1988 United States presidential election in Michigan
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November 8, 1988
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All 20 Michigan votes to the Electoral College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 55.3%  [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1988 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia participated in the 1988 United States presidential election. Voters chose 20 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president. Michigan was won by incumbent United States vice president George H. W. Bush of Texas, who was running against Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis. Bush ran with Indiana senator Dan Quayle as vice president, and Dukakis ran with Texas senator Lloyd Bentsen.
Michigan weighed in for this election as 0.1% more Republican than the national average. This was the last time Michigan voted Republican until Donald Trump's plurality win in 2016, and remains the last time that a Republican won a majority of the vote in the state. This is also the last time Michigan, along with Pennsylvania, would vote differently to fellow Rust Belt swing state Wisconsin, as all three had Democratic winning streaks from 1992 to 2012, with all three states flipping simultaneously in 2016, 2020, and 2024 as well as the last time Michigan was the most Republican-leaning of the three Rust Belt swing states.[2] Typical for elections in the 1980s, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan turned out mainly Democratic, and the Lower Peninsula turned out mainly Republican, with the notable exception of Detroit's highly populated Wayne County, which voted mainly Democratic.
As of the 2024[update], this is the last election in which Ingham County and Kalamazoo County voted for a Republican presidential candidate, and the last time Saginaw County did not vote for the statewide winner. This was the last time until 2016 that Isabella County voted Republican.[3] This was also the last time until 2024 that Michigan voted to the right of neighboring Wisconsin, that Muskegon County voted Republican, and that the Lower Peninsula voted Republican.
Caucuses
[edit]The Republican presidential caucuses were held on January 14, 1988. George H. W. Bush won Michigan.[4] The Democratic presidential caucuses were held on March 26, 1988, in Michigan. Jessie Jackson won Michigan.[5]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George H. W. Bush | 1,965,486 | 53.57% | |
| Democratic | Michael Dukakis | 1,675,783 | 45.67% | |
| Libertarian | Ron Paul | 18,336 | 0.50% | |
| Independent[a] | Lenora Fulani | 2,513 | 0.07% | |
| Independent | Eugene McCarthy | 2,497 | 0.07% | |
| Workers League | Edward Winn | 1,958 | 0.05% | |
| Independent[b] | James Warren | 819 | 0.02% | |
| Independent[c] | Larry Holmes | 804 | 0.02% | |
| Independent | David Duke (write-in) | 60 | 0.00% | |
| Independent | Earl Dodge (write-in) | 5 | 0.00% | |
| Write-ins | Scattering | 902 | 0.02% | |
| Total votes | 3,669,163 | 100.00% | ||
Results by county
[edit]| County[6][7] | George H.W. Bush Republican |
Michael Dukakis Democratic |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 2,966 | 60.47% | 1,918 | 39.10% | 21 | 0.43% | 1,048 | 21.37% | 4,905 |
| Alger | 1,830 | 45.08% | 2,210 | 54.45% | 19 | 0.47% | -380 | -9.37% | 4,059 |
| Allegan | 22,163 | 66.78% | 10,785 | 32.50% | 240 | 0.72% | 11,378 | 34.28% | 33,188 |
| Alpena | 6,664 | 51.05% | 6,341 | 48.58% | 49 | 0.38% | 323 | 2.47% | 13,054 |
| Antrim | 5,231 | 61.95% | 3,159 | 37.41% | 54 | 0.64% | 2,072 | 24.54% | 8,444 |
| Arenac | 3,064 | 48.63% | 3,211 | 50.97% | 25 | 0.40% | -147 | -2.34% | 6,300 |
| Baraga | 1,630 | 47.88% | 1,753 | 51.50% | 21 | 0.62% | -123 | -3.62% | 3,404 |
| Barry | 12,546 | 60.66% | 7,983 | 38.60% | 152 | 0.73% | 4,563 | 22.06% | 20,681 |
| Bay | 20,710 | 42.13% | 28,225 | 57.42% | 217 | 0.44% | -7,515 | -15.29% | 49,152 |
| Benzie | 3,240 | 56.52% | 2,437 | 42.52% | 55 | 0.96% | 803 | 14.00% | 5,732 |
| Berrien | 37,799 | 62.81% | 21,948 | 36.47% | 436 | 0.72% | 15,851 | 26.34% | 60,183 |
| Branch | 9,225 | 63.48% | 5,231 | 36.00% | 75 | 0.52% | 3,994 | 27.48% | 14,531 |
| Calhoun | 26,771 | 53.77% | 22,717 | 45.63% | 299 | 0.60% | 4,054 | 8.14% | 49,787 |
| Cass | 10,229 | 57.61% | 7,444 | 41.92% | 83 | 0.47% | 2,785 | 15.69% | 17,756 |
| Charlevoix | 5,802 | 59.43% | 3,875 | 39.69% | 85 | 0.87% | 1,927 | 19.74% | 9,762 |
| Cheboygan | 5,395 | 57.52% | 3,943 | 42.04% | 42 | 0.45% | 1,452 | 15.48% | 9,380 |
| Chippewa | 6,786 | 56.23% | 5,222 | 43.27% | 60 | 0.50% | 1,564 | 12.96% | 12,068 |
| Clare | 5,661 | 54.18% | 4,710 | 45.08% | 77 | 0.74% | 951 | 9.10% | 10,448 |
| Clinton | 15,497 | 62.39% | 9,225 | 37.14% | 115 | 0.46% | 6,272 | 25.25% | 24,837 |
| Crawford | 3,097 | 62.28% | 1,825 | 36.70% | 51 | 1.03% | 1,272 | 25.58% | 4,973 |
| Delta | 7,114 | 44.28% | 8,891 | 55.34% | 60 | 0.37% | -1,777 | -11.06% | 16,065 |
| Dickinson | 6,158 | 49.89% | 6,129 | 49.66% | 56 | 0.45% | 29 | 0.23% | 12,343 |
| Eaton | 24,193 | 60.78% | 15,322 | 38.49% | 291 | 0.73% | 8,871 | 22.29% | 39,806 |
| Emmet | 7,105 | 62.40% | 4,170 | 36.62% | 111 | 0.97% | 2,935 | 25.78% | 11,386 |
| Genesee | 70,922 | 40.10% | 104,880 | 59.30% | 1,057 | 0.60% | -33,958 | -19.20% | 176,859 |
| Gladwin | 4,746 | 52.83% | 4,164 | 46.35% | 73 | 0.81% | 582 | 6.48% | 8,983 |
| Gogebic | 3,509 | 40.38% | 5,151 | 59.27% | 31 | 0.36% | -1,642 | -18.89% | 8,691 |
| Grand Traverse | 17,191 | 62.46% | 10,098 | 36.69% | 236 | 0.86% | 7,093 | 25.77% | 27,525 |
| Gratiot | 8,447 | 59.36% | 5,719 | 40.19% | 64 | 0.45% | 2,728 | 19.17% | 14,230 |
| Hillsdale | 10,571 | 68.29% | 4,763 | 30.77% | 145 | 0.94% | 5,808 | 37.52% | 15,479 |
| Houghton | 7,098 | 51.83% | 6,510 | 47.54% | 86 | 0.63% | 588 | 4.29% | 13,694 |
| Huron | 9,419 | 61.91% | 5,714 | 37.56% | 81 | 0.53% | 3,705 | 24.35% | 15,214 |
| Ingham | 58,363 | 50.56% | 55,984 | 48.50% | 1,088 | 0.94% | 2,379 | 2.06% | 115,435 |
| Ionia | 12,028 | 59.05% | 8,160 | 40.06% | 181 | 0.89% | 3,868 | 18.99% | 20,369 |
| Iosco | 7,234 | 59.17% | 4,929 | 40.32% | 62 | 0.51% | 2,305 | 18.85% | 12,225 |
| Iron | 2,866 | 42.94% | 3,774 | 56.55% | 34 | 0.51% | -908 | -13.61% | 6,674 |
| Isabella | 10,362 | 56.07% | 7,960 | 43.07% | 160 | 0.87% | 2,402 | 13.00% | 18,482 |
| Jackson | 33,885 | 60.37% | 21,865 | 38.96% | 377 | 0.67% | 12,020 | 21.41% | 56,127 |
| Kalamazoo | 50,205 | 55.64% | 39,457 | 43.73% | 573 | 0.64% | 10,748 | 11.91% | 90,235 |
| Kalkaska | 3,369 | 61.21% | 2,092 | 38.01% | 43 | 0.78% | 1,277 | 23.20% | 5,504 |
| Kent | 131,910 | 63.77% | 73,467 | 35.52% | 1,465 | 0.71% | 58,443 | 28.25% | 206,842 |
| Keweenaw | 536 | 45.81% | 631 | 53.93% | 3 | 0.26% | -95 | -8.12% | 1,170 |
| Lake | 1,713 | 46.32% | 1,958 | 52.95% | 27 | 0.73% | -245 | -6.63% | 3,698 |
| Lapeer | 16,670 | 60.19% | 10,736 | 38.76% | 291 | 1.05% | 5,934 | 21.43% | 27,697 |
| Leelanau | 5,215 | 60.51% | 3,331 | 38.65% | 73 | 0.85% | 1,884 | 21.86% | 8,619 |
| Lenawee | 19,115 | 57.84% | 13,690 | 41.42% | 243 | 0.74% | 5,425 | 16.42% | 33,048 |
| Livingston | 31,331 | 68.79% | 13,749 | 30.19% | 466 | 1.02% | 17,582 | 38.60% | 45,546 |
| Luce | 1,528 | 63.22% | 864 | 35.75% | 25 | 1.03% | 664 | 27.47% | 2,417 |
| Mackinac | 3,127 | 59.65% | 2,093 | 39.93% | 22 | 0.42% | 1,034 | 19.72% | 5,242 |
| Macomb | 175,632 | 60.33% | 112,856 | 38.77% | 2,627 | 0.90% | 62,776 | 21.56% | 291,115 |
| Manistee | 5,368 | 52.58% | 4,765 | 46.67% | 77 | 0.75% | 603 | 5.91% | 10,210 |
| Marquette | 11,704 | 42.92% | 15,418 | 56.54% | 145 | 0.53% | -3,714 | -13.62% | 27,267 |
| Mason | 6,800 | 59.58% | 4,531 | 39.70% | 82 | 0.72% | 2,269 | 19.88% | 11,413 |
| Mecosta | 8,181 | 63.02% | 4,736 | 36.48% | 64 | 0.49% | 3,445 | 26.54% | 12,981 |
| Menominee | 5,440 | 52.28% | 4,918 | 47.26% | 48 | 0.46% | 522 | 5.02% | 10,406 |
| Midland | 19,994 | 59.12% | 13,452 | 39.78% | 371 | 1.10% | 6,542 | 19.34% | 33,817 |
| Missaukee | 3,566 | 68.26% | 1,621 | 31.03% | 37 | 0.71% | 1,945 | 37.23% | 5,224 |
| Monroe | 26,189 | 54.19% | 21,847 | 45.21% | 288 | 0.60% | 4,342 | 8.98% | 48,324 |
| Montcalm | 10,963 | 58.46% | 7,664 | 40.87% | 127 | 0.68% | 3,299 | 17.59% | 18,754 |
| Montmorency | 2,514 | 61.32% | 1,563 | 38.12% | 23 | 0.56% | 951 | 23.20% | 4,100 |
| Muskegon | 33,567 | 53.36% | 28,977 | 46.06% | 363 | 0.58% | 4,590 | 7.30% | 62,907 |
| Newaygo | 9,896 | 64.32% | 5,389 | 35.03% | 100 | 0.65% | 4,507 | 29.29% | 15,385 |
| Oakland | 283,359 | 61.27% | 174,745 | 37.78% | 4,384 | 0.95% | 108,614 | 23.49% | 462,488 |
| Oceana | 5,693 | 62.46% | 3,356 | 36.82% | 65 | 0.71% | 2,337 | 25.64% | 9,114 |
| Ogemaw | 4,091 | 50.20% | 4,012 | 49.23% | 47 | 0.58% | 79 | 0.97% | 8,150 |
| Ontonagon | 2,023 | 44.34% | 2,517 | 55.17% | 22 | 0.48% | -494 | -10.83% | 4,562 |
| Osceola | 5,218 | 64.25% | 2,860 | 35.22% | 43 | 0.53% | 2,358 | 29.03% | 8,121 |
| Oscoda | 1,972 | 62.27% | 1,170 | 36.94% | 25 | 0.79% | 802 | 25.33% | 3,167 |
| Otsego | 4,620 | 63.31% | 2,635 | 36.11% | 43 | 0.59% | 1,985 | 27.20% | 7,298 |
| Ottawa | 61,515 | 76.20% | 18,769 | 23.25% | 445 | 0.55% | 42,746 | 52.95% | 80,729 |
| Presque Isle | 3,614 | 54.11% | 3,025 | 45.29% | 40 | 0.60% | 589 | 8.82% | 6,679 |
| Roscommon | 5,866 | 56.93% | 4,394 | 42.65% | 43 | 0.42% | 1,472 | 14.28% | 10,303 |
| Saginaw | 42,401 | 47.88% | 45,616 | 51.51% | 549 | 0.62% | -3,215 | -3.63% | 88,566 |
| Sanilac | 10,653 | 65.73% | 5,445 | 33.60% | 109 | 0.67% | 5,208 | 32.13% | 16,207 |
| Schoolcraft | 1,802 | 46.37% | 2,071 | 53.29% | 13 | 0.33% | -269 | -6.92% | 3,886 |
| Shiawassee | 15,506 | 53.94% | 13,056 | 45.42% | 186 | 0.65% | 2,450 | 8.52% | 28,748 |
| St. Clair | 32,336 | 60.26% | 20,909 | 38.97% | 413 | 0.77% | 11,427 | 21.29% | 53,658 |
| St. Joseph | 13,084 | 64.79% | 7,017 | 34.74% | 95 | 0.47% | 6,067 | 30.05% | 20,196 |
| Tuscola | 12,093 | 56.90% | 9,060 | 42.63% | 101 | 0.48% | 3,033 | 14.27% | 21,254 |
| Van Buren | 14,522 | 57.17% | 10,668 | 42.00% | 210 | 0.83% | 3,854 | 15.17% | 25,400 |
| Washtenaw | 55,029 | 46.67% | 61,799 | 52.41% | 1,092 | 0.93% | -6,770 | -5.74% | 117,920 |
| Wayne | 291,996 | 39.03% | 450,222 | 60.18% | 5,938 | 0.79% | -158,226 | -21.15% | 748,156 |
| Wexford | 6,043 | 58.07% | 4,287 | 41.20% | 76 | 0.73% | 1,756 | 16.87% | 10,406 |
| Totals | 1,965,486 | 53.57% | 1,675,783 | 45.67% | 27,894 | 0.76% | 289,703 | 7.90% | 3,669,163 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[edit]See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ↑ Affiliated with the New Alliance Party nationally but listed as "No Party Affiliation" on the ballot in Michigan.
- ↑ Affiliated with the Socialist Workers Party nationally but listed as "No Party Affiliation" on the ballot in Michigan.
- ↑ Affiliated with the Workers World nationally but listed as "No Party Affiliation" on the ballot in Michigan.
References
[edit]- ↑ "SOS - General Election Voter Registration/Turnout Statistics".
- ↑ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- ↑ "Trump flipped 12 counties to win Michigan". Detroit News.
- ↑ "Raucous caucuses". Lansing State Journal. January 15, 1988. p. 1. Retrieved October 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Compromise Slates Picked To Democratic Convention". Detroit Free Press. May 15, 1988. p. 3. Retrieved October 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Michigan Manual 1989-1990. Legislative Service Bureau. 1989. pp. 798–800.
- 1 2 "1988 Presidential General Election Results - Michigan". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
