# 1988 United States presidential election in Mississippi

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The 1988 United States presidential election in Mississippi took place on November 8, 1988. All fifty states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Mississippi voters chose seven electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
Mississippi was won by incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush, running with U.S. Senator Dan Quayle, against Governor Michael Dukakis, running with U.S Senator Lloyd Bentsen.
Notably, however, George County, in Mississippi's Pine Belt, gave former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke his largest vote share of any county in the country (about 4%). George County also gave third parties in the aggregate their largest vote share of any county in the country.
As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the last election in which Adams County, Kemper County, Washington County, and Leflore County voted for the Republican presidential nominee; and the last in which Hinds County, the most populous in the state, gave a Republican an outright majority.

## Background

Thad Cochran's victory in the 1978 election made him the first Republican elected to the United States Senate since the end of Reconstruction. However, the Democrats maintained control over all state-level offices.

## Campaign

The racial composition of the Democratic primary was 55% white and 45% black. Gore won 64% of the white vote. 44% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.
Dukakis was the first presidential candidate to visit the Neshoba County Fair since Ronald Reagan during the 1980 election. 76% of white voters supported Bush while 23% supported Dukakis.
Democratic nominee Wayne Dowdy lost in the concurrent U.S. Senate election resulting in Mississippi having two Republican senators for the first time since Reconstruction. However, the Democrats controlled four of the state's five seats in the United States House of Representatives.
Harry Allen, Rhesa Barksdale, Robbie Hughes, Henry Paris, Fred Reeder, Michael Allred, and Ed Weeks were the Republican electors that cast their ballots for Bush and Quayle. Allred was selected to replace John Palmer as Palmer was unable to cast his ballot.

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | George Bush Republican | Michael Dukakis Democratic | Other / Undecided |
| Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy | June 9–12, 1988 | | | 50% | 39% | 11% |
| Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy | August 1–3, 1988 | | | 50% | 43% | 7% |

## Results

1988 United States presidential election in Mississippi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Republican | George H. W. Bush | 557,890 | 59.89% | 7 |
| | Democratic | Michael Dukakis | 363,921 | 39.07% | 0 |
| | Independent | David Duke | 4,232 | 0.45% | 0 |
| | Libertarian | Ron Paul | 3,329 | 0.36% | 0 |
| | Independent | Lenora Fulani | 2,155 | 0.23% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 931,527 | 100.00% | 7 |

### Results by county

| County | George H.W. Bush Republican | George H.W. Bush Republican | Michael Dukakis Democratic | Michael Dukakis Democratic | David Duke Independent | David Duke Independent | Ron Paul Libertarian | Ron Paul Libertarian | Leonora Fulani Independent | Leonora Fulani Independent | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 8,116 | 50.74% | 7,732 | 48.34% | 96 | 0.60% | 25 | 0.16% | 25 | 0.16% | 384 | 2.40% | 15,994 |
| Alcorn | 6,641 | 54.88% | 5,335 | 44.08% | 38 | 0.31% | 73 | 0.60% | 15 | 0.12% | 1,306 | 10.80% | 12,102 |
| Amite | 3,333 | 53.88% | 2,834 | 45.81% | 14 | 0.23% | 5 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 499 | 8.07% | 6,186 |
| Attala | 4,524 | 59.87% | 2,997 | 39.66% | 21 | 0.28% | 7 | 0.09% | 7 | 0.09% | 1,527 | 20.21% | 7,556 |
| Benton | 1,565 | 47.30% | 1,718 | 51.92% | 20 | 0.60% | 3 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.09% | -153 | -4.62% | 3,309 |
| Bolivar | 6,105 | 43.34% | 7,606 | 54.00% | 101 | 0.72% | 204 | 1.45% | 69 | 0.49% | -1,501 | -10.66% | 14,085 |
| Calhoun | 3,375 | 61.55% | 2,086 | 38.04% | 7 | 0.13% | 11 | 0.20% | 4 | 0.07% | 1,289 | 23.51% | 5,483 |
| Carroll | 2,628 | 62.51% | 1,560 | 37.11% | 1 | 0.02% | 11 | 0.26% | 4 | 0.10% | 1,068 | 25.40% | 4,204 |
| Chickasaw | 3,390 | 55.35% | 2,713 | 44.29% | 15 | 0.24% | 1 | 0.02% | 6 | 0.10% | 677 | 11.06% | 6,125 |
| Choctaw | 2,297 | 62.98% | 1,335 | 36.61% | 10 | 0.27% | 2 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.08% | 962 | 26.37% | 3,647 |
| Claiborne | 1,233 | 28.35% | 3,083 | 70.89% | 12 | 0.28% | 6 | 0.14% | 15 | 0.34% | -1,850 | -42.54% | 4,349 |
| Clarke | 4,522 | 63.71% | 2,576 | 36.29% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,946 | 27.42% | 7,098 |
| Clay | 3,645 | 48.26% | 3,849 | 50.96% | 39 | 0.52% | 10 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.13% | -204 | -2.70% | 7,553 |
| Coahoma | 4,939 | 43.79% | 6,139 | 54.43% | 86 | 0.76% | 76 | 0.67% | 38 | 0.34% | -1,200 | -10.64% | 11,278 |
| Copiah | 5,100 | 54.64% | 4,175 | 44.73% | 28 | 0.30% | 23 | 0.25% | 8 | 0.09% | 925 | 9.91% | 9,334 |
| Covington | 4,005 | 60.38% | 2,591 | 39.06% | 24 | 0.36% | 7 | 0.11% | 6 | 0.09% | 1,414 | 21.32% | 6,633 |
| DeSoto | 14,681 | 72.50% | 5,449 | 26.91% | 57 | 0.28% | 43 | 0.21% | 20 | 0.10% | 9,232 | 45.59% | 20,250 |
| Forrest | 14,249 | 66.84% | 6,953 | 32.62% | 52 | 0.24% | 38 | 0.18% | 26 | 0.12% | 7,296 | 34.22% | 21,318 |
| Franklin | 2,376 | 59.97% | 1,563 | 39.45% | 14 | 0.35% | 6 | 0.15% | 3 | 0.08% | 813 | 20.52% | 3,962 |
| George | 4,545 | 58.40% | 2,435 | 31.29% | 328 | 4.21% | 253 | 3.25% | 221 | 2.84% | 2,110 | 27.11% | 7,782 |
| Greene | 2,837 | 57.08% | 1,637 | 32.94% | 195 | 3.90% | 187 | 3.74% | 144 | 2.88% | 1,200 | 24.14% | 4,970 |
| Grenada | 5,352 | 59.10% | 3,683 | 40.67% | 4 | 0.04% | 9 | 0.10% | 8 | 0.09% | 1,669 | 18.43% | 9,056 |
| Hancock | 7,763 | 66.42% | 3,760 | 32.17% | 104 | 0.90% | 31 | 0.27% | 29 | 0.25% | 4,003 | 34.25% | 11,687 |
| Harrison | 32,892 | 68.88% | 14,439 | 30.24% | 191 | 0.40% | 162 | 0.34% | 70 | 0.15% | 18,453 | 38.64% | 47,754 |
| Hinds | 52,749 | 55.52% | 41,058 | 43.22% | 593 | 0.62% | 315 | 0.33% | 291 | 0.31% | 11,691 | 12.30% | 95,006 |
| Holmes | 2,737 | 33.68% | 5,350 | 65.84% | 18 | 0.22% | 8 | 0.10% | 13 | 0.16% | -2,613 | -32.16% | 8,126 |
| Humphreys | 2,018 | 42.98% | 2,644 | 56.32% | 12 | 0.26% | 11 | 0.23% | 10 | 0.21% | -626 | -13.34% | 4,695 |
| Issaquena | 424 | 43.58% | 511 | 52.52% | 17 | 1.75% | 11 | 1.13% | 10 | 1.03% | -87 | -8.94% | 973 |
| Itawamba | 4,535 | 58.95% | 3,143 | 40.86% | 7 | 0.09% | 6 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,392 | 18.09% | 7,693 |
| Jackson | 29,830 | 73.90% | 10,328 | 25.59% | 85 | 0.21% | 76 | 0.19% | 45 | 0.11% | 19,502 | 48.31% | 40,364 |
| Jasper | 3,368 | 51.25% | 3,184 | 48.45% | 8 | 0.12% | 5 | 0.08% | 7 | 0.11% | 184 | 2.80% | 6,572 |
| Jefferson | 702 | 20.64% | 2,693 | 79.18% | 1 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.03% | 4 | 0.12% | -1,991 | -58.54% | 3,401 |
| Jefferson Davis | 2,745 | 47.92% | 2,948 | 51.47% | 20 | 0.35% | 6 | 0.10% | 9 | 0.16% | -203 | -3.55% | 5,728 |
| Jones | 16,764 | 69.07% | 7,383 | 30.42% | 65 | 0.27% | 27 | 0.11% | 33 | 0.14% | 9,381 | 38.65% | 24,272 |
| Kemper | 2,128 | 50.25% | 2,069 | 48.85% | 16 | 0.38% | 12 | 0.28% | 10 | 0.24% | 59 | 1.40% | 4,235 |
| Lafayette | 5,841 | 59.29% | 3,967 | 40.27% | 18 | 0.18% | 17 | 0.17% | 9 | 0.09% | 1,874 | 19.02% | 9,852 |
| Lamar | 9,145 | 77.86% | 2,535 | 21.58% | 42 | 0.36% | 13 | 0.11% | 11 | 0.09% | 6,610 | 56.28% | 11,746 |
| Lauderdale | 18,302 | 68.99% | 7,967 | 30.03% | 77 | 0.29% | 138 | 0.52% | 45 | 0.17% | 10,335 | 38.96% | 26,529 |
| Lawrence | 3,682 | 59.17% | 2,517 | 40.45% | 12 | 0.19% | 6 | 0.10% | 6 | 0.10% | 1,165 | 18.72% | 6,223 |
| Leake | 4,168 | 59.86% | 2,787 | 40.03% | 2 | 0.03% | 3 | 0.04% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,381 | 19.83% | 6,963 |
| Lee | 13,767 | 66.42% | 6,604 | 31.86% | 56 | 0.27% | 261 | 1.26% | 40 | 0.19% | 7,163 | 34.56% | 20,728 |
| Leflore | 6,409 | 50.95% | 5,830 | 46.35% | 129 | 1.03% | 147 | 1.17% | 64 | 0.51% | 579 | 4.60% | 12,579 |
| Lincoln | 8,710 | 65.50% | 4,534 | 34.10% | 42 | 0.32% | 5 | 0.04% | 6 | 0.05% | 4,176 | 31.40% | 13,297 |
| Lowndes | 11,258 | 64.96% | 5,993 | 34.58% | 29 | 0.17% | 27 | 0.16% | 24 | 0.14% | 5,265 | 30.38% | 17,331 |
| Madison | 11,399 | 57.50% | 8,242 | 41.57% | 99 | 0.50% | 41 | 0.21% | 44 | 0.22% | 3,157 | 15.93% | 19,825 |
| Marion | 7,019 | 61.87% | 4,240 | 37.38% | 50 | 0.44% | 17 | 0.15% | 18 | 0.16% | 2,779 | 24.49% | 11,344 |
| Marshall | 4,668 | 39.72% | 6,982 | 59.42% | 47 | 0.40% | 32 | 0.27% | 22 | 0.19% | -2,314 | -19.70% | 11,751 |
| Monroe | 6,447 | 57.70% | 4,669 | 41.79% | 33 | 0.30% | 14 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.09% | 1,778 | 15.91% | 11,173 |
| Montgomery | 2,504 | 56.79% | 1,893 | 42.93% | 6 | 0.14% | 4 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.05% | 611 | 13.86% | 4,409 |
| Neshoba | 6,363 | 68.08% | 2,942 | 31.48% | 19 | 0.20% | 17 | 0.18% | 6 | 0.06% | 3,421 | 36.60% | 9,347 |
| Newton | 5,658 | 70.70% | 2,332 | 29.14% | 6 | 0.07% | 5 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.02% | 3,326 | 41.56% | 8,003 |
| Noxubee | 1,870 | 40.38% | 2,722 | 58.78% | 17 | 0.37% | 12 | 0.26% | 10 | 0.22% | -852 | -18.40% | 4,631 |
| Oktibbeha | 7,126 | 57.99% | 5,100 | 41.50% | 19 | 0.15% | 22 | 0.18% | 22 | 0.18% | 2,026 | 16.49% | 12,289 |
| Panola | 5,382 | 50.46% | 5,222 | 48.96% | 28 | 0.26% | 17 | 0.16% | 16 | 0.15% | 160 | 1.50% | 10,665 |
| Pearl River | 10,220 | 71.30% | 3,939 | 27.48% | 124 | 0.87% | 33 | 0.23% | 17 | 0.12% | 6,281 | 43.82% | 14,333 |
| Perry | 2,983 | 68.62% | 1,326 | 30.50% | 27 | 0.62% | 6 | 0.14% | 5 | 0.12% | 1,657 | 38.12% | 4,347 |
| Pike | 7,637 | 53.63% | 6,531 | 45.87% | 43 | 0.30% | 18 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.07% | 1,106 | 7.76% | 14,239 |
| Pontotoc | 4,939 | 63.81% | 2,772 | 35.81% | 17 | 0.22% | 11 | 0.14% | 1 | 0.01% | 2,167 | 28.00% | 7,740 |
| Prentiss | 4,348 | 55.09% | 3,429 | 43.45% | 43 | 0.54% | 45 | 0.57% | 27 | 0.34% | 919 | 11.64% | 7,892 |
| Quitman | 1,832 | 42.11% | 2,497 | 57.39% | 10 | 0.23% | 4 | 0.09% | 8 | 0.18% | -665 | -15.28% | 4,351 |
| Rankin | 22,937 | 78.41% | 6,201 | 21.20% | 46 | 0.16% | 39 | 0.13% | 31 | 0.11% | 16,736 | 57.21% | 29,254 |
| Scott | 5,522 | 65.06% | 2,939 | 34.63% | 15 | 0.18% | 6 | 0.07% | 6 | 0.07% | 2,583 | 30.43% | 8,488 |
| Sharkey | 1,277 | 43.00% | 1,609 | 54.18% | 35 | 1.18% | 27 | 0.91% | 22 | 0.74% | -332 | -11.18% | 2,970 |
| Simpson | 6,151 | 66.69% | 3,016 | 32.70% | 25 | 0.27% | 26 | 0.28% | 5 | 0.05% | 3,135 | 33.99% | 9,223 |
| Smith | 4,573 | 72.76% | 1,660 | 26.41% | 36 | 0.57% | 13 | 0.21% | 3 | 0.05% | 2,913 | 46.35% | 6,285 |
| Stone | 3,007 | 66.84% | 1,452 | 32.27% | 26 | 0.58% | 13 | 0.29% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,555 | 34.57% | 4,499 |
| Sunflower | 4,362 | 46.96% | 4,898 | 52.73% | 14 | 0.15% | 12 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.03% | -536 | -5.77% | 9,289 |
| Tallahatchie | 2,633 | 47.47% | 2,881 | 51.94% | 15 | 0.27% | 15 | 0.27% | 3 | 0.05% | -248 | -4.47% | 5,547 |
| Tate | 4,553 | 61.12% | 2,872 | 38.56% | 10 | 0.13% | 9 | 0.12% | 5 | 0.07% | 1,681 | 22.56% | 7,449 |
| Tippah | 4,593 | 60.41% | 2,958 | 38.91% | 20 | 0.26% | 15 | 0.20% | 17 | 0.22% | 1,635 | 21.50% | 7,603 |
| Tishomingo | 3,646 | 51.70% | 3,378 | 47.90% | 14 | 0.20% | 12 | 0.17% | 2 | 0.03% | 268 | 3.80% | 7,052 |
| Tunica | 896 | 36.87% | 1,510 | 62.14% | 18 | 0.74% | 3 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.12% | -614 | -25.27% | 2,430 |
| Union | 5,511 | 64.15% | 3,044 | 35.43% | 15 | 0.17% | 12 | 0.14% | 9 | 0.10% | 2,467 | 28.72% | 8,591 |
| Walthall | 3,103 | 56.40% | 2,354 | 42.78% | 29 | 0.53% | 11 | 0.20% | 5 | 0.09% | 749 | 13.62% | 5,502 |
| Warren | 12,507 | 62.01% | 7,437 | 36.87% | 79 | 0.39% | 68 | 0.34% | 79 | 0.39% | 5,070 | 25.14% | 20,170 |
| Washington | 10,229 | 49.45% | 10,222 | 49.41% | 84 | 0.41% | 87 | 0.42% | 65 | 0.31% | 7 | 0.04% | 20,687 |
| Wayne | 4,496 | 60.64% | 2,889 | 38.97% | 12 | 0.16% | 12 | 0.16% | 5 | 0.07% | 1,607 | 21.67% | 7,414 |
| Webster | 3,061 | 66.08% | 1,550 | 33.46% | 14 | 0.30% | 5 | 0.11% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,511 | 32.62% | 4,632 |
| Wilkinson | 1,528 | 36.18% | 2,678 | 63.41% | 6 | 0.14% | 9 | 0.21% | 2 | 0.05% | -1,150 | -27.23% | 4,223 |
| Winston | 5,317 | 57.61% | 3,851 | 41.73% | 15 | 0.16% | 28 | 0.30% | 18 | 0.20% | 1,466 | 15.88% | 9,229 |
| Yalobusha | 2,660 | 52.23% | 2,402 | 47.16% | 19 | 0.37% | 7 | 0.14% | 5 | 0.10% | 258 | 5.07% | 5,093 |
| Yazoo | 5,538 | 48.03% | 4,989 | 43.27% | 391 | 3.39% | 314 | 2.72% | 298 | 2.58% | 549 | 4.76% | 11,530 |
| Totals | 557,890 | 59.89% | 363,921 | 39.07% | 4,232 | 0.45% | 3,329 | 0.36% | 2,155 | 0.23% | 193,969 | 20.82% | 931,527 |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Benton
* Clay
* Issaquena
* Jefferson Davis
* Sunflower
* Tallahatchie