1988 United States presidential election in North Carolina
|
|
|
County Results
Congressional District Results
Bush
50?60%
60?70%
70?80%
|
Dukakis
40?50%
50?60%
60?70%
| |
|
The
1988 United States presidential election in North Carolina
took place on November 8, 1988, and was part of the
1988 United States presidential election
. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the
Electoral College
, who voted for
president
and
vice president
.
North Carolina
voted for the Vice President
George H. W. Bush
, running with U.S Senator
Dan Quayle
, against Governor
Michael Dukakis
, running with U.S. Senator
Lloyd Bentsen
. As of the
2020 presidential election
[update]
, this is the last election in which
Pasquotank County
voted for a Republican presidential candidate.
[1]
Background
[
edit
]
With the exception of
Jimmy Carter
's victory in North Carolina in
1976
, the state had voted for the
Republican
presidential nominee in every election since
1968
. Republican membership in the
United States House of Representatives
from North Carolina peaked in elections held concurrently with the presidential elections and shrank in the following midterms.
Jesse Helms
's victory in the
1972 senatorial election
made him the state's first Republican senator in the 20th century and
John Porter East
was elected to the state's other seat in
1980
, but lost in the
1986 election
.
[2]
Republican identification among voters in the state rose from 27% to 37% between 1968 and 1986 while identification among Democrats fell from 68% to 58%.
[3]
Campaign
[
edit
]
Primaries
[
edit
]
Al Gore
won 51% of the white vote while Dukakis won 30%.
The racial composition of the Democratic primary was 71% white and 29% black.
36% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.
General
[
edit
]
North Carolina was one of the southern states that
Michael Dukakis
's campaign viewed as winnable. The
North Carolina Democratic Party
used $500,000 from the national party to hire over 100 workers and organize phone banks in every county, which contacted over 200,000 households. The
North Carolina Republican Party
received $700,000 from the national party, but only hired ten workers and instead used the money to conduct polling and hire mailing organizations.
[7]
George H. W. Bush
campaign in the state three times, and
Dan Quayle
, Dukakis, and
Lloyd Bentsen
each came twice.
[8]
68% of white voters supported Bush while 32% supported Dukakis.
Results
[
edit
]
Results by county
[
edit
]
County
[12]
|
George H.W. Bush
Republican
|
Michael Dukakis
Democratic
|
Lenora Fulani
New Alliance
|
Ron Paul
Write-in
|
Margin
|
Total
|
#
|
%
|
#
|
%
|
#
|
%
|
#
|
%
|
#
|
%
|
Alamance
|
24,131
|
65.48%
|
12,642
|
34.31%
|
69
|
0.19%
|
9
|
0.02%
|
11,489
|
31.17%
|
36,851
|
Alexander
|
7,968
|
65.56%
|
4,148
|
34.13%
|
33
|
0.27%
|
5
|
0.04%
|
3,820
|
31.43%
|
12,154
|
Alleghany
|
2,174
|
50.98%
|
2,087
|
48.94%
|
3
|
0.07%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
87
|
2.04%
|
4,264
|
Anson
|
2,782
|
36.45%
|
4,831
|
63.29%
|
20
|
0.26%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-2,049
|
-26.84%
|
7,633
|
Ashe
|
6,019
|
59.69%
|
4,034
|
40.01%
|
17
|
0.17%
|
13
|
0.13%
|
1,985
|
19.68%
|
10,083
|
Avery
|
4,277
|
75.33%
|
1,367
|
24.08%
|
22
|
0.39%
|
12
|
0.21%
|
2,910
|
51.25%
|
5,678
|
Beaufort
|
8,190
|
60.35%
|
5,352
|
39.44%
|
28
|
0.21%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
2,838
|
20.91%
|
13,570
|
Bertie
|
2,145
|
36.24%
|
3,762
|
63.56%
|
12
|
0.20%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-1,617
|
-27.32%
|
5,919
|
Bladen
|
3,770
|
42.77%
|
5,031
|
57.08%
|
13
|
0.15%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-1,261
|
-14.31%
|
8,814
|
Brunswick
|
10,007
|
55.78%
|
7,881
|
43.93%
|
32
|
0.18%
|
19
|
0.11%
|
2,126
|
11.85%
|
17,938
|
Buncombe
|
36,828
|
57.55%
|
26,964
|
42.14%
|
185
|
0.29%
|
15
|
0.02%
|
9,864
|
15.41%
|
63,992
|
Burke
|
15,933
|
59.41%
|
10,848
|
40.45%
|
26
|
0.10%
|
12
|
0.04%
|
5,085
|
18.96%
|
26,819
|
Cabarrus
|
22,524
|
67.75%
|
10,686
|
32.14%
|
26
|
0.08%
|
12
|
0.04%
|
11,838
|
35.61%
|
33,248
|
Caldwell
|
15,176
|
65.78%
|
7,862
|
34.08%
|
33
|
0.14%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
7,314
|
31.70%
|
23,071
|
Camden
|
1,144
|
50.87%
|
1,081
|
48.07%
|
24
|
1.07%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
63
|
2.80%
|
2,249
|
Carteret
|
11,076
|
61.55%
|
6,859
|
38.12%
|
51
|
0.28%
|
8
|
0.04%
|
4,217
|
23.43%
|
17,994
|
Caswell
|
3,299
|
43.93%
|
4,189
|
55.79%
|
20
|
0.27%
|
1
|
0.01%
|
-890
|
-11.86%
|
7,509
|
Catawba
|
28,872
|
69.01%
|
12,922
|
30.89%
|
44
|
0.11%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
15,950
|
38.12%
|
41,838
|
Chatham
|
6,999
|
47.81%
|
7,600
|
51.92%
|
27
|
0.18%
|
13
|
0.09%
|
-601
|
-4.11%
|
14,639
|
Cherokee
|
4,557
|
63.78%
|
2,567
|
35.93%
|
21
|
0.29%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
1,990
|
27.85%
|
7,145
|
Chowan
|
1,884
|
51.56%
|
1,756
|
48.06%
|
14
|
0.38%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
128
|
3.50%
|
3,654
|
Clay
|
2,174
|
62.47%
|
1,289
|
37.04%
|
13
|
0.37%
|
4
|
0.11%
|
885
|
25.43%
|
3,480
|
Cleveland
|
14,039
|
57.54%
|
10,321
|
42.30%
|
28
|
0.11%
|
9
|
0.04%
|
3,718
|
15.24%
|
24,397
|
Columbus
|
6,659
|
41.93%
|
9,172
|
57.75%
|
51
|
0.32%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-2,513
|
-15.82%
|
15,882
|
Craven
|
12,057
|
62.10%
|
7,313
|
37.66%
|
46
|
0.24%
|
1
|
0.01%
|
4,744
|
24.44%
|
19,417
|
Cumberland
|
27,057
|
53.07%
|
23,789
|
46.66%
|
121
|
0.24%
|
12
|
0.02%
|
3,268
|
6.41%
|
50,979
|
Currituck
|
2,443
|
60.98%
|
1,555
|
38.82%
|
5
|
0.12%
|
3
|
0.07%
|
888
|
22.16%
|
4,006
|
Dare
|
5,234
|
64.85%
|
2,806
|
34.77%
|
29
|
0.36%
|
2
|
0.02%
|
2,428
|
30.08%
|
8,071
|
Davidson
|
28,374
|
68.11%
|
13,215
|
31.72%
|
70
|
0.17%
|
3
|
0.01%
|
15,159
|
36.39%
|
41,662
|
Davie
|
7,988
|
71.37%
|
3,166
|
28.29%
|
38
|
0.34%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
4,822
|
43.08%
|
11,192
|
Duplin
|
5,774
|
49.24%
|
5,945
|
50.70%
|
7
|
0.06%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-171
|
-1.46%
|
11,726
|
Durham
|
29,928
|
45.43%
|
35,441
|
53.79%
|
478
|
0.73%
|
36
|
0.05%
|
-5,513
|
-8.36%
|
65,883
|
Edgecombe
|
6,831
|
42.92%
|
9,044
|
56.82%
|
31
|
0.19%
|
10
|
0.06%
|
-2,213
|
-13.90%
|
15,916
|
Forsyth
|
57,688
|
59.02%
|
39,726
|
40.65%
|
302
|
0.31%
|
19
|
0.02%
|
17,962
|
18.37%
|
97,735
|
Franklin
|
5,499
|
50.17%
|
5,438
|
49.62%
|
22
|
0.20%
|
1
|
0.01%
|
61
|
0.55%
|
10,960
|
Gaston
|
34,775
|
70.32%
|
14,582
|
29.49%
|
87
|
0.18%
|
7
|
0.01%
|
20,193
|
40.83%
|
49,451
|
Gates
|
1,451
|
41.64%
|
2,024
|
58.08%
|
10
|
0.29%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-573
|
-16.44%
|
3,485
|
Graham
|
2,091
|
61.16%
|
1,313
|
38.40%
|
15
|
0.44%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
778
|
22.76%
|
3,419
|
Granville
|
4,880
|
46.75%
|
5,280
|
50.58%
|
274
|
2.62%
|
5
|
0.05%
|
-400
|
-3.83%
|
10,439
|
Greene
|
2,498
|
47.69%
|
2,729
|
52.10%
|
11
|
0.21%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-231
|
-4.41%
|
5,238
|
Guilford
|
66,060
|
56.35%
|
50,351
|
42.95%
|
276
|
0.24%
|
545
|
0.46%
|
15,709
|
13.40%
|
117,232
|
Halifax
|
7,462
|
46.03%
|
8,726
|
53.83%
|
23
|
0.14%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-1,264
|
-7.80%
|
16,211
|
Harnett
|
9,749
|
57.25%
|
7,259
|
42.63%
|
21
|
0.12%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
2,490
|
14.62%
|
17,029
|
Haywood
|
8,957
|
49.68%
|
9,010
|
49.98%
|
48
|
0.27%
|
13
|
0.07%
|
-53
|
-0.30%
|
18,028
|
Henderson
|
19,711
|
67.68%
|
9,338
|
32.06%
|
58
|
0.20%
|
18
|
0.06%
|
10,373
|
35.62%
|
29,125
|
Hertford
|
2,977
|
37.54%
|
4,943
|
62.33%
|
9
|
0.11%
|
1
|
0.01%
|
-1,966
|
-24.79%
|
7,930
|
Hoke
|
2,020
|
37.88%
|
3,281
|
61.52%
|
32
|
0.60%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-1,261
|
-23.64%
|
5,333
|
Hyde
|
940
|
41.52%
|
1,316
|
58.13%
|
8
|
0.35%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-376
|
-16.61%
|
2,264
|
Iredell
|
21,536
|
67.02%
|
10,530
|
32.77%
|
62
|
0.19%
|
7
|
0.02%
|
11,006
|
34.25%
|
32,135
|
Jackson
|
5,166
|
51.03%
|
4,933
|
48.73%
|
24
|
0.24%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
233
|
2.30%
|
10,123
|
Johnston
|
15,563
|
63.97%
|
8,717
|
35.83%
|
35
|
0.14%
|
14
|
0.06%
|
6,846
|
28.14%
|
24,329
|
Jones
|
1,649
|
45.78%
|
1,946
|
54.03%
|
7
|
0.19%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-297
|
-8.25%
|
3,602
|
Lee
|
7,104
|
62.47%
|
4,231
|
37.21%
|
34
|
0.30%
|
2
|
0.02%
|
2,873
|
25.26%
|
11,371
|
Lenoir
|
10,669
|
58.13%
|
7,649
|
41.68%
|
34
|
0.19%
|
1
|
0.01%
|
3,020
|
16.45%
|
18,353
|
Lincoln
|
11,651
|
64.26%
|
6,444
|
35.54%
|
32
|
0.18%
|
3
|
0.02%
|
5,207
|
28.72%
|
18,130
|
Macon
|
6,026
|
61.39%
|
3,773
|
38.44%
|
13
|
0.13%
|
4
|
0.04%
|
2,253
|
22.95%
|
9,816
|
Madison
|
3,453
|
53.07%
|
3,033
|
46.62%
|
20
|
0.31%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
420
|
6.45%
|
6,506
|
Martin
|
3,149
|
46.61%
|
3,598
|
53.26%
|
7
|
0.10%
|
2
|
0.03%
|
-449
|
-6.65%
|
6,756
|
McDowell
|
6,526
|
59.34%
|
4,449
|
40.46%
|
22
|
0.20%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
2,077
|
18.88%
|
10,997
|
Mecklenburg
|
106,236
|
59.42%
|
71,907
|
40.22%
|
619
|
0.35%
|
34
|
0.02%
|
34,329
|
19.20%
|
178,796
|
Mitchell
|
4,620
|
76.82%
|
1,377
|
22.90%
|
17
|
0.28%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
3,243
|
53.92%
|
6,014
|
Montgomery
|
4,504
|
52.80%
|
3,995
|
46.83%
|
31
|
0.36%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
509
|
5.97%
|
8,530
|
Moore
|
14,543
|
65.37%
|
7,642
|
34.35%
|
27
|
0.12%
|
36
|
0.16%
|
6,901
|
31.02%
|
22,248
|
Nash
|
15,906
|
64.34%
|
8,740
|
35.35%
|
32
|
0.13%
|
44
|
0.18%
|
7,166
|
28.99%
|
24,722
|
New Hanover
|
23,807
|
60.56%
|
15,401
|
39.18%
|
82
|
0.21%
|
23
|
0.06%
|
8,406
|
21.38%
|
39,313
|
Northampton
|
2,415
|
34.34%
|
4,599
|
65.39%
|
19
|
0.27%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-2,184
|
-31.05%
|
7,033
|
Onslow
|
12,253
|
62.87%
|
7,162
|
36.75%
|
71
|
0.36%
|
2
|
0.01%
|
5,091
|
26.12%
|
19,488
|
Orange
|
14,503
|
39.13%
|
22,326
|
60.23%
|
131
|
0.35%
|
107
|
0.29%
|
-7,823
|
-21.10%
|
37,067
|
Pamlico
|
2,297
|
50.98%
|
2,188
|
48.56%
|
21
|
0.47%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
109
|
2.42%
|
4,506
|
Pasquotank
|
4,006
|
50.76%
|
3,860
|
48.91%
|
25
|
0.32%
|
1
|
0.01%
|
146
|
1.85%
|
7,892
|
Pender
|
4,926
|
52.84%
|
4,377
|
46.95%
|
13
|
0.14%
|
7
|
0.08%
|
549
|
5.89%
|
9,323
|
Perquimans
|
1,781
|
53.32%
|
1,543
|
46.20%
|
14
|
0.42%
|
2
|
0.06%
|
238
|
7.12%
|
3,340
|
Person
|
4,832
|
56.00%
|
3,777
|
43.78%
|
17
|
0.20%
|
2
|
0.02%
|
1,055
|
12.22%
|
8,628
|
Pitt
|
18,245
|
55.08%
|
14,777
|
44.61%
|
72
|
0.22%
|
33
|
0.10%
|
3,468
|
10.47%
|
33,127
|
Polk
|
3,874
|
60.31%
|
2,534
|
39.45%
|
13
|
0.20%
|
2
|
0.03%
|
1,340
|
20.86%
|
6,423
|
Randolph
|
23,881
|
73.32%
|
8,641
|
26.53%
|
49
|
0.15%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
15,240
|
46.79%
|
32,571
|
Richmond
|
5,073
|
41.39%
|
7,151
|
58.34%
|
26
|
0.21%
|
7
|
0.06%
|
-2,078
|
-16.95%
|
12,257
|
Robeson
|
9,908
|
36.70%
|
16,988
|
62.92%
|
104
|
0.39%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-7,080
|
-26.22%
|
27,000
|
Rockingham
|
14,591
|
55.77%
|
11,551
|
44.15%
|
21
|
0.08%
|
1
|
0.00%
|
3,040
|
11.62%
|
26,164
|
Rowan
|
23,192
|
65.48%
|
12,127
|
34.24%
|
96
|
0.27%
|
1
|
0.00%
|
11,065
|
31.24%
|
35,416
|
Rutherford
|
10,337
|
59.73%
|
6,926
|
40.02%
|
43
|
0.25%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
3,411
|
19.71%
|
17,306
|
Sampson
|
8,524
|
51.49%
|
8,009
|
48.38%
|
22
|
0.13%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
515
|
3.11%
|
16,555
|
Scotland
|
3,199
|
45.16%
|
3,865
|
54.56%
|
20
|
0.28%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-666
|
-9.40%
|
7,084
|
Stanly
|
11,885
|
64.13%
|
6,627
|
35.76%
|
17
|
0.09%
|
3
|
0.02%
|
5,258
|
28.37%
|
18,532
|
Stokes
|
8,661
|
61.81%
|
5,319
|
37.96%
|
27
|
0.19%
|
5
|
0.04%
|
3,342
|
23.85%
|
14,012
|
Surry
|
11,393
|
61.06%
|
7,245
|
38.83%
|
22
|
0.12%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
4,148
|
22.23%
|
18,660
|
Swain
|
1,795
|
49.52%
|
1,821
|
50.23%
|
9
|
0.25%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-26
|
-0.71%
|
3,625
|
Transylvania
|
7,009
|
61.86%
|
4,280
|
37.78%
|
19
|
0.17%
|
22
|
0.19%
|
2,729
|
24.08%
|
11,330
|
Tyrrell
|
637
|
44.70%
|
785
|
55.09%
|
3
|
0.21%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-148
|
-10.39%
|
1,425
|
Union
|
17,015
|
65.71%
|
8,820
|
34.06%
|
46
|
0.18%
|
15
|
0.06%
|
8,195
|
31.65%
|
25,896
|
Vance
|
5,625
|
49.88%
|
5,631
|
49.94%
|
18
|
0.16%
|
2
|
0.02%
|
-6
|
-0.06%
|
11,276
|
Wake
|
81,613
|
56.87%
|
61,352
|
42.75%
|
482
|
0.34%
|
57
|
0.04%
|
20,261
|
14.12%
|
143,504
|
Warren
|
2,163
|
33.64%
|
4,249
|
66.09%
|
17
|
0.26%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
-2,086
|
-32.45%
|
6,429
|
Washington
|
2,186
|
43.69%
|
2,806
|
56.08%
|
11
|
0.22%
|
1
|
0.02%
|
-620
|
-12.39%
|
5,004
|
Watauga
|
8,662
|
58.59%
|
6,048
|
40.91%
|
57
|
0.39%
|
18
|
0.12%
|
2,614
|
17.68%
|
14,785
|
Wayne
|
15,292
|
62.48%
|
9,135
|
37.33%
|
47
|
0.19%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
6,157
|
25.15%
|
24,474
|
Wilkes
|
15,231
|
67.65%
|
7,230
|
32.11%
|
53
|
0.24%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
8,001
|
35.54%
|
22,514
|
Wilson
|
10,997
|
57.11%
|
8,214
|
42.65%
|
40
|
0.21%
|
6
|
0.03%
|
2,783
|
14.46%
|
19,257
|
Yadkin
|
7,918
|
71.10%
|
3,195
|
28.69%
|
24
|
0.22%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
4,723
|
42.41%
|
11,137
|
Yancey
|
4,160
|
52.00%
|
3,803
|
47.54%
|
37
|
0.46%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
357
|
4.46%
|
8,000
|
Totals
|
1,237,258
|
57.97%
|
890,167
|
41.71%
|
5,682
|
0.27%
|
1,263
|
0.06%
|
347,091
|
16.26%
|
2,134,370
|
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[
edit
]
[13]
[14]
Voter demographics
[
edit
]
The 1988 presidential vote by demographic subgroup
|
Demographic subgroup
|
Dukakis
|
Bush
|
% of
total vote
|
Total vote
|
42
|
58
|
100
|
Party
|
Republican
|
|
94
|
|
Independent
|
|
70
|
|
Democratic
|
|
18
|
|
Ideology
|
Liberals
|
|
27
|
|
Moderates
|
|
49
|
|
Conservatives
|
|
83
|
|
Gender
|
Men
|
|
63
|
|
Women
|
|
53
|
|
Race
|
White
|
|
68
|
|
Black
|
|
8
|
|
Occupation
|
Blue collar
|
|
60
|
|
White collar
|
|
63
|
|
Professional
|
|
61
|
|
Education
|
Less than high school graduate
|
|
51
|
|
High school graduate
|
|
64
|
|
College
|
|
60
|
|
Graduate/professional work
|
|
52
|
|
Age
|
18?24 years old
|
|
65
|
|
25?49 years old
|
|
59
|
|
50?64 years old
|
|
56
|
|
65 and older
|
|
52
|
|
Family income
|
Under $20,000
|
|
42
|
|
$20,000?50,000
|
|
61
|
|
Over $50,000
|
|
68
|
|
Religion
|
Protestant
|
|
65
|
|
Catholic
|
|
48
|
|
Source:
NBC
exit poll (
2,516 surveyed
) and
CBS News
exit poll (
1,503 surveyed
)
[15]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Sullivan, Robert David;
‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’
;
America Magazine
in
The National Catholic Review
; June 29, 2016
- ^
Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991
, p. 185-186.
- ^
Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991
, p. 186.
- ^
Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991
, p. 190-191.
- ^
Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991
, p. 191.
- ^
"1988 Presidential General Election Results ? North Carolina"
. Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas
. Retrieved
August 25,
2008
.
- ^
"NC US President Race, November 08, 1988"
. Our Campaigns.
- ^
"1984 Presidential General Election Results - North Carolina"
.
Dave Leip's election atlas
.
- ^
"1988 Presidential General Election Results - North Carolina"
.
Dave Leip's election atlas
.
- ^
Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991
, p. 196-197.
Works cited
[
edit
]