican George H. W. Bush 2,618,885 60.87% 21
Democratic Michael Dukakis 1,656,701 38.51% 0
Libertarian Ron Paul 19,796 0.46% 0
New Alliance Party Lenora Fulani 6,655 0.15% 0
Write-Ins 276 0.01% 0
Totals 4,302,313 100.0% 21

Results by county[edit]

County George H.W. Bush
Republican
Michael Dukakis
Democratic
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Alachua 30,153 50.08% 29,396 48.82% 664 1.10% 757 1.26% 60,213
Baker 3,418 71.49% 1,355 28.34% 8 0.17% 2,063 43.15% 4,781
Bay 31,796 72.51% 11,603 26.46% 452 1.03% 20,193 46.05% 43,851
Bradford 4,221 63.61% 2,386 35.96% 29 0.44% 1,835 27.65% 6,636
Brevard 104,854 70.30% 43,004 28.83% 1,301 0.87% 61,850 41.47% 149,159
Broward 220,316 50.00% 218,274 49.54% 2,015 0.46% 2,042 0.46% 440,605
Calhoun 2,422 64.01% 1,329 35.12% 33 0.87% 1,093 28.89% 3,784
Charlotte 28,893 63.98% 15,974 35.37% 292 0.65% 12,919 28.61% 45,159
Citrus 21,072 62.95% 12,184 36.40% 218 0.65% 8,888 26.55% 33,474
Clay 25,942 76.67% 7,773 22.97% 122 0.36% 18,169 53.70% 33,837
Collier 38,920 74.87% 12,769 24.57% 291 0.56% 26,151 50.30% 51,980
Columbia 7,761 65.13% 4,073 34.18% 82 0.69% 3,688 30.95% 11,916
DeSoto 4,243 65.64% 2,181 33.74% 40 0.62% 2,062 31.90% 6,464
Dixie 2,031 59.79% 1,366 40.21% 0 0.00% 665 19.58% 3,397
Duval 128,081 62.79% 74,894 36.72% 1,004 0.49% 53,187 26.07% 203,979
Escambia 64,959 68.05% 29,977 31.40% 524 0.55% 34,982 36.65% 95,460
Flagler 6,504 60.32% 4,244 39.36% 34 0.32% 2,260 20.96% 10,782
Franklin 1,913 58.52% 1,283 39.25% 73 2.23% 630 19.27% 3,269
Gadsden 5,992 47.64% 6,372 50.66% 213 1.69% -380 -3.02% 12,577
Gilchrist 1,855 61.59% 1,137 37.75% 20 0.66% 718 23.84% 3,012
Glades 1,547 59.66% 1,034 39.88% 12 0.46% 513 19.78% 2,593
Gulf 3,042 62.44% 1,688 34.65% 142 2.91% 1,354 27.79% 4,872
Hamilton 2,062 60.72% 1,318 38.81% 16 0.47% 744 21.91% 3,396
Hardee 3,640 66.96% 1,688 31.05% 108 1.99% 1,952 35.91% 5,436
Hendry 3,965 65.70% 2,036 33.74% 34 0.56% 1,929 31.96% 6,035
Hernando 21,195 57.50% 15,437 41.88% 231 0.63% 5,758 15.62% 36,863
Highlands 16,723 67.05% 8,091 32.44% 127 0.51% 8,632 34.61% 24,941
Hillsborough 150,151 59.89% 99,014 39.49% 1,551 0.62% 51,137 20.40% 250,716
Holmes 4,225 71.61% 1,639 27.78% 36 0.61% 2,586 43.83% 5,900
Indian River 24,630 69.71% 10,451 29.58% 252 0.71% 14,179 40.13% 35,333
Jackson 8,405 62.20% 5,008 37.06% 100 0.74% 3,397 25.14% 13,513
Jefferson 2,326 52.89% 2,055 46.73% 17 0.39% 271 6.16% 4,398
Lafayette 1,451 66.41% 722 33.04% 12 0.55% 729 33.37% 2,185
Lake 37,327 68.40% 16,766 30.72% 479 0.88% 20,561 37.68% 54,572
Lee 87,303 67.71% 40,725 31.59% 908 0.70% 46,578 36.12% 128,936
Leon 36,055 51.39% 33,472 47.71% 631 0.90% 2,583 3.68% 70,158
Levy 5,253 59.75% 3,434 39.06% 104 1.18% 1,819 20.69% 8,791
Liberty 1,421 65.27% 709 32.57% 47 2.16% 712 32.70% 2,177
Madison 2,563 56.59% 1,951 43.08% 15 0.33% 612 13.51% 4,529
Manatee 51,187 65.53% 26,624 34.08% 302 0.39% 24,563 31.45% 78,113
Marion 41,501 66.38% 20,685 33.09% 334 0.53% 20,816 33.29% 62,520
Martin 31,279 72.60% 11,488 26.66% 316 0.73% 19,791 45.94% 43,083
Miami-Dade 270,937 55.26% 216,970 44.26% 2,358 0.48% 53,967 11.00% 490,265
Monroe 15,928 60.32% 10,157 38.47% 320 1.21% 5,771 21.85% 26,405
Nassau 8,374 66.59% 4,143 32.95% 58 0.46% 4,231 33.64% 12,575
Okaloosa 40,389 80.04% 9,753 19.33% 320 0.63% 30,636 60.71% 50,462
Okeechobee 4,736 60.79% 3,007 38.60% 48 0.62% 1,729 22.19% 7,791
Orange 117,237 67.86% 54,023 31.27% 1,510 0.87% 63,214 36.59% 172,770
Osceola 21,355 68.05% 9,812 31.27% 214 0.68% 11,543 36.78% 31,381
Palm Beach 181,495 55.47% 144,199 44.07% 1,523 0.47% 37,296 11.40% 327,217
Pasco 63,820 55.59% 50,385 43.89% 598 0.52% 13,435 11.70% 114,803
Pinellas 211,049 57.76% 152,420 41.72% 1,901 0.52% 58,629 16.04% 365,370
Polk 77,104 66.45% 38,249 32.96% 687 0.59% 38,855 33.49% 116,040
Putnam 11,624 57.24% 8,575 42.23% 108 0.53% 3,049 15.01% 20,307
St. Johns 19,228 70.14% 8,029 29.29% 158 0.58% 11,199 40.85% 27,415
St. Lucie 32,319 64.54% 17,446 34.84% 314 0.63% 14,873 29.70% 50,079
Santa Rosa 18,973 77.85% 5,254 21.56% 143 0.59% 13,719 56.29% 24,370
Sarasota 84,602 66.40% 42,099 33.04% 708 0.56% 42,503 33.36% 127,409
Seminole 60,401 72.20% 22,635 27.06% 622 0.74% 37,766 45.14% 83,658
Sumter 5,936 59.98% 3,900 39.41% 60 0.61% 2,036 20.57% 9,896
Suwannee 5,863 64.27% 3,129 34.30% 130 1.43% 2,734 29.97% 9,122
Taylor 4,057 69.06% 1,763 30.01% 55 0.94% 2,294 39.05% 5,875
Union 1,644 69.99% 691 29.42% 14 0.60% 953 40.57% 2,349
Volusia 74,195 56.56% 55,469 42.28% 1,518 1.16% 18,726 14.28% 131,182
Wakulla 3,158 65.72% 1,605 33.40% 42 0.87% 1,553 32.32% 4,805
Walton 7,490 69.30% 3,235 29.93% 83 0.77% 4,255 39.37% 10,808
Washington 4,374 66.64% 2,144 32.66% 46 0.70% 2,230 33.98% 6,564
Totals 2,618,885 60.87% 1,656,701 38.51% 26,727 0.62% 962,184 22.36% 4,302,313

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 176.
  2. ^ "Voter Turnout". Florida Division of Elections. 2021. Archived from the original on June 2, 2015.
  3. ^ "1988 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  4. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  5. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 166.
  6. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 3-4.
  7. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 167.
  8. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 288.
  9. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 6.
  10. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 168.
  11. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 170.
  12. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 266.
  13. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 263.
  14. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 130.
  15. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 171-173.
  16. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  17. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  18. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 172.

Works cited[edit]