1988 United States presidential election in South Carolina

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

1988 United States presidential election in South Carolina

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 8 0
Popular vote 606,443 370,554
Percentage 61.50% 37.58%

County Results

President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

George H. W. Bush
Republican

South Carolina 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.

South Carolina weighed in for this election as 16% more Republican than the national average, and was the fourth most Republican state in the nation behind Utah, New Hampshire and Idaho.[1]

Partisan background

The presidential election of 1988 was a very partisan election for South Carolina, with more than 99% of the electorate voting for either the Democratic or Republican parties, and only 4 candidates appearing on the ballot.[2] As can be seen in several states across the country during this election, the large population centers in South Carolina voted Republican, but several counties near-by the large population centers voted Democratic, suggesting the influence of suburban populations. A good example of this effect, is with the city of Columbia's Richland County, which voted Republican, while its less-populated neighbor, Fairfield County, voted Democratic. This geographic trend is opposite of what you would expect to see with these parties, and once again may suggest an element of influence from (for example) the city of Columbia's suburban districts.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Richland County voted for a Republican Presidential candidate.[3]

Republican victory

Bush won the election in South Carolina with a solid 24 point sweep-out landslide. South Carolina has voted for the same candidate as its sister Southern States in every presidential election since 1968. Bush's easy win in the former Democratic bastion was 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 1980s 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.[4]

Dukakis ran on a socially liberal platform, 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.

Results

United States presidential election in South Carolina, 1988
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican George H. W. Bush 606,443 61.50% 8
Democratic Michael Dukakis 370,554 37.58% 0
Libertarian Ron Paul 4,935 0.50% 0
New Alliance Party Lenora Fulani 4,077 0.41% 0
Totals 986,009 100.0% 8

Results by county

County George Herbert Walker Bush
Republican
Michael Stanley Dukakis
Democratic
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Abbeville 3,738 50.51% 3,629 49.03% 34 0.46% 109 1.47% 7,401
Aiken 27,665 71.84% 10,598 27.52% 244 0.63% 17,067 44.32% 38,507
Allendale 1,295 41.59% 1,796 57.68% 23 0.74% -501 -16.09% 3,114
Anderson 25,939 67.58% 12,281 32.00% 163 0.42% 13,658 35.58% 38,383
Bamberg 2,403 45.73% 2,830 53.85% 22 0.42% -427 -8.13% 5,255
Barnwell 4,467 63.14% 2,564 36.24% 44 0.62% 1,903 26.90% 7,075
Beaufort 16,184 64.68% 8,691 34.73% 146 0.58% 7,493 29.95% 25,021
Berkeley 16,779 63.81% 9,312 35.41% 206 0.78% 7,467 28.39% 26,297
Calhoun 2,585 54.00% 2,175 45.44% 27 0.56% 410 8.56% 4,787
Charleston 49,149 59.28% 32,977 39.77% 790 0.95% 16,172 19.50% 82,916
Cherokee 7,763 63.89% 4,322 35.57% 66 0.54% 3,441 28.32% 12,151
Chester 3,968 51.21% 3,737 48.23% 43 0.55% 231 2.98% 7,748
Chesterfield 4,999 51.35% 4,699 48.27% 37 0.38% 300 3.08% 9,735
Clarendon 4,337 46.15% 5,030 53.53% 30 0.32% -693 -7.37% 9,397
Colleton 4,962 51.97% 4,508 47.22% 77 0.81% 454 4.76% 9,547
Darlington 9,854 55.23% 7,625 42.73% 364 2.04% 2,229 12.49% 17,843
Dillon 3,793 53.66% 3,251 45.99% 25 0.35% 542 7.67% 7,069
Dorchester 14,756 66.37% 7,371 33.15% 105 0.47% 7,385 33.22% 22,232
Edgefield 3,814 55.57% 3,020 44.00% 29 0.42% 794 11.57% 6,863
Fairfield 2,714 41.23% 3,827 58.13% 42 0.64% -1,113 -16.91% 6,583
Florence 19,490 60.50% 12,531 38.90% 193 0.60% 6,959 21.60% 32,214
Georgetown 7,032 56.23% 5,402 43.20% 72 0.58% 1,630 13.03% 12,506
Greenville 67,371 70.82% 27,188 28.58% 567 0.60% 40,183 42.24% 95,126
Greenwood 9,096 57.92% 6,511 41.46% 97 0.62% 2,585 16.46% 15,704
Hampton 2,826 44.81% 3,435 54.47% 45 0.71% -609 -9.66% 6,306
Horry 24,843 64.68% 13,316 34.67% 250 0.65% 11,527 30.01% 38,409
Jasper 2,004 40.66% 2,894 58.71% 31 0.63% -890 -18.06% 4,929
Kershaw 8,877 65.89% 4,494 33.36% 102 0.76% 4,383 32.53% 13,473
Lancaster 9,152 59.46% 6,181 40.15% 60 0.39% 2,971 19.30% 15,393
Laurens 9,731 61.97% 5,930 37.77% 41 0.26% 3,801 24.21% 15,702
Lee 2,936 46.17% 3,423 53.83% 0 0.00% -487 -7.66% 6,359
Lexington 41,467 77.89% 11,366 21.35% 405 0.76% 30,101 56.54% 53,238
McCormick 1,172 40.22% 1,722 59.09% 20 0.69% -550 -18.87% 2,914
Marion 4,403 46.42% 5,008 52.79% 75 0.79% -605 -6.38% 9,486
Marlboro 2,921 42.52% 3,937 57.31% 12 0.17% -1,016 -14.79% 6,870
Newberry 6,427 62.37% 3,825 37.12% 53 0.51% 2,602 25.25% 10,305
Oconee 10,184 69.83% 4,299 29.48% 102 0.70% 5,885 40.35% 14,585
Orangeburg 13,281 47.35% 14,655 52.25% 113 0.40% -1,374 -4.90% 28,049
Pickens 17,448 73.63% 6,103 25.76% 145 0.61% 11,345 47.88% 23,696
Richland 43,841 52.74% 36,420 43.81% 2,862 3.44% 7,421 8.93% 83,123
Saluda 3,225 61.64% 1,984 37.92% 23 0.44% 1,241 23.72% 5,232
Spartanburg 40,801 63.19% 22,964 35.57% 803 1.24% 17,837 27.63% 64,568
Sumter 13,161 57.72% 9,502 41.67% 138 0.61% 3,659 16.05% 22,801
Union 6,019 57.52% 4,420 42.24% 26 0.25% 1,599 15.28% 10,465
Williamsburg 5,914 44.39% 7,343 55.11% 67 0.50% -1,429 -10.73% 13,324
York 21,657 65.02% 11,458 34.40% 193 0.58% 10,199 30.62% 33,308
Totals606,44361.50%370,55437.58%9,0120.91%235,88923.92%986,009

See also

References

  1. "1988 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  2. "1988 Presidential General Election Results – South Carolina". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  3. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  4. "Since 1980s, the Kindest of Tax Cuts for the Rich". The New York Times. 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
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