Election in Mississippi
1988 United States presidential election in Mississippi
|
|
|
County Results
Bush
40?50%
50?60%
60?70%
70?80%
|
Dukakis
50?60%
60?70%
70?80%
| |
|
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
[update]
, 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
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
The racial composition of the Democratic primary was 55% white and 45% black.
Gore won 64% of the white vote.
44% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.
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.
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
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
Results by county
[
edit
]
County
[13]
|
George H.W. Bush
Republican
|
Michael 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
|
10.80%
|
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
|
11.06%
|
6,125
|
Choctaw
|
2,297
|
62.98%
|
1,335
|
36.61%
|
10
|
0.27%
|
2
|
0.05%
|
3
|
0.08%
|
962
|
26.37%
|
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
|
12.30%
|
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
|
-13.34%
|
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
|
48.31%
|
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
|
-3.55%
|
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
|
1.40%
|
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
|
56.28%
|
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
|
31.40%
|
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
|
15.93%
|
19,825
|
Marion
|
7,019
|
61.87%
|
4,240
|
37.38%
|
50
|
0.44%
|
17
|
0.15%
|
18
|
0.16%
|
2,779
|
24.49%
|
11,344
|
Marshall
|
4,668
|
39.72%
|
6,982
|
59.42%
|
47
|
0.40%
|
32
|
0.27%
|
22
|
0.19%
|
-2,314
|
-19.70%
|
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
|
7.76%
|
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
|
34.57%
|
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
|
22.56%
|
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
|
13.62%
|
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
|
0.04%
|
20,687
|
Wayne
|
4,496
|
60.64%
|
2,889
|
38.97%
|
12
|
0.16%
|
12
|
0.16%
|
5
|
0.07%
|
1,607
|
21.67%
|
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
|
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[
edit
]
[14]
[15]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas;
1988 Presidential Election 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
- ^
a
b
Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991
, p. 96.
- ^
Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991
, p. 98.
- ^
Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991
, p. 114.
- ^
"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
.
- ^
a
b
Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991
, p. 97-98.
- ^
"MS US President Race, November 08, 1988"
. Our Campaigns.
- ^
"1984 Presidential General Election Results - Mississippi"
.
Dave Leip's election atlas
.
- ^
"1988 Presidential General Election Results - Mississippi"
.
Dave Leip's election atlas
.
Works cited
[
edit
]