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 County Results
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The1988 United States presidential election in New York took place on November 8, 1988, as part of the1988 United States presidential election. Voters chose 36 representatives, or electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
New York was won byDemocraticGovernorMichael Dukakis ofMassachusetts with 51.62% of the popular vote overRepublicanVice PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush ofTexas, who took 47.52%, a victory margin of 4.10%.[1] This result made New York roughly 12% more Democratic than the nation-at-large. Dukakis’ statewide victory is largely attributable to winning four of five boroughs of New York City overall with 66.2% of the vote.
Bush became the first Republican to win the White House without carryingBroome County and the first to win the White House without carryingMontgomery County sinceRutherford B. Hayes in1876.
This was the last time until2024 that the Republican candidate would receive at least 30% ofthe vote in New York City.
| 1988 United States presidential election in New York | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Michael Dukakis | 3,255,487 | 50.19% | ||
| Liberal | Michael Dukakis | 92,395 | 1.42% | ||
| Total | Michael Dukakis | 3,347,882 | 51.62% | 36 | |
| Republican | George H. W. Bush | 2,838,414 | 43.76% | ||
| Conservative | George H. W. Bush | 243,457 | 3.75% | ||
| Total | George H. W. Bush | 3,081,871 | 47.52% | 0 | |
| New York State Right to Life Party | William Marra | 20,497 | 0.32% | 0 | |
| New Alliance | Lenora Fulani | 15,845 | 0.24% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Ron Paul | 12,109 | 0.19% | 0 | |
| Workers World | Larry Holmes | 4,179 | 0.06% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers | James Warren | 3,287 | 0.05% | 0 | |
| Write-in | Edward Winn | 10 | 0.00% | 0 | |
| Write-in | Willa Kenoyer | 3 | 0.00% | 0 | |
| Totals | 6,485,683 | 100.0% | 36 | ||
| 1988 Presidential Election in New York City | Manhattan | The Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Staten Island | Total | |||
| Democratic- Liberal | Michael Dukakis | 385,675 | 218,245 | 363,916 | 325,147 | 47,812 | 1,340,795 | 66.17% | |
| 76.14% | 73.22% | 66.28% | 59.47% | 37.95% | |||||
| Republican- Conservative | George H. W. Bush | 115,927 | 76,043 | 178,961 | 217,049 | 77,427 | 665,407 | 32.84% | |
| 22.89% | 25.51% | 32.60% | 39.70% | 61.46% | |||||
| New Alliance | Lenora Fulani | 2,623 | 2,367 | 3,289 | 2,062 | 161 | 10,502 | 0.52% | |
| 0.52% | 0.79% | 0.60% | 0.38% | 0.13% | |||||
| Right to Life | William Marra | 678 | 718 | 1557 | 1355 | 332 | 4,640 | 0.23% | |
| 0.13% | 0.24% | 0.28% | 0.25% | 0.26% | |||||
| Libertarian | Ron Paul | 872 | 235 | 482 | 475 | 121 | 2,185 | 0.11% | |
| 0.17% | 0.08% | 0.09% | 0.09% | 0.10% | |||||
| Socialist Workers | James Warren | 475 | 266 | 480 | 368 | 72 | 1,661 | 0.08% | |
| 0.09% | 0.09% | 0.09% | 0.07% | 0.06% | |||||
| Workers’ World | Larry Holmes | 301 | 207 | 334 | 273 | 50 | 1,165 | 0.06% | |
| 0.06% | 0.07% | 0.06% | 0.07% | 0.04% | |||||
| TOTAL | 506,551 | 298,081 | 549,019 | 546,729 | 125,975 | 2,026,355 | 100.00% | ||
| County | Michael Dukakis Democratic | George H.W. Bush Republican | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Albany | 86,564 | 58.70% | 59,534 | 40.37% | 1,363 | 0.92% | 27,030 | 18.33% | 147,461 |
| Allegany | 5,614 | 31.85% | 11,880 | 67.40% | 132 | 0.75% | -6,266 | -35.55% | 17,626 |
| Bronx | 218,245 | 73.22% | 76,043 | 25.51% | 3,793 | 1.27% | 142,202 | 47.71% | 298,081 |
| Broome | 48,130 | 49.95% | 47,610 | 49.41% | 625 | 0.65% | 520 | 0.54% | 96,365 |
| Cattaraugus | 12,447 | 38.38% | 19,691 | 60.72% | 290 | 0.89% | -7,244 | -22.34% | 32,428 |
| Cayuga | 15,044 | 46.60% | 16,934 | 52.45% | 307 | 0.95% | -1,890 | -5.85% | 32,285 |
| Chautauqua | 25,814 | 44.61% | 31,642 | 54.68% | 411 | 0.71% | -5,828 | -10.07% | 57,867 |
| Chemung | 15,966 | 42.99% | 20,951 | 56.41% | 222 | 0.60% | -4,985 | -13.42% | 37,139 |
| Chenango | 8,021 | 40.30% | 11,727 | 58.92% | 154 | 0.77% | -3,706 | -18.62% | 19,902 |
| Clinton | 12,670 | 44.36% | 15,702 | 54.97% | 191 | 0.67% | -3,032 | -10.61% | 28,563 |
| Columbia | 11,585 | 43.03% | 15,111 | 56.12% | 228 | 0.85% | -3,526 | -13.09% | 26,924 |
| Cortland | 7,673 | 40.88% | 10,934 | 58.26% | 162 | 0.86% | -3,261 | -17.38% | 18,769 |
| Delaware | 7,463 | 39.26% | 11,391 | 59.92% | 156 | 0.82% | -3,928 | -20.66% | 19,010 |
| Dutchess | 38,968 | 38.22% | 62,165 | 60.97% | 826 | 0.81% | -23,197 | -22.75% | 101,959 |
| Erie | 238,779 | 55.43% | 188,796 | 43.83% | 3,217 | 0.75% | 49,983 | 11.60% | 430,792 |
| Essex | 6,623 | 38.70% | 10,350 | 60.48% | 140 | 0.82% | -3,727 | -21.78% | 17,113 |
| Franklin | 7,928 | 46.11% | 9,135 | 53.14% | 129 | 0.75% | -1,207 | -7.03% | 17,192 |
| Fulton | 9,012 | 43.06% | 11,757 | 56.17% | 162 | 0.77% | -2,745 | -13.11% | 20,931 |
| Genesee | 9,945 | 40.87% | 14,182 | 58.29% | 205 | 0.84% | -4,237 | -17.42% | 24,332 |
| Greene | 7,265 | 37.61% | 11,874 | 61.46% | 180 | 0.93% | -4,609 | -23.85% | 19,319 |
| Hamilton | 976 | 29.42% | 2,320 | 69.94% | 21 | 0.63% | -1,344 | -40.52% | 3,317 |
| Herkimer | 12,694 | 45.30% | 15,104 | 53.90% | 224 | 0.80% | -2,410 | -8.60% | 28,022 |
| Jefferson | 14,137 | 42.05% | 19,304 | 57.41% | 181 | 0.54% | -5,167 | -15.36% | 33,622 |
| Kings | 363,916 | 66.28% | 178,961 | 32.60% | 6,142 | 1.12% | 184,955 | 33.68% | 549,019 |
| Lewis | 4,252 | 41.94% | 5,787 | 57.08% | 99 | 0.98% | -1,535 | -15.14% | 10,138 |
| Livingston | 9,506 | 40.11% | 14,004 | 59.10% | 187 | 0.79% | -4,498 | -18.99% | 23,697 |
| Madison | 10,665 | 41.41% | 14,902 | 57.86% | 187 | 0.73% | -4,237 | -16.45% | 25,754 |
| Monroe | 153,650 | 49.33% | 155,271 | 49.85% | 2,545 | 0.82% | -1,621 | -0.52% | 311,466 |
| Montgomery | 11,371 | 50.13% | 11,128 | 49.05% | 186 | 0.82% | 243 | 1.08% | 22,685 |
| Nassau | 250,130 | 42.22% | 337,430 | 56.96% | 4,858 | 0.82% | -87,300 | -14.74% | 592,418 |
| New York | 385,675 | 76.14% | 115,927 | 22.89% | 4,949 | 0.98% | 269,748 | 53.25% | 506,551 |
| Niagara | 43,801 | 50.42% | 42,537 | 48.97% | 530 | 0.61% | 1,264 | 1.45% | 86,868 |
| Oneida | 47,665 | 46.07% | 55,039 | 53.20% | 757 | 0.73% | -7,374 | -7.13% | 103,461 |
| Onondaga | 94,751 | 47.26% | 104,080 | 51.91% | 1,654 | 0.82% | -9,329 | -4.65% | 200,485 |
| Ontario | 17,341 | 43.97% | 21,780 | 55.23% | 314 | 0.80% | -4,439 | -11.26% | 39,435 |
| Orange | 38,465 | 36.70% | 65,446 | 62.44% | 899 | 0.86% | -26,981 | -25.74% | 104,810 |
| Orleans | 5,913 | 39.28% | 9,028 | 59.97% | 114 | 0.76% | -3,115 | -20.69% | 15,055 |
| Oswego | 18,430 | 41.69% | 25,362 | 57.37% | 419 | 0.95% | -6,932 | -15.68% | 44,211 |
| Otsego | 11,069 | 45.49% | 13,021 | 53.51% | 245 | 1.01% | -1,952 | -8.02% | 24,335 |
| Putnam | 12,158 | 33.31% | 24,086 | 65.99% | 256 | 0.70% | -11,928 | -32.68% | 36,500 |
| Queens | 325,147 | 59.47% | 217,049 | 39.70% | 4,533 | 0.83% | 108,098 | 19.77% | 546,729 |
| Rensselaer | 33,066 | 47.79% | 35,412 | 51.18% | 719 | 1.04% | -2,346 | -3.39% | 69,197 |
| Richmond | 47,812 | 37.95% | 77,427 | 61.46% | 736 | 0.58% | -29,615 | -23.51% | 125,975 |
| Rockland | 47,634 | 42.42% | 63,825 | 56.83% | 842 | 0.75% | -16,191 | -14.41% | 112,301 |
| St. Lawrence | 18,921 | 47.92% | 20,290 | 51.39% | 270 | 0.68% | -1,369 | -3.47% | 39,481 |
| Saratoga | 31,684 | 41.81% | 43,498 | 57.39% | 606 | 0.80% | -11,814 | -15.58% | 75,788 |
| Schenectady | 36,483 | 51.83% | 33,364 | 47.40% | 539 | 0.77% | 3,119 | 4.43% | 70,386 |
| Schoharie | 5,389 | 42.99% | 7,008 | 55.90% | 139 | 1.11% | -1,619 | -12.91% | 12,536 |
| Schuyler | 2,900 | 40.04% | 4,291 | 59.25% | 51 | 0.70% | -1,391 | -19.21% | 7,242 |
| Seneca | 6,215 | 45.80% | 7,221 | 53.21% | 135 | 0.99% | -1,006 | -7.41% | 13,571 |
| Steuben | 12,824 | 33.34% | 25,359 | 65.93% | 283 | 0.74% | -12,535 | -32.59% | 38,466 |
| Suffolk | 199,215 | 38.73% | 311,242 | 60.51% | 3,893 | 0.76% | -112,027 | -21.78% | 514,350 |
| Sullivan | 11,635 | 42.20% | 15,713 | 57.00% | 220 | 0.80% | -4,078 | -14.80% | 27,568 |
| Tioga | 8,102 | 38.68% | 12,670 | 60.49% | 174 | 0.83% | -4,568 | -21.81% | 20,946 |
| Tompkins | 21,455 | 58.46% | 14,932 | 40.69% | 312 | 0.85% | 6,523 | 17.77% | 36,699 |
| Ulster | 30,744 | 42.37% | 41,173 | 56.75% | 640 | 0.88% | -10,429 | -14.38% | 72,557 |
| Warren | 8,580 | 34.85% | 15,860 | 64.41% | 182 | 0.74% | -7,280 | -29.56% | 24,622 |
| Washington | 8,201 | 36.42% | 14,103 | 62.64% | 211 | 0.94% | -5,902 | -26.22% | 22,515 |
| Wayne | 12,959 | 38.22% | 20,613 | 60.80% | 330 | 0.97% | -7,654 | -22.58% | 33,902 |
| Westchester | 169,860 | 45.78% | 197,956 | 53.36% | 3,192 | 0.86% | -28,096 | -7.58% | 371,008 |
| Wyoming | 5,228 | 35.17% | 9,451 | 63.59% | 184 | 1.24% | -4,223 | -28.42% | 14,863 |
| Yates | 3,507 | 38.65% | 5,488 | 60.48% | 79 | 0.87% | -1,981 | -21.83% | 9,074 |
| Totals | 3,347,882 | 51.62% | 3,081,871 | 47.52% | 55,930 | 0.86% | 266,011 | 4.10% | 6,485,683 |
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This was the last election in which a Republican presidential nominee won heavily populated Westchester County, as well asMonroe,Onondaga, andUlster Counties,[2] and also the last election in which New York was decided by a single-digit margin. Beginning in1992, the Democrats would make substantial inroads in the suburbs around New York City as well as parts of upstate, making New York a solidblue state that has gone Democratic by double-digit margins in every election since. Consequently, this is the last time a Democrat lost the state outside of the five boroughs of New York City until 2024.Rensselaer,Franklin, andSt. Lawrence counties would not vote Republican again until2016. Nassau County would not vote Republican again until2024.
State and district results of the1988 U.S. presidential election | ||
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