United States presidential election in Illinois, 1988

United States presidential election in Illinois, 1988

November 8, 1988

Nominee George H. W. Bush Michael Dukakis Party Republican Democratic Home state Texas Massachusetts Running mate Dan Quayle Lloyd Bentsen Electoral vote 24 0 Popular vote 2,310,939 2,215,940 Percentage 50.69% 48.60%

County Results   Dukakis—70-80%   Dukakis—60-70%   Dukakis—50-60%   Bush—50-60%   Bush—60-70%   Bush—70-80%

President before election Ronald Reagan Republican Elected President George H. W. Bush Republican

The 1988 United States presidential election in Illinois took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Illinois voters chose 24 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the President and Vice President.

Illinois 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.

Illinois weighed in for this election as 2% more Democratic than the national average.

Partisan background

Bush's largely socially conservative rhetoric garnered him much support among social-conservatives nationwide. Seen here at campaign rally in Omaha, Nebraska.

The presidential election of 1988 was a very partisan election for Illinois, with more than 99% of the electorate voting for either the Democratic or Republican parties, and only 4 political parties listed as options on the ballot statewide.^[1] This presidential election is notable in Illinois because the majority of smaller counties were able to turn the state Republican against Chicago's highly populated Cook County, which voted mainly for Dukakis. This is also a notable election as it is the most recent election (as of 2013) where the state sent Republican electors to the Electoral College.

Republican victory

Bush delivering the now infamous "Read my lips..." line at the 1988 Republican National Convention.

Bush won the election in the rapidly liberalizing state of Illinois with a narrow 2 point margin. Like the neighboring state of Missouri Bush's performance here was far below that of Reagans just four years earlier. Bush's loss of many down state rual counties combined with Dukakis's stronger than normal performance across much of the state especially in Cook County which houses the Chicago area, made the election results in this state much closer than usual. Bush would be the last Republican candidate to carry the state of Illinois in a Presidential Election. The election results in Illinois are reflective of a nationwide reconsolidation of base for the Republican Party, which took place through the 1980s. Through the passage of some very controversial economic programs, spearheaded by then President Ronald Reagan (called, collectively, "Reaganomics"), the mid-to-late 1980's saw a period of economic growth and stability. The hallmark for Reaganomics was, in part, the wide-scale deregulation of corporate interests, and tax cuts for the wealthy.^[2]

Dukakis ran on a notably socially liberal agenda, and advocated for higher economic regulation and environmental protection. Bush, alternatively, ran on a campaign of continuing the social and economic policies of former President Reagan - which gained him much support with social conservatives and people living in rural areas, who largely associated the Republican Party with the economic growth of the 1980s.

Results

See also

• Gulf War
• Presidency of George H. W. Bush

References

Elections in Illinois
Federal government Presidential elections 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 U.S. Senate elections 1885 1966 1972 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 U.S. House elections 2000 1st 2002 2004 2006 6th 8th 10th 11th 19th 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 Special elections 2nd district, 1995 14th district, 2008 5th district, 2009 2nd district, 2013 18th district, 2015
State government Gubernatorial elections 1818 1822 1826 1830 1834 1838 1842 1846 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 State Senate elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 State House of Representatives elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 General elections 2006 2010 2014
City of Chicago Mayoral elections 1979 1983 1987 1989 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Aldermanic elections 2015
City of Peoria Mayoral elections 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 Council elections 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

State Results of the 1988 U.S. presidential election Candidates Michael Dukakis George H. W. Bush Ron Paul Lenora Fulani Full list General articles Election timeline Democratic primaries Republican primaries Republican Convention Democratic Convention Debates Local results Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Other 1988 elections House Senate Gubernatorial