1988 United States presidential election in Virginia

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1988 United States presidential election in Virginia

← 1984 November 8, 1988 1992 →
 
Nominee George H. W. Bush Michael Dukakis
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Texas Massachusetts
Running mate Dan Quayle Lloyd Bentsen
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 1,309,162 859,799
Percentage 59.74% 39.23%

County and Independent City Results

President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

George H. W. Bush
Republican

The 1988 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Virginia voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Virginia was won by incumbent United States Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas, who was running against Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Bush ran with Indiana Senator Dan Quayle as Vice President, and Dukakis ran with Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

Most counties in Virginia turned out for Bush, including the highly populated regions of Virginia Beach and Fairfax County. Bush ran strongly in most parts of the state, but in particular, he cracked sixty percent in populous Fairfax County, outside Washington, D.C., and got over 2/3 and 3/4 of the vote in the Richmond suburbs of Henrico and Chesterfield, respectively, which contributed to the swelling of his statewide margin. Dukakis did well in Arlington County, the independent cities of Richmond and Norfolk, in Virginia's Black Belt counties, and in some then-traditionally Democratic counties in heavily-unionized southwest Virginia.[1]

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Northampton County and the independent cities of Martinsville, Fredericksburg, and Hampton voted for a Republican presidential candidate. This was also the last time that a Republican won the majority of the vote in Fairfax County.[2]

Background[edit]

Every Republican presidential nominee following World War II had won Virginia except for the victories of Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1948 and 1964 elections. Virginia was the only southern state that Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter failed to win in the 1976 election.[3]

The Republicans held Virginia's governorship from the 1969 election until Democratic nominee Chuck Robb's victory in 1981. The Democrats had also reduced the Republican control over the state's United States House of Representatives delegation from nine of ten seats in 1980 to five seats in 1986.[4]

Campaign[edit]

Jesse Jackson won the Democratic primary due to lower white turnout and increased black turnout. Jackson won 96% of the black vote and 12% of the white vote. Al Gore won 40% of the white vote while Michael Dukakis won 35%. The racial composition of the primary was 65% white and 35% black.[5]

49% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.[6]

69% of white voters supported Bush while 30% supported Dukakis.[7][8] Bush placed first in all of the state's congressional districts. Robb won in the concurrent senatorial election despite the Republican presidential victory.[9]

Results[edit]

1988 United States presidential election in Virginia[10]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican George H. W. Bush 1,309,162 59.74% 12
Democratic Michael Dukakis 859,799 39.23% 0
Independent Lenora Fulani 14,312 0.65% 0
Libertarian Ron Paul 8,336 0.38% 0
Totals 2,191,609 100.0% 12

Results by county or independent city[edit]

County/City George H.W. Bush
Republican
Michael Dukakis
Democratic
Lenora Fulani[11]
Independent
Ron Paul[11]
Libertarian
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Accomack 6,926 60.01% 4,443 38.49% 125 1.08% 48 0.42% 2,483 21.52% 11,542
Albemarle 15,117 58.70% 10,363 40.24% 89 0.35% 184 0.71% 4,754 18.46% 25,753
Alexandria 20,913 45.66% 24,358 53.18% 347 0.76% 186 0.41% -3,445 -7.52% 45,804
Alleghany 2,555 51.87% 2,316 47.02% 42 0.85% 13 0.26% 239 4.85% 4,926
Amelia 2,187 60.85% 1,359 37.81% 26 0.72% 22 0.61% 828 23.04% 3,594
Amherst 6,507 64.10% 3,567 35.14% 45 0.44% 32 0.32% 2,940 28.96% 10,151
Appomattox 3,205 63.59% 1,740 34.52% 53 1.05% 42 0.83% 1,465 29.07% 5,040
Arlington 34,191 45.37% 40,314 53.49% 442 0.59% 418 0.55% -6,123 -8.12% 75,365
Augusta 13,251 75.14% 4,170 23.65% 145 0.82% 68 0.39% 9,081 51.49% 17,634
Bath 1,273 58.74% 881 40.66% 8 0.37% 5 0.23% 392 18.08% 2,167
Bedford 10,702 65.33% 5,406 33.00% 205 1.25% 69 0.42% 5,296 32.33% 16,382
Bedford City 1,322 56.79% 960 41.24% 36 1.55% 10 0.43% 362 15.55% 2,328
Bland 1,556 61.12% 937 36.80% 38 1.49% 15 0.59% 619 24.32% 2,546
Botetourt 5,687 59.30% 3,763 39.23% 92 0.96% 49 0.51% 1,924 20.07% 9,591
Bristol 4,407 63.92% 2,446 35.47% 28 0.41% 14 0.20% 1,961 28.44% 6,895
Brunswick 2,742 46.60% 3,070 52.18% 44 0.75% 28 0.48% -328 -5.58% 5,884
Buchanan 3,912 35.68% 6,935 63.25% 100 0.91% 18 0.16% -3,023 -27.57% 10,965
Buckingham 2,481 55.49% 1,941 43.41% 32 0.72% 17 0.38% 540 12.08% 4,471
Buena Vista 1,121 56.08% 828 41.42% 37 1.85% 13 0.65% 293 14.66% 1,999
Campbell 12,713 72.51% 4,574 26.09% 193 1.10% 53 0.30% 8,139 46.42% 17,533
Caroline 3,065 48.71% 3,186 50.64% 21 0.33% 20 0.32% -121 -1.93% 6,292
Carroll 6,377 66.17% 3,190 33.10% 41 0.43% 29 0.30% 3,187 33.07% 9,637
Charles City 826 30.59% 1,839 68.11% 18 0.67% 17 0.63% -1,013 -37.52% 2,700
Charlotte 2,699 57.44% 1,923 40.92% 56 1.19% 21 0.45% 776 16.52% 4,699
Charlottesville 5,817 42.61% 7,671 56.19% 62 0.45% 102 0.75% -1,854 -13.58% 13,652
Chesapeake 29,738 60.87% 18,828 38.54% 173 0.35% 116 0.24% 10,910 22.33% 48,855
Chesterfield 58,828 75.34% 18,723 23.98% 262 0.34% 270 0.35% 40,105 51.36% 78,083
Clarke 2,502 62.24% 1,478 36.77% 12 0.30% 28 0.70% 1,024 25.47% 4,020
Clifton Forge 759 43.65% 961 55.26% 10 0.58% 9 0.52% -202 -11.61% 1,739
Colonial Heights 6,001 78.57% 1,581 20.70% 25 0.33% 31 0.41% 4,420 57.87% 7,638
Covington 1,274 43.70% 1,567 53.76% 41 1.41% 33 1.13% -293 -10.06% 2,915
Craig 1,112 55.46% 864 43.09% 16 0.80% 13 0.65% 248 12.37% 2,005
Culpeper 5,896 68.57% 2,555 29.71% 103 1.20% 45 0.52% 3,341 38.86% 8,599
Cumberland 1,978 62.61% 1,132 35.83% 34 1.08% 15 0.47% 846 26.78% 3,159
Danville 12,221 61.49% 7,353 37.00% 224 1.13% 76 0.38% 4,868 24.49% 19,874
Dickenson 3,091 40.65% 4,461 58.67% 36 0.47% 16 0.21% -1,370 -18.02% 7,604
Dinwiddie 4,165 54.38% 3,405 44.46% 51 0.67% 38 0.50% 760 9.92% 7,659
Emporia 1,289 56.61% 977 42.91% 7 0.31% 4 0.18% 312 13.70% 2,277
Essex 2,038 60.56% 1,294 38.45% 17 0.51% 16 0.48% 744 22.11% 3,365
Fairfax 200,641 61.10% 125,711 38.28% 892 0.27% 1,121 0.34% 74,930 22.82% 328,365
Fairfax City 5,576 61.27% 3,430 37.69% 49 0.54% 46 0.51% 2,146 23.58% 9,101
Falls Church 2,470 49.51% 2,484 49.79% 17 0.34% 18 0.36% -14 -0.28% 4,989
Fauquier 11,733 69.86% 4,837 28.80% 161 0.96% 65 0.39% 6,896 41.06% 16,796
Floyd 2,921 61.69% 1,727 36.47% 56 1.18% 31 0.65% 1,194 25.22% 4,735
Fluvanna 2,447 60.29% 1,562 38.48% 26 0.64% 24 0.59% 885 21.81% 4,059
Franklin 7,391 55.73% 5,734 43.24% 90 0.68% 46 0.35% 1,657 12.49% 13,261
Franklin City 1,557 48.50% 1,630 50.78% 12 0.37% 11 0.34% -73 -2.28% 3,210
Frederick 9,921 72.33% 3,707 27.02% 42 0.31% 47 0.34% 6,214 45.31% 13,717
Fredericksburg 3,401 55.26% 2,683 43.60% 40 0.65% 30 0.49% 718 11.66% 6,154
Galax 1,278 58.09% 907 41.23% 8 0.36% 7 0.32% 371 16.86% 2,200
Giles 3,490 52.50% 3,042 45.76% 80 1.20% 36 0.54% 448 6.74% 6,648
Gloucester 7,646 68.38% 3,372 30.16% 116 1.04% 47 0.42% 4,274 38.22% 11,181
Goochland 3,765 62.61% 2,209 36.74% 20 0.33% 19 0.32% 1,556 25.87% 6,013
Grayson 3,968 61.51% 2,441 37.84% 35 0.54% 7 0.11% 1,527 23.67% 6,451
Greene 2,234 69.29% 899 27.88% 72 2.23% 19 0.59% 1,335 41.41% 3,224
Greensville 1,610 43.13% 2,083 55.80% 24 0.64% 16 0.43% -473 -12.67% 3,733
Halifax 5,671 56.02% 4,282 42.30% 97 0.96% 74 0.73% 1,389 13.72% 10,124
Hampton 24,034 54.85% 19,106 43.60% 527 1.20% 151 0.34% 4,928 11.25% 43,818
Hanover 20,570 76.99% 5,985 22.40% 75 0.28% 88 0.33% 14,585 54.59% 26,718
Harrisonburg 5,376 64.86% 2,799 33.77% 84 1.01% 29 0.35% 2,577 31.09% 8,288
Henrico 62,284 69.29% 26,980 30.02% 378 0.42% 245 0.27% 35,304 39.27% 89,887
Henry 10,871 58.04% 7,536 40.24% 258 1.38% 64 0.34% 3,335 17.80% 18,729
Highland 807 62.75% 456 35.46% 13 1.01% 10 0.78% 351 27.29% 1,286
Hopewell 4,672 63.48% 2,566 34.86% 93 1.26% 29 0.39% 2,106 28.62% 7,360
Isle of Wight 5,779 60.07% 3,747 38.95% 63 0.65% 32 0.33% 2,032 21.12% 9,621
James City 8,945 64.95% 4,642 33.70% 124 0.90% 62 0.45% 4,303 31.25% 13,773
King and Queen 1,376 50.46% 1,309 48.00% 26 0.95% 16 0.59% 67 2.46% 2,727
King George 2,587 62.40% 1,519 36.64% 21 0.51% 19 0.46% 1,068 25.76% 4,146
King William 2,735 62.89% 1,561 35.89% 31 0.71% 22 0.51% 1,174 27.00% 4,349
Lancaster 3,380 67.02% 1,551 30.76% 84 1.67% 28 0.56% 1,829 36.26% 5,043
Lee 4,080 45.11% 4,906 54.24% 30 0.33% 29 0.32% -826 -9.13% 9,045
Lexington 994 49.11% 997 49.26% 21 1.04% 12 0.59% -3 -0.15% 2,024
Loudoun 20,448 66.26% 10,101 32.73% 206 0.67% 107 0.35% 10,347 33.53% 30,862
Louisa 3,831 57.16% 2,789 41.61% 42 0.63% 40 0.60% 1,042 15.55% 6,702
Lunenburg 2,530 56.27% 1,870 41.59% 76 1.69% 20 0.44% 660 14.68% 4,496
Lynchburg 15,323 64.04% 8,279 34.60% 243 1.02% 81 0.34% 7,044 29.44% 23,926
Madison 2,501 62.12% 1,427 35.44% 59 1.47% 39 0.97% 1,074 26.68% 4,026
Manassas 5,980 68.59% 2,658 30.49% 55 0.63% 26 0.30% 3,322 38.10% 8,719
Manassas Park 993 68.67% 434 30.01% 9 0.62% 10 0.69% 559 38.66% 1,446
Martinsville 3,360 53.64% 2,794 44.60% 86 1.37% 24 0.38% 566 9.04% 6,264
Mathews 2,752 67.52% 1,235 30.30% 57 1.40% 32 0.79% 1,517 37.22% 4,076
Mecklenburg 5,887 63.45% 3,275 35.30% 71 0.77% 45 0.49% 2,612 28.15% 9,278
Middlesex 2,571 63.99% 1,361 33.87% 42 1.05% 44 1.10% 1,210 30.12% 4,018
Montgomery 12,326 57.48% 8,909 41.55% 98 0.46% 111 0.52% 3,417 15.93% 21,444
Nelson 2,502 51.60% 2,272 46.86% 35 0.72% 40 0.82% 230 4.74% 4,849
New Kent 2,917 66.54% 1,427 32.55% 20 0.46% 20 0.46% 1,490 33.99% 4,384
Newport News 32,570 59.88% 21,413 39.37% 287 0.53% 125 0.23% 11,157 20.51% 54,395
Norfolk 30,538 44.33% 37,778 54.84% 347 0.50% 228 0.33% -7,240 -10.51% 68,891
Northampton 2,562 52.00% 2,242 45.50% 94 1.91% 29 0.59% 320 6.50% 4,927
Northumberland 2,984 65.14% 1,506 32.87% 61 1.33% 30 0.65% 1,478 32.27% 4,581
Norton 608 42.73% 795 55.87% 15 1.05% 5 0.35% -187 -13.14% 1,423
Nottoway 3,161 57.38% 2,217 40.24% 103 1.87% 28 0.51% 944 17.14% 5,509
Orange 4,319 61.57% 2,592 36.95% 69 0.98% 35 0.50% 1,727 24.62% 7,015
Page 5,013 66.18% 2,499 32.99% 35 0.46% 28 0.37% 2,514 33.19% 7,575
Patrick 3,990 64.06% 2,093 33.60% 124 1.99% 22 0.35% 1,897 30.46% 6,229
Petersburg 4,231 33.60% 8,177 64.94% 131 1.04% 52 0.41% -3,946 -31.34% 12,591
Pittsylvania 12,229 63.69% 6,612 34.44% 283 1.47% 77 0.40% 5,617 29.25% 19,201
Poquoson 3,840 80.83% 877 18.46% 18 0.38% 16 0.34% 2,963 62.37% 4,751
Portsmouth 16,087 44.61% 19,698 54.63% 166 0.46% 108 0.30% -3,611 -10.02% 36,059
Powhatan 4,040 72.91% 1,467 26.48% 16 0.29% 18 0.32% 2,573 46.43% 5,541
Prince Edward 3,147 55.02% 2,434 42.55% 95 1.66% 44 0.77% 713 12.47% 5,720
Prince George 4,982 66.29% 2,469 32.85% 38 0.51% 26 0.35% 2,513 33.44% 7,515
Prince William 39,654 66.70% 19,198 32.29% 434 0.73% 167 0.28% 20,456 34.41% 59,453
Pulaski 6,844 58.40% 4,686 39.99% 140 1.19% 49 0.42% 2,158 18.41% 11,719
Radford 2,481 56.84% 1,855 42.50% 21 0.48% 8 0.18% 626 14.34% 4,365
Rappahannock 1,657 61.69% 1,003 37.34% 8 0.30% 18 0.67% 654 24.35% 2,686
Richmond 1,862 66.24% 924 32.87% 15 0.53% 10 0.36% 938 33.37% 2,811
Richmond City 31,586 42.26% 42,155 56.41% 639 0.86% 356 0.48% -10,569 -14.15% 74,736
Roanoke 22,011 62.61% 12,938 36.80% 115 0.33% 93 0.26% 9,073 25.81% 35,157
Roanoke City 15,389 46.90% 17,185 52.37% 132 0.40% 107 0.33% -1,796 -5.47% 32,813
Rockbridge 3,541 58.41% 2,412 39.79% 65 1.07% 44 0.73% 1,129 18.62% 6,062
Rockingham 13,241 72.59% 4,716 25.85% 190 1.04% 94 0.52% 8,525 46.74% 18,241
Russell 4,374 40.68% 6,222 57.86% 130 1.21% 27 0.25% -1,848 -17.18% 10,753
Salem 5,694 59.77% 3,760 39.47% 40 0.42% 33 0.35% 1,934 20.30% 9,527
Scott 4,986 56.76% 3,616 41.16% 139 1.58% 44 0.50% 1,370 15.60% 8,785
Shenandoah 8,612 71.74% 3,276 27.29% 67 0.56% 49 0.41% 5,336 44.45% 12,004
Smyth 7,446 63.49% 3,989 34.02% 236 2.01% 56 0.48% 3,457 29.47% 11,727
South Boston 1,694 64.05% 936 35.39% 11 0.42% 4 0.15% 758 28.66% 2,645
Southampton 3,439 52.96% 3,000 46.20% 35 0.54% 19 0.29% 439 6.76% 6,493
Spotsylvania 10,978 66.16% 5,486 33.06% 84 0.51% 45 0.27% 5,492 33.10% 16,593
Stafford 12,234 69.07% 5,380 30.37% 55 0.31% 43 0.24% 6,854 38.70% 17,712
Staunton 5,775 69.29% 2,457 29.48% 87 1.04% 15 0.18% 3,318 39.81% 8,334
Suffolk 9,742 54.27% 8,080 45.01% 79 0.44% 49 0.27% 1,662 9.26% 17,950
Surry 1,246 42.98% 1,602 55.26% 22 0.76% 29 1.00% -356 -12.28% 2,899
Sussex 1,822 46.77% 1,958 50.26% 79 2.03% 37 0.95% -136 -3.49% 3,896
Tazewell 7,165 46.37% 8,098 52.40% 152 0.98% 38 0.25% -933 -6.03% 15,453
Virginia Beach 76,481 68.89% 33,780 30.43% 397 0.36% 360 0.32% 42,701 38.46% 111,018
Warren 4,700 61.86% 2,769 36.44% 103 1.36% 26 0.34% 1,931 25.42% 7,598
Washington 10,722 63.45% 5,819 34.43% 293 1.73% 65 0.38% 4,903 29.02% 16,899
Waynesboro 4,672 68.72% 2,038 29.97% 67 0.99% 22 0.32% 2,634 38.75% 6,799
Westmoreland 2,974 55.38% 2,311 43.04% 60 1.12% 25 0.47% 663 12.34% 5,370
Williamsburg 1,648 50.91% 1,534 47.39% 26 0.80% 29 0.90% 114 3.52% 3,237
Winchester 4,497 65.53% 2,300 33.52% 25 0.36% 40 0.58% 2,197 32.01% 6,862
Wise 6,189 46.23% 7,017 52.42% 130 0.97% 50 0.37% -828 -6.19% 13,386
Wythe 5,827 63.17% 3,201 34.70% 170 1.84% 27 0.29% 2,626 28.47% 9,225
York 11,103 69.96% 4,639 29.23% 84 0.53% 45 0.28% 6,464 40.73% 15,871
Totals 1,309,162 59.74% 859,799 39.23% 14,312 0.65% 8,336 0.38% 449,363 20.51% 2,191,609

Counties and independent cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Priest, Dana (October 1, 1989). "COAL STRIKE STUBBORNLY PASSES 6-MONTH MARK IN VA". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  2. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  3. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 235-236.
  4. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 237.
  5. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 263-266.
  6. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 288.
  7. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  8. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  9. ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 239.
  10. ^ Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1988" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 50.
  11. ^ a b "VA US President Race, November 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.

Works cited[edit]