1988 United States presidential election in Massachusetts

← 1984 November 8, 1988 1992 →
Turnout	82.13%[1] ( 2.38%)
Nominee Michael Dukakis George H. W. Bush Party Democratic Republican Home state Massachusetts Texas Running mate Lloyd Bentsen Dan Quayle Electoral vote 13 0 Popular vote 1,401,406 1,194,644 Percentage 53.23% 45.38%
County results Municipality results Dukakis   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80% Bush   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%
President before election Ronald Reagan Republican Elected President George H. W. Bush Republican

The1988 United States presidential election in Massachusetts 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 13 representatives, or electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.

Massachusetts voted forDemocratic nomineeMichael Dukakis, the state'sgovernor, overRepublicanVice PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush. The Commonwealth was both candidates' birth state and 1988 was the most recent cycle in which both major party candidates have shared a birth state.

Dukakis, the sitting governor of Massachusetts, won his home state with 53.23% of the vote to Bush's 45.38%, a 7.85% margin of victory. This made it one of ten states (plus the District of Columbia) to vote for Dukakis, even though Bush won a convincing electoral victory nationwide. Massachusetts was a solid 16% more Democratic than the national average in 1988. Massachusetts had been a Democratic-leaning state since1928, and a Democratic stronghold since1960. Although it was already a Democratic-leaning state, this would be the last time that Republicans would be at all competitive in Massachusetts. Not only has it continued to vote Democratic in every presidential election that followed, but no Republican since has broken 40% in Massachusetts, or even won a single county or congressional district in the state.

This was also the last time that a Republican presidential nominee won any of the state's 14 counties, namelyBarnstable,Plymouth, andWorcester Counties. Dukakis won 11 counties in Massachusetts to Bush's three. Dukakis's strongest county wasSuffolk County, home to the state's capital and largest city,Boston, where he took 64.02% of the vote. Bush's strongest county win was suburban Plymouth County, where he took 54.62% of the vote; however, Bush became the first Republican president to win the White House without carryingFranklin County andNantucket County. Sincefavorite son presidential nominee John F. Kennedy won the presidency in 1960, Dukakis became the first of three major party nominees from Massachusetts to lose a presidential race.John Kerry (U.S. senator) andMitt Romney (former governor) lost the 2004 and 2012 presidential elections, respectively.

As of 2024, this was the last time that the cities ofAmesbury,Attleboro,Beverly,Braintree,Brockton,Franklin,Leominster,Marlborough, andMethuen and the towns ofAbington,Alford,Auburn,Avon,Ayer,Barnstable,Bedford,Bernardston,Bolton,Boxborough,Buckland,Burlington,Canton,Carlisle,Charlemont,Chelmsford,Clinton,Cummington,Danvers,Dedham,Dennis,Erving,EssexGosnold,Grafton,Groton,Hancock,Harvard,Harwich,Hawley,Holbrook,Holliston,Hopedale,Hudson,Ipswich,Littleton,Longmeadow,Manchester-by-the-Sea,Mansfield,Marblehead,Marion,Mattapoisett,Medway,Milton,Mount Washington,Needham,New Ashford,New Salem,Newbury,Northborough,Norton,Peru,Petersham,Plymouth,Reading,Savoy,Sheffield,Shelburne,Shirley,Shrewsbury,Southborough,Southampton,Stow,Sudbury,Wakefield,Wellesley,West Newbury,Westborough,Westford,Westhampton,Weston,Winchester,Windsor, andYarmouth voted Republican.

Dukakis won 9 of 11congressional districts, including the1st district, which simultaneouslyelectedRepublicanSilvio O. Conte to theHouse of Representatives. Bush won the3rd and5th districts, which simultaneously elected Democrats to the House.

• Berkshire
• Essex
• Franklin
• Hampden
• Nantucket
• Norfolk

• Presidency of George H. W. Bush
• United States presidential elections in Massachusetts

• 1988 United States presidential election by state
• United States presidential elections in Massachusetts
• 1988 Massachusetts elections

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