# 1988 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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vte :
The 1988 United States presidential election in Wisconsin took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. State voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
Wisconsin was won by Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis who was running against incumbent United States Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas. Dukakis ran with Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen as Vice President, and Bush ran with Indiana Senator Dan Quayle. Dukakis won the election in Wisconsin with a four-point margin, likely due to the 1980s farm crisis which devastated rural areas of Wisconsin. The state has since consistently voted for the Democratic Party, until the victory of Republican Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024. This is also the last time Wisconsin would vote differently to fellow Rust Belt swing states Michigan and Pennsylvania, with all three states flipping simultaneously in 2016, 2020, and 2024 as well as the last time Wisconsin was the most Democratic leaning of the three Rust Belt swing states until 2024.
The election was very partisan, with over 99 percent of the electorate voting for either the Republican or Democratic parties, although five additional candidates were on the ballot. Dukakis and Bush almost evenly split Wisconsin's seventy-two counties – Dukakis won 37 and Bush won 35. Dukakis won the large urban counties containing Madison (Dane County), Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha, alongside almost entirely Native American Menominee County and the heavily unionized Scandinavian-American counties of the northwest. Bush won the suburban "WOW counties" and the more conservative, historically German Catholic, counties of the rural eastern half of the state. Over the state as a whole, Dukakis did best, as usual, in Menominee County, and Bush did best in Ozaukee County.

## Results

1988 United States presidential election in Wisconsin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Democratic | Michael Stanley Dukakis | 1,126,794 | 51.41% | 11 |
| | Republican | George Herbert Walker Bush | 1,047,499 | 47.80% | 0 |
| | Independent | Ron Paul | 5,157 | 0.24% | 0 |
| | Independent | David Duke | 3,056 | 0.14% | 0 |
| | Independent | James Warren | 2,574 | 0.12% | 0 |
| | Independent | Lyndon LaRouche | 2,302 | 0.11% | 0 |
| | Write-ins | | 2,273 | 0.10% | 0 |
| | Independent | Lenora Fulani | 1,953 | 0.09% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 2,191,608 | 100.0% | 11 |

### Results by county

| County | Michael Dukakis Democratic | Michael Dukakis Democratic | George H.W. Bush Republican | George H.W. Bush Republican | Ron Paul Independent | Ron Paul Independent | David Duke Independent | David Duke Independent | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 3,598 | 52.27% | 3,258 | 47.33% | 8 | 0.12% | 19 | 0.28% | 340 | 4.94% | 6,883 |
| Ashland | 4,526 | 60.49% | 2,926 | 39.11% | 10 | 0.13% | 20 | 0.27% | 1,600 | 21.38% | 7,482 |
| Barron | 8,951 | 50.94% | 8,527 | 48.53% | 45 | 0.26% | 47 | 0.27% | 424 | 2.41% | 17,570 |
| Bayfield | 4,323 | 57.96% | 3,095 | 41.50% | 12 | 0.16% | 28 | 0.38% | 1,228 | 16.46% | 7,458 |
| Brown | 41,788 | 48.62% | 43,625 | 50.75% | 196 | 0.23% | 344 | 0.40% | -1,837 | -2.13% | 85,953 |
| Buffalo | 3,481 | 55.14% | 2,783 | 44.08% | 23 | 0.36% | 26 | 0.41% | 698 | 11.06% | 6,313 |
| Burnett | 3,537 | 54.71% | 2,884 | 44.61% | 11 | 0.17% | 33 | 0.51% | 653 | 10.10% | 6,465 |
| Calumet | 6,481 | 44.06% | 8,107 | 55.12% | 21 | 0.14% | 99 | 0.67% | -1,626 | -11.06% | 14,708 |
| Chippewa | 11,447 | 53.61% | 9,757 | 45.69% | 53 | 0.25% | 97 | 0.45% | 1,690 | 7.92% | 21,354 |
| Clark | 6,642 | 50.95% | 6,296 | 48.30% | 19 | 0.15% | 79 | 0.61% | 346 | 2.65% | 13,036 |
| Columbia | 9,132 | 46.28% | 10,475 | 53.09% | 45 | 0.23% | 78 | 0.40% | -1,343 | -6.81% | 19,730 |
| Crawford | 3,608 | 52.34% | 3,238 | 46.98% | 22 | 0.32% | 25 | 0.36% | 370 | 5.36% | 6,893 |
| Dane | 105,414 | 59.92% | 69,143 | 39.30% | 543 | 0.31% | 834 | 0.47% | 36,271 | 20.62% | 175,934 |
| Dodge | 12,663 | 42.31% | 17,003 | 56.81% | 66 | 0.22% | 195 | 0.65% | -4,340 | -14.50% | 29,927 |
| Door | 5,425 | 43.67% | 6,907 | 55.60% | 20 | 0.16% | 70 | 0.56% | -1,482 | -11.93% | 12,422 |
| Douglas | 13,907 | 68.01% | 6,440 | 31.49% | 34 | 0.17% | 68 | 0.33% | 7,467 | 36.52% | 20,449 |
| Dunn | 9,205 | 55.47% | 7,273 | 43.83% | 37 | 0.22% | 79 | 0.48% | 1,932 | 11.64% | 16,594 |
| Eau Claire | 21,150 | 54.20% | 17,664 | 45.27% | 60 | 0.15% | 149 | 0.38% | 3,486 | 8.93% | 39,023 |
| Florence | 1,018 | 47.53% | 1,106 | 51.63% | 4 | 0.19% | 14 | 0.65% | -88 | -4.10% | 2,142 |
| Fond du Lac | 15,887 | 41.62% | 21,985 | 57.59% | 86 | 0.23% | 217 | 0.57% | -6,098 | -15.97% | 38,175 |
| Forest | 2,142 | 53.43% | 1,845 | 46.02% | 4 | 0.10% | 18 | 0.45% | 297 | 7.41% | 4,009 |
| Grant | 9,421 | 48.12% | 10,049 | 51.32% | 44 | 0.22% | 66 | 0.34% | -628 | -3.20% | 19,580 |
| Green | 5,153 | 43.27% | 6,636 | 55.73% | 41 | 0.34% | 78 | 0.66% | -1,483 | -12.46% | 11,908 |
| Green Lake | 3,033 | 36.55% | 5,205 | 62.72% | 21 | 0.25% | 40 | 0.48% | -2,172 | -26.17% | 8,299 |
| Iowa | 4,268 | 49.93% | 4,240 | 49.60% | 13 | 0.15% | 27 | 0.32% | 28 | 0.33% | 8,548 |
| Iron | 2,090 | 56.26% | 1,599 | 43.04% | 5 | 0.13% | 21 | 0.57% | 491 | 13.22% | 3,715 |
| Jackson | 3,924 | 52.20% | 3,555 | 47.29% | 11 | 0.15% | 27 | 0.36% | 369 | 4.91% | 7,517 |
| Jefferson | 11,816 | 44.86% | 14,309 | 54.32% | 74 | 0.28% | 143 | 0.54% | -2,493 | -9.46% | 26,342 |
| Juneau | 3,734 | 43.11% | 4,869 | 56.21% | 18 | 0.21% | 41 | 0.47% | -1,135 | -13.10% | 8,662 |
| Kenosha | 30,089 | 57.72% | 21,661 | 41.55% | 120 | 0.23% | 259 | 0.50% | 8,428 | 16.17% | 52,129 |
| Kewaunee | 4,786 | 52.14% | 4,330 | 47.17% | 8 | 0.09% | 55 | 0.60% | 456 | 4.97% | 9,179 |
| La Crosse | 22,204 | 50.39% | 21,548 | 48.90% | 100 | 0.23% | 214 | 0.49% | 656 | 1.49% | 44,066 |
| Lafayette | 3,521 | 48.70% | 3,665 | 50.69% | 15 | 0.21% | 29 | 0.40% | -144 | -1.99% | 7,230 |
| Langlade | 4,254 | 46.31% | 4,884 | 53.17% | 16 | 0.17% | 32 | 0.35% | -630 | -6.86% | 9,186 |
| Lincoln | 5,819 | 52.06% | 5,257 | 47.03% | 33 | 0.30% | 69 | 0.62% | 562 | 5.03% | 11,178 |
| Manitowoc | 19,680 | 54.69% | 16,020 | 44.52% | 63 | 0.18% | 224 | 0.62% | 3,660 | 10.17% | 35,987 |
| Marathon | 24,658 | 49.79% | 24,482 | 49.44% | 125 | 0.25% | 256 | 0.52% | 176 | 0.35% | 49,521 |
| Marinette | 8,030 | 45.20% | 9,637 | 54.25% | 26 | 0.15% | 71 | 0.40% | -1,607 | -9.05% | 17,764 |
| Marquette | 2,463 | 44.24% | 3,059 | 54.95% | 15 | 0.27% | 30 | 0.54% | -596 | -10.71% | 5,567 |
| Menominee | 1,028 | 72.55% | 381 | 26.89% | 0 | 0.00% | 8 | 0.56% | 647 | 45.66% | 1,417 |
| Milwaukee | 268,287 | 61.04% | 168,363 | 38.30% | 1,082 | 0.25% | 1,813 | 0.41% | 99,924 | 22.74% | 439,545 |
| Monroe | 6,437 | 47.38% | 7,073 | 52.06% | 29 | 0.21% | 46 | 0.34% | -636 | -4.68% | 13,585 |
| Oconto | 6,549 | 47.75% | 7,084 | 51.65% | 23 | 0.17% | 60 | 0.44% | -535 | -3.90% | 13,716 |
| Oneida | 7,414 | 47.31% | 8,130 | 51.88% | 55 | 0.35% | 71 | 0.45% | -716 | -4.57% | 15,670 |
| Outagamie | 27,771 | 45.32% | 33,113 | 54.04% | 103 | 0.17% | 291 | 0.47% | -5,342 | -8.72% | 61,278 |
| Ozaukee | 12,661 | 35.35% | 22,899 | 63.94% | 107 | 0.30% | 145 | 0.40% | -10,238 | -28.59% | 35,812 |
| Pepin | 1,906 | 58.68% | 1,311 | 40.36% | 8 | 0.25% | 23 | 0.71% | 595 | 18.32% | 3,248 |
| Pierce | 8,659 | 58.55% | 6,045 | 40.87% | 33 | 0.22% | 52 | 0.35% | 2,614 | 17.68% | 14,789 |
| Polk | 8,981 | 56.22% | 6,866 | 42.98% | 43 | 0.27% | 85 | 0.53% | 2,115 | 13.24% | 15,975 |
| Portage | 16,317 | 57.18% | 12,057 | 42.25% | 48 | 0.17% | 113 | 0.40% | 4,260 | 14.93% | 28,535 |
| Price | 3,987 | 53.18% | 3,450 | 46.02% | 12 | 0.16% | 48 | 0.64% | 537 | 7.16% | 7,497 |
| Racine | 39,631 | 51.72% | 36,342 | 47.42% | 213 | 0.28% | 445 | 0.58% | 3,289 | 4.30% | 76,631 |
| Richland | 3,643 | 47.26% | 4,026 | 52.23% | 16 | 0.21% | 23 | 0.30% | -383 | -4.97% | 7,708 |
| Rock | 29,576 | 50.83% | 28,178 | 48.43% | 158 | 0.27% | 276 | 0.47% | 1,398 | 2.40% | 58,188 |
| Rusk | 3,888 | 55.51% | 3,063 | 43.73% | 18 | 0.26% | 35 | 0.50% | 825 | 11.78% | 7,004 |
| Sauk | 8,324 | 44.54% | 10,225 | 54.72% | 35 | 0.19% | 103 | 0.55% | -1,901 | -10.18% | 18,687 |
| Sawyer | 3,231 | 49.43% | 3,260 | 49.88% | 20 | 0.31% | 25 | 0.38% | -29 | -0.45% | 6,536 |
| Shawano | 6,587 | 43.78% | 8,362 | 55.57% | 21 | 0.14% | 77 | 0.51% | -1,775 | -11.79% | 15,047 |
| Sheboygan | 23,429 | 49.66% | 23,471 | 49.75% | 86 | 0.18% | 191 | 0.40% | -42 | -0.09% | 47,177 |
| St. Croix | 11,392 | 52.90% | 9,960 | 46.25% | 62 | 0.29% | 119 | 0.55% | 1,432 | 6.65% | 21,533 |
| Taylor | 3,785 | 46.73% | 4,254 | 52.52% | 15 | 0.19% | 46 | 0.57% | -469 | -5.79% | 8,100 |
| Trempealeau | 6,212 | 55.59% | 4,902 | 43.87% | 16 | 0.14% | 45 | 0.40% | 1,310 | 11.72% | 11,175 |
| Vernon | 5,754 | 51.94% | 5,226 | 47.17% | 35 | 0.32% | 63 | 0.57% | 528 | 4.77% | 11,078 |
| Vilas | 3,781 | 38.89% | 5,842 | 60.09% | 21 | 0.22% | 78 | 0.80% | -2,061 | -21.20% | 9,722 |
| Walworth | 12,203 | 39.77% | 18,259 | 59.50% | 91 | 0.30% | 132 | 0.43% | -6,056 | -19.73% | 30,685 |
| Washburn | 3,393 | 52.15% | 3,074 | 47.25% | 13 | 0.20% | 26 | 0.40% | 319 | 4.90% | 6,506 |
| Washington | 15,907 | 39.24% | 24,328 | 60.01% | 109 | 0.27% | 195 | 0.48% | -8,421 | -20.77% | 40,539 |
| Waukesha | 57,598 | 38.68% | 90,467 | 60.76% | 402 | 0.27% | 426 | 0.29% | -32,869 | -22.08% | 148,893 |
| Waupaca | 7,078 | 37.74% | 11,559 | 61.62% | 30 | 0.16% | 90 | 0.48% | -4,481 | -23.88% | 18,757 |
| Waushara | 3,535 | 41.33% | 4,953 | 57.91% | 18 | 0.21% | 47 | 0.55% | -1,418 | -16.58% | 8,553 |
| Winnebago | 28,508 | 44.54% | 35,085 | 54.82% | 119 | 0.19% | 294 | 0.46% | -6,577 | -10.28% | 64,006 |
| Wood | 16,074 | 48.93% | 16,549 | 50.38% | 52 | 0.16% | 173 | 0.53% | -475 | -1.45% | 32,848 |
| Totals | 1,126,794 | 51.41% | 1,047,499 | 47.80% | 5,157 | 0.24% | 3,056 | 0.14% | 79,295 | 3.61% | 2,191,608 |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Adams
* Barron
* Buffalo
* Burnett
* Chippewa
* Clark
* Crawford
* Dunn
* Eau Claire
* Forest
* Iowa
* Jackson
* Kewaunee
* La Crosse
* Lincoln
* Marathon
* Pierce
* Polk
* Price
* Racine
* Rock
* Rusk
* St. Croix
* Trempealeau
* Vernon
* Washburn

## Analysis

Wisconsin weighed in for this election as 12 points more Democratic than the national average. As of 2020, this is the last election in which Green County voted for a Republican presidential candidate, and the last time that the state would vote to the left of neighboring Illinois, and the last time until 2024 that it voted to the left of neighboring Michigan. This would be the most recent election when the Democratic candidate won Wisconsin while losing Illinois at the same time, and the last time they voted differently until 2016. It was also the most recent election where Wisconsin and fellow Rust Belt states Michigan and Pennsylvania did not vote for the same candidate.
It was also the first time since 1960 that Wisconsin would back the losing candidate in a presidential election. It was also the first time since 1848 that the state would back a losing Democrat in a presidential election, and the first time ever that the state would back a Democrat while a Republican won the presidency. Conversely, this was the first time since 1924 that a Republican won without the state.