1988 United States presidential election in Kentucky explained

See main article: 1988 United States presidential election.

The 1988 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Kentucky voters chose nine electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president. Kentucky was won by incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas, who was running against Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Bush ran with Indiana Senator Dan Quayle for vice president, and Dukakis ran with Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

In the 1980s, Kentucky was a swing state, having voted for the winner of every presidential election from 1964 on. However, Mitch McConnell's narrow win in the 1984 Senate election represented a significant shift of the state towards the Republican Party at the federal level.

Bush carried Kentucky by 11.6 percentage points on election day, the state weighing in as 4 points more Republican than the national average. Bush carried a majority of Kentucky's counties, including the most highly populated counties: Jefferson County, home to Louisville; Fayette County, home to Lexington; Daviess County, home to Owensboro; and Kenton and Campbell Counties, in the Cincinnati area. Dukakis' strength was mostly isolated to rural counties in the Eastern Coalfield and the Jackson Purchase.^{[1] [2]}

, this remains the last time that Jefferson County has voted for a Republican presidential candidate, as well as the last time that Kentucky has voted more Democratic than neighboring Tennessee.

Results

1988 United States presidential election in Kentucky
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	George H. W. Bush	734,281	55.52%	9
	Democratic	Michael Dukakis	580,368	43.88%	0
	Populist	David Duke	4,494	0.34%	0
	Libertarian	Ron Paul	2,118	0.16%	0
	New Alliance	Lenora Fulani	1,256	0.09%	0
Totals			1,322,517	100.0%	9

Results by county

County	George H.W. Bush[3] Republican		Michael Dukakis Democratic		David Duke Populist		Ron Paul Libertarian		Leonora Fulani New Alliance		Margin		Total votes cast
	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%		data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%
	Adair		4,346		71.09%		1,723		28.19%		24		0.39%		12		0.20%		8		0.13%		2,623		42.90%		6,113
	Allen		3,342		67.89%		1,573		31.95%		4		0.08%		3		0.06%		1		0.02%		1,769		35.94%		4,923
	Anderson		3,225		59.17%		2,176		39.93%		34		0.62%		8		0.15%		7		0.13%		1,049		19.24%		5,450
	Ballard		1,460		40.23%		2,162		59.58%		5		0.14%		2		0.06%		0		0.00%		-702		-19.35%		3,629
	Barren		6,653		57.82%		4,799		41.71%		24		0.21%		15		0.13%		15		0.13%		1,854		16.11%		11,506
	Bath		1,614		43.34%		2,099		56.36%		8		0.21%		2		0.05%		1		0.03%		-485		-13.02%		3,724
	Bell		5,759		51.45%		5,182		46.30%		223		1.99%		19		0.17%		10		0.09%		577		5.15%		11,193
	Boone		12,667		69.76%		5,382		29.64%		24		0.13%		70		0.39%		14		0.08%		7,285		40.12%		18,157
	Bourbon		3,308		53.57%		2,793		45.23%		55		0.89%		11		0.18%		8		0.13%		515		8.34%		6,175
	Boyd		9,379		49.39%		9,552		50.31%		16		0.08%		22		0.12%		19		0.10%		-173		-0.92%		18,988
	Boyle		4,746		56.81%		3,575		42.79%		15		0.18%		11		0.13%		7		0.08%		1,171		14.02%		8,354
	Bracken		1,630		57.72%		1,176		41.64%		10		0.35%		5		0.18%		3		0.11%		454		16.08%		2,824
	Breathitt		2,149		38.51%		3,387		60.70%		31		0.56%		7		0.13%		6		0.11%		-1,238		-22.19%		5,580
	Breckinridge		3,841		57.99%		2,765		41.75%		8		0.12%		5		0.08%		4		0.06%		1,076		16.24%		6,623
	Bullitt		8,859		59.01%		6,005		40.00%		97		0.65%		35		0.23%		17		0.11%		2,854		19.01%		15,013
	Butler		3,278		72.22%		1,245		27.43%		9		0.20%		3		0.07%		4		0.09%		2,033		44.79%		4,539
	Caldwell		2,952		52.93%		2,564		45.97%		54		0.97%		4		0.07%		3		0.05%		388		6.96%		5,577
	Calloway		6,225		53.91%		5,287		45.79%		12		0.10%		14		0.12%		8		0.07%		938		8.12%		11,546
	Campbell		19,387		66.61%		9,553		32.82%		52		0.18%		83		0.29%		29		0.10%		9,834		33.79%		29,104
	Carlisle		1,104		43.06%		1,428		55.69%		25		0.98%		6		0.23%		1		0.04%		-324		-12.63%		2,564
	Carroll		1,702		46.81%		1,913		52.61%		13		0.36%		5		0.14%		3		0.08%		-211		-5.80%		3,636
	Carter		4,325		48.36%		4,570		51.10%		34		0.38%		8		0.09%		7		0.08%		-245		-2.74%		8,944
	Casey		3,857		75.38%		1,216		23.76%		30		0.59%		9		0.18%		5		0.10%		2,641		51.62%		5,117
	Christian		9,250		61.63%		5,704		38.01%		28		0.19%		14		0.09%		12		0.08%		3,546		23.62%		15,008
	Clark		5,329		55.38%		4,252		44.19%		20		0.21%		9		0.09%		12		0.12%		1,077		11.19%		9,622
	Clay		4,156		70.63%		1,709		29.04%		11		0.19%		7		0.12%		1		0.02%		2,447		41.59%		5,884
	Clinton		3,248		77.80%		899		21.53%		9		0.22%		17		0.41%		2		0.05%		2,349		56.27%		4,175
	Crittenden		2,211		60.31%		1,443		39.36%		7		0.19%		4		0.11%		1		0.03%		768		20.95%		3,666
	Cumberland		2,231		74.49%		753		25.14%		6		0.20%		4		0.13%		1		0.03%		1,478		49.35%		2,995
	Daviess		17,356		53.49%		14,815		45.66%		201		0.62%		47		0.14%		26		0.08%		2,541		7.83%		32,445
	Edmonson		2,555		66.75%		1,243		32.47%		27		0.71%		2		0.05%		1		0.03%		1,312		34.28%		3,828
	Elliott		550		23.33%		1,797		76.24%		5		0.21%		3		0.13%		2		0.08%		-1,247		-52.91%		2,357
	Estill		3,077		64.18%		1,692		35.29%		11		0.23%		8		0.17%		6		0.13%		1,385		28.89%		4,794
	Fayette		48,065		58.96%		32,554		39.93%		593		0.73%		192		0.24%		121		0.15%		15,511		19.03%		81,525
	Fleming		2,409		53.27%		2,086		46.13%		11		0.24%		11		0.24%		5		0.11%		323		7.14%		4,522
	Floyd		5,296		29.81%		12,327		69.39%		85		0.48%		29		0.16%		27		0.15%		-7,031		-39.58%		17,764
	Franklin		9,805		50.88%		9,271		48.11%		136		0.71%		39		0.20%		20		0.10%		534		2.77%		19,271
	Fulton		1,474		48.87%		1,531		50.76%		6		0.20%		2		0.07%		3		0.10%		-57		-1.89%		3,016
	Gallatin		881		45.13%		1,060		54.30%		7		0.36%		4		0.20%		0		0.00%		-179		-9.17%		1,952
	Garrard		2,681		60.18%		1,710		38.38%		53		1.19%		8		0.18%		3		0.07%		971		21.80%		4,455
	Grant		2,835		59.05%		1,896		39.49%		51		1.06%		11		0.23%		8		0.17%		939		19.56%		4,801
	Graves		6,274		46.32%		7,153		52.81%		84		0.62%		23		0.17%		11		0.08%		-879		-6.49%		13,545
	Grayson		5,186		66.13%		2,575		32.84%		52		0.66%		16		0.20%		13		0.17%		2,611		33.29%		7,842
	Green		3,139		66.07%		1,595		33.57%		9		0.19%		4		0.08%		4		0.08%		1,544		32.50%		4,751
	Greenup		6,559		48.38%		6,956		51.31%		16		0.12%		19		0.14%		8		0.06%		-397		-2.93%		13,558
	Hancock		1,733		53.44%		1,478		45.58%		27		0.83%		5		0.15%		0		0.00%		255		7.86%		3,243
	Hardin		13,240		64.27%		7,262		35.25%		38		0.18%		34		0.17%		25		0.12%		5,978		29.02%		20,599
	Harlan		5,166		41.08%		7,341		58.37%		43		0.34%		15		0.12%		11		0.09%		-2,175		-17.29%		12,576
	Harrison		2,983		51.85%		2,748		47.77%		12		0.21%		7		0.12%		3		0.05%		235		4.08%		5,753
	Hart		2,927		53.53%		2,519		46.07%		16		0.29%		4		0.07%		2		0.04%		408		7.46%		5,468
	Henderson		6,911		47.27%		7,648		52.31%		27		0.18%		20		0.14%		14		0.10%		-737		-5.04%		14,620
	Henry		2,286		46.98%		2,544		52.28%		16		0.33%		15		0.31%		5		0.10%		-258		-5.30%		4,866
	Hickman		1,142		49.33%		1,158		50.02%		6		0.26%		8		0.35%		1		0.04%		-16		-0.69%		2,315
	Hopkins		7,979		51.46%		7,453		48.07%		29		0.19%		25		0.16%		19		0.12%		526		3.39%		15,505
	Jackson		3,926		85.16%		678		14.71%		1		0.02%		3		0.07%		2		0.04%		3,248		70.45%		4,610
	Jefferson		139,711		52.01%		127,936		47.63%		322		0.12%		438		0.16%		232		0.09%		11,775		4.38%		268,639
	Jessamine		7,057		69.76%		2,955		29.21%		82		0.81%		14		0.14%		8		0.08%		4,102		40.55%		10,116
	Johnson		4,619		56.25%		3,538		43.09%		36		0.44%		5		0.06%		13		0.16%		1,081		13.16%		8,211
	Kenton		30,738		67.12%		14,838		32.40%		65		0.14%		111		0.24%		41		0.09%		15,900		34.72%		45,793
	Knott		1,691		24.42%		5,185		74.86%		30		0.43%		12		0.17%		8		0.12%		-3,494		-50.44%		6,926
	Knox		4,903		62.21%		2,919		37.03%		45		0.57%		9		0.11%		6		0.08%		1,984		25.18%		7,882
	LaRue		2,590		58.56%		1,822		41.19%		6		0.14%		5		0.11%		0		0.00%		768		17.37%		4,423
	Laurel		9,296		71.54%		3,620		27.86%		53		0.41%		14		0.11%		11		0.08%		5,676		43.68%		12,994
	Lawrence		2,294		50.89%		2,198		48.76%		9		0.20%		5		0.11%		2		0.04%		96		2.13%		4,508
	Lee		1,588		61.31%		984		37.99%		9		0.35%		2		0.08%		7		0.27%		604		23.32%		2,590
	Leslie		3,280		74.39%		1,105		25.06%		14		0.32%		8		0.18%		2		0.05%		2,175		49.33%		4,409
	Letcher		3,601		43.16%		4,697		56.29%		22		0.26%		17		0.20%		7		0.08%		-1,096		-13.13%		8,344
	Lewis		3,108		66.18%		1,568		33.39%		10		0.21%		5		0.11%		5		0.11%		1,540		32.79%		4,696
	Lincoln		3,530		56.64%		2,677		42.96%		15		0.24%		5		0.08%		5		0.08%		853		13.68%		6,232
	Livingston		1,834		46.92%		2,052		52.49%		15		0.38%		6		0.15%		2		0.05%		-218		-5.57%		3,909
	Logan		4,295		55.74%		3,379		43.85%		17		0.22%		10		0.13%		4		0.05%		916		11.89%		7,705
	Lyon		1,077		44.47%		1,337		55.20%		4		0.17%		3		0.12%		1		0.04%		-260		-10.73%		2,422
	Madison		9,958		59.39%		6,672		39.79%		82		0.49%		36		0.21%		18		0.11%		3,286		19.60%		16,766
	Magoffin		2,158		42.48%		2,895		56.99%		17		0.33%		2		0.04%		8		0.16%		-737		-14.51%		5,080
	Marion		2,500		44.07%		3,152		55.56%		12		0.21%		3		0.05%		6		0.11%		-652		-11.49%		5,673
	Marshall		5,256		47.05%		5,888		52.71%		14		0.13%		5		0.04%		8		0.07%		-632		-5.66%		11,171
	Martin		2,587		61.65%		1,581		37.68%		15		0.36%		5		0.12%		8		0.19%		1,006		23.97%		4,196
	Mason		3,158		53.57%		2,721		46.16%		8		0.14%		6		0.10%		2		0.03%		437		7.41%		5,895
	McCracken		12,160		49.34%		12,208		49.54%		219		0.89%		39		0.16%		17		0.07%		-48		-0.20%		24,643
	McCreary		3,477		66.96%		1,644		31.66%		53		1.02%		6		0.12%		13		0.25%		1,833		35.30%		5,193
	McLean		1,829		44.49%		2,269		55.19%		3		0.07%		6		0.15%		4		0.10%		-440		-10.70%		4,111
	Meade		3,441		52.57%		3,079		47.04%		11		0.17%		9		0.14%		5		0.08%		362		5.53%		6,545
	Menifee		670		37.47%		1,096		61.30%		16		0.89%		2		0.11%		4		0.22%		-426		-23.83%		1,788
	Mercer		3,904		57.05%		2,832		41.39%		90		1.32%		11		0.16%		6		0.09%		1,072		15.66%		6,843
	Metcalfe		2,179		55.66%		1,705		43.55%		18		0.46%		9		0.23%		4		0.10%		474		12.11%		3,915
	Monroe		4,214		80.02%		1,025		19.46%		15		0.28%		7		0.13%		5		0.09%		3,189		60.56%		5,266
	Montgomery		3,435		52.55%		3,082		47.15%		11		0.17%		4		0.06%		5		0.08%		353		5.40%		6,537
	Morgan		1,452		38.04%		2,329		61.02%		22		0.58%		6		0.16%		8		0.21%		-877		-22.98%		3,817
	Muhlenberg		5,369		43.57%		6,912		56.09%		26		0.21%		11		0.09%		4		0.03%		-1,543		-12.52%		12,322
	Nelson		5,283		51.90%		4,788		47.04%		82		0.81%		13		0.13%		13		0.13%		495		4.86%		10,179
	Nicholas		1,271		49.67%		1,242		48.53%		37		1.45%		8		0.31%		1		0.04%		29		1.14%		2,559
	Ohio		4,910		57.46%		3,612		42.27%		13		0.15%		7		0.08%		3		0.04%		1,298		15.19%		8,545
	Oldham		8,716		68.14%		4,025		31.46%		17		0.13%		26		0.20%		8		0.06%		4,691		36.68%		12,792
	Owen		1,468		44.34%		1,823		55.06%		9		0.27%		4		0.12%		7		0.21%		-355		-10.72%		3,311
	Owsley		1,266		78.49%		345		21.39%		1		0.06%		1		0.06%		0		0.00%		921		57.10%		1,613
	Pendleton		2,487		60.79%		1,576		38.52%		9		0.22%		14		0.34%		5		0.12%		911		22.27%		4,091
	Perry		5,154		47.85%		5,557		51.59%		33		0.31%		14		0.13%		14		0.13%		-403		-3.74%		10,772
	Pike		9,976		37.76%		16,339		61.85%		54		0.20%		32		0.12%		15		0.06%		-6,363		-24.09%		26,416
	Powell		2,128		49.98%		2,113		49.62%		6		0.14%		4		0.09%		7		0.16%		15		0.36%		4,258
	Pulaski		13,482		73.50%		4,788		26.10%		34		0.19%		23		0.13%		15		0.08%		8,694		47.40%		18,342
	Robertson		511		49.37%		515		49.76%		1		0.10%		5		0.48%		3		0.29%		-4		-0.39%		1,035
	Rockcastle		3,880		78.42%		1,041		21.04%		14		0.28%		10		0.20%		3		0.06%		2,839		57.38%		4,948
	Rowan		3,093		50.90%		2,968		48.84%		9		0.15%		5		0.08%		2		0.03%		125		2.06%		6,077
	Russell		4,292		74.29%		1,455		25.19%		14		0.24%		8		0.14%		8		0.14%		2,837		49.10%		5,777
	Scott		4,482		56.68%		3,380		42.74%		22		0.28%		12		0.15%		12		0.15%		1,102		13.94%		7,908
	Shelby		4,998		56.34%		3,834		43.22%		18		0.20%		8		0.09%		13		0.15%		1,164		13.12%		8,871
	Simpson		2,699		55.55%		2,138		44.00%		13		0.27%		7		0.14%		2		0.04%		561		11.55%		4,859
	Spencer		1,368		54.61%		1,121		44.75%		11		0.44%		4		0.16%		1		0.04%		247		9.86%		2,505
	Taylor		5,362		64.76%		2,879		34.77%		18		0.22%		13		0.16%		8		0.10%		2,483		29.99%		8,280
	Todd		2,282		57.66%		1,632		41.23%		34		0.86%		6		0.15%		4		0.10%		650		16.43%		3,958
	Trigg		2,427		54.74%		1,991		44.90%		6		0.14%		5		0.11%		5		0.11%		436		9.84%		4,434
	Trimble		1,083		44.39%		1,342		55.00%		4		0.16%		5		0.20%		6		0.25%		-259		-10.61%		2,440
	Union		2,292		40.72%		3,316		58.92%		8		0.14%		2		0.04%		10		0.18%		-1,024		-18.20%		5,628
	Warren		16,703		63.07%		9,684		36.57%		39		0.15%		36		0.14%		22		0.08%		7,019		26.50%		26,484
	Washington		2,445		54.89%		1,950		43.78%		50		1.12%		3		0.07%		6		0.13%		495		11.11%		4,454
	Wayne		3,672		63.89%		2,057		35.79%		8		0.14%		4		0.07%		6		0.10%		1,615		28.10%		5,747
	Webster		2,159		41.50%		3,019		58.04%		13		0.25%		8		0.15%		3		0.06%		-860		-16.54%		5,202
	Whitley		7,337		65.58%		3,794		33.91%		34		0.30%		15		0.13%		8		0.07%		3,543		31.67%		11,188
	Wolfe		916		36.94%		1,516		61.13%		36		1.45%		9		0.36%		3		0.12%		-600		-24.19%		2,480
	Woodford		4,512		62.63%		2,653		36.83%		11		0.15%		13		0.18%		15		0.21%		1,859		25.80%		7,204
Totals	734,281	55.52%	580,368	43.88%	4,494	0.34%	2,118	0.16%	1,256	0.09%	153,913	11.64%	1,322,517

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• • Bath Boyd
    • • Carlisle Carroll Carter Fulton
• Gallatin (previously tied)

See also

• Presidency of George H. W. Bush

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1988 Presidential General Election Results – Kentucky . 2013-07-21 . Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . Uselectionatlas.org.
2. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
3. Our Campaigns; KY US Presidential Race, November 08, 1988