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| Turnout | 70.2%[1] 7.8pp | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County Results Municipality Results
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The1988 United States presidential election in Rhode Island took place on November 8, 1988, as part of the1988 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all 50 states andD.C. Voters chose four representatives, or electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
Rhode Island voted for theDemocratic nominee,Massachusetts GovernorMichael Dukakis, overRepublicanVice PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush. Dukakis took 55.64% of the vote to Bush's 43.93%, a margin of 11.71%. This made it one of 10 states (plus theDistrict of Columbia) to vote for Dukakis, while Bush won a convincing electoral victory nationwide.
AliberalNew England state, Rhode Island gave Dukakis his strongest state victory in the nation, with only the District of Columbia voting more Democratic. It was one of just two states (along withIowa) to vote Democratic by a double-digit margin, and one of only two states (along withHawaii) to have all of its counties go to Dukakis. Despite this, it was still a relatively strong Republican performance compared to how the state has trended since. The state has voted Democratic in every presidential election that followed. This is the last time until the2024 election that a Republican candidate won over 40% of the vote in Rhode Island.
To date, this is the last time that the towns ofBarrington,Charlestown,Little Compton,Middletown,North Kingstown, andPortsmouth voted Republican.
| 1988 United States presidential election in Rhode Island[2] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Michael Dukakis | 225,123 | 55.64% | 4 | |
| Republican | George H. W. Bush | 177,761 | 43.93% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Ron Paul | 825 | 0.20% | 0 | |
| New Alliance | Lenora Fulani | 280 | 0.07% | 0 | |
| Peace and Freedom | Herbert G. Lewin | 195 | 0.05% | 0 | |
| America First | David Duke | 159 | 0.04% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers | James Warren | 130 | 0.03% | 0 | |
| Socialist | Willa Kenoyer | 96 | 0.02% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 51 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Totals | 404,620 | 100.00% | 4 | ||
| Voter Turnout (Voting age/Registered) | 53%/74% | ||||
| County | Michael Dukakis Democratic | George H.W. Bush Republican | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Bristol | 11,168 | 51.04% | 10,626 | 48.56% | 89 | 0.40% | 542 | 2.48% | 21,883 |
| Kent | 37,221 | 51.84% | 34,314 | 47.79% | 266 | 0.37% | 2,907 | 4.05% | 71,801 |
| Newport | 17,597 | 50.76% | 16,923 | 48.82% | 144 | 0.42% | 674 | 1.94% | 34,664 |
| Providence | 135,927 | 58.80% | 94,248 | 40.77% | 984 | 0.43% | 41,679 | 18.03% | 231,159 |
| Washington | 23,210 | 51.51% | 21,650 | 48.04% | 202 | 0.45% | 1,560 | 3.47% | 45,062 |
| Totals | 225,123 | 55.64% | 177,761 | 43.93% | 1,736 | 0.43% | 47,362 | 11.71% | 404,620 |
State and district results of the1988 U.S. presidential election | ||
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