1948 United States presidential election in Nebraska
The 1948 United States presidential election in Nebraska took place on November 2, 1948, as part of the 1948 United States presidential election. Voters chose six[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
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All 6 Nebraska votes to the Electoral College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County Results
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| Elections in Nebraska |
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 Government |
Nebraska was won by Governor Thomas Dewey (R–New York), running with Governor Earl Warren, with 54.15% of the popular vote, against incumbent President Harry S. Truman (D–Missouri), running with Senator Alben W. Barkley, with 45.85% of the popular vote.[3][4] As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last occasion Wheeler County has voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[5]
Dewey won the Cornhusker State by an 8.3% margin, a significantly reduced margin from his 1944 run, when he won by 17.2%. His underperformance in Nebraska was part of a nationwide bad night for the GOP, as prior to the election, polling had indicated a significant Dewey victory. However, Truman vastly outperformed expectations, managing to overcome his low approval ratings to win a full term in office. This election marks the last time that a political party has won 5 consecutive terms in the White House.
Largely due to his defeat in 1944, when many had said he was too hawkish, Dewey ran a low risk campaign and largely avoided attacking Truman. His opponent, however, ran an energetic campaign blaming the nation's problems on the Republican controlled Congress, which he called "the worst". At the time, America was suffering through a post-WWII recession, and because Dewey avoided responding to his attacks, Truman successfully convinced voters that the Republicans were to blame, which not only resulted in his reelection, but Democrats regaining control of Congress in the concurrent Senate and House races.
Though he failed to win the state, Truman's performance in Nebraska was the best for a Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt's victory in 1936, and would remain the best until Lyndon B. Johnson's narrow victory in 1964.
With 54.15% of the popular vote, Nebraska would prove to be Dewey's third strongest state in the nation after Vermont and Maine.[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Thomas Dewey | 264,774 | 54.15% | |
| Democratic | Harry S. Truman (inc.) | 224,165 | 45.85% | |
| Write-in | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0.00% | ||
| Total votes | 488,940 | 100% | ||
Results by county
| County[7] | Thomas Edmund Dewey Republican |
Harry S. Truman Democratic |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 5,560 | 54.45% | 4,652 | 45.55% | 908 | 8.89% | 10,212 |
| Antelope | 2,868 | 60.49% | 1,873 | 39.51% | 995 | 20.99% | 4,741 |
| Arthur | 199 | 57.51% | 147 | 42.49% | 52 | 15.03% | 346 |
| Banner | 309 | 57.43% | 229 | 42.57% | 80 | 14.87% | 538 |
| Blaine | 252 | 50.40% | 248 | 49.60% | 4 | 0.80% | 500 |
| Boone | 2,235 | 55.69% | 1,778 | 44.31% | 457 | 11.39% | 4,013 |
| Box Butte | 2,351 | 53.75% | 2,023 | 46.25% | 328 | 7.50% | 4,374 |
| Boyd | 1,060 | 50.60% | 1,035 | 49.40% | 25 | 1.19% | 2,095 |
| Brown | 1,174 | 62.65% | 700 | 37.35% | 474 | 25.29% | 1,874 |
| Buffalo | 4,862 | 56.68% | 3,716 | 43.32% | 1,146 | 13.36% | 8,578 |
| Burt | 2,656 | 58.30% | 1,900 | 41.70% | 756 | 16.59% | 4,556 |
| Butler | 2,105 | 44.69% | 2,605 | 55.31% | -500 | -10.62% | 4,710 |
| Cass | 3,527 | 53.70% | 3,041 | 46.30% | 486 | 7.40% | 6,568 |
| Cedar | 2,616 | 50.37% | 2,578 | 49.63% | 38 | 0.73% | 5,194 |
| Chase | 1,094 | 59.78% | 736 | 40.22% | 358 | 19.56% | 1,830 |
| Cherry | 2,141 | 58.93% | 1,492 | 41.07% | 649 | 17.86% | 3,633 |
| Cheyenne | 2,161 | 50.26% | 2,139 | 49.74% | 22 | 0.51% | 4,300 |
| Clay | 2,511 | 61.24% | 1,589 | 38.76% | 922 | 22.49% | 4,100 |
| Colfax | 1,928 | 50.41% | 1,897 | 49.59% | 31 | 0.81% | 3,825 |
| Cuming | 2,930 | 63.88% | 1,657 | 36.12% | 1,273 | 27.75% | 4,587 |
| Custer | 4,057 | 54.73% | 3,356 | 45.27% | 701 | 9.46% | 7,413 |
| Dakota | 1,379 | 36.76% | 2,372 | 63.24% | -993 | -26.47% | 3,751 |
| Dawes | 2,399 | 61.54% | 1,499 | 38.46% | 900 | 23.09% | 3,898 |
| Dawson | 4,203 | 61.75% | 2,603 | 38.25% | 1,600 | 23.51% | 6,806 |
| Deuel | 1,043 | 71.68% | 412 | 28.32% | 631 | 43.37% | 1,455 |
| Dixon | 1,899 | 52.44% | 1,722 | 47.56% | 177 | 4.89% | 3,621 |
| Dodge | 5,848 | 54.56% | 4,870 | 45.44% | 978 | 9.12% | 10,718 |
| Douglas | 47,175 | 48.92% | 49,258 | 51.08% | -2,083 | -2.16% | 96,433 |
| Dundy | 935 | 59.14% | 646 | 40.86% | 289 | 18.28% | 1,581 |
| Fillmore | 2,677 | 58.54% | 1,896 | 41.46% | 781 | 17.08% | 4,573 |
| Franklin | 1,555 | 53.71% | 1,340 | 46.29% | 215 | 7.43% | 2,895 |
| Frontier | 1,307 | 60.71% | 846 | 39.29% | 461 | 21.41% | 2,153 |
| Furnas | 2,258 | 60.18% | 1,494 | 39.82% | 764 | 20.36% | 3,752 |
| Gage | 5,311 | 56.29% | 4,124 | 43.71% | 1,187 | 12.58% | 9,435 |
| Garden | 923 | 64.01% | 519 | 35.99% | 404 | 28.02% | 1,442 |
| Garfield | 702 | 56.43% | 542 | 43.57% | 160 | 12.86% | 1,244 |
| Gosper | 621 | 52.05% | 572 | 47.95% | 49 | 4.11% | 1,193 |
| Grant | 273 | 66.26% | 139 | 33.74% | 134 | 32.52% | 412 |
| Greeley | 829 | 39.59% | 1,265 | 60.41% | -436 | -20.82% | 2,094 |
| Hall | 5,694 | 55.37% | 4,590 | 44.63% | 1,104 | 10.74% | 10,284 |
| Hamilton | 2,406 | 61.46% | 1,509 | 38.54% | 897 | 22.91% | 3,915 |
| Harlan | 1,490 | 54.98% | 1,220 | 45.02% | 270 | 9.96% | 2,710 |
| Hayes | 529 | 55.86% | 418 | 44.14% | 111 | 11.72% | 947 |
| Hitchcock | 1,208 | 56.69% | 923 | 43.31% | 285 | 13.37% | 2,131 |
| Holt | 3,147 | 54.55% | 2,622 | 45.45% | 525 | 9.10% | 5,769 |
| Hooker | 249 | 74.33% | 86 | 25.67% | 163 | 48.66% | 335 |
| Howard | 1,133 | 37.44% | 1,893 | 62.56% | -760 | -25.12% | 3,026 |
| Jefferson | 3,352 | 60.29% | 2,208 | 39.71% | 1,144 | 20.58% | 5,560 |
| Johnson | 1,817 | 58.46% | 1,291 | 41.54% | 526 | 16.92% | 3,108 |
| Kearney | 1,440 | 50.70% | 1,400 | 49.30% | 40 | 1.41% | 2,840 |
| Keith | 1,600 | 59.06% | 1,109 | 40.94% | 491 | 18.12% | 2,709 |
| Keya Paha | 538 | 57.54% | 397 | 42.46% | 141 | 15.08% | 935 |
| Kimball | 1,024 | 60.38% | 672 | 39.62% | 352 | 20.75% | 1,696 |
| Knox | 2,778 | 51.68% | 2,597 | 48.32% | 181 | 3.37% | 5,375 |
| Lancaster | 23,620 | 56.29% | 18,338 | 43.71% | 5,282 | 12.59% | 41,958 |
| Lincoln | 4,419 | 51.68% | 4,131 | 48.32% | 288 | 3.37% | 8,550 |
| Logan | 254 | 52.16% | 233 | 47.84% | 21 | 4.31% | 487 |
| Loup | 294 | 52.78% | 263 | 47.22% | 31 | 5.57% | 557 |
| Madison | 5,486 | 62.41% | 3,304 | 37.59% | 2,182 | 24.82% | 8,790 |
| McPherson | 209 | 68.08% | 98 | 31.92% | 111 | 36.16% | 307 |
| Merrick | 2,074 | 62.08% | 1,267 | 37.92% | 807 | 24.15% | 3,341 |
| Morrill | 1,478 | 52.82% | 1,320 | 47.18% | 158 | 5.65% | 2,798 |
| Nance | 1,339 | 56.79% | 1,019 | 43.21% | 320 | 13.57% | 2,358 |
| Nemaha | 2,413 | 58.85% | 1,687 | 41.15% | 726 | 17.71% | 4,100 |
| Nuckolls | 2,036 | 52.71% | 1,827 | 47.29% | 209 | 5.41% | 3,863 |
| Otoe | 4,060 | 61.75% | 2,515 | 38.25% | 1,545 | 23.50% | 6,575 |
| Pawnee | 1,725 | 57.58% | 1,271 | 42.42% | 454 | 15.15% | 2,996 |
| Perkins | 904 | 51.16% | 863 | 48.84% | 41 | 2.32% | 1,767 |
| Phelps | 2,489 | 57.83% | 1,815 | 42.17% | 674 | 15.66% | 4,304 |
| Pierce | 1,866 | 57.43% | 1,383 | 42.57% | 483 | 14.87% | 3,249 |
| Platte | 3,812 | 53.47% | 3,317 | 46.53% | 495 | 6.94% | 7,129 |
| Polk | 2,026 | 59.21% | 1,396 | 40.79% | 630 | 18.41% | 3,422 |
| Red Willow | 2,610 | 53.84% | 2,238 | 46.16% | 372 | 7.67% | 4,848 |
| Richardson | 3,778 | 51.77% | 3,519 | 48.23% | 259 | 3.55% | 7,297 |
| Rock | 809 | 64.00% | 455 | 36.00% | 354 | 28.01% | 1,264 |
| Saline | 2,641 | 42.33% | 3,598 | 57.67% | -957 | -15.34% | 6,239 |
| Sarpy | 2,367 | 47.32% | 2,635 | 52.68% | -268 | -5.36% | 5,002 |
| Saunders | 3,660 | 47.91% | 3,979 | 52.09% | -319 | -4.18% | 7,639 |
| Scotts Bluff | 5,409 | 55.22% | 4,386 | 44.78% | 1,023 | 10.44% | 9,795 |
| Seward | 2,916 | 56.18% | 2,274 | 43.82% | 642 | 12.37% | 5,190 |
| Sheridan | 2,180 | 54.62% | 1,811 | 45.38% | 369 | 9.25% | 3,991 |
| Sherman | 1,003 | 38.41% | 1,608 | 61.59% | -605 | -23.17% | 2,611 |
| Sioux | 657 | 55.82% | 520 | 44.18% | 137 | 11.64% | 1,177 |
| Stanton | 1,259 | 56.01% | 989 | 43.99% | 270 | 12.01% | 2,248 |
| Thayer | 2,601 | 57.39% | 1,931 | 42.61% | 670 | 14.78% | 4,532 |
| Thomas | 312 | 56.73% | 238 | 43.27% | 74 | 13.45% | 550 |
| Thurston | 1,149 | 37.81% | 1,890 | 62.19% | -741 | -24.38% | 3,039 |
| Valley | 1,670 | 54.66% | 1,385 | 45.34% | 285 | 9.33% | 3,055 |
| Washington | 2,400 | 55.74% | 1,906 | 44.26% | 494 | 11.47% | 4,306 |
| Wayne | 2,323 | 66.73% | 1,158 | 33.27% | 1,165 | 33.47% | 3,481 |
| Webster | 1,964 | 59.00% | 1,365 | 41.00% | 599 | 17.99% | 3,329 |
| Wheeler | 264 | 44.67% | 327 | 55.33% | -63 | -10.66% | 591 |
| York | 3,960 | 65.44% | 2,091 | 34.56% | 1,869 | 30.89% | 6,051 |
| Totals | 264,774 | 54.15% | 224,165 | 45.85% | 40,609 | 8.31% | 488,940 |
Notes
- This write-in vote was not listed by county but as part of the state-wide total.[7]
References
- "United States Presidential election of 1948 - Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- "1948 Election for the Forty-First Term (1949-53)". Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- "1948 Presidential General Election Results – Nebraska". Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- "The American Presidency Project - Election of 1948". Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- "1948 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- "NE US President Race, November 02, 1948". Our Campaigns.
