# 1988 United States presidential election in Tennessee

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Elections in Tennessee :
Federal government
U.S. President
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate
1796
1798
1803
1809
1823
1826
1829
1833
1835
1841
1844
1847
1851
1853
1858
1866
1867
1875
1877
1883
1887
1889
1893
1895
1899
1901
1905
1907
1911
1913
1916
1918
1922
1924
1928
1930
1934
1936
1940
1942
1946
1948
1952
1954
1958
1960
1964
1966
1970
1972
1976
1978
1982
1984
1988
1990
1994
1996
2000
2002
2006
2008
2012
2014
2018
2020
2024
2026
U.S. House
1796
1797
1799
1801
1803
1805
1807
1809
1811
1813
1815
1817
1819
1821
1823
1825
1827
1829
1831
1833
1835
1837
1839
1841
1842
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
1861
1865
1867
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Special elections
Senate
1797
1798
1799
1809
1811
1815
1817
1819
1821
1825
1829
1838
1839
1840
1843
1857
1877
1898
1905
1913
1930
1934
1938
1964
1994
House
At-large
1797
1801
1st
1910
1961
2nd
1815
1891
1939
1964
1988
3rd
1939
4th
1837
1874
1875
5th
1814
1975
1988
6th
1939
7th
1932
1939
8th
1845
1958
1969
9th
1940 :
State government
State elections
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1796
1797
1799
1801
1803
1805
1807
1809
1811
1813
1815
1817
1819
1821
1823
1825
1827
1829
1831
1833
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
State Senate elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Representatives elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
2006
Amendment 1
2014
Amendment 1
2022
Amendment 1
Amendment 3
Nashville measures
Nashville Charter Amendment 1
Let's Move Nashville :
Local elections
Hamilton County mayoral elections
2018
2022
Chattanooga mayoral elections
2013
2017
2021
2025
Knox County mayoral elections
2010
2014
2018
2022
Knoxville mayoral elections
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Shelby County mayoral elections
2010
2014
2018
2022
Memphis mayoral elections
2011
2015
2019
2023
Clarksville Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Jackson Mayoral elections
2015
2019
2023
Murfreesboro Mayoral elections
2014
2018
2022
Nashville Mayoral elections
2007
2011
2015
2018 (sp)
2019
2023 :
Government :
vte :
The 1988 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president. Tennessee 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.
Tennessee weighed in for this election as eight points more Republican than the national average. Tennessee was the only state to vote more Republican than in 1984. As of the 2024 presidential election, this was the last time the Republican candidate carried Davidson County (home of Nashville) and Shelby County (home of Memphis), both of which have become staunch, and the only, Democratic strongholds into the 21st century. Hardeman County, Tennessee would not vote for a Republican again until the 2016 United States presidential election.

## Background

The Republican presidential nominee won Tennessee in every presidential election since 1968 except for Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter's victory in 1976.
However, Republican victories in the senatorial elections of 1966 and 1970 were undone by Democratic victories in 1976 and 1984. Ned McWherter's victory in 1986 gubernatorial election also restored Democratic control since 1974. Voter identification among the Democrats fell from 42% to 32% between 1981 and 1985, while identification among the Republicans rose from 25 to 29%.

## Campaign
### Primary

U.S. Senator Al Gore, a favorite son, won Tennessee in the Democratic primary with 72% of the vote. Gore won 87% of the white vote. The racial composition of the primary was 73% white and 27% black.
Bill Brock, a former member of the U.S. Senate from Tennessee, served as the chair of Bob Dole's national campaign. McWherter served as the chair of Gore's campaign in the south. 37% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.

### General

The regional political divide in Tennessee between the Republican eastern half and Democratic western half dated back to the American Civil War. Stephanie Chivers, the director of Bush's campaign in the state, stated that they needed a 125,000 margin of victory in the eastern part of the state to counteract Democratic support in the rest of the state. Both of Bush's visits in the state were in Democratic areas in order for him to be "in there with the Reagan/McWherter Democrats" according to Chivers. Quayle's five visits to the state were in the east.
Peter Goelz, a Democratic politician from Kansas City, was selected to be the political director of Dukakis's campaign in the state. He did not arrive until August and he lacked knowledge about the state's politics. Chip Forrester, the executive director of the Tennessee Democratic Party, criticized Dukakis for not utilizing McWherter during the campaign despite his popularity in rural counties. McWherter and other southern governors filmed an endorsement of Dukakis at the National Governors' Conference meeting, but it was never aired on television in Tennessee.
65% of white voters supported Bush while 34% supported Dukakis. Bush received 65% of the vote in the east, 55% in the middle, and 53% in the west. Bush won 73 of the state's 95 counties, including the four most populous counties of Shelby, Davidson, Knox, and Hamilton. Dukakis failed to win any metropolitan areas. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Jim Sasser won reelection in the concurrent senatorial election and the Democrats maintained their control of the Tennessee General Assembly despite Bush's victory.

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | George Bush Republican | Michael Dukakis Democratic | Other / Undecided |
| Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy | October 3–5, 1988 | 829 RV | | 46% | 41% | 13% |
| Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy | October 26–28, 1988 | 813 LV | | 51% | 41% | 8% |

## Results

1988 United States presidential election in Tennessee :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Republican | George H. W. Bush | 947,233 | 57.89% | 11 |
| | Democratic | Michael Dukakis | 679,794 | 41.55% | 0 |
| | Independent | Ron Paul | 2,041 | 0.12% | 0 |
| | Independent | David Duke | 1,807 | 0.11% | 0 |
| | Independent | Earl Dodge | 1,807 | 0.11% | 0 |
| | Independent | Lenora Fulani | 1,334 | 0.08% | 0 |
| | Independent | Lyndon LaRouche | 873 | 0.05% | 0 |
| | Independent | James Warren | 718 | 0.04% | 0 |
| | Independent | Willa Kenoyer | 358 | 0.02% | 0 |
| | Write-Ins | | 285 | 0.02% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 1,636,250 | 100.0% | 11 |

### Results by county

| County | George H.W. Bush Republican | George H.W. Bush Republican | Michael Dukakis Democratic | Michael Dukakis Democratic | Ron Paul Independent | Ron Paul Independent | David Duke Independent | David Duke Independent | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Anderson | 15,056 | 60.74% | 9,589 | 38.68% | 35 | 0.14% | 108 | 0.44% | 5,467 | 22.06% | 24,788 |
| Bedford | 4,856 | 54.32% | 4,046 | 45.26% | 9 | 0.10% | 28 | 0.31% | 810 | 9.06% | 8,939 |
| Benton | 2,167 | 43.26% | 2,826 | 56.42% | 1 | 0.02% | 15 | 0.30% | -659 | -13.16% | 5,009 |
| Bledsoe | 1,858 | 58.48% | 1,274 | 40.10% | 5 | 0.16% | 40 | 1.26% | 584 | 18.38% | 3,177 |
| Blount | 20,027 | 67.26% | 9,602 | 32.25% | 38 | 0.13% | 109 | 0.37% | 10,425 | 35.01% | 29,776 |
| Bradley | 15,829 | 71.85% | 6,122 | 27.79% | 16 | 0.07% | 64 | 0.29% | 9,707 | 44.06% | 22,031 |
| Campbell | 5,197 | 55.19% | 4,188 | 44.48% | 5 | 0.05% | 26 | 0.28% | 1,009 | 10.71% | 9,416 |
| Cannon | 1,604 | 47.91% | 1,726 | 51.55% | 4 | 0.12% | 14 | 0.42% | -122 | -3.64% | 3,348 |
| Carroll | 5,635 | 57.32% | 4,151 | 42.23% | 3 | 0.03% | 41 | 0.42% | 1,484 | 15.09% | 9,830 |
| Carter | 12,036 | 71.74% | 4,634 | 27.62% | 18 | 0.11% | 90 | 0.54% | 7,402 | 44.12% | 16,778 |
| Cheatham | 4,132 | 56.99% | 3,067 | 42.30% | 15 | 0.21% | 36 | 0.50% | 1,065 | 14.69% | 7,250 |
| Chester | 2,781 | 61.05% | 1,757 | 38.57% | 2 | 0.04% | 15 | 0.33% | 1,024 | 22.48% | 4,555 |
| Claiborne | 4,071 | 57.48% | 2,977 | 42.04% | 6 | 0.08% | 28 | 0.40% | 1,094 | 15.44% | 7,082 |
| Clay | 1,291 | 51.78% | 1,183 | 47.45% | 19 | 0.76% | 0 | 0.00% | 108 | 4.33% | 2,493 |
| Cocke | 5,430 | 71.65% | 2,115 | 27.91% | 9 | 0.12% | 25 | 0.33% | 3,315 | 43.74% | 7,579 |
| Coffee | 7,837 | 57.56% | 5,686 | 41.76% | 29 | 0.21% | 63 | 0.46% | 2,151 | 15.80% | 13,615 |
| Crockett | 2,214 | 55.77% | 1,742 | 43.88% | 14 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 472 | 11.89% | 3,970 |
| Cumberland | 7,557 | 65.18% | 3,964 | 34.19% | 22 | 0.19% | 51 | 0.44% | 3,593 | 30.99% | 11,594 |
| Davidson | 98,599 | 52.18% | 89,270 | 47.25% | 299 | 0.16% | 778 | 0.41% | 9,329 | 4.93% | 188,946 |
| Decatur | 2,286 | 54.55% | 1,880 | 44.86% | 7 | 0.17% | 18 | 0.43% | 406 | 9.69% | 4,191 |
| DeKalb | 2,098 | 45.80% | 2,452 | 53.53% | 6 | 0.13% | 25 | 0.55% | -354 | -7.73% | 4,581 |
| Dickson | 5,343 | 50.71% | 5,129 | 48.68% | 13 | 0.12% | 51 | 0.48% | 214 | 2.03% | 10,536 |
| Dyer | 6,508 | 63.54% | 3,690 | 36.02% | 5 | 0.05% | 40 | 0.39% | 2,818 | 27.52% | 10,243 |
| Fayette | 3,573 | 51.63% | 3,292 | 47.57% | 11 | 0.16% | 45 | 0.65% | 281 | 4.06% | 6,921 |
| Fentress | 3,103 | 62.16% | 1,856 | 37.18% | 2 | 0.04% | 31 | 0.62% | 1,247 | 24.98% | 4,992 |
| Franklin | 5,381 | 49.43% | 5,442 | 49.99% | 16 | 0.15% | 47 | 0.43% | -61 | -0.56% | 10,886 |
| Gibson | 8,415 | 52.47% | 7,542 | 47.03% | 16 | 0.10% | 65 | 0.41% | 873 | 5.44% | 16,038 |
| Giles | 3,518 | 47.04% | 3,918 | 52.39% | 10 | 0.13% | 32 | 0.43% | -400 | -5.35% | 7,478 |
| Grainger | 2,734 | 65.50% | 1,423 | 34.09% | 5 | 0.12% | 12 | 0.29% | 1,311 | 31.41% | 4,174 |
| Greene | 11,947 | 69.73% | 5,077 | 29.63% | 44 | 0.26% | 64 | 0.37% | 6,870 | 40.10% | 17,132 |
| Grundy | 1,429 | 37.05% | 2,415 | 62.61% | 13 | 0.34% | 0 | 0.00% | -986 | -25.56% | 3,857 |
| Hamblen | 10,418 | 66.93% | 5,061 | 32.52% | 27 | 0.17% | 59 | 0.38% | 5,357 | 34.41% | 15,565 |
| Hamilton | 68,111 | 62.08% | 40,990 | 37.36% | 157 | 0.14% | 451 | 0.41% | 27,121 | 24.72% | 109,709 |
| Hancock | 1,303 | 62.58% | 737 | 35.40% | 8 | 0.38% | 34 | 1.63% | 566 | 27.18% | 2,082 |
| Hardeman | 3,547 | 49.69% | 3,526 | 49.40% | 13 | 0.18% | 52 | 0.73% | 21 | 0.29% | 7,138 |
| Hardin | 4,252 | 59.98% | 2,808 | 39.61% | 5 | 0.07% | 24 | 0.34% | 1,444 | 20.37% | 7,089 |
| Hawkins | 9,356 | 63.88% | 5,212 | 35.59% | 24 | 0.16% | 54 | 0.37% | 4,144 | 28.29% | 14,646 |
| Haywood | 2,687 | 47.64% | 2,923 | 51.83% | 3 | 0.05% | 27 | 0.48% | -236 | -4.19% | 5,640 |
| Henderson | 5,418 | 69.29% | 2,296 | 29.36% | 21 | 0.27% | 84 | 1.07% | 3,122 | 39.93% | 7,819 |
| Henry | 4,784 | 47.96% | 5,138 | 51.51% | 3 | 0.03% | 50 | 0.50% | -354 | -3.55% | 9,975 |
| Hickman | 2,246 | 45.67% | 2,643 | 53.74% | 14 | 0.28% | 15 | 0.31% | -397 | -8.07% | 4,918 |
| Houston | 882 | 37.26% | 1,467 | 61.98% | 4 | 0.17% | 14 | 0.59% | -585 | -24.72% | 2,367 |
| Humphreys | 2,132 | 41.09% | 3,037 | 58.54% | 1 | 0.02% | 18 | 0.35% | -905 | -17.45% | 5,188 |
| Jackson | 1,168 | 37.15% | 1,962 | 62.40% | 5 | 0.16% | 9 | 0.29% | -794 | -25.25% | 3,144 |
| Jefferson | 6,832 | 67.85% | 3,168 | 31.46% | 13 | 0.13% | 56 | 0.56% | 3,664 | 36.39% | 10,069 |
| Johnson | 3,715 | 73.14% | 1,329 | 26.17% | 3 | 0.06% | 32 | 0.63% | 2,386 | 46.97% | 5,079 |
| Knox | 73,092 | 63.27% | 41,829 | 36.21% | 190 | 0.16% | 410 | 0.35% | 31,263 | 27.06% | 115,521 |
| Lake | 806 | 46.06% | 935 | 53.43% | 1 | 0.06% | 8 | 0.46% | -129 | -7.37% | 1,750 |
| Lauderdale | 3,308 | 49.83% | 3,296 | 49.65% | 4 | 0.06% | 31 | 0.47% | 12 | 0.18% | 6,639 |
| Lawrence | 6,273 | 56.09% | 4,903 | 43.84% | 7 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,370 | 12.25% | 11,183 |
| Lewis | 1,324 | 47.95% | 1,419 | 51.39% | 8 | 0.29% | 10 | 0.36% | -95 | -3.44% | 2,761 |
| Lincoln | 4,288 | 53.49% | 3,672 | 45.80% | 21 | 0.26% | 36 | 0.45% | 616 | 7.69% | 8,017 |
| Loudon | 7,122 | 66.69% | 3,480 | 32.59% | 14 | 0.13% | 63 | 0.59% | 3,642 | 34.10% | 10,679 |
| Macon | 2,962 | 65.37% | 1,538 | 33.94% | 5 | 0.11% | 26 | 0.57% | 1,424 | 31.43% | 4,531 |
| Madison | 16,952 | 60.46% | 11,001 | 39.23% | 3 | 0.01% | 83 | 0.30% | 5,951 | 21.23% | 28,039 |
| Marion | 4,407 | 51.14% | 4,175 | 48.45% | 6 | 0.07% | 30 | 0.35% | 232 | 2.69% | 8,618 |
| Marshall | 2,975 | 51.37% | 2,795 | 48.26% | 2 | 0.03% | 19 | 0.33% | 180 | 3.11% | 5,791 |
| Maury | 8,397 | 56.78% | 6,280 | 42.47% | 11 | 0.07% | 100 | 0.68% | 2,117 | 14.31% | 14,788 |
| McMinn | 8,462 | 64.70% | 4,568 | 34.93% | 19 | 0.15% | 29 | 0.22% | 3,894 | 29.77% | 13,078 |
| McNairy | 4,625 | 56.46% | 3,510 | 42.85% | 10 | 0.12% | 46 | 0.56% | 1,115 | 13.61% | 8,191 |
| Meigs | 1,507 | 58.68% | 1,048 | 40.81% | 2 | 0.08% | 11 | 0.43% | 459 | 17.87% | 2,568 |
| Monroe | 6,355 | 61.15% | 4,000 | 38.49% | 9 | 0.09% | 29 | 0.28% | 2,355 | 22.66% | 10,393 |
| Montgomery | 12,599 | 57.65% | 9,145 | 41.84% | 24 | 0.11% | 88 | 0.40% | 3,454 | 15.81% | 21,856 |
| Moore | 786 | 51.37% | 731 | 47.78% | 3 | 0.20% | 10 | 0.65% | 55 | 3.59% | 1,530 |
| Morgan | 2,576 | 56.67% | 1,941 | 42.70% | 2 | 0.04% | 27 | 0.59% | 635 | 13.97% | 4,546 |
| Obion | 6,037 | 55.60% | 4,785 | 44.07% | 8 | 0.07% | 28 | 0.26% | 1,252 | 11.53% | 10,858 |
| Overton | 1,873 | 42.60% | 2,511 | 57.11% | 1 | 0.02% | 12 | 0.27% | -638 | -14.51% | 4,397 |
| Perry | 854 | 41.14% | 1,208 | 58.19% | 3 | 0.14% | 11 | 0.53% | -354 | -17.05% | 2,076 |
| Pickett | 1,118 | 63.67% | 634 | 36.10% | 4 | 0.23% | 0 | 0.00% | 484 | 27.57% | 1,756 |
| Polk | 2,297 | 52.31% | 2,073 | 47.21% | 3 | 0.07% | 18 | 0.41% | 224 | 5.10% | 4,391 |
| Putnam | 9,547 | 58.62% | 6,606 | 40.56% | 24 | 0.15% | 108 | 0.66% | 2,941 | 18.06% | 16,285 |
| Rhea | 5,144 | 66.15% | 2,595 | 33.37% | 6 | 0.08% | 31 | 0.40% | 2,549 | 32.78% | 7,776 |
| Roane | 10,881 | 62.19% | 6,535 | 37.35% | 6 | 0.03% | 75 | 0.43% | 4,346 | 24.84% | 17,497 |
| Robertson | 5,714 | 48.95% | 5,884 | 50.41% | 12 | 0.10% | 62 | 0.53% | -170 | -1.46% | 11,672 |
| Rutherford | 20,397 | 62.18% | 12,245 | 37.33% | 34 | 0.10% | 125 | 0.38% | 8,152 | 24.85% | 32,801 |
| Scott | 2,562 | 61.10% | 1,611 | 38.42% | 3 | 0.07% | 17 | 0.41% | 951 | 22.68% | 4,193 |
| Sequatchie | 1,659 | 57.83% | 1,196 | 41.69% | 2 | 0.07% | 12 | 0.42% | 463 | 16.14% | 2,869 |
| Sevier | 11,920 | 76.26% | 3,643 | 23.31% | 13 | 0.08% | 55 | 0.35% | 8,277 | 52.95% | 15,631 |
| Shelby | 157,457 | 50.96% | 149,759 | 48.47% | 375 | 0.12% | 1,397 | 0.45% | 7,698 | 2.49% | 308,988 |
| Smith | 2,138 | 45.63% | 2,522 | 53.82% | 2 | 0.04% | 24 | 0.51% | -384 | -8.19% | 4,686 |
| Stewart | 1,302 | 39.50% | 1,979 | 60.04% | 2 | 0.06% | 13 | 0.39% | -677 | -20.54% | 3,296 |
| Sullivan | 32,996 | 64.73% | 17,396 | 34.13% | 33 | 0.06% | 552 | 1.08% | 15,600 | 30.60% | 50,977 |
| Sumner | 19,523 | 62.20% | 11,702 | 37.28% | 41 | 0.13% | 123 | 0.39% | 7,821 | 24.92% | 31,389 |
| Tipton | 6,052 | 61.02% | 3,824 | 38.56% | 6 | 0.06% | 36 | 0.36% | 2,228 | 22.46% | 9,918 |
| Trousdale | 969 | 44.59% | 1,193 | 54.90% | 1 | 0.05% | 10 | 0.46% | -224 | -10.31% | 2,173 |
| Unicoi | 3,664 | 66.79% | 1,794 | 32.70% | 5 | 0.09% | 23 | 0.42% | 1,870 | 34.09% | 5,486 |
| Union | 2,110 | 59.20% | 1,431 | 40.15% | 3 | 0.08% | 20 | 0.56% | 679 | 19.05% | 3,564 |
| Van Buren | 780 | 49.37% | 796 | 50.38% | 4 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | -16 | -1.01% | 1,580 |
| Warren | 4,529 | 49.13% | 4,646 | 50.40% | 5 | 0.05% | 38 | 0.41% | -117 | -1.27% | 9,218 |
| Washington | 19,615 | 65.63% | 10,087 | 33.75% | 63 | 0.21% | 122 | 0.41% | 9,528 | 31.88% | 29,887 |
| Wayne | 3,405 | 68.77% | 1,516 | 30.62% | 3 | 0.06% | 27 | 0.55% | 1,889 | 38.15% | 4,951 |
| Weakley | 5,701 | 57.07% | 4,239 | 42.44% | 15 | 0.15% | 34 | 0.34% | 1,462 | 14.63% | 9,989 |
| White | 2,646 | 50.41% | 2,562 | 48.81% | 10 | 0.19% | 31 | 0.59% | 84 | 1.60% | 5,249 |
| Williamson | 20,847 | 72.33% | 7,864 | 27.28% | 52 | 0.18% | 60 | 0.21% | 12,983 | 45.05% | 28,823 |
| Wilson | 13,317 | 61.11% | 8,360 | 38.36% | 24 | 0.11% | 92 | 0.42% | 4,957 | 22.75% | 21,793 |
| Totals | 947,233 | 57.89% | 679,794 | 41.55% | 2,041 | 0.12% | 1,807 | 0.11% | 267,439 | 16.34% | 1,636,250 |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Giles
* Lewis

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Hardeman
* Lincoln
* White

## Analysis

Most counties in Tennessee turned out for Bush, including the highly populated Shelby County and Davidson County, by narrow margins. Those two counties have never voted Republican since this election.
Tennessee was the only state that Bush improved on Ronald Reagan’s 1984 vote share within, although only by 0.05%. He became only the second Republican after Richard Nixon in 1972 to carry Lincoln County and Hardeman County.