1988 United States presidential election in Oklahoma
The 1988 United States presidential election in Oklahoma took place on November 8, 1988. All fifty states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Oklahoma voters chose eight electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
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| Elections in Oklahoma |
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Oklahoma 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.
The election was very partisan, with more than 99 percent of the electorate voting for either the Democratic or Republican parties, and only four candidates appearing on the ballot.[1] The Southeastern portion of the state resumed turning out in large numbers for the Democratic Party; in 1984 almost all its counties voted in majority for Reagan. This may be somewhat attributed to the influence of the ongoing drought and the farming crisis in the Great Plains, and of the politically volatile state of Texas, which was also changing its political orientation through the 1980s and 1990s from a Democratic area to a largely Republican one. Bush's dominance in the more populated metro Oklahoma City and Tulsa ensured a safe GOP victory. However, despite Bush and Quayle winning the state, Oklahoma swung more to the Democrats from 1984 to 1988 than any other state in the nation, swinging by 21.30 percentage points. Additionally, this remains the last time that a Democrat has won more than sixty percent of the vote in any Oklahoma county (these being Jefferson, Haskell, Hughes, Coal and Choctaw).
Bush easily won Oklahoma on election day, defeating Dukakis by a 16-point margin. While traditionally conservative, the election results in Oklahoma were indicative 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.[2]
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 Ronald Reagan, which gained him much support with social conservatives and people living in rural areas. Additionally, while the economic programs passed under Reagan and furthered under Bush and Bill Clinton may have boosted the economy for a brief period, they are criticized by many analysts as "setting the stage" for economic troubles in the United States after 2007, such as the Great Recession.[3]
Oklahoma weighed in for this election as 9 percentage points more Republican than the national average.
Results
| 1988 United States presidential election in Oklahoma | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | George H. W. Bush | 678,367 | 57.93% | 8 | |
| Democratic | Michael Dukakis | 483,423 | 41.28% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Ron Paul | 6,261 | 0.53% | 0 | |
| New Alliance Party | Lenora Fulani | 2,985 | 0.25% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,171,036 | 100.0% | 8 | ||
Results by county
| County | George Herbert Walker Bush Republican |
Michael Stanley Dukakis Democratic |
Ronald Ernest Paul[4] Libertarian |
Leonora Branch Fulani[4] New Alliance |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adair | 3,558 | 57.02% | 2,624 | 42.05% | 36 | 0.58% | 22 | 0.35% | 934 | 14.97% | 6,240 |
| Alfalfa | 1,960 | 62.58% | 1,117 | 35.66% | 33 | 1.05% | 22 | 0.70% | 843 | 26.92% | 3,132 |
| Atoka | 1,971 | 43.13% | 2,565 | 56.13% | 19 | 0.42% | 15 | 0.33% | -594 | -13.00% | 4,570 |
| Beaver | 2,013 | 71.03% | 777 | 27.42% | 37 | 1.31% | 7 | 0.25% | 1,236 | 43.61% | 2,834 |
| Beckham | 3,463 | 50.08% | 3,388 | 48.99% | 41 | 0.59% | 23 | 0.33% | 75 | 1.08% | 6,915 |
| Blaine | 2,889 | 61.03% | 1,775 | 37.49% | 48 | 1.01% | 22 | 0.46% | 1,114 | 23.53% | 4,734 |
| Bryan | 4,615 | 40.13% | 6,849 | 59.55% | 21 | 0.18% | 16 | 0.14% | -2,234 | -19.42% | 11,501 |
| Caddo | 4,689 | 46.07% | 5,387 | 52.93% | 67 | 0.66% | 34 | 0.33% | -698 | -6.86% | 10,177 |
| Canadian | 17,872 | 70.00% | 7,453 | 29.19% | 139 | 0.54% | 66 | 0.26% | 10,419 | 40.81% | 25,530 |
| Carter | 8,430 | 50.98% | 7,988 | 48.31% | 72 | 0.44% | 45 | 0.27% | 442 | 2.67% | 16,535 |
| Cherokee | 5,838 | 46.99% | 6,483 | 52.18% | 68 | 0.55% | 35 | 0.28% | -645 | -5.19% | 12,424 |
| Choctaw | 2,217 | 39.60% | 3,362 | 60.05% | 15 | 0.27% | 5 | 0.09% | -1,145 | -20.45% | 5,599 |
| Cimarron | 1,153 | 70.01% | 470 | 28.54% | 21 | 1.28% | 3 | 0.18% | 683 | 41.47% | 1,647 |
| Cleveland | 36,313 | 61.62% | 22,067 | 37.44% | 407 | 0.69% | 146 | 0.25% | 14,246 | 24.17% | 58,933 |
| Coal | 891 | 39.25% | 1,365 | 60.13% | 9 | 0.40% | 5 | 0.22% | -474 | -20.88% | 2,270 |
| Comanche | 17,464 | 60.02% | 11,441 | 39.32% | 104 | 0.36% | 90 | 0.31% | 6,023 | 20.70% | 29,099 |
| Cotton | 1,266 | 45.62% | 1,482 | 53.41% | 17 | 0.61% | 10 | 0.36% | -216 | -7.78% | 2,775 |
| Craig | 2,463 | 45.23% | 2,940 | 53.98% | 24 | 0.44% | 19 | 0.35% | -477 | -8.76% | 5,446 |
| Creek | 11,308 | 53.89% | 9,512 | 45.33% | 99 | 0.47% | 63 | 0.30% | 1,796 | 8.56% | 20,982 |
| Custer | 6,735 | 63.98% | 3,697 | 35.12% | 66 | 0.63% | 29 | 0.28% | 3,038 | 28.86% | 10,527 |
| Delaware | 5,248 | 51.39% | 4,889 | 47.88% | 45 | 0.44% | 30 | 0.29% | 359 | 3.52% | 10,212 |
| Dewey | 1,543 | 60.49% | 963 | 37.75% | 28 | 1.10% | 17 | 0.67% | 580 | 22.74% | 2,551 |
| Ellis | 1,422 | 63.37% | 786 | 35.03% | 27 | 1.20% | 9 | 0.40% | 636 | 28.34% | 2,244 |
| Garfield | 15,248 | 64.78% | 8,067 | 34.27% | 156 | 0.66% | 67 | 0.28% | 7,181 | 30.51% | 23,538 |
| Garvin | 5,109 | 47.94% | 5,438 | 51.03% | 84 | 0.79% | 25 | 0.23% | -329 | -3.09% | 10,656 |
| Grady | 7,994 | 53.84% | 6,689 | 45.05% | 116 | 0.78% | 49 | 0.33% | 1,305 | 8.79% | 14,848 |
| Grant | 1,690 | 56.71% | 1,249 | 41.91% | 29 | 0.97% | 12 | 0.40% | 441 | 14.80% | 2,980 |
| Greer | 1,225 | 48.94% | 1,256 | 50.18% | 13 | 0.52% | 9 | 0.36% | -31 | -1.24% | 2,503 |
| Harmon | 611 | 40.63% | 890 | 59.18% | 2 | 0.13% | 1 | 0.07% | -279 | -18.55% | 1,504 |
| Harper | 1,281 | 67.42% | 593 | 31.21% | 14 | 0.74% | 12 | 0.63% | 688 | 36.21% | 1,900 |
| Haskell | 1,822 | 37.73% | 2,963 | 61.36% | 26 | 0.54% | 18 | 0.37% | -1,141 | -23.63% | 4,829 |
| Hughes | 2,037 | 38.24% | 3,259 | 61.18% | 19 | 0.36% | 12 | 0.23% | -1,222 | -22.94% | 5,327 |
| Jackson | 4,423 | 55.28% | 3,542 | 44.27% | 24 | 0.30% | 12 | 0.15% | 881 | 11.01% | 8,001 |
| Jefferson | 1,063 | 37.35% | 1,767 | 62.09% | 7 | 0.25% | 9 | 0.32% | -704 | -24.74% | 2,846 |
| Johnston | 1,518 | 42.39% | 2,042 | 57.02% | 14 | 0.39% | 7 | 0.20% | -524 | -14.63% | 3,581 |
| Kay | 12,646 | 61.50% | 7,751 | 37.69% | 112 | 0.54% | 55 | 0.27% | 4,895 | 23.80% | 20,564 |
| Kingfisher | 4,011 | 68.54% | 1,777 | 30.37% | 45 | 0.77% | 19 | 0.32% | 2,234 | 38.17% | 5,852 |
| Kiowa | 2,030 | 46.58% | 2,296 | 52.68% | 19 | 0.44% | 13 | 0.30% | -266 | -6.10% | 4,358 |
| Latimer | 1,830 | 43.23% | 2,365 | 55.87% | 20 | 0.47% | 18 | 0.43% | -535 | -12.64% | 4,233 |
| Le Flore | 6,964 | 51.05% | 6,594 | 48.34% | 63 | 0.46% | 20 | 0.15% | 370 | 2.71% | 13,641 |
| Lincoln | 6,409 | 59.67% | 4,225 | 39.34% | 67 | 0.62% | 39 | 0.36% | 2,184 | 20.34% | 10,740 |
| Logan | 6,947 | 59.36% | 4,603 | 39.33% | 117 | 1.00% | 37 | 0.32% | 2,344 | 20.03% | 11,704 |
| Love | 1,361 | 41.66% | 1,889 | 57.82% | 12 | 0.37% | 5 | 0.15% | -528 | -16.16% | 3,267 |
| McClain | 4,771 | 56.44% | 3,594 | 42.52% | 35 | 0.95% | 16 | 0.44% | 1,177 | 13.92% | 8,453 |
| McCurtain | 4,920 | 49.64% | 4,928 | 49.72% | 16 | 0.34% | 12 | 0.26% | -8 | -0.08% | 9,911 |
| McIntosh | 2,665 | 39.53% | 4,041 | 59.94% | 55 | 0.43% | 40 | 0.31% | -1,376 | -20.41% | 6,742 |
| Major | 2,638 | 71.86% | 982 | 26.75% | 68 | 0.80% | 20 | 0.24% | 1,656 | 45.11% | 3,671 |
| Marshall | 1,911 | 40.93% | 2,730 | 58.47% | 37 | 0.37% | 26 | 0.26% | -819 | -17.54% | 4,669 |
| Mayes | 6,115 | 47.40% | 6,691 | 51.86% | 23 | 0.34% | 13 | 0.19% | -576 | -4.46% | 12,901 |
| Murray | 2,056 | 42.89% | 2,697 | 56.26% | 29 | 0.60% | 12 | 0.25% | -641 | -13.37% | 4,794 |
| Muskogee | 11,147 | 44.47% | 13,760 | 54.89% | 98 | 0.39% | 63 | 0.25% | -2,613 | -10.42% | 25,068 |
| Noble | 3,015 | 63.80% | 1,661 | 35.15% | 32 | 0.68% | 18 | 0.38% | 1,354 | 28.65% | 4,726 |
| Nowata | 2,000 | 47.24% | 2,203 | 52.03% | 16 | 0.38% | 15 | 0.35% | -203 | -4.79% | 4,234 |
| Okfuskee | 1,851 | 45.17% | 2,209 | 53.90% | 21 | 0.51% | 17 | 0.41% | -358 | -8.74% | 4,098 |
| Oklahoma | 135,376 | 63.59% | 75,812 | 35.61% | 1,162 | 0.55% | 541 | 0.25% | 59,564 | 27.98% | 212,891 |
| Okmulgee | 5,674 | 40.52% | 8,262 | 59.00% | 40 | 0.29% | 28 | 0.20% | -2,588 | -18.48% | 14,004 |
| Osage | 7,162 | 47.57% | 7,778 | 51.66% | 75 | 0.50% | 40 | 0.27% | -616 | -4.09% | 15,055 |
| Ottawa | 5,026 | 42.85% | 6,658 | 56.77% | 27 | 0.23% | 18 | 0.15% | -1,632 | -13.91% | 11,729 |
| Pawnee | 3,324 | 53.94% | 2,781 | 45.13% | 42 | 0.68% | 15 | 0.24% | 543 | 8.81% | 6,162 |
| Payne | 16,027 | 59.57% | 10,568 | 39.28% | 233 | 0.87% | 77 | 0.29% | 5,459 | 20.29% | 26,905 |
| Pittsburg | 7,594 | 46.47% | 8,623 | 52.77% | 78 | 0.48% | 47 | 0.29% | -1,029 | -6.30% | 16,342 |
| Pontotoc | 6,609 | 49.92% | 6,484 | 48.98% | 95 | 0.72% | 51 | 0.39% | 125 | 0.94% | 13,239 |
| Pottawatomie | 12,099 | 57.15% | 8,873 | 41.92% | 133 | 0.63% | 64 | 0.30% | 3,226 | 15.24% | 21,169 |
| Pushmataha | 1,841 | 42.80% | 2,430 | 56.50% | 16 | 0.37% | 14 | 0.33% | -589 | -13.69% | 4,301 |
| Roger Mills | 1,132 | 56.26% | 866 | 43.04% | 11 | 0.55% | 3 | 0.15% | 266 | 13.22% | 2,012 |
| Rogers | 12,940 | 59.22% | 8,771 | 40.14% | 103 | 0.47% | 37 | 0.17% | 4,169 | 19.08% | 21,851 |
| Seminole | 4,078 | 44.95% | 4,911 | 54.13% | 53 | 0.58% | 31 | 0.34% | -833 | -9.18% | 9,073 |
| Sequoyah | 5,710 | 53.22% | 4,951 | 46.15% | 52 | 0.48% | 16 | 0.15% | 759 | 7.07% | 10,729 |
| Stephens | 9,844 | 55.32% | 7,833 | 44.02% | 71 | 0.40% | 47 | 0.26% | 2,011 | 11.30% | 17,795 |
| Texas | 4,971 | 73.62% | 1,717 | 25.43% | 40 | 0.59% | 24 | 0.36% | 3,254 | 48.19% | 6,752 |
| Tillman | 1,754 | 44.65% | 2,148 | 54.68% | 15 | 0.38% | 11 | 0.28% | -394 | -10.03% | 3,928 |
| Tulsa | 127,512 | 64.48% | 69,044 | 34.91% | 862 | 0.44% | 345 | 0.17% | 58,468 | 29.56% | 197,763 |
| Wagoner | 10,219 | 57.68% | 7,378 | 41.64% | 86 | 0.49% | 35 | 0.20% | 2,841 | 16.03% | 17,718 |
| Washington | 14,613 | 67.30% | 6,971 | 32.11% | 90 | 0.41% | 39 | 0.18% | 7,642 | 35.20% | 21,713 |
| Washita | 2,402 | 50.62% | 2,290 | 48.26% | 38 | 0.80% | 15 | 0.32% | 112 | 2.36% | 4,745 |
| Woods | 2,835 | 60.95% | 1,735 | 37.30% | 51 | 1.10% | 30 | 0.65% | 1,100 | 23.65% | 4,651 |
| Woodward | 4,996 | 66.68% | 2,408 | 32.14% | 56 | 0.75% | 33 | 0.44% | 2,588 | 34.54% | 7,493 |
| Totals | 678,367 | 57.93% | 483,423 | 41.28% | 6,261 | 0.53% | 2,985 | 0.25% | 194,944 | 16.65% | 1,171,036 |
Slates of Electors
Democrat: Lou Rogers Watkins, M. David Riggs, Loretta Y. Jackson, Fred L. Boettcher, C. Pat Frank, Randy L. Beutler, Neil McElderry Jr, Demetrius Bereolos
Republican: Ron Collett, Lavelle Dennis, Mary Lou Mathis, Joyce Perring, Art Rubin, Susan Kay Schroeder, Rosemary Tarr, Dorothy Zumwalt
Libertarian: F. G. Litzaw, Brian W. Holk, G. Dennis Garland, Paul O. Woodward, Mary E. Laurent, Debby L. Wair, Whitney L. Boutin Jr, Michael A. Wair
New Alliance: Sandra Williams, Susanne Michelle Adams, Carol J. Mizell, Toni A. Zucconi, Tania Ann Zucconi, Rhonda K. Tsotigh, Jeffrey L. Fuller, Carl Jonathan Wood[5]
Notes
- 1990 U.S. Census Voting Tabulation Districts (VTDs), with revisions, were used in place of true precincts for 74 of 77 counties. Not all VTDs were able to be matched to precinct data—these are offset in a separate color. Only votes for Bush and Dukkakis were available, accounting for 99.21% of votes cast for president.
References
- "1988 Presidential General Election Results — Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- "Since 1980s, the Kindest of Tax Cuts for the Rich". The New York Times. January 18, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- Jerry Lanson (November 6, 2008). "A historic victory. A changed nation. Now, can Obama deliver?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- "OK US Presidential Election, November 08, 1988". Our Campaigns.
- "Elections of 1988 — General Election, November 8, 1988" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board.
