The 1988 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia participated in the 1988 United States presidential election. Voters chose 20 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president. Michigan 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.

Michigan weighed in for this election as 0.1% more Republican than the national average. This was the last time Michigan voted Republican until Donald Trump's plurality win in 2016, and remains the last time that a Republican won a majority of the vote in the state. This is also the last time Michigan, along with Pennsylvania, would vote differently to fellow Rust Belt swing state Wisconsin, as all three had Democratic winning streaks from 1992 to 2012, with all three states flipping simultaneously in 2016, 2020, and 2024 as well as the last time Michigan was the most Republican-leaning of the three Rust Belt swing states.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016 Typical for elections in the 1980s, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan turned out mainly Democratic, and the Lower Peninsula turned out mainly Republican, with the notable exception of Detroit's highly populated Wayne County, which voted mainly Democratic.

, this is the last election in which Ingham County and Kalamazoo County voted for a Republican presidential candidate, and the last time Saginaw County did not vote for the statewide winner. This was the last time until 2016 that Isabella County voted Republican. This was also the last time until 2024 that Michigan voted to the right of neighboring Wisconsin, that Muskegon County voted Republican, and that the Lower Peninsula voted Republican.

Caucuses The Republican presidential caucuses were held on January 14, 1988. George H. W. Bush won Michigan. The Democratic presidential caucuses were held on March 26, 1988, in Michigan. Jessie Jackson won Michigan.

Results

Results by county CountyGeorge H.W. BushRepublicanMichael DukakisDemocraticVarious candidatesOther partiesMargin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Alcona2,96660.47%1,91839.10%210.43%1,04821.37%4,905Alger1,83045.08%2,21054.45%190.47%-380-9.37%4,059Allegan22,16366.78%10,78532.50%2400.72%11,37834.28%33,188Alpena6,66451.05%6,34148.58%490.38%3232.47%13,054Antrim5,23161.95%3,15937.41%540.64%2,07224.54%8,444Arenac3,06448.63%3,21150.97%250.40%-147-2.34%6,300Baraga1,63047.88%1,75351.50%210.62%-123-3.62%3,404Barry12,54660.66%7,98338.60%1520.73%4,56322.06%20,681Bay20,71042.13%28,22557.42%2170.44%-7,515-15.29%49,152Benzie3,24056.52%2,43742.52%550.96%80314.00%5,732Berrien37,79962.81%21,94836.47%4360.72%15,85126.34%60,183Branch9,22563.48%5,23136.00%750.52%3,99427.48%14,531Calhoun26,77153.77%22,71745.63%2990.60%4,0548.14%49,787Cass10,22957.61%7,44441.92%830.47%2,78515.69%17,756Charlevoix5,80259.43%3,87539.69%850.87%1,92719.74%9,762Cheboygan5,39557.52%3,94342.04%420.45%1,45215.48%9,380Chippewa6,78656.23%5,22243.27%600.50%1,56412.96%12,068Clare5,66154.18%4,71045.08%770.74%9519.10%10,448Clinton15,49762.39%9,22537.14%1150.46%6,27225.25%24,837Crawford3,09762.28%1,82536.70%511.03%1,27225.58%4,973Delta7,11444.28%8,89155.34%600.37%-1,777-11.06%16,065Dickinson6,15849.89%6,12949.66%560.45%290.23%12,343Eaton24,19360.78%15,32238.49%2910.73%8,87122.29%39,806Emmet7,10562.40%4,17036.62%1110.97%2,93525.78%11,386Genesee70,92240.10%104,88059.30%1,0570.60%-33,958-19.20%176,859Gladwin4,74652.83%4,16446.35%730.81%5826.48%8,983Gogebic3,50940.38%5,15159.27%310.36%-1,642-18.89%8,691Grand Traverse17,19162.46%10,09836.69%2360.86%7,09325.77%27,525Gratiot8,44759.36%5,71940.19%640.45%2,72819.17%14,230Hillsdale10,57168.29%4,76330.77%1450.94%5,80837.52%15,479Houghton7,09851.83%6,51047.54%860.63%5884.29%13,694Huron9,41961.91%5,71437.56%810.53%3,70524.35%15,214Ingham58,36350.56%55,98448.50%1,0880.94%2,3792.06%115,435Ionia12,02859.05%8,16040.06%1810.89%3,86818.99%20,369Iosco7,23459.17%4,92940.32%620.51%2,30518.85%12,225Iron2,86642.94%3,77456.55%340.51%-908-13.61%6,674Isabella10,36256.07%7,96043.07%1600.87%2,40213.00%18,482Jackson33,88560.37%21,86538.96%3770.67%12,02021.41%56,127Kalamazoo50,20555.64%39,45743.73%5730.64%10,74811.91%90,235Kalkaska3,36961.21%2,09238.01%430.78%1,27723.20%5,504Kent131,91063.77%73,46735.52%1,4650.71%58,44328.25%206,842Keweenaw53645.81%63153.93%30.26%-95-8.12%1,170Lake1,71346.32%1,95852.95%270.73%-245-6.63%3,698Lapeer16,67060.19%10,73638.76%2911.05%5,93421.43%27,697Leelanau5,21560.51%3,33138.65%730.85%1,88421.86%8,619Lenawee19,11557.84%13,69041.42%2430.74%5,42516.42%33,048Livingston31,33168.79%13,74930.19%4661.02%17,58238.60%45,546Luce1,52863.22%86435.75%251.03%66427.47%2,417Mackinac3,12759.65%2,09339.93%220.42%1,03419.72%5,242Macomb175,63260.33%112,85638.77%2,6270.90%62,77621.56%291,115Manistee5,36852.58%4,76546.67%770.75%6035.91%10,210Marquette11,70442.92%15,41856.54%1450.53%-3,714-13.62%27,267Mason6,80059.58%4,53139.70%820.72%2,26919.88%11,413Mecosta8,18163.02%4,73636.48%640.49%3,44526.54%12,981Menominee5,44052.28%4,91847.26%480.46%5225.02%10,406Midland19,99459.12%13,45239.78%3711.10%6,54219.34%33,817Missaukee3,56668.26%1,62131.03%370.71%1,94537.23%5,224Monroe26,18954.19%21,84745.21%2880.60%4,3428.98%48,324Montcalm10,96358.46%7,66440.87%1270.68%3,29917.59%18,754Montmorency2,51461.32%1,56338.12%230.56%95123.20%4,100Muskegon33,56753.36%28,97746.06%3630.58%4,5907.30%62,907Newaygo9,89664.32%5,38935.03%1000.65%4,50729.29%15,385Oakland283,35961.27%174,74537.78%4,3840.95%108,61423.49%462,488Oceana5,69362.46%3,35636.82%650.71%2,33725.64%9,114Ogemaw4,09150.20%4,01249.23%470.58%790.97%8,150Ontonagon2,02344.34%2,51755.17%220.48%-494-10.83%4,562Osceola5,21864.25%2,86035.22%430.53%2,35829.03%8,121Oscoda1,97262.27%1,17036.94%250.79%80225.33%3,167Otsego4,62063.31%2,63536.11%430.59%1,98527.20%7,298Ottawa61,51576.20%18,76923.25%4450.55%42,74652.95%80,729Presque Isle3,61454.11%3,02545.29%400.60%5898.82%6,679Roscommon5,86656.93%4,39442.65%430.42%1,47214.28%10,303Saginaw42,40147.88%45,61651.51%5490.62%-3,215-3.63%88,566Sanilac10,65365.73%5,44533.60%1090.67%5,20832.13%16,207Schoolcraft1,80246.37%2,07153.29%130.33%-269-6.92%3,886Shiawassee15,50653.94%13,05645.42%1860.65%2,4508.52%28,748St. Clair32,33660.26%20,90938.97%4130.77%11,42721.29%53,658St. Joseph13,08464.79%7,01734.74%950.47%6,06730.05%20,196Tuscola12,09356.90%9,06042.63%1010.48%3,03314.27%21,254Van Buren14,52257.17%10,66842.00%2100.83%3,85415.17%25,400Washtenaw55,02946.67%61,79952.41%1,0920.93%-6,770-5.74%117,920Wayne291,99639.03%450,22260.18%5,9380.79%-158,226-21.15%748,156Wexford6,04358.07%4,28741.20%760.73%1,75616.87%10,406Totals1,965,48653.57%1,675,78345.67%27,8940.76%289,7037.90%3,669,163

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Alger Arenac Baraga Bay Delta Genesee Lake Marquette Ontonagon Saginaw Schoolcraft Washtenaw

See also Presidency of George H. W. Bush United States presidential elections in Michigan

Notes

References